BotCon 2001 confirmation letters are arriving less than three weeks out, and John DeLuna says the two-day schedule is far too crowded. On the ATT Buzz he also warns that late G1 Monster Pretenders and Ultra Pretenders are falling apart in the package. This June 26, 2001 Radio Free Cybertron includes an impromptu review of Beast Machines Blast Punch Optimus Primal. Brian Kilby also launches a new segment on what makes a good Transformers website.
News
BotCon 2001 Confirmations Go Out
Most attendees received their BotCon confirmation letters this weekend, and John DeLuna is number 11. Dinner ticket holders also got the menu. John paid $70 for the dinner and hopes for more than a sneak peek at the exclusives and a music CD. If the CD has to be Beast Wars or Beast Machines, he votes for a Beast Machines soundtrack. [Source: not found]
John argues two days is no longer enough for a convention this size. Sunday stacks the theatrical showing, the Mystery Science Theater 3000 presentation, the Hasbro Q&A and other panels back to back, while voice actor signings run at the same time. He is disappointed that Transformers: The Movie will screen in a panel room rather than a theater. He would like Fort Wayne to become BotCon’s permanent home and thinks the dealer room should be capped at last year’s size.
Opening
Brian runs down the show and passes along that Weezbucket.com has moved to Weezbucket.net. He calls it a cool site with Transformers cartoon MP3s, run by good people.
ATT Buzz: Late G1 Plastic Falling Apart
John says the youngest G1 toys are deteriorating the fastest. Carded Monster Pretender shells melt into slime in the package, so he warns owners of a $500 mint set not to open them. The Ultra and Mega Pretenders, such as Skyhammer, use brittle, cheap plastic that breaks out of the box. He blames Hasbro for cutting corners as G1 wound down. He closes by praising Action Masters as better than modern PVCs, with fun vehicles and good articulation.
Toy Review: Beast Machines Blast Punch Optimus Primal
The Blast Punch Optimus Primal arrived from Big Bad Toy Store for $17.99 plus $4 shipping. The gorilla beast mode looks like a techno-organic gorilla and beats the Deluxe Optimus Primal. The transformation is too simple, though, mostly flipping pieces from one side to the other. The robot mode has stiff arms, pointless elbows and the weakest punch gimmick the reviewer has seen. It displays well and looks like the show model. The figure scores a 5 out of 10, worth the $15 retail price but not $23 shipped.
The review also ranks Optimus Primal toys: Ultra Optimus Primal is the best, then Transmetal, then the Beast Machines Deluxe. Blast Punch Primal lands between Optimal Optimus and the bat at the bottom.
What Makes a Good Transformers Website
Brian starts a new series on great Transformers websites. Content comes first, ideally original content, along with easy navigation and short load times. He points to Zobovor’s site, with its encyclopedia, voice actor information and art archive, as an example. His pet peeves are leet speak, top 100 buttons, stolen Greg Galb spinning logos or other artists’ work, and overused Photoshop. He admits to the lens flare on the RFC logo. Next week brings the first site review, and RFC-affiliated sites are disqualified.
Closing
Brian thanks Zobovor for the season 5 surprise party clips. He now has all of season 5 on tape, courtesy of rockman666, and promises more Tommy Kennedy clips in future shows.
Radio Free Cybertron is the world's first and oldest toy and action figure podcast — broadcasting from the heart of the Transformers fan community since October 1999. What started as a scrappy fan show has grown into an institution, with nearly 1,000 episodes and over 25 years of coverage. Every week, host Brian Kilby and the RFC crew dig into the latest Transformers news, toy reveals, collecting, and everything hitting shelves from Hasbro, Takara, and beyond. No fluff, no hype — just informed, passionate collectors who have been doing this longer than anyone else on the planet. The original. The longest running. Till all are one.
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