Masterpiece Skywarp has finally reached US Walmart stores at $60, and the crew debates whether that is a deal. This November 4, 2009 Radio Free Cybertron is the cosplay edition, built around an interview with Joe Eibe, the Metalhawk Guy. The crew also covers a debunked fan-made Arcee rumor, proposed animal Headmaster knockoffs and a Frenzy and Rumble style test shot. This Day in Transformers History marks the DVD anniversaries of Transformers: The Movie, and Twitter Theater picks the Robots in Disguise episode “Commandos.”
News
Masterpiece Skywarp Hits Walmart at $60
Masterpiece Skywarp is finally at US Walmarts for $60, up from the $49.99 Masterpiece Starscream on the same mold two years ago. One host calls it fair next to the roughly $90 Japanese import, and the crew notes the toy is all plastic like the Japanese release. Others point out that Revenge of the Fallen Leader Optimus Prime and Jetfire together cost $70 and make a better toy. The crew also complains about $30 Voyager redecos like Hardhead and guesses Masterpiece Grimlock will cost $65. They joke about a Trypticon or G2 Dinobot repaint of Grimlock. [Source: not found]
Fan-Made Transforming Arcee Rumor Debunked
Exvee reports that a fan-produced transformable Arcee credited to Impossible Toys turned out to be one person’s custom project. A Cybertron.com staff member revealed the builder had only floated the idea of casting it, and Impossible Toys has no connection to it. The crew expects an Animated Arcee to make the point moot, and they joke about Headmaster Don, who asks Hasbro for a Headmaster Arcee at every BotCon Q&A. [Source: Cybertron.com]
Animal Headmaster Knockoffs Proposed on Allspark
An Allspark poster floated casting copies of the Japanese-exclusive animal Headmasters from 1987 and 1988, which fetch high prices. The crew wonders whether knockoffs would appeal to completists or kill the allure of rarity. That leads to rare toys they want, such as Battle Gaia, whose mold lives on in cheap Guard City knockoffs. [Source: Allspark]
Frenzy and Rumble Style Test Shot Surfaces
A grayscale test shot from a Hong Kong Transformers board, reposted to Allspark, closely resembles the Frenzy and Rumble character design. The popular theory says it combines with a larger toy for its alt mode. The crew suggests a cassette, a Ravage-style pack-in or, jokingly, an MP3 player. [Source: Allspark]
This Day in Transformers History
JD Church marks November 7: in 2000, Rhino released Transformers: The Movie on DVD for the first time, and it was JD’s first DVD. Before that, the widest release was the Canadian VHS. On the same date in 2006, Sony released the 20th anniversary edition with commentaries and a widescreen version, which the crew calls only a wider screen. The crew plugs RFC’s own Transformers: The Movie fan commentary and the Revenge of the Fallen commentary, which works only with the standard DVD.
The talk turns to the St. Louis test-market Transformers Happy Meal toys from the mid-1980s. One host owns the Famicom game Return of Convoy and praises the Angry Video Game Nerd’s video on it. Another bought a PlayStation 2 just for the Transformers game and calls it a letdown.
Cosplay Trainwreck of Doom
Admitting they know nothing about cosplay, the crew calls it part of the fan and convention experience. They say Transformers cosplayers are usually skilled, given how hard robots are to build, and that cosplay turns introverted fans into extroverts. They compare polished Japanese cosplay with American costumers who enjoy the building most. Favorites include the YouTube transforming Bumblebee costume and a BotCon 2007 fan whose wheelchair became an Optimus Prime trailer and battle station.
Interview: Joe Eibe, the Metalhawk Guy
Joe Eibe, 42, has costumed since he was two and fell for Transformers through the tech spec profiles. He has built Wreck-Gar, Metalhawk, Star Saber’s jet and Optimus Prime, whose chest opens to reveal the Matrix and won a standing ovation at Fanime. He builds from sturdy produce and U-Haul boxes, duct tape and foam padding, starting with the legs. His costumes don’t last because sweat and humidity break down the cardboard. He also explains his Doctor Who crossover story, in which the TARDIS becomes an Autobot.
Joe is writing Transformers: The Litany, a mytho-historical tale of the Transformers’ evolution. He has also written a Star Trek: The Next Generation crossover that splits the Enterprise-D into two Autobots, Star Drive and Saucer. He criticizes the first live-action movie for never giving Optimus Prime a full transformation hero shot. The crew calls it their favorite interview ever, and the full 40-minute version is available at tfradio.net.
Twitter Theater: Commandos
To fit the cosplay theme, Twitter Theater picks Robots in Disguise episode 15, “Commandos.” The four Predacons dress in homemade Optimus Prime costumes, and Ruination makes his first appearance with the cry “Ruination Awakens.”
Coming Up
Brian teases a new weekly segment with a famous trans fan to bring back trivia. Next week the crew plans to discuss dubs. They also hope to book fan fiction writers for National Novel Writing Month, possibly Scout and Tim from Cold Hard Slag. Brian notes the show returned after Glenn Howlett became its 50th Facebook fan.
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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