With Toy Fair 2017 two weeks away, the Radio Free Cybertron crew makes its Toy Fair predictions. Titans Return Trypticon, the Last Knight line and the large Robots in Disguise combiners top the list. Brian wants Titans Return Dinobots, Diecast floats a Headmaster Arcee and John bets on Misfire and a Predaking tease. The show also lays out its Botlanta panels, and a Last Knight Super Bowl spot is confirmed. Chris walks through Titans Return Krok, Quake and Perceptor.
News
Botlanta: The Transformers Mini-Con Inside Joelanta, March 11-12
Brian reads the Botlanta press release, since most of the crew will be there. Saturday panels include online toy review tips from Diecast and Exvee, and Don Ferguson on budgeting a collection. Crazy Steve covers 1980s newspaper toy ads, and Derek Yaniger talks about drawing the Generation 2 comic. Brian, Dusty Griffin and Rob Springer will debate the live-action movies. Sunday brings a live Radio Free Cybertron, a 2017 toy preview and Brian’s Transformers trivia panel. The crew jokes that the show got top billing over Derek Yaniger. [Source: TFormers]
The Last Knight to Get a Super Bowl TV Spot?
Paramount bought Super Bowl ad space, and one host says a Last Knight spot has since been confirmed alongside Ghost in the Shell. The crew floats a quick reaction stream after the game, though Matt would rather hear wrestling talk than football talk. [Source: TFormers]
Last Knight Optimus Prime Voice Changer Helmet Now Available
The helmet is up for preorder at $80. One host holds up his 2007 helmet and says the new one is a new mold with the same coverage and electronics. The crew recalls that Garry Chalk voiced the first run of these helmets. Brian notes the 2007 helmet sold for about $25 at launch. [Source: TFormers]
Power of the Primes: Round 2 Voting Is Now Live
Fans choose between Optimus Primal, Star Saber, Ultra Magnus and Unknown Evil. Some hosts vote Star Saber, while others back Unknown Evil because they want a Deathsaurus toy. One host wants the IDW comics to explain Deathsaurus as Cybertron’s new leader. Listener Neo Crusader tweets that Revenge of the Fallen was not that bad, which reopens the movie debate. [Source: TFormers]
au x Transformers Project: What If the Transformers Were Cell Phones?
The TFormers writer of this story explains the licensed TakaraTomy transforming phones made with the Japanese carrier au. The design follows the Infobar handset, and he has heard the phones may work as Bluetooth speakers. A crowdfunding campaign runs through March 30, which the crew finds odd for a licensed product. Each figure looks to cost close to $60. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers Die-Cast Vehicles from Dickie Toys
Dickie Toys shows non-transforming Transformers die-cast vehicles that look aimed at the UK. Don says Dickie Toys has a long die-cast history and expects solid quality. One host thinks some of them resemble the old Stealth Force toys. [Source: TFormers]
Unite Warriors UW-EX Megatronia: In-Hand Images Compared to Combiner Wars Victorion
The crew loves Megatronia’s colors and notes the knees are assembled correctly this time. That raises hopes that Baldigus gets them right too. One host has already ordered Megatronia, while another will wait for a price drop. [Source: TFormers]
Third-Party News
FansToys FT-17 Hoodlum: Unofficial MP-Style Hot Rod Prototype Photos
Don likes the look and hopes for a different transformation than Masterpiece Hot Rod, which did not scratch his Hot Rod itch. One host wants third parties to favor simpler, essential transformations. He contrasts Fans Hobby’s quick Arch Enemy with a MakeToys Downbeat video that ran 17 minutes. [Source: TFormers]
Toy Fair 2017 Predictions
The RFC Toy Fair live stream runs February 18 and 19 at tfradio.net/live, its eighth year. Rob and Chris posted TFormers lists of what to expect, what might show and what they would like. The expected list includes Warrior Class Bludgeon, the large Robots in Disguise combiners, more Titans Return and the Last Knight line. The might-see list includes a Legends Outback on the Brawn mold, Blitzwing, Octane, Twin Twist and Leader Class Overlord. Rob also wonders if a $150 Last Knight Planet Cybertron playset could take the Titan slot from Trypticon.
Brian picks Titans Return Dinobots and more of Trypticon. His long shot is the Transformers Weebles shown at Toy Fair 2010 that never came out. Chris hopes for wave 5 recolors of the newer molds, especially Hot Rod. Don expects the toy-colored Masterpiece Optimus Primal as a Toys “R” Us exclusive, plus a holiday Ginrai and Godbomber set. He also predicts the first product for Hasbro’s cinematic universe.
Diecast agrees on Dinobots and Trypticon and wonders about a Kre-O return. He also hopes for Twin Twist, a Headmaster Arcee and HasCon details. Rob adds that fan club news could come. Matt expects Trypticon, lots of movie toys, the Robots in Disguise combiners and a Legends Beachcomber. Rob thinks the Kup mold will become Crosshairs. John picks Misfire and a hint of Predaking. Don adds that retailers may want new Combiner Wars decos branded as movie tie-ins.
This Week in History
In 2009, the Revenge of the Fallen teaser premiered during the Super Bowl. The crew debates the movie, and Diecast argues it is easier to sit through than Age of Extinction. In 1969, Patton Oswalt was born. The crew is surprised to learn he was a punch-up writer on the 2007 Transformers movie.
TFormers This Week
Chris posted video reviews of Titans Return Krok with Gatorface and Quake with Chasm, plus galleries of Kup and Flintlock. Rob reviewed the new issue of Transformers: Lost Light. He enjoys one of its two storylines, while the other spins its wheels. TFormers also has a first look at the Last Knight Premier Edition deluxes Barricade, Berserker and Bumblebee.
What We Got This Week
Brian
Brian got MakeToys Downbeat, an unofficial Masterpiece-style Jazz. He doubts a Masterpiece Jazz will ever come and likes that Downbeat can be displayed toy-style or cartoon-style.
Chris
Chris got a late birthday package from Brickinator, including a Legends Ravage and a second TakaraTomy Fall of Cybertron Skywarp to use as a generic purple Seeker. He also has the Titans Return wave 4 deluxes and reviewed Krok and Quake on TFormers. Quake is heavily painted with a striking tank mode. Krok surprised him most, avoiding Skullcruncher’s problems, with a clear cockpit hatch and well-matched purple paint. Topspin has an engaging transformation, Kup is the least interesting and Perceptor’s microscope can actually magnify a Titan Master.
Matt
Matt didn’t get anything this week.
Don
Don picked up Titans Return Kup and Kickback. Kickback was his first boxed Insecticon back in 1984 or 1985. Thanks to Chosen Prime he also got MakeToys Downbeat. He also picked up Striker Manus and loves its space gun mode.
Rob
Rob didn’t get anything this week.
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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