griffin's BotCon 'blog'

[griffin]

I'll add it to my list of things to find.

So, continuing on from my last post, it was midday Thursday (here) when I left the room and caught the bus to the Magic Kingdom. After waiting 20 minutes for the bus, and taking about another 20 minutes to get there, I was inside by 20 to 1 (you have to have your finger scanned before they let you in).

I figured that I wouldn't have time to do anything, so decided to just do reconaissance instead, so that I'd know if I'd ever want to come back. 30 minutes later, I was about 3/4 through the park, when the camera battery died. This camera has a battery indicator on the display screen, but will show a full-battery icon right up until the last five photos. How are you supposed to know before a long day out, that it hasn't got much power left? Fortunately I was close enough to the end, so decided to go back to the hotel to recharge the battery, and decide where to go next. So after taking 40 minutes to get there, I was only in the Magic Kingdom for 40 minutes, and then spent another 40 minutes on a bus back (2pm at this time).

While the camera was recharging, I went off to 'The Boardwalk' to find an ATM people were saying had a greater limit and less fees.

I was back in the room an hour later, and prepared to leave, when our third room-mate arrived.
I ran off to get the boat to Epcot (the Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow) park, and realised it was just on the other side of the lake to the hotel, so could walk it if necessary.
I was in Epcot for an hour, starting with the World Showcase section (several cultural themed sections), then the Future World section (all the futuristic buildings you are more likely to see advertised, including the giant 'golf ball').

5pm I walked back to the hotel to get ready for the 6pm opening of the Club Store at 6pm. I was early enough to 'only' take 40 minutes this year.
When I was done, I proceded to take photos of the Convention toys display, but was told to leave by one of the volunteers, because they didn't want people loitering after they were done.

With our third arrival in the room now, we didn't end up going to sleep until 1.30am.
The alarm was set for 6am...

Friday, 25th June.
Had to be at the Club store early for extra sets of toys before the panels started, which meant waiting in line an hour before they opened.
When I had done that (and spoke briefly to llamatron and THC), the line for the Panel room was at least a couple hundred long.

Today's panel's:
- Collector Club Magazine (not much news worthy)
- TakaraTomy Designer (very insightful, with a JP perspective for a change)
- Bob Budiansky (very interesting, with heaps of early info about how he developed the characters and storyline for Transformers)
- Fan Film Fest (entertaining)

There was a 1 hour break before the dealer room opened up, so I went back to my room (most people just went straight to lining up outside the dealer room).

2pm - dealer room was opened, and I looked for the IDW exhibit. This year they seemed to be very hard to find, and they didn't have much on sale either.

There was the usual Hasbro exhibits, Activision exhibit, artist tables, and Stanbush at a table. Plus, a yellow/black Camaro car next to the statue of Bumblebee that was at last year's BotCon.

I got a signed CD off Stan Bush, who says that they are still intending to release copies of their concert last year but had some trouble with the audio.

I found out that BotCon is at Disney because of Hasbro (to cash in on the holidaying families at the resort).

Found Rokdog, who arrived the day before. And chatted to Eric Seibenaler (Hasbro Designer who worked in AUS for a year recently).

The dealer room closed at 5pm, but since I was the last in the Hasbro interactive Autobot Alliance game (You use a Nerf gun at moving targets - Details later), I didn't get out of there until 5.30pm.

I had a craving for a burger, so went to one of the hotel's restaurants and had a burger with Onion Rings (the best onion rings I have ever eaten).

Was back at my room around 6.30pm, and spent six hours checking over toys for defects, checking photos, doing computer stuff, and sorting stuff for tomorrow (will have to be up early again, as I have to meet up with someone to get their convention toys.

It's just past midnight here (now Saturday), and am about to go to sleep.

Tomorrow is 7 hours straight of panels, which will only give me about an 30 minutes in the Dealer room *all day*.

But we have the big panel tomorrow - Hasbro. Can't wait.

[griffin]

Forgot to mention - despite tracking down about 50 toys for others, I did manage to buy 6 toys for myself today.
JP Animated Blackout
JP Animated Ratchet
US Animated Freeway Jazz
US Animated Soundwave w/ Ratbat (now have all US Animated toys so far released)
Mighty Muggs Movie Optimus (completes the set)
Universe Leo Prime (white) (not released in AUS)

Plus 3 TPBs from IDW, 2 posters, and a Stan Bush CD.

[Sleeve]

5pm I walked back to the hotel to get ready for the 6pm opening of the Club Store at 6pm. I was early enough to 'only' take 40 minutes this year.

A hell of a lot better than the five hours we had to endure last year.

Which IDW artists are there this year?

[griffin]

A really pathetic turnout by IDW this year. They only had a 2-table exhibit in the dealer room, with just 3 people (none I recognised) manning it.
The IDW panel only had 4 people, with only one being an artist (Casey Collier).

On my table at the Awards dinner, even Jim Sorenson commented (to someone else) about the poor turnout of IDW people this year.

Freelance artists in the dealer room, drawing and selling stuff - Dan Khanna, Matt Moylan and Alex Milne.

[Sleeve]

A really pathetic turnout by IDW this year. They only had a 2-table exhibit in the dealer room, with just 3 people (none I recognised) manning it.
The IDW panel only had 4 people, with only one being an artist (Casey Collier).

On my table at the Awards dinner, even Jim Sorenson commented (to someone else) about the poor turnout of IDW people this year.

Freelance artists in the dealer room, drawing and selling stuff - Dan Khanna, Matt Moylan and Alex Milne.

Wow, that's pathetic. Hopefully a better turnout next year. My intended commission subject - Blot.

[griffin]

My 'haul' for today - Triggerbot Dogfight (to replace a broken one).

I got up early (6am), so only 4 1/2 hours sleep. It was also my turn to have the floor (2 beds, 3 people, for 3 nights), but was too tired to even notice.

I had a couple of things I needed to do early, so was out of the room before the other two woke up.
I had to pick up some toys for Krayt (which he had organised), so went to the ATM to get out the rest of the money for it, but the ATM refused the withdrawal, while another wouldn't let me take out the amount I needed, so ended up sending them the money by paypal (had to go back to my room to do it). An hour later, after all the running around, I had the toys.

But then had to deal with my other problem - wrong BotCon toys. The day before, when they were starting to let people order larger numbers of convention toys, I bought 3 sets of each, but when I was checking how many Con toys I had, I realised they gave me 6 of the Rapido pair and none of the Scorch pair (lucky I needed to check over the toys, or else I may not have noticed until I got home - they were already in a box to take home).
So I had to queue up at the dealer room, instead of at the panel room to get a good seat for the Hasbro panel.
Fortunately the lady remembered me, and didn't doubt my claim (I really should have checked), so swapped them over. I also then bought an extra set of each, which should cover those who sent money for them. (a toy dealer was there at the same time, buying 24 of each set - I guess it was okay now to have unlimited purchase quantities, to make sure they didn't get stuck with too many after the Con)

While in the dealer room, and with very limited funds, I had a look for some cheap figures JustOwen wanted. Found him some, plus that Triggerbot I mentioned earlier.

Dropping all that stuff of in the room, I went back down to line up for the Hasbro panel (for 40 minutes).
Sat through the first four panels (4 hours), then decided to leave before Peter Cullen's panel. Despite being one I like hearing at the convention, I've seen him a few times before, and I needed to take photos of the art display and Hasbro toy display (just in case I didn't get time on Sunday).
I took photos of all the art and hasbro stuff, and headed back to the panel room, with about 5 minutes left of the Peter Cullen panel.
Then sat through the next 2 panels - well, skipped out of the IDW panel after the slide show, to go back to the dealer room before it closed for the day in about half an hour.

I was planning to start writing down the details in the display cases, but had 3 different people running into me, and then chatting.
As such, I didn't end up writing anything down.
I talked to the Activision people a bit, about maybe having a multiplayer demonstration (They had 6 seperate consoles set up to TVs, but all were individual play. They also mentioned that the convention seems like it had a lot less walk-ins this year, and we thought it was probably from lack of targetted marketting of the convention to the Resort patrons.

I left just before the dealer room closed, and headed to my room to get ready for the Awards Dinner.

Dinner was a bit fancy, and the awards presentation was nicely done (aside from some technical/projector problems).
Dinobot won the fan-choice inductee position.
And they announced the dates and locations of next year's botcon (Pasadena, 2-5 June).

Came straight back to the room to post the news, and then do other board stuff until I go to bed by 2am Sunday (4pm Sunday, brisbane time).

[Zippo]

I really should have sent you some cash this year, I didn't know that they opened up the exclusives to a free for all if not sold out.

Im looking at my cash supply being empty after ebay'ing Breakdown, Clench and Pyro. Still need a boxed set so I can get those three for the loose display as well.

Rapido and Double Punch are also on the wish list.

Cheers for the reports!

[JustOwen]

Thanks Bigbot~

[Sleeve]

My 'haul' for today - Triggerbot Dogfight (to replace a broken one).

HAH! That's one of the only figures I picked up at last years' con.

[1orion2many]

You put a lot of work into your reports so I am looking forward when you post the full report on the board Griffin