Major US & UK Transformers conventions

[griffin]

The UK TFNation convention in August have announced their first two guests - DC Douglas from Rescue Bots, and Stan Bush who will perform a concert for the fans.

[griffin]

The second convention by Pete Sinclair is on June 9-10 2018 at Cincinatti, and news items so far about it have announced the return of the Custom Class, but it involves repainting existing toys, not building new ones from scratch (you'd probably have to do some disassembly to paint various parts).
The two toys on offer for the custom class is a Pretender Gears (using up the Pretender Optimus from the last Subscription series), and Shattered Glass Swoop (using the POTP Swoop toy).
Looks like Pete has registered a new company (Night Shining Inc) and new website for this as well.

[griffin]

The UK convention TFNation has another guest announced - IDW comics writer James Roberts, who lives in the UK, so it isn't too surprising.

[reillyd]

I can understand the Pretender Shell since it isn't a Hasbro mold/in their factory. But how is Pete managing to get a custom PoTp Swoop toy out of Has/Tak? It can't be they will turn a blind eye, surely?

[griffin]

I can understand the Pretender Shell since it isn't a Hasbro mold/in their factory. But how is Pete managing to get a custom PoTp Swoop toy out of Has/Tak? It can't be they will turn a blind eye, surely?

It notes somewhere in that long news posting (or one of the follow-up posts), that the Swoop toys will be bought from retailers/wholesalers before the convention.
And I think the Optimus/Gears with Shell might be from the FunPub clearance sale, as people noted that over a hundred of them disappeared on one day... which could have been Pete buying them for his convention's custom class (or small number are for the custom class, while the rest of them are to be repainted as an exclusive toy for the show).

[reillyd]

Well that would probably work as long as Hasbro doesn't enforce its IP, but there is a Shattered Glass autobot logo on the sample copy.... For Pete's sake I hope it goes smoothly. He has some awesome custom ideas over the years... shame they couldn't tap some of that talent for a new club

[griffin]

Voice Actor Hal Rayle (best known for Snarl, Shrapnel and Pipes), will be at the Canadian TFCon, July 13-15.