BotCon 2016 news and reveals

[griffin]

The rest of Friday's panels.

11am - Filmfest.

This year we actually had some entries (last year there were no entries).
After a number of technical glitches, we had five entries... with one that had to be fetched as the person sent in a blank DVD. During that pause,
we had people doing character impressions to fill in the time, including Paul Agnew doing Cykill.

The five videos were...
- Beast Wars clips done to the Japanese credits song.
- Animated Hot Rod doing the opening credits to Magnum PI.
- Peter Cullen's Dreams, with clips of his various characters meeting each other.
- The Sunbow cartoon intro done with MTMTE comic characters in some places.
- Kreons Vs zombie Cliffjumper.

Fans voted by applauding, and Peter Cullen's Dreams came first, followed by Animated Hot Rod, and the Kreons.

Brian and Lanny both sporting new looks this year in the head follicle department.


Noon - Beast Wars Voice Actors (David Kaye & Venus Terzo)



David Kaye was only here on the Friday, because he had a family commitment to fly out to in the evening... so his panel and Script Reading
had to be on the Friday.
He told us that as of two months ago, he became a US citizen. (he used to be Canadian)



The pair reflected on their first BotCon in 1997, some 19 years ago now... and Venus still looks the same.
It was noted that they were the first guests at a BotCon (the first three years didn't have anyone other than Hasbro), and could possibly be the
last guests at a BotCon (if this year is indeed the last BotCon).

There were comments about other Beast Wars voice actors, like the Chalkster (Gary Chalk), Scott McNeil, Jim Byrnes and Alec Willows.



They told us that the Voice Actor work in Canada has completely dried up now, and that the Pinewood studios that they recorded Beast Wars in back
in the 1990s, is now gone... with condos (apartments) in their place.

They mentioned that their character voices came from the descriptions and artwork given to them when they auditioned.



1pm - Script Reading.

Starting late, like most of the panels this year.
Following on from the events of this years BotCon comic, we have the following characters...
Frank Totaro - Computer and pre-BW Dinobot.
Gregg Berger - Grimlock and Big Convoy.
David Kaye - Lioconvoy and BW Megatron.
Venus Terzo - Blackarachnia and Legend Convoy.
Judd Nelson - Hot Rod/Rodimus.



The story was very confusing, as it involved the "playback" of several recordings, during the time just after the Decepticon Surrender.
As such, I have to listen to my audio recording, and will include the plot (as best as I can work it out), on my BotCon 2016 webpage (link to come later).


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Judd Nelson... I hope he is preparing for TV/Movie role of a homeless guy.



The rest of my BotCon toy photos....

Medix - First year Rescue Bot, BotCon, Fourth year Rescue Bot.


A group shot of the toys this year's BotCon Toys were based on...


And Predacus in combined mode, with Magnaboss (without the BotCon stickers, as I want to get a second set of Silverbolt, Prowl and Ironhide first).

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[griffin]

Lost the most important comparison photo, so had to redo it - Unit 3/Under 3.

[Megatran]

Venus Terzo looks absolutely photogenic in those pics!

Judd Nelson, well ... as long as he's comfortable.

[CHILENO20]

Venus Terzo looks absolutely photogenic in those pics!

Judd Nelson, well ... as long as he's comfortable.

Right on both counts! Venus living up to her name

[griffin]

A small tribute to the "1986 Hot Rod era" Judd Nelson, from the Breakfast Club movie, which was done at about the same time as the Transformers movie.


Is he still wearing that same overcoat, which he had on all weekend at BotCon???

[griffin]

The Saturday Panels...

Saturday 10am - Venus Terzo.

This was another "hosted" panel, with Frank Totaro, but with the audience asking the questions.


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Wanted to be an actor when she was young, against her father's wishes.

There was not much competition in the industry when she first started as there weren't too many female voice actors... nor were there many primary characters who were girls in "boys" shows.
Now there are a lot more roles, but a lot more female voice actors... and a lot less voicing work in Canada.

She loved playing the scenes with Silverbolt, and has 3 Blackarachnia toys (probably given to her at previous BotCons).

She has never seen the Animated cartoon to see how the other version of Blackarachnia was done.

They recorded two episodes of Beast Wars per day. They would all be in the one room (whoever was in the scene), in a horse-shoe around microphones, in front of the glass window of the control booth.

Loves working with Susan Blu (as a Voice Director), and loved playing the character Ranma (female half)... as well as the New Adventures of He-Man, because she had 3 character roles.
Also played Jean Grey in one of the animated Xmen cartoons.

Recently, she has done 3 episodes on Arrow, another episode on Supernatural, and a Hallmark channel movie. (she does a lot of live roles as well as voice roles - with a face like hers, who wouldn't?)


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[griffin]

Saturday 11am - Hasbro products.

This is the one that fills out the panel room each year, and this year was no exception (especially with it being a smaller panel room than recently years).



Since this is now two weeks old, there won't be anything surprising here, and I haven't posted up all of the images... the full set of images will be on my BotCon archive page, and I will post up the links to that when they are done.

The Hasbro people hosting the panel this year, with Ben Montano doing all of the talking...


A very small presentation of RID toys (same as in their dealer room exhibit, despite it being their primary product line - it seems they were focussing more on the collector demographic this year and giving less time on the main "kid" demographic... and no time or product displays on the "preschool" Rescue Bots demographic)

RID toys revealed...
- Warrior Bisk, Scatterspike, Ratchet
- Minicons Windstrike, Sawtooth, Lancelon, Dragonus.
(and that was it)


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Generations - Prime Wars Trilogy.

A very very brief mention of the Combiner Wars project by Machinima.
Then onto the Titans Return toyline.

Titan Master wave 2 - Skytread (based on Flywheels), Apeface, Clobber (based on Grimlock), Brawn.


Deluxe wave 2 - Wolfwire (Weirdwolf) with Monxo (Monzo), and Highbrow with Xort (Gort).
(not sure why the Nebulan names had to change, as the original ones surely couldn't have been toy trademarks to someone else)

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Voyager wave 2 - Alpha Trion with Autobot Sovereign, and Astrotrain with Darkmoon.

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And that was it for Titans Return reveals as well (very little of everything this year).

May Mayhem - a promotion started last year as online product exclusives, with the sale of the Combiner Wars Quickslinger and Brakeneck (probably as part of a bigger toy promotion like the Black Friday promotion in November).
This year it will be Groove.


The next Combiner Wars boxset - Computrton.
With unique feet and hands, and Scrounge.

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They mentioned their "Alt-Modes" toyline, which are those oversized heads on a one-step changer, due out later in the year...

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Platinum Edition - 1986 Movie 20th annivesary 5-pack.
US Target exclusive, with poster and metallised deco.


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SDCC exclusive 3-pack - Titan Force (Brainstorm, Windblade, Sentinel Prime).
(the toys were not shown here, but they were on display in the dealer room)


The upcoming Earth Wars mobile device game was mentioned, along with pre-registering for it.

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They mentioned the "Transformers inspired" music album that came out last week.
And how to find their new locations online...


A quick tease of something that could be Overlord, for 2017, before audience questions...

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Q&A.

Some Hasbro Masterpiece toys could be coming out this year, but too early to say.

Will there be bodies for Titan Master heads that are Gen1 characters - the bodies aren't planned, but could be later. It just gives them more opportunities to homage more characters in a small toyline.

Beast Wars Anniversary - too much happening this year for Hasbro, but TakaraTomy are doing some things.


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The rest of the Saturday photos are done and on the server, but I will have to post up the rest of the Saturday panel info when I get home from work.

[CBratron]

I know everyone is hoping for Overlord at that last pic. And with good reason. The whole Titans Return thing suggests large robots.

But I can't help thinking of Flywheels (Duocon) when I see it.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Beast Wars Anniversary - too much happening this year for Hasbro, but TakaraTomy are doing some things.

Too much happening this year for some Beast Wars Anniversary....

You'd think they would plan something so that it ISN'T too busy. Or will they just make a big 30th anniversary celebration? (It'll be too busy for that year too, or Tfs will be dead in the water.)

[philby]

thanks for the info and photos