TFU.info’s Ant was a creative producer on the Transformers episode of Netflix’s The Toys That Made Us. Hosts who have seen it call it really well done. Takara posts official Studio Series photos of Jazz, Lockdown, Megatron and Brawl. Street Fighter II x Transformers two-packs show up in hand with standout packaging. Jason fills in for Brian, and Diecast calls X-Transbots Crackup Masterpiece quality for $39.99.
News
Listeners Report on Toy Aisles
After last week’s talk about empty toy aisles, listeners tweeted photos of their local Walmart and Target shelves. Later in the week some stores got stock, though some of it was Power of the Primes wave 1 again. Inferno turning up before wave 2 worries some fans. Keep the photos coming to @tfradio on Twitter.
TFU.info’s Anthony Brucale Reveals Work on The Toys That Made Us
Ant from TFU.info revealed on his podcast that he was a creative producer on the Transformers episode of The Toys That Made Us. One host calls him the one right choice, since “the man knows everything.” Hosts who have seen it call it really well done. It focuses on Hasbro bringing the toys over from Japan, then the brand’s decline and revival. One host notes the series is about origins, so it was never going to cover everything. [Source: TFormers]
Machinima Power of the Primes Episode 5: Athenaeum Sanctorum
Diecast recaps the episode. Optimus Primal gives Megatron the Requiem Blaster after seeing he truly wants to help Cybertron. Overlord and Rodimus Unicronus hunt Megatron, kill Sludge and tear off Victorion’s head. Diecast says it finally felt like things happened. One host who dropped the series a few episodes back may wait until it is finished. [Source: TFormers]
Official Takara Studio Series Images: Jazz, Lockdown, Megatron, Brawl
The toys match the Hasbro releases, but Takara’s photos look better. One host warns that Studio Series Megatron looks hollow from the side. That seems to come from the way it transforms, which is also how it gets so tall for a Voyager. [Source: TFormers]
Imaginarium Art G1 Ratchet Statue Image
The crew reacts more warmly than to last week’s statue, and the detail looks impressive. Since the real Red Cross symbol is off limits, the shoulders carry a close stand-in. One host suggests four Autobot symbols arranged in a cross instead. [Source: TFormers]
TF Dream Factory Unofficial Movie Roadbuster New Prototype Shown
New prototype photos come with a cryptic Weibo caption about reworking the design. The crew spends several minutes working out which movie Wrecker this is. Diecast is confused, since his copy is already in the mail. The chat settles it: green is Roadbuster, red is Leadfoot and blue is Topspin. [Source: TFormers]
Listings for Possible Upcoming Studio Series Toys
Chris wrote up the listings. They include a Deluxe Brawl, a “Jess” that is likely Jazz, a “Mercenary” that is likely Lockdown, and a second Ratchet. The Deluxe Brawl baffles the crew. One host confirms the device in the photos is a Target system. A Ratchet redeco makes sense, since the character changes colors in the movie. [Source: TFormers]
NewAge Toys Tiny Unofficial Bumblebee Is Back With Color Photos
NewAge’s tiny Bumblebee now has color photos and two friends based on Goldbug and Bugbite. Each robot is about two inches tall, scaled to Legends figures. The crew loves the super-deformed minicar proportions. One host notes that Goldbug and Bugbite get the Dinobot Island jet pack, while Bumblebee, who used it in that episode, does not. Price guesses run from $15 each to $55 for the set. [Source: TFormers]
Fans Hobby Power Baser Black Teaser Photo
Eric did not want this mold until it came in black, and now he has to buy it. One host is Powermaster Optimus Prime’d out after so many versions. Another would rather put the money toward an original Fire Guts than an orange Power Baser. [Source: TFormers]
Street Fighter II x Transformers Two-Packs In-Hand Photos
The figures are packaged mid-fight, with Chun-Li upside down in her spin kick and M. Bison doing a Psycho Crusher. Japanese fans already call that figure Vega-tron. One host has no interest in the figures but says this is what good packaging can do. Hosts compare it to the Platinum Edition Autobot Heroes set and the Fall of Cybertron G2 Bruticus box. [Source: TFormers]
PopCultureShock G1 Optimus Prime Cel-Shaded Statue First Full View in Color
The crew likes the cel-shaded look, which is essentially Transformers: Devastation’s Optimus Prime painted onto a statue. One host says the running pose picks up where the season one end credits leave off. There is no price yet. Talk turns to MP-01, which Don would love to see again. In his Twitter poll on how MP-01 should return, the winning answer was that its time has passed. [Source: TFormers]
This Week in History
In 2010, Alternity Starscream and Skywarp were released in Japan, along with Device Label Cheetus. The crew calls the Alternity jets every problem with Alternity in a smaller package. One host owns Alternity Convoy, the simplest of the line, and still calls it a nightmare. He would like the exclusive Bonzai-Tron redeco to keep in robot mode. [Source: TFWiki]
What’s on TFormers
An editorial explains why its writer is stepping back from collecting seriously, and readers have responded warmly. The Requiem of the Wreckers review calls it much better than Sins of the Wreckers, with strong Geoff Senior flashbacks. Optimus Prime #19, drawn by Sara Pitre-Durocher, is also reviewed. Other stories cover a Transformers fashion line from United Colors of Benetton and G1 production art posted by James Eatock, including an early Mirage design.
RFC Announcements
John says Radio Free Cybertron shirts are being uploaded to Shirtsicle; search the site for TF Radio. A minicast with John and Bill Ray is also on the way.
What We Got This Week
Jason had nothing in Transformers this week.
Diecast got Power of the Primes Rodimus Unicronus to stand next to Unicron and Overlord. He also got Iron Factory’s Legends-scale Jetfire. His highlight is X-Transbots Crackup at $39.99, which he calls one of their nicest figures and comparable to a Masterpiece. One set of tabs on the back does not sit right, and one host bets on Diecast error, since he transforms without instructions.
Don had nothing this week. He spent the week trying to find toys for others.
Chris had nothing in Transformers this week.
Matt bought plenty of Transformers, none for himself. He found Trypticons for Chris and Rob, plus Dinobots for Chris.
Rob had nothing in hand yet, but packages are on the way from Chris and Matt.
John had nothing in Transformers this week. His Street Fighter II x Transformers preorder should arrive in a couple of weeks.
Eric got Studio Series Blackout and Crowbar. Crowbar is his least favorite of the line so far, and Blackout is great except for forearms that will not stay together. He also got Robots in Disguise Springload and admits it is pretty good.
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.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:16:02 — 53.3MB) | Embed
Radio Free Cybertron 924 – Dozens of Dollars
There Goes My Money – Late June 2026
Radio Free Cybertron 631 – Unicron, and all the SDCC News After
Radio Free Cybertron – 09/06/2012