Paramount pulls the seventh live-action Transformers movie from its release schedule, and the crew is not sad to see the date go. A listener who works in retail asks why Power of the Primes Wave 2 never reached the pegs, which kicks off a long talk about toy distribution. Imaginarium Art’s G1 Arcee statue draws a firm thumbs-down. Leaked photos show the exclusive Power of the Primes Wreck-Gar, and the G1 Hot Rod reissue lands on Walmart.com.
News
Listener Question: Where Is Power of the Primes Wave 2?
A texter who works for a large retailer says Power of the Primes Deluxes and Voyagers show as out at the distribution center. Replenishment only brought more Wave 1, and Hun-Gurrr is about to cost double. One host, who has worked in retail his whole adult life, explains that big chains buy straight from Hasbro, so the problem is either supply or orders. Another host points to long lead times from China and narrow reset windows. Rob floats a theory that the Bumblebee movie’s delay left planned product stuck in Hasbro’s pipeline. Brian thinks Transformers simply are not selling while Star Wars and Marvel Legends shelves stay full. One host explains that stores reorder a box of Transformers and get whatever older wave is still in the network. Diecast recalls Hasbro promising at HasCon that the missing Last Knight waves were coming, and they never did.
Imaginarium Art G1 Arcee Statue Image
Brian calls the highly sexualized, human-proportioned Arcee statue terrible, and a chat member dubs it DeviantArt Arcee. It reportedly comes in two sizes at roughly $400 and $1,000. One host says Arcee gets this treatment so often that he would be more surprised if it did not happen. Brian notes it is officially licensed, so he can only say he hates it, not that it is wrong. [Source: TFormers]
Paramount Officially Removes Seventh Transformers Live-Action Film From Schedule
Box office tracker Exhibitor Relations reports that the next Transformers film, dated June 28, 2019, is now unset. The crew already assumed the post-Bumblebee movie was shelved, though the date had technically remained. One host is not going to cry over it and wants a public that will accept something better for Transformers. He thinks the comics, toys and movies all point to a big change within the next year. [Source: Seibertron.com]
Power of the Primes Exclusive Wreck-Gar: New Stock Photography Leak
Leaked photos show the exclusive Wreck-Gar, believed to be a Walgreens release, as Rob Springer reported last year. Brian wants it, and one host jokes about buying four for a Junkion team. Unlike Blast Off and Repugnus, it does not appear to include a missing Prime Master. It does pack in a weapon from the 2010 toy alongside a Power of the Primes combiner hand. [Source: TFormers]
G1 Hot Rod Reissue Now Listed on Walmart.com With Stock Photos
The vintage G1 Hot Rod reissue appears on Walmart.com with foil stickers, mistransformed in the photos. Robot Kingdom prices it around $35. A Kapow Toys listing calls it the first in a series, so the crew expects Seekers, Autobot cars and likely Optimus Prime to follow. The crew compares prices from earlier Commemorative Series reissues and advises grabbing it on sight. [Source: TFormers]
Predaking In-Hand Images of Titan Class Transformers Team
New in-hand photos show Power of the Primes Predaking, and a Canadian retailer has preorders up. One host does not hate it but finds it more svelte than he would like. Nobody wants to pay $150, so the crew plans to wait for an Amazon deal or Ollie’s. One host would rather buy the G1 Encore Predaking or a third-party version. [Source: TFormers]
Power of the Primes Wave 3 Prime Masters Sighted in Philippines Toys R Us
Wave 3 Prime Masters are on shelves in the Philippines while Wave 2 is reportedly a Kroger exclusive in the US. Diecast says that only adds to his worries about Wave 2. [Source: TFormers]
Prequel: From Cybertron With Love, a Bumblebee Movie Comic
The Bumblebee movie prequel comic is written by John Barber, with a cover by Sarah Pitre-Durocher, and is solicited through Penguin Random House, now IDW’s distributor. The crew calls it a prequel to a prequel with a 1950s and 1960s spy look. One host plans to check out the collected edition. [Source: TFormers]
Power of the Primes Episode 4
The fourth episode of the Machinima series is out. Diecast says everything in the show points to Unicron, and the series has him wanting Rodimus Unicronus.
What’s on TFormers
Rob runs through the week on TFormers: Transformers digital stickers and trading cards for iOS and Android, and a box image showing renders of Power of the Primes’ missing Prime Masters. Chris wrote up the accessories expected with MP-43 Beast Wars Megatron, Rubber Duckie included. Buyers from Hasbro’s official Taobao store on May 15 were entered to win one of 88 camo Leader Class Blackouts or 300 rusty Bumblebees.
RFC Announcements
John is setting up an RFC T-shirt store, expected within about a week.
What We Got This Week
Brian
Brian got Grand Maximus and plans to sneak it into the collection room. He also found the $10 Authentics Bumblebee and Grimlock at Family Dollar. He likes the small Authentics, but calls the $10 figures third-rate and bad for the brand.
Chris
Chris had nothing in Transformers this week.
Diecast
Diecast did not get anything, despite a trip to Toys R Us, where Planet Cybertron sets were 40 percent off.
Jason
Jason had nothing in Transformers this week.
Don
Don picked up two Trypticons, one for himself and one for his friend Fred. He also grabbed the small Authentics Megatron and Optimus Prime. Megatron’s vehicle mode never pegs together, but the figure is 5 mm compatible.
Rob
Rob had nothing in Transformers this week.
John
John had nothing in Transformers this week.
From the Archive
After the outro, Brian plays nearly all of the May 26, 2000 episode of Radio Free Cybertron, in which the computer takes over the show. It includes John DeLuna’s ATT Buzz and a trivia segment hijacked by Waspinator. Brian warns that it is historically bad, and checks in afterward to agree.
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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