BotCon 2016 news and reveals

[griffin]

Is the Enigma of Combination an attendee bonus, or does it come with a souviner set?

It was a bonus item at the custom class, done by some Japanese fans apparently... just like with past Class bonus items, it was not endorsed by Hasbro.

So technically, FunPub are selling 3rd party items (you have to pay for the class to get it), but are banning anyone found to be selling 3rd party items in the dealer rooms or in hotel rooms... or even advertising a venue at a nearby location.

[fatbot]

http://www.seibertron.com/transforme...cations/35097/

[i_amtrunks]

A lot of red in them there bots.

Some nice homages and re-imaginings.

[griffin]

Some news photos and (very very) brief details from the first two days of Botcon.
(photos are temporary until the full adventure write-up is done, but it will be a few weeks before that happens)

Wednesday night package pickup - Boxset, t-shirt, Custom Class toy (Ratchet), Golden Ticket toy (Flash Sentry), Attendee toy (Terrorsaur),
first day pin, golden ticket pin, namebadge, comic/program guide, and folder of vouchers and certificate (no feedback form this year... because
there isn't any more BotCons for them to need feedback for).


The toys in alt-mode with all their accessories (except Ravage's sword, which I didn't notice was somewhere else until later).


Robot modes.


Thursday Custom Class.


The five example versions - Gen1 comic, Gen1 cartoon, Gen2 (no actual Gen2 toy so I'm not sure if this is based off anything official), Mirrorverse, Medix (Rescue Bot colours).

.


There was also a sixth option - a Gen2 Ratchet that would be like Inferno, which was the Gen1 toy version, but with the "Gen2 Autobot" sticker on the roof.
I think the Gen2 version above would be if Ratchet was like Gen2 Jazz, with different stickers and paint apps.

The parts before construction started.


Thursday afternoon - Club Store open.


Display case of this year's toys and merchandise...


...including a regular retail release of Silverbolt, Prowl and Ironhide, in combined mode with Tigatron & Unit 3, with exclusive stickers to turn them
into the Magnaboss trio to look like them in the Convention comic.
(yes, that's a sticker for a face)


And the five Autobots as individuals, with the 3 retail toys stickered up.


Reflector 3-pack in a "combined" form, by joining up the arms of the toys like a circular chain.


The products and price list for this year.


Items I bought for myself.


I found a box of these welcome letters on a table in the main hallway and took one, thinking that it was just something to be handed out to walk-ins
on the weekend (because I stopped reading at the middle bit that sounded like a promo press release for upcoming official projects). It wasn't until
several hours later that I heard about the last paragraph making news... and dug out my copy to read.


One of the room traders Thursday night. I couldn't see the noticeboard on Wednesday night in the lobby, so didn't think it was officially permitted
until the next night, as it was in a corner of the Lobby that was on the opposite side to the two official BotCon noticeboards (usually the three are
next to each other).


At the end of the night (10pm), the dealer room was already being set up for the 2pm opening on Friday.


And in a separate room is the Hasbro exhibit, also ready for tomorrow.


It's just past 3am Friday here in Kentucky, and I have to be up at 7am to get a few other things done before leaving at about 8.45 for the first panel of the day.

I will try to post up more during the weekend, but as past BotCons have shown me, I don't get much spare time between Friday morning to Sunday night.

[Raider]

Thanks for the update mate. So many goodies in that pic of the trader room. Wish I was there!

[TAAUBlaster]

Looks like it will be pretty fun. I'd love to go just so I could hit the Dealer room
One of the dealer's has a fresh case find of G1 Jetfire (and possibly others - going by his FB message the other day) that he is selling at this year's Botcon

[CHILENO20]

Hehehe, those stickers for Magnaboss look funky Not a bad idea. Any chance you can pick a set up bossbot?

[griffin]

I won't have time to post up my photos of the Hasbro exhibit, so here are some on TFW...

RID display.

Titans Return display.

Platinum Editions & Combiner Wars display.

No real news panels today (Friday here), so tomorrow will have news from Hasbro and the Collector Club.

[griffin]

Some more sample photos of mine from Friday at BotCon.

The second room that had the Hasbro exhibit, the artists, and the Club store.


The main dealer room, from one end...


...and the other end, with the autograph corner.


The script reading panel.


David Kaye with his Hall of Fame trophy.


Judd Nelson with his trophy.


The open air stage.


Vince DiCola, who played first.


And Stan Bush who played second. (they played Dare together, but all other songs were separate)
The concert only lasted about an hour, with just 10 songs between them.


While I was waiting in the hotel lobby for board member Sinnertwin to arrive, Dispensor was off stalking the feature guests, looking to recruit new slaves... um, loyal followers of the great Dispensor.
(he made me say that)
Venus Terzo (with white sleeves).


And Gregg Berger (in red).

[griffin]

Only the custom class toy sold out on Friday... and it only took 30 minutes of free-for-all access to the club store this morning for Megatron, Airazor, ducky, and stickers to sell out.