After 23 years of asking, Don is finally getting a Headmaster Arcee, as a HasCon 2017 exclusive packed with Ultra Magnus. HasCon photo filenames hint at a new Hasbro Transformers collectors club. John Cena joins the Bumblebee movie as it moves to December 2018, and MP-711 dresses Masterpiece Convoy in 7-Eleven colors. Walgreens listings reveal Cloudraker and Wingspan at Deluxe pricing and a Generations Wreck-Gar.
This Week in History
In 2011, Dark of the Moon passed $1 billion worldwide, Paramount’s first film to do so, within five weeks. The crew notes The Last Knight is fading out near $570 million, well below expectations. In 1947, musician Rick Derringer was born, the man behind Hulk Hogan’s “Real American” theme. [Source: TFWiki]
The Big Item
Local Boy Does Good: HasCon 2017 Arcee and Optimus Prime Exclusives Official Images and Details
Headmaster Arcee is a HasCon 2017 exclusive packed with Ultra Magnus, and it will be available afterward in some form. Don is happy and cautiously optimistic, and Brian promises to get him one, plus extras for a signed giveaway. Chris theorizes that Hasbro must sell parts it tooled for the canceled box sets to recoup the cost. He expects a second two-pack with the Scorponok Titan Master. The crew finds Arcee’s Titan Master head unattractive. The HasCon Optimus Prime power bank turns out to be 6,500 mAh, and its sword lights up when plugged in. [Source: TFormers]
News
Rumor/Speculation: New Transformers Collector’s Club To Be Announced At HasCon?
Hasbro’s press photo filenames include “collector_club.” Rob, who covered it on Rob Clay Toy Detective, thinks Arcee will be the club’s first offering. He wonders whether the box sets were canceled to sell their contents a la carte. One host worries Hasbro has learned the wrong lessons from Fun Publications. Others note Arcee’s price is reasonable next to old club prices. [Source: TFormers]
Akiva Goldsman Is No Longer Involved With Transformers
Akiva Goldsman says he is no longer part of the Transformers writers room. The crew explains the room was a short-term think tank that disbanded once scripts were drafted, so this is not as big as it sounds. [Source: /Film]
WWE Superstar John Cena Joins Cast of Bumblebee Movie
John Cena takes a lead role, and the release moves to December 2018. The crew jokingly renames it Bumblebee the Movie Starring John Cena. One host calls Cena likable and smart, the best candidate to follow The Rock’s path. The crew expects a crowded December box office. [Source: TFormers]
MP-711: Masterpiece Convoy 7-Eleven Exclusive Redeco Officially Revealed
Don is tired of MP-10 repaints but wants this one badly, trailer and all. The 7-Eleven shoulder logo is an optional sticker that can be swapped for an Autobot symbol. The crew agrees the green breaks up the white nicely. [Source: TFormers]
Movie The Best MB-EX Laserbeak: In-Hand Images of Exclusive Pink Bumblebee Recolor
Brian loves the pink Bumblebee recolor and is hunting for one during the show, with tips from the chat. [Source: TFormers]
Pioneer Announces SE-MX8-K Transformers Branded High-End Headphones
The headphones appear aimed at Japan, and unbranded versions cost about $100 less. The crew admits they are not the target audience. [Source: TFormers]
Zeta Toys Armageddon: Giant Unofficial Bruticus First Look and In-Hand Not-Blast Off Photos
This is the oversized set whose Vortex resembles movie Blackout. The crew finds Blast Off fine apart from excessive arm and leg kibble. [Source: TFormers]
Titans Return Cloudraker and Wingspan Priced as Deluxe and Set to Ship in August, Per Walgreens
Rob Springer’s Walgreens source found the clone pair due Saturday at $17.99. The same system lists Wreck-Gar as a Deluxe, plus Cyber Battalion items and old dead listings. One host theorizes Wreck-Gar could be a Power of the Primes preview figure on the Groove mold. [Source: TFormers]
Last Knight Optimus Primal Concept Art
Concept art shows a giant Optimus Primal for The Last Knight, along with a robot snake from the same artist. One host thinks a crazed Optimus Primal could have been interesting. Another hates it, calling it a giant pig-ape, while a third sees a robot King Kong. [Source: not found]
Mailbag
A texter loves the Diaclone World Guide from HLJ, and the crew laughs that “V2 in the front, vintage in the rear” describes a mullet. Ben from Big Bear’s Toys asks whether the writers room means more robot-focused movies. Rob doubts it, citing his TFormers breakdown of screen time, but points to Boulder Media hiring for an all-CG Hasbro project. Kim Conter asks to share RFC videos on a Luxembourg site. Brian explains RFC is released under Creative Commons, so no permission is needed.
What’s on TFormers
Exvee posted a Titans Return Overlord gallery, a Last Knight Nitro review and a Titans Return Misfire review and gallery. The crew recommends his video over Nitro’s gray-on-gray instructions.
What We Got This Week
Rob got the Evolution two-pack of Orion Pax and War for Cybertron Optimus Prime. It is his first experience with the Kup mold, and he likes Orion’s colors.
Don preordered a large third-party Omega, saving $140 with eBay Bucks. He is also splitting a Last Knight Nitro and Scorn set with a friend and keeping Nitro, thanks to Chris’s review.
Diecast opened a Taobao box with an unofficial Masterpiece movie Optimus Prime, which has a couple of tab issues and an uneven smokestack. He also got an upscaled Battle Blades-style Bumblebee and Iron Factory Starscream, which includes parts toward a Ghost Starscream.
Chris got the SDCC Leader Jetfire with no chrome, thanks to Don. A slight tab problem leaves a gap at the cockpit, but he likes it for the price.
Brian found a 1:24 scale RPM Barricade at Walmart for $20. A $8 Rubik’s Cube Optimus Prime broke within seconds. He also picked up a Record Breakers car named Shockwave, a Hasbro toy that reuses the name.
John got both SDCC sets, Primitive Prime and the Revolution box, and has not opened them yet. Hasbro Toy Shop availability is expected August 14.
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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Radio Free Cybertron – 08/16/2012
RFC Daily Transformers News Update 010: Hascon, The Matrix of Leadership, and a Contest
Radio Free Cybertron – 01/16/01
Radio Free Cybertron – 424