After the success of the last Transformers virtual convention, Toys, Figures & Robots (TFR), we decided to catch up with one of the featured content creators, Xortrider.

Xortrider is a YouTuber whose channel features toy news and reviews. Although Xortrider's channel predominantly focuses on Transformers, you will also find reviews, discussions and features on everything from Star Wars to Terminator, Marvel, Predator and more! Xortrider has been content creating on YouTube since 2016 and his channel has become a fan favorite for it's lighthearted and fun videos, fantastic collaborations and epic showcases of all the latest figures in the world of collecting.

Here at Robot Recruits we enjoyed Xortrider's feature in the virtual convention so much we decided to reach out to get to know him and his channel a little better!

RR:"Richard it's been a genuine pleasure to chat and get to know each other a little better over the last few days. Thanks for taking the time to take a few questions for our blog feature. I recently re-watched your featured presentation for the virtual convention TFR and still found myself laughing and enjoying it. So without spoiling it too much for anyone who may not have seen it yet, could you give us a quick overview of what it was all about?"

XR:"No problem. So my part in TFR was a collaboration with other content creators on YouTube in our take on "Room 101" a show previously hosted by Paul Merton and Frank Skinner (and now me). I act as the host and set a series of toy related topics. Then the other YouTubers have to try to convince me to put their choice into room 101."

RR:"Fantastic! It was a lot of fun to watch live and such a great idea. It was definitely one of my highlights of the day. What got you into YouTube, and what made you start up your channel?"

XR:"Thanks! I went to the the very last Auto Assembly in 2015 and I was literally there for a few hours, bought some toys and left. The whole experience felt a little empty as I didn't know anyone who was into the same hobby as me. I started my channel ahead of TFNation 2016 basically to get to know people in the community and meet other Transformers fans."

RR:"That's awesome, I'm so glad you did because we really love your channel and it's been a real source of enjoyment for the Transformers fan community, especially with the lock-down conditions we've been enduring here in the UK these past 12 months. So tell us about the channel, what kind of content do you usually make, and who do you usually cater for?"

XR:"I do toy reviews, unboxings and sometimes just crazy ramblings. I like to keep things light-hearted and generally keep my content aimed at the ages 14 and over."

RR:"So do you focus on just one brand or franchise of toys?"

XR:"Transformers is the foundation of my collection and has been my 'first love' since I was about four years old. That said, as a teenager I also collected Star Wars Power of the Force too, and recently I started collecting the Star Wars Black series. My collection is eclectic. I have Transformers, Marvel, Terminator, Predator, Star Wars and GI Joe. If I like the look of something I'll get it and take a look!"

RR:"That's kinda how my collecting goes too! A little bit here and a little bit there! So now that your channel has been going for a little while you've got some great reviews going on and you've also been able to be a part of some great events in the collecting community, what's next for the channel?"

XR:"I want to do more live streams. I use an iPad to film all my content and unfortunately due to YouTube rules you can't stream from a mobile device until you are at 1000 subscribers. So once I hit that landmark I'll be able to do regular live streams. Other than that more of the same. 'Week in Toys' seems to get a great response each week which as been amazing! Also to continue to collaborate with other YouTubers and fans. Having this interview now is also a massive thing for the channel! I've never intended to do this for any money so monetization isn't a goal and never will be."

RR:"That's really fantastic! And I'd really love to see you be able to do live steaming on your channel. The option to do more collabs and interviews would be amazing and really fun for the whole community. Now I have to ask, because I can't not ask our featured guests, what is your favorite Transformers character and why?"

XR:"As a child it was Optimus Prime (like most kids!) but as an adult I'd say Starscream is my favourite character. In the G1 cartoons there wasn't much character development but Starscream had some. I loved his treachery and the dynamic that brought. I also loved the episodes where he came back as a ghost."

RR:"Finally, you have a wonderful collection that spans many franchises, what is your most prized or loved collectible and why?"

XR:"I’d say I actually have two. One is Power Master Prime. The first Optimus I had and my second transformer (first was Bruticus). It’s just the toy that I played with more than any other, it was and always will be my Prime.

The second is my 1986 movie VHS that I got signed by Peter Cullen and Frank Welker in Liverpool last March. It’s weird because that VHS has the actual recordings of their video I heard as a child. It was awesome for them to sign that."

RR:"Oh wow those are both truly wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing!"

We want to thank Xortrider for taking the time out to come and chat with us. We really appreciate all the time he puts into supporting the Transformers community and the excellent content he makes on YouTube. You can check out Xortrider's channel using the link below or follow him on Twitter or Instagram.

Click here to visit Xortrider's YouTube channel to enjoy all the latest toy news and reviews.