BotCon 2015 theme and characters

[griffin]

The BotCon 2015 website has been updated with its first banner, advertising the theme of the convention next year.

It is still vague, but they will tweet a preview of the comic (possibly revealing the universe this story will be in), if their announcement is re-tweeted 250 times.

Then within a few weeks, we should be seeing character and toy reveals.

(even though their last magazine, #60, said the toy reveals would start in December... but when has FunPub ever been on-time or early)


The character descriptions at the top made me think Beast Wars, but the group description at the bottom suggests Decepticons/Predacons... or Mirror-verse Autobots/Maximals.
Speculate away...

[griffin]

I totally missed the announcement of the Universe this story is set in, as it was tacked onto the bottom of a shortened version of the banner on their website.
It was the tweet that they wanted re-tweeted 250 times that I posted about above, but I didn't click on the image to look at it, thinking that it was just the same banner as on their website. (I actually just shrugged it off as yet another unfulfilled promise of theirs.)

In the city of Axiom Nexus, in a Universe where Autobots and Decepticons from across the Multiverse co-exist peacefully, a group of renegades operate off the grid, using deception, scheming and a hint of thievery to both survive and to further their own ambitions. However, after the Transtech, the guardians of Axiom Nexus, are unable to stop an extra-dimensional threat, these outlaws will soon find themselves as Cybertron's last best hope for survival!

And since they reached their 250 target, they have now released the preview page (pencils), and there looks to be a number of IDW universe characters in it.

I think it says Matt Frank at the top as the artist for the 2015 comic.

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I can see Windblade (actually two???) in the bottom panel of the page, and I think Skybyte... those who follow the IDW comics will probably recognise more of the characters. Maybe the Windblade mould is being used for a couple toys this year if both at the bottom of the page is her mould.

The giant fem-bot head had me immediately thinking of Marvel UK Auntie, but it might be something in the IDW comics that I haven't seen yet.

And since the BotCon comics recently have been throwing in non-Transformers Easter eggs, is that a Dragon-zord or Zoid in second panel, or a Transformers character from the IDW comic that I'm just not recognising?

[BigTransformerTrev]

And since the BotCon comics recently have been throwing in non-Transformers Easter eggs, is that a Dragon-zord or Zoid in second panel, or a Transformers character from the IDW comic that I'm just not recognising?

With the ridges on its back I'd make a guess and say the new RID Grimlock... maybe

[Verno]

Optimal Optimus in Panel 3. Or I guess it's Primal Prime or whatever.

[MayzaPrime]

Called Transtech!!!!

[griffin]

It's almost the end of January without even a word or update on the release of Registration or toy reveals... despite promising in the December issue of the Club Magazine to have toy reveals start in December and registration start "soon". (one would expect that "soon" doesn't mean two months, which is almost how long that issue was first arriving at member's houses)

Even if there are delays because Hasbro has to approve everything, keep us informed of things... that's what twitter and email is for. Not have two months of no new updates to yet ANOTHER failed deadline.
(it seems to be the only thing reliable with FunPub - failing deadlines and schedules)

[griffin]

Apparently Pete from BotCon was doing a podcast yesterday, and it seems that he might have accidentally had a few of this year's Convention toys behind him that briefly got into shot.

Now, the screenshot is very blurry, but people are claiming to identify three of the toys...
- a blue GEN DLX Rattrap (likely to be Packrat)
- an olive TFPrime VOY Breakdown (Hound perhaps?)
- and a blue GEN VOY Springer (thought to be Battletrap)


What are your guesses of the toys and characters?

[Hursticon]

Crap!

If the theory about Packrat being one is correct, I'm gonna need to find a way of getting a hold of one of those. >_<

[Firestorm]

packrat eh?
meh. this set doesn't seem to interest me so far. I was considering trying to go to Botcon this year (1st time ever) but money is tight and if that's the kind of set we're getting this year then I'm less stressed about trying to get it. maybe I'll just hold off another year.
speaking of which, how does attending botcon work anyway? I've heard you have to pre-book things months in advance and stuff.

[llamatron]

Just gimme a Flywheels from Blitzwing, pls. And presumably if Battletrap from Springer is in the boxset, Flywheels from BW would be in a Souvenir set.