BotCon Storylines

[Verno]

But they don't just revolve around the toys, the story is dictated by them! For me, that's putting the cart before the horse.

[LordCyrusOmega]

So what you're saying Verno is that while a lot of the media surrounding Transformers could be viewed as an extended commercial with a story line, the BotCon comics are nothing more then a commercial. I think.
That actually made more sense in my head.
I've only read 1 BotCon comic and that was the Animated one from this (last?) year and I didn't mind it.
Most of the shows are based around what Toys they want to promote and a story written from there. The only instanse (that I know of) where this didn't happen was the Bay movies. And look how well that worked.

[Verno]

So what you're saying Verno is that while a lot of the media surrounding Transformers could be viewed as an extended commercial with a story line, the BotCon comics are nothing more then a commercial. I think.

I don't know what I'm saying I was just suprised how much of an influence the selection of toy, not a character, but a toy, had over the storyline.

[LordCyrusOmega]

It happens with all the shows. I did think that the comics weren't as influenced but I'm not surprised that the BotCon stuff is.

[Verno]

Shows, sure. But they're promoting a larger line of 30-40 figures. The storyline isn't influenced by wanting to sell only 4-5 of those 40-odd figures.

The creative process in writing the BotCon stories just seems a little backwards to me.

Why not write a great story, and then make do with what they can get? That's what Bob and Larry did with BW. Evidence of this? Wolfang. He was originally slated to be in the show, but due to constraints, not from Hasbro, but from Mainframe, the character had to be rethought and eventually it was filled by Tigatron instead.

[Hursticon]

I don't have so much of a problem with Funpub's choice in how they write their comics, but I have a massive issue with some of the choices of figures they utilise for characters... Botcon '06 Dinobot anyone?
Generally, I think they do an ok job with their comics but it is just a pity that some of the figures they choose to represent the character's in said stories don't reflect the same level of quality and/or thought.

I wouldn't worry about Funpub or Botcon too much Verno, they know how to run a convention but handling a franchise's narrative is a different matter.
(Again though, it's nice that they at least gave you a response )

[Paulbot]

I wouldn't worry about Funpub or Botcon too much Verno, they know how to run make a lot of money from a convention but handling a franchise's narrative is a different matter.

Fixed?

[LordCyrusOmega]

The Botcon comics are done exclusively for the toys. As far as they know there is no other purpose. Granted I've only read 1 so don't have enough information to stand either side of the line.