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Thread: Pics and concept art of cancelled ideas for Botcon exclusives

  1. #1
    FatalityPitt Guest

    Default Pics and concept art of cancelled ideas for Botcon exclusives

    I decided to put this under discussions because I didn't think it was very news-worthy - nothing to do with upcoming releases (Mods, feel free to move this to the news section if you disagree), but I thought it was really interesting and cool to share.

    https://www.seibertron.com/transform...d-ideas/38677/

    I think Animated Jhiaxus would've been sweet! Ratbat out of the Mindwipe mold makes a lot of sense. I also love the look and idea of BW Megatron being made out of the Skullsmasher/Krok mold. I wonder if any of these ideas will ever be resurrected and see the light of day.

  2. #2
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    It's good to see pictures for these, as they briefly touched on their lengthy process for the 2011 BotCon toys at the 2014 convention (and didn't allow photos at that one, in case they would still get to do some later).

    I think some of the 2017 toys they would have done this year if they didn't lose the license so quickly, might annoy/tease some fans, who may now never get them in some form.

    I wonder where the Actionmaster boxset concepts for 2017 that were advertised as being revealed at this event...

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    More misses than hits for me but the number of good ideas knocked back by Hasbro could be high. I wonder if FP were ever given rules to help their process or whether a loose set of rules were uncovered just through trial and error. I do not assume Hasbro,Takara, or factories were extremely helpful to FP at times.
    "I am not a gun. I'm hitting people with a hammer. On Mars."
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    Quote Originally Posted by griffin View Post
    I wonder where the Actionmaster boxset concepts for 2017 that were advertised as being revealed at this event...
    Saw them all as toys this morning on Twitter so they should be online on the usual news sites by now.

  5. #5
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    Check out this twitter feed

    https://twitter.com/DaltiniansTFs

    Lots of great repaint and retool ideas

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    I am currently customing a blurr into Cybertron Override (with a Shapeways face for the Titan master), so I was pleased to see the mock up of her. I wish they had showed her in vehicle mode though - it would be helpful to see their choices.

    I really hope Ehobby use some of their designs.

    Can anyone pick what mold the Dion attendee figure is using?
    Last edited by reillyd; 27th June 2017 at 03:16 AM.
    On the lookout for MISB Headmaster Highbrow, Takara or Hasbro. I'm sure I could make you a sweet deal!

  7. #7
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    It was a month ago, but here are more images and details from Robocon's revealing of what FunPub had planned for 2017, if they were still doing the Convention and Club.

    Photoshopped mockups can be seen on the Robocon facebook page, while the names and details, with photos from the convention, can be seen here (some of the photos here were already in the seibertron link in the first post, but this link also includes photos of the display case of non-FunPub pre-production toys and concept designs).

    The BotCon 2017 boxed set, titled "Action on Hydrus Four", was to have been an Action Master-themed set of Titans Return molds all done up as new Headmaster-gimmicked Action Master characters:
    1 - Actionmaster Optimus Prime (redeco of Voyager class Optimus Prime's body) with Optimus Prime (redeco of Titan Master Infinitus), Rad (redeco of Titan Master Diac), and Lionizer (redeco of Sawback's Titan Master Vehicle lion)
    2 - Actionmaster Skyfall (redeco of Deluxe Highbrow's body) with Skyfall (redeco of Titan Master Apeface)
    3 - Actionmaster Sprocket (redeco of Deluxe Triggerhappy's body) with Sprocket (redeco of the Japanese Transformers: Legends Weirdwolf's Headmaster) and Attack Cruiser (redeco of Brawn's Titan Master Vehicle jeep)
    4 - Actionmaster Megatron (redeco of Leader Six Shot's body) with Megatron (redeco of Titan Master Nucleon) and Devastator (redeco of Titan Master Repugnus)
    5 - Actionmaster Gutcruncher (redeco of Voyager Megatron's body) with Gutcruncher (retool of Titan Master Doomshot/Hazard with a new face) and Scout Tank (redeco of Terri-Bull's Titan Master Vehicle tank)

    The attendee figure for BotCon 2017 was to have been Dion (redeco of Deluxe Sergeant Kup's body) with Magnum (redeco of Titan Master Hyperfire)

    The souvenirs would have continued the use of Titans Return molds, but as legacy characters from several past series, rather than just Action Masters:
    1 - Doubledealer (redeco of Deluxe Hardhead's body) with Knok (redeco of Titan Master Nightbeat) and Skar (a significant retool of Titan Master Sawback with new bat wings, new bat feet, and a brand new face)
    2 - BotCon Heritage Onyx Primal (redeco of Deluxe Mindwipe's body) with Nightwatch (redeco of Titan Master Infinitus) and swords from TF: Prime Deluxe Wheeljack/Dead End.
    3 - Unicron Trilogy Anniversary Armada Hot Shot (redeco of Deluxe Chromedome's body) with Alexis Thi Dang (retool of Titan Master Stylor with a new face, the one on display was just Universe Hot Shot's face glued onto the Titan Master) and Jolt (redeco of Generations Legends class Targetmaster Blazemaster)
    4 - Unicron Trilogy Anniversary Energon Megatron (redeco of Leader Sky Shadow's body) with Leader-1 (redeco of Titan Master Ptero but with Ominus's face) and sword from Construct-Bots Megatron
    5 - Troop Builder souvenir set: Cassettron Rosanna (redeco of Legends class Rewind), Cassettron Decepticon Enemy (redeco of Legends class Rumble) and Cassettron Flipsides (redeco of Legends class Rewind)

    One more souvenir set would have been a successor to the Kreon packs, a pack of six Titan Masters done up as Pretenders.
    1 - Pretender Starscream (redeco of Titan Master Crashbash)
    2 - Pretender Jazz (redeco of Titan Master Xort)
    3 - Pretender Bumblebee (redeco of Titan Master Firedrive)
    4 - Pretender Crossblades (redeco of titan Master Diac)
    5 - Pretender Metalhawk (redeco of Titan Master Revolver)
    6 - Pretender Vroom (redeco of Titan Master Grax)

    The 2017 customization class figure was to have been Actionmaster Rumbler (redeco of Deluxe Triggerhappy's body) with Rumbler (redeco of the Japanese Transformers: Legends Weirdwolf's Headmaster, just like Sprocket) and the B² Attack Team (two redecos of the Arms Micron B.H., the wrecking ball one that came with Japanese Prime Bulkhead).

    As an aside, the name "B² Attack Team" is an in-joke to a very old false BotCon exclusive proposal that Karl Hartman mentioned on the old BotConBeyond.com message board way back around 2000-2001. The fake proposal was for a pair of blue redecos of Beast Wars Retrax called the "Blue Balls Attack Team". So to see these realized here is pretty remarkable.

    The three Other Concepts likewise made use of Titans Returns molds as legacy characters:
    1 - Armada Jetfire (redeco of Voyager Sentinel Prime/Astrotrain's body) with Comettor (redeco of Titan Master Apeface)
    2 - Devcon (redeco of Deluxe Brainstorm's body) with Slizardo (redeco of Titan Master Hyperfire)
    3 - Turbomaster (redeco of Deluxe Highbrow's body) with Take Off (redeco of Titan Master Blowpipe)

    Finally, the remaining Transformers/G.I. Joe "Only Human" figures would have been:
    1 - Only Human Autobot Springer with Newtronium Munitions Case that converts into artillery platform
    2 - Only Human Ultra Magnus with Missile Stack & Jack Armor (LOL!)
    3 - Only Human Victor Drath

    Now, while all of these mock-ups were one-of-a-kind pieces, there was a single piece of merchandise that was mass produced and given away at the (Robocon) con as an exclusive to registered attendees with blue namebadges: A lithograph of the "Action on Hydrus Four" art, by Robby Musso and Josh Perez.
    Other Club exclusive toys that would have been for 2017...
    Subscription toy - Croctimus Prime with Alligatorcon (from TR Skullcruncher)
    Store exclusive - BW Alligator Megatron with Megator (also from TR Skullcruncher)
    Subscription series 6
    - TFCybertron Override Prime with Lori (from TR Blurr)
    - Senator Ratbat with Recordicon Ratbat (from TR Mindwipe with new bat Titanmaster?)
    - Shattered Glass Rodimus Prime (from Generations Voyager Springer)
    - General Tankor with Drone (from TR Hardhead)
    - General Thrust (from CW Afterburner)
    - General Jetstor (from GEN Deluxe Armada Starscream)
    - Flywheels with Skytread (from TR Blitzwing)

    And near the end, they talked about the 5th subscription set, and what they were able to change when they found out it was the last set, and what they were unable to get Hasbro to change (trying to get some of the 6th set swapped into it).

    As for anything else covered by the panel, there was some discussion regarding the Transformers Figure Subscription Service 5.0, which was the final one.

    The little Scorponok figure made from the Legends class Scamper figure that came with Generations Titan class Metroplex was included in the TFSS 5.0 to enable fans to complete the full roster of the original Beast Wars cast in pre-Earth Cybertronian forms. The Scamper mold was chosen because that figure is counted not as its own figure but as an accessory. The TFSS 5.0 was first put together all the way back in March of 2015, but when the news of the 5.0 being the final subscription service was made known, the molds for the seven 5.0 figures were already set in stone. So, because the Scamper mold isn't counted as its own figure, it was allowed to be included with one of the main seven figures as an accessory.

    Additionally, the origins of the SG Starscream figure from the TFSS 5.0 were divulged, explaining how that figure came about and why that character was chosen to be the final Fun Pub Transformers toy.

    Basically, the original plan for the 7th figure of the TFSS 5.0 was for it to be Combiner Wars G1 Sunstorm from the Unite Warriors Starscream figure. At the time that that was planned, it was not yet known that it was going to be the absolute final Fun Pub Transformers figure. When that news came to light, it came as a surprise to Fun Pub since they had by then grown to have a very close and healthy relationship with Hasbro, so the bomb was dropped right around when things were really good between them. Once it was clear that the 5.0 would be the last subscription service, Pete and friends tried to get Hasbro to let them change the Starscream mold out for something else so that Fun Pub could create a much better figure for the conclusion of their tenure with the Transformers license: a purely Fun Pub-ish capstone figure that would better serve to represent and commemorate the Fun Pub era of Transformers. Specifically, Pete wanted Hasbro to let them switch out the Starscream mold with the Generations Springer mold to create one of Pete's two aforementioned biggest unproduced figure regrets: Shattered Glass Rodimus Prime.

    Unfortunately, Hasbro said no to that mold-swapping request because they said that the request came too late for any molds to be switched out. The Starscream mold was set in stone at that point. So, Fun Pub tried to see if they could move around some of the set molds and change one of the other ones into being the special final Fun Pub figure. Once such attempt was to move Counterpunch around and have Optimus be the special last figure. Not simply as he ended up being, but to keep the Pretender shell as is and instead recolor the inner Optimus figure into Shattered Glass Optimus. But that wasn't doable so late in the game either.

    Therefore, they were stuck with having the Starscream mold at the end as the final Fun Pub figure, so they had no choice but to try and do something uniquely Fun Pub-ish with that specific figure. After much brainstorming, it was decided to turn it into a new SG Starscream, one who exists not in the main Marvel G1 comic-based SG universe that we've had since 2008, but in a new Sunbow G1 cartoon-based SG universe, which was first glimpsed at in the two-page bonus Transformers comic that was included in the back of the Diamond Edition of the G.I. JoeCon 2016 comic book.

    Though, the way Fun Pub pulled off turning Sunstorm into SG Starscream was not as direct as simply asking Hasbro to let them change the former into the latter, but rather Fun Pub simply asked Hasbro if there could be "a few color changes made to that mold's deco". Hasbro never got back to them about that, so since Hasbro technically didn't say "No" that time (and didn't make a fuss over it afterward), Fun Pub took the initiative and were able to successfully get the overseas production to color the figure as SG Starscream, to celebrate the end of the Fun Pub Transformers era.

    Jetstorm is the other one he REALLY wanted to see get made since there's never been a proper toy of Jetstorm that accurately represented his Beast Machines cartoon model. The above retool of Armada Starscream would have had all new legs, a new head, and according to Pete new hands (which aren't seen in the above mock-up).
    It's all so much of a tease now... because we are not likely to see any of it occur now.

  8. #8
    FatalityPitt Guest

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    Aww man! I would have loved to have had the Rewind mold repainted as Rosanna and Flip Sides I wonder if Takara will ever resurrect this idea in the Legends line. It'd probably be in another uber-expensive exclusive LG-EX set though.

    I like the Predender Starscream TM. I might recreate that as a custom one day.

  9. #9
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    Pete Sinclair (from FunPub & BotCon) has revealed on facebook and twitter, a new set of proposed BotCon exclusives... this time for the final BotCon in 2016. (I don't recall anything being said before about a whole different set of BotCon exclusives planned out before they ended up using Combiner Wars moulds - maybe this is something he's recently thrown together, as a different commemoration for the Beast Wars 20th Anniversary).

    It looks like this idea had a range of Beast Wars and Beast Machines characters, using a number of older moulds (mostly TFPrime moulds, with one JP Beast Wars mould from about 1999).
    One toy (Megatron) ended up at BotCon 2016, and the Under 3 homage (Unit 3) toy was originally planned to use the JP Lioconvoy mould... but all the rest are unique, and not used.

    Check out what would have been the convention exclusives and story for BotCon 2016 before it was recommended that it be changed to Combiner Wars. Which do you prefer? Let us know in the comments. Definitely a few here that the team what worked on the sets would have still liked to have seen!
    Story: War has gripped Cybertron for millions of years, the deadly stalemate threatening to wipe Cybertronian civilization from existence. Both Autobot and Decepticon, their ranks depleted, have turned to creating a new generation of fighters to carry on the conflict. These Maximals and Predacons are thus forced into a lethal battle not of their making, forced to arm themselves and continue a war that they know nothing about. As the struggle rages, groups on both sides of the battlefield realize that their true enemies stand not before them, but behind them as the oligarchy at home. A new war looms, a BEAST WARS… The uprising has begun!


    Boxed Set BEAST WARS: UPRISING
    • Predacon Megatron
    • Predacon Dinobot
    • Predacon Blackarachnia
    • Predacon Terrorsaur
    • Vehicon Jetstorm


    .

    .

    .

    .


    Attendee Free Figure
    • Predacon Scorponok


    Souvenir Set One: MAXIMAL COMMAND
    • Maximal Big Convoy
    • Maximal Rattrap

    .


    Souvenir Set Two: MAXIMAL RESISTANCE
    • Maximal Silverbolt
    • Predacon Scylla

    .


    Souvenir Set Three: MAXIMAL COMMAND SECURITY FORCE
    • Maximal Command Security Force


    Pete revealed an additional concept [on twitter] (apparently rejected before this set, then revived yet again in a different form for the actual BotCon 2016 convention)



    (I like some of these like Jetstorm, Megatron and Undermine, but just like most of the final few BotCons, there are too many in the set that are too much of a stretch and don't really work as a good homage - just because they "need" to generate 13-15 toys each year, so they have to fill all those extra spots with half-homage ideas after generating the handful of really good homages.)

  10. #10
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    Another proposed exclusive toy before FunPub folded in 2016 - A Shattered Glass Optimus Primal (evil Maximal) using their newly made Optimus double-pretender shell, with the inner truck coloured like Beast Wars Megatron, and the inner jet coloured like Onyx Primal (the bat toy from BotCon 1996).

    Yesterday on the BotCon social media (FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram) there was an article giving the basics about Onyx Primal. And maybe you remember a couple years ago when we revealed that one of the potential/cancelled exclusives was Titans Return Onyx Primal. But that wasn’t the only time that an homage had been planned!

    When word came down that the license was ending, we wanted to make the final TFSS subscription “freebie” figure an homage to something unmistakably “Club/BotCon”. The Hasbro-approved final freebie at the time was Combiner Wars Sunstorm. We wanted to switch it out though. And the figure we wanted was… Shattered Glass Beast Wars Optimus Primal! This would have been a recolor of the Pretender Optimus Prime in SG colors with the Micro/Targetmaster in an Onyx Primal scheme!

    The inner, truck mode concept was loosely based on BW Megatron because of the “swap color schemes with counterpart” rule that applied to some SG exclusives.

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