COUNTDOWN: Forgotten FunPub gems – 8 TFCC toys worth another look

Fun Publications’ time with the Transformers Collectors’ Club (TFCC) and Figure Subscription Service (TFSS) may feel like a lifetime ago, but their releases remain a fascinating corner of the hobby — full of deep cuts, unexpected redecos, and character choices that, at the time, you’d simply never get elsewhere.

Yet despite all that charm, a surprising number of these toys have slipped out of the broader collecting conversation. So today, we’re diving back in and picking out 8 overlooked FunPub gems that deserve a little love. We’ve specifically scanned the TFCC & TFSS archives for this one, but we’re leaving any BotCon exclusives from the era to one side!

And if all the nostalgia has you craving even more FunPub goodness, great timing, because the newest Triple Takeover podcast episode is all about the Collectors’ Club! We dive headfirst into the toys, the chaos, the charm, and everything in between. The episode just dropped on our Patreon this week!

Anyway, let’s get into it.

#8: Slipstream (TFSS 1.0, 2013)

A perennial fan-favourite character who spent years without a proper toy following her debut in the Transformers Animated cartoon in 2008, Slipstream finally arrived as a TFSS exclusive built from the 2011 Prime: First Edition Starscream mould. It wasn’t the screen-accurate Animated version fans had long hoped for, but for the time, it was an absolute event — a female Decepticon seeker with a surprisingly on-point head sculpt and a striking paint layout.

Despite newer attempts at the character now existing (including the recent Legacy United effort), she still feels unique: elegant, slightly spiky, and instantly recognisable. With Slipstream’s popularity remaining strong today, this one feels increasingly like a forgotten milestone.

#7: Serpent O.R. (TFSS 3.0, 2015)

One of the boldest — and weirdest — ideas FunPub ever committed to: a full Transformers x G.I. Joe crossover realised as a transforming toy. Using the Generations Ratbat mould as a base, Serpent O.R. brings the classic snake-themed Cobra baddie to life with a decidedly Cybertronian style.

The green and gold colour scheme is outlandish, sure, but it hits harder than it has any right to, and the winged silhouette pays homage to the villain’s signature cape perfectly. This is still one of the best examples of FunPub’s ambition in action: bizarre but brilliant.

#6: Punch/ Counterpunch (TFCC, 2010)

Image credit: TFWiki

Long before modern tooling brought us the updated double agent again, there was this wonderfully off-kilter FunPub take on the character, based on the Classics Sunstreaker/Sideswipe design but employing some impressive transformation trickery to sell the illusion of two distinct robot personas. Additionally, the deco was exceptional, and the new head pulled it all together.

This release also became oddly desirable due to its low availability and the evergreen popularity of the character. For many collectors, it remained the Punch/Counterpunch for years — and in some circles, it still is.

#5: Chromedome (TFSS 2.0, 2014)

FunPub often zagged where Hasbro and Takara zigged, and their take on Chromedome is a perfect example. Using the 2012 Prime: Robots in Disguise Deluxe Wheeljack mould might seem an odd choice at first glance, but the end result works amazingly well.

What really sells it is the head sculpt, which leans into the character’s IDW More Than Meets the Eye interpretation — sharp, angular, and unmistakably inspired by the comic’s hugely popular design. Combined with the vibrant colours, it feels like a charming alternate-universe version of the character, as though MTMTE Chromedome were reimagined through the lens of mid-2010s Generations.

#4: Animated Cheetor (TFCC, 2011)

A rare treat from the twilight years of Transformers Animated, this version of Cheetor builds on the Blurr mould to create a wonderfully lanky, energetic interpretation of the Beast Wars hero. There’s even a hint of Transtech in the overall silhouette (not surprising considering the unused design helped inspire his blue mouldmate to begin with!), and that sleek, elongated, almost feline futurism suits Cheetor perfectly. Add in a Beast Machines–esque colour scheme and you’ve got a smorgasbord of fan-favourite nods.

The result feels like a design that could have stepped straight into the beloved Animated show: expressive, stylised, and built for speed. The head sculpt is excellent, the colours pop beautifully, and the whole thing carries that late-Animated charm fans still miss.

#3: Ultra Mammoth (TFCC, 2013)

Sometimes FunPub swung big — really big — and Ultra Mammoth is one of the most gloriously audacious results. Built from the classic Beast Wars Neo Big Convoy mould, this release takes an already-imposing figure and repurposes it into a neon-blue homage to Ultra Magnus… complete with a name so wonderfully, unashamedly punny that it almost overshadows the toy itself.

It’s the kind of idea FunPub did well: take a massive, heavily armed woolly mammoth and reimagine it as a classic character stand-in. It shouldn’t work, yet somehow it absolutely does. The rich blues, the bold reds, the oversized presence — it’s all fantastically over the top in the best possible way.

#2: Rampage (TFCC, 2014)

Every so often, FunPub picked a mould that made you raise an eyebrow… right up until you saw the finished toy and realised they’d quietly pulled off something rather clever. Turning the Prime: First Edition Deluxe Megatron jet into a homage to Beast Wars Rampage sounds improbable at best, yet the moment you see it, everything snaps into place.

The angular shapes of the alternate mode, the hunched, predatory posture in robot form — it all feels unexpectedly perfect, like a solution you’d never have anticipated but immediately appreciate. Add in the orange and metallic teal deco (spot-on for the character), and you’ve got one of FunPub’s most inspired remixes.

And if reading this has suddenly made you want one… well, would you believe he’s actually in stock at TFSource right now? Just saying.

#1: Krok (TFSS 3.0, 2015)

Taking the Generations: Thrilling 30 Megatron mould and turning it into an homage to the neon-soaked Action Master Krok remains a masterstroke. The original 1990 figure never made its intended alt mode entirely clear — it was something airborne, certainly, but the specifics were left for fans to interpret. Reimagining that mystery as a sleek stealth bomber proves surprisingly elegant, especially because of charming little nods like the inherent cockpit detail on the chest.

The black, yellow, and purple deco looks superb on this tooling, the new head sculpt is spot-on, and the whole thing radiates wonderfully eccentric energy. We actually talked about this one on our recent Triple Takeover miniseries on Titans Return Krok — it’s the sort of toy which sparks fun discussion years later simply because the mould choice was so clever.

FunPub’s tenure may be over, but the toys from the TFCC and TFSS era remain a fascinating snapshot of an experimental, unpredictable time in Transformers collecting: bold ideas, deep-cut character choices, and a willingness to try new things. Whether you owned them back in the day or are just now discovering them, they’re well worth a second look — and in many cases, they remain some of the most imaginative interpretations of these characters we’ve ever had.

For more discussion, be sure to check out our new Triple Takeover episode! It’s a strange, colourful legacy — and one well worth rediscovering.

TTFN