San Diego Comic-Con brought the official Studio Series 86 Devastator announcement, with Hook and Long Haul packed together at Commander Class. Takara Tomy’s Missing Link Sentinel Prime steals the week, and the Pulse Con Dinoking set has Don excited. Transformers One Lunchables turn meat and cheese into Cheesemus Prime and Hamatron, and Transformers Converse sneakers are on the way. In What We Got This Week, Chris reviews the Takara Tomy EarthSpark Aftermath and Hashtag.
News
Missing Link C-01S Sentinel Prime Revealed
The best news of SDCC week came out of Japan: Missing Link Sentinel Prime, an orange take on Missing Link Convoy. One host has long wanted a Sentinel Prime toy and calls it gorgeous. On the TFW2005 forums, Pixel Master pointed out that it is the tractor trailer Skyspy scanned, which Optimus Prime adopted as his truck mode. The crew noted Fisher Prime in the Discord figured that out minutes after the pictures leaked. [Source: ActionFigure411]
Studio Series 86 Devastator Officially Announced
Studio Series 86 Devastator was officially announced, and a listing shows Hook and Long Haul packed together at Commander Class. Per JT Prime’s listings, Mixmaster and Scrapper are Voyagers, while Bonecrusher and Scavenger are Deluxes. The crew expects vehicle-mode scale to be off and worries about uneven robot-mode heights. Most of the crew is excited, and the hope is that Menasor’s success means more mainline combiners. One host is tired of combiners, and others want alternate colors fast, especially an orange G2 Devastator. [Source: TFW2005]
Knight Rider x Transformers Agent Knight In-Package Images
In-package photos of Collaborative Agent Knight show a Masterpiece Autobot car-sized toy. The crew still wants it, and one host noted the head sculpt has Hasselhoff vibes and even blue jeans. One host is curious whether the sounds and phrases use archival William Daniels audio or new recordings. At $50 with electronics, the crew called it a pretty good deal. [Source: TFW2005]
SDCC 2024 Day 2 Product Reveals
Collected SDCC reveals included G.I. Joe crossover Kup with the Triple T, Studio Series Transformers One Megatron and a Revenge of the Fallen Autobot multipack. Gamer Edition Ratchet, a Reactivate Bumblebee and the Amazon Bludgeon and Ruckus two-pack rounded it out. The crew called Kup okay but said the colors do not read as Kup. One host still rates Thunder Machine Soundwave as the best G.I. Joe crossover. Ruckus is a bigger Beachcomber retool than expected, but one host warned of reports that its rubber tires react with the plastic. Paladin noted that everyone in the Revenge of the Fallen pack died in that movie. Studio Series Transformers One Megatron got called Uncle Sam on stilts. [Source: TFW2005]
Transformers SDCC 2024 Brand Panel Recap
The panel previewed what looks like Legacy wave 5, mostly repaints. Sureshot appears to be missing again, replaced by an Origin Bumblebee reissue. Matt is not ready to call Sureshot canceled. He thinks the team saved new molds for Pulse Con, since Marvel was going to dominate SDCC anyway. The crew is most excited for G2 Breakdown. Don wants a G2 Menasor, and the crew joked that Hasbro will release G2 Motormaster without combiner parts. [Source: TFW2005]
Transformers Legacy United Dinobot Dinoking Multipack Revealed
Pulse Con will offer a Dinoking set built from the Legacy Dinobot molds. Don is very excited, and the crew agreed the new paint makes the combined mode look far better. It adds new feet and more posable hands. At about $80, the price roughly matches buying the Core Dinobots separately. One host noted ArtFire2000 just sold a loose vintage Dinoking for $1,675. [Source: TFW2005]
Transformers x G.I. Joe Live Action Movie Updates From SDCC 2024
Lorenzo di Bonaventura still seems unsure how to make the Transformers and G.I. Joe crossover movie work. His concern is too many characters on screen. One host wants the wacky superhero G.I. Joe, not the realistic military version, and the crew wants at least one ninja. [Source: TFW2005]
ACGHK 2024: Flame Toys Kuro Kara Kuri Animated Optimus Prime
ACGHK 2024 in Hong Kong brought more Flame Toys Kuro Kara Kuri, including Animated Optimus Prime with the wingblade. One host wondered how many will ever ship. Another wondered whether Yolopark’s lower-priced figures will make fans hesitate on Flame Toys versions, and one host wants a Yolopark Dai Atlas. [Source: TFW2005]
Takara Tomy 40th Anniversary TF-40A Lio Convoy First Look
Takara Tomy’s retooled Legacy Lio Convoy surprised the crew. It looks more like the animation, essentially a miniature of the Masterpiece. One host likes it, and another still prefers Robot Masters Lio Convoy. [Source: TFW2005]
Transformers x Little People 4-Pack Found at US Retail
The Transformers Little People four-pack is in stores at about $25. One host calls it the closest he will get to Weebles. Don expects them at Ollie’s and will buy several. Brian noted adult Little People collectors exist, since his wife Kim has Ted Lasso Little People at work. [Source: TFW2005]
Transformers One Branded Lunchables Found
Transformers One Lunchables are real, and the promo art turns crackers, meat and cheese into robots. The crew christened them Cheesemus Prime, Megacheese, Hamatron and Hamblebee. One host will buy them even though his kids only eat the pizza Lunchables, while Don sticks to the cheaper Armour lunch kits. [Source: TFW2005]
Transformers x Converse Collaboration Official Images
Transformers Converse sneakers are coming in sizes from infant to adult, including Chuck Taylor All Stars. One host owns a few pairs of Chuck Taylors and will get a Transformers pair, and some styles even have Velcro. [Source: TFW2005]
Power of the Primes Leader Class Optimus Prime Reissue Found at Target
Power of the Primes Optimus Prime is being reissued at Target. One host explained the timing: the toy evolves from Orion Pax to Optimus Prime, the same story Transformers One tells. [Source: TFW2005]
Sunbow-Marvel Archive Adds Over 700 Model Sheets
The Sunbow-Marvel Archive added more than 700 Transformers character model sheets. The crew was impressed with the storyboards, scripts and model sheets the archive has collected. [Source: Sunbow-Marvel Archive]
Mark Maher Shows Off Road Pig and Ruckus
Mark Maher posted behind-the-scenes looks at Star Raider Road Pig and Ruckus. One host preordered Road Pig on Walmart.com after a confusing coming soon and sold out listing on Hasbro Pulse. One host wants the mold redone as G2 Soundwave and Armada Sideways. [Source: Mark Maher on Instagram]
What We Got This Week
Chris
Chris got the Takara Tomy EarthSpark Aftermath and Hashtag from Suruga-ya. Aftermath is a bit smaller than he expected, and the truck fenders need something to lock into. He loves the detailed, almost chicken-like head sculpt and the tow hook, which pops off as a 5mm post for other weapons. Hashtag is a modified Warrior class toy sold alongside the Deluxes. Her Takara Tomy deco skews blue rather than Hasbro’s purple, and she includes two guns the Hasbro version may lack.
Diecast
Diecast got the Jurassic Park two-pack on sale at Amazon.
John DeLuna
John got Comic Edition Grimlock and says the cel shading is subtle and looks great, though the mold feels a little creaky. He also got Filch, a nice retool of Kingdom Airazor, and Transformers One Alpha Trion, whose metallic purple he loves. At Target he found Gamer Edition Decepticon Soldier, which he thinks looks better than Barricade on that mold. He also got Studio Series 86 Springer from Hasbro Pulse to replace his Siege Springer.
Brian Kilby
Brian got the Target Legacy United four-pack and plans to sell Tarantulas and Tarn, but he likes Squeeze Play. Prime Cliffjumper is fine, though Brian says adding a nose is a crime against Prime designs. He also got Lockdown, which he calls probably the weakest Lockdown ever, plus Cannonball and the Generations Selects GoBots three-pack.
Matt
Matt got Filch and has no problem with beasts, just Beast Wars. He got two Lockdowns from Walmart.com, one to troop-build his Junkions, and he likes the hook-hand gimmick. His Studio Series 86 Springer from Hasbro Pulse has a crooked Autobot symbol, so he found another at CMD Store. He also got Studio Series 86 Swoop, which he displays in flight mode on two flight stands.
Don
Don got Party Wallop and has not opened it yet.