Thanks to fellow Seibertronian
AzT, we have access to the
official press release from retail chain Toys'R'Us and their plans for next week's massive pop culture and entertainment event in California: San Diego Comic Con 2016. According to the release, Bumblebee will take the Transformers spotlight in their convention exclusive releases, as the Masterpiece MP-08 Bumblebee with Spike and his Exosuit (you can see galleries of the Takara version
here) will be on offer at the show first, and reach retail later in the year.
In addition, customers who acquire the Masterpiece figure at the event, will also receive a Funko Hikari Sofubi version of the yellow scout, with metallic paint on an 8-inch sized vinyl statuette. Check out official images and descriptions below!
Plane ticket and hotel booked? Check. Cosplay costume packed? Check. Panel and shopping list made? Double check.
As you can guess, this is no ordinary to do-list. It’s related to a very special time of year when comic-enthusiasts are glowing in anticipation – or maybe it’s just the reflection from their Star Wars lightsabers? That’s right, the biggest pop culture event in the world, Comic Convention in San Diego, is only two weeks away!
As most proud, self-proclaimed geeks – like me – know, this international annual convention is four full days packed with can't-miss panels, meet and greets, screenings, and seminars, plus thousands of comics, movie, and science fiction lovers in the most elaborate cosplay costumers ever.
While I sit here at my desk buzzing with anticipation, I can totally relate to the feeling Ray, Egon, Winston and Venkman had right before they crossed the streams for the first time to defeat the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man (#Ghostbusters #dontcrossthestreams). Who can’t wait to see endless lines of people waiting for a panel discussions with some of the best in the industry? This lady. Who can’t wait to trip over yet another white and flowy Princess Leia dress while waiting in the bathroom line? Yup, me again!
However, the one thing I truly am so excited for is to meet with my fellow die-hard collectors at the Entertainment Earth booth (#2343). You’ll find me there with the rest of the Toys“R”Us team and our lineup of exclusive figures, building sets and more – so call upon your inner Jedi (or Darth Vader, if that’s your thing), and stop by early to get first-dibs!
If you need me, I’ll be gazing at my collection and #fangirling until the convention starts, but to satiate fans’ appetites, we’ve included the full list of exclusive products that Toys“R”Us will have at the Entertainment Earth booth (#2343) and online at Toysrus.com/ComicConvention from Thursday, July 21 through Sunday, July 24, below!
- Stephanie Bailey, Senior Buyer, Toys“R”Us
TRANSFORMERS Masterpiece Bumblebee from Hasbro®
This Masterpiece Bumblebee collectible figure is inspired by the classic 1980s TRANSFORMERS animated series and depicts the Autobot scout in his G1 Volkswagen Beetle form. Featuring a high level of detail, Masterpiece Bumblebee converts from robot mode to a licensed Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle vehicle mode and comes complete with a converting Exosuit Spike Witwicky figure, 2 swappable faceplates (smiling and neutral), a blaster accessory, a removable spare tire cover and an extra side mirror. This item will become available at Toys“R”Us stores later this year.
Hikari Sofubi: TRANSFORMERS Bumblebee Metallic from Funko
Everyone’s favorite Autobot is given the Japanese Hikari look with this limited edition collectible. Styled in a shiny paint deco of the character’s classic yellow and black colors, each 8-inch soft vinyl figure is individually numbered and comes in a window display box, making it the perfect addition to fans’ collections. This item will be available ONLY as a free gift with purchase of TRANSFORMERS Masterpiece Bumblebee Spike at the Comic Convention.
I would expect nothing less. Side note, isn't this kind of a big deal that we have an actual licensed Bee figure in North America? I feel like we're not appreciating this enough. Maybe miracles can happen. 
