BotCon
Encyclopedia
BotCon, briefly known as "The Official Transformers Collectors' Convention" (or OTFCC), is an annual convention
for Transformers
fans and collectors. BotCon has been held annually since 1994. BotCon is a syllabic abbreviation for "Robot Convention" but also refers to "Autobot
" and "Decepticon
", the protagonist and antagonist robot factions in the Transformers franchise.
Featured BotCon guests are usually involved in the creation of Transformers media in some respect, whether as voice actors
from the animated series, artists or writers from the comic books, or actual Hasbro
employees.
The first BotCon was held in Fort Wayne, Indiana
in 1994. Organized by brothers Jon and Karl Hartman, the convention had 180 attendees. BotCon was organized in 1995 by Raksha, a prominent figure in the fan community, and in 1996 by Men In Black Productions, headed up by Dennis Barger. In 1997, the Hartmans brought Glen Hallit, a fellow fan, into the fold, forming 3H Enterprises (based upon the first letter of all three organizers' last names).
At BotCon 2002, Hallit announced that 3H had secured the official Transformers convention license, as well as licenses to produce comic book
s and start a fan club
. Shortly thereafter, the Hartmans were removed from their organizational duties, leaving Glen Hallit as the sole organizer of the new company, 3H Productions, Inc.
In the winter of 2002, 3H sought to expand to Europe
, holding its first ever official European convention in Cheshunt
, UK
. Unfortunately, the event, which was held in conjunction with the main BotCon 2002 in the USA, had much less advertising and the registration did not open until a couple of weeks before the convention. Since the attendance at the European BotCon had been much smaller than the main show that summer, 3H decided it was too much work to hold two separate conventions, and officially announced that they would never hold BotCon outside the USA again.
In 2003, the convention changed its name to "The Official Transformers Collectors' Convention", OTFCC for short, due to the Hartmans' ownership of the BotCon service mark. The fandom held dueling conventions in 2004, as 3H held OTFCC in Chicago, Illinois, while the Hartman brothers revived the BotCon name for their final convention in Pasadena, California
. In the fall of that year, 3H Productions lost all of its Transformers-related licenses, leaving the convention in a state of limbo.
In early January 2005, Hasbro
announced on its official Web site that Fun Publications
, owned by Brian Savage, had been awarded the convention and fan club licenses. The Hartman brothers and other prominent fans Pete Sinclair, Benson Yee, and Rik Alvarez were invited to form an advisory council to help ease the transition of organizing the convention for the new owners. Once the Hartmans' service mark was transferred to Fun Publications, BotCon regained its status of being the official Transformers collectors' convention.
In 2007, a parking spot at BotCon Maylasia 2007 was designated as being "reserved for Megatron". A car had been parked in this spot, but was visibly damaged beyond repair, presumably by the Decepticon leader himself for parking in his spot.
For 2011, Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay will be inducted for the success of the Transformers live-action film franchise.
2010
2011
s made available to the attendees. The toys are different every year and are not retailed anywhere in the world. The number of exclusive toys increased significantly in 2005 after Fun Publications became the official license holder of the convention. The identities and designs of the toys were originally kept a close secret until the opening of the convention, but in the later years of the convention the organizers often chose to reveal one or more of the exclusives ahead of time due to repeated problems with stolen prototype
s being sold on eBay
. In 2008, organizer Brian Savage ordered all eBay users selling these prototypes to return them to their rightful owners.
Although the toys are always unique, financial costs prohibit the creation of entirely new molds. As such, the toys are redeco
s or repaint
s of previously used toys given new identities, occasionally switching allegiances and even gender. Beginning in 2003, some of the exclusives were given new, retooled heads to further differentiate the new characters from previous uses of a mold. As the number of exclusives offered at each convention grew, so did the number of retooled parts. Since then, it has been standard practice to produce 3-4 newly tooled heads (or other parts such as wings in the case of 2007) for each BotCon. After the convention, exclusive toys usually become valuable collector's items in the community, particularly among fans who missed the convention.
Fan convention
A fan convention, or con , is an event in which fans of a particular film, television series, comic book, actor, or an entire genre of entertainment such as science fiction or anime and manga, gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and...
for Transformers
Transformers (toy line)
The is a line of toys produced by the American toy company Hasbro. The Transformers toyline was created from toy molds mostly produced by Japanese company Takara in the toylines Diaclone and Microman. Other toy molds from other companies such as Bandai were used as well...
fans and collectors. BotCon has been held annually since 1994. BotCon is a syllabic abbreviation for "Robot Convention" but also refers to "Autobot
Autobot
Autobot, a faction of sentient robots from the planet Cybertron, are usually the main protagonists in the fictional universe of the Transformers, a collection of various toys, graphic novels, paperback books, cartoons and movies first introduced in 1984. In all but one Transformer story, the...
" and "Decepticon
Decepticon
The Decepticons are usually depicted as the antagonists in the fictional universes of the Transformers stoyline and related comics and cartoons, and the enemies of the Autobots and the University of California Davis Aggies...
", the protagonist and antagonist robot factions in the Transformers franchise.
Featured BotCon guests are usually involved in the creation of Transformers media in some respect, whether as voice actors
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
from the animated series, artists or writers from the comic books, or actual Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
employees.
History
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
in 1994. Organized by brothers Jon and Karl Hartman, the convention had 180 attendees. BotCon was organized in 1995 by Raksha, a prominent figure in the fan community, and in 1996 by Men In Black Productions, headed up by Dennis Barger. In 1997, the Hartmans brought Glen Hallit, a fellow fan, into the fold, forming 3H Enterprises (based upon the first letter of all three organizers' last names).
At BotCon 2002, Hallit announced that 3H had secured the official Transformers convention license, as well as licenses to produce comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s and start a fan club
Fan club
A fan club is a group that is dedicated to a well-known person, group, idea or sometimes even an inanimate object . Most fan clubs are run by fans who devote considerable time and resources to supporting them. There are also "official" fan clubs that are run by someone associated with the person...
. Shortly thereafter, the Hartmans were removed from their organizational duties, leaving Glen Hallit as the sole organizer of the new company, 3H Productions, Inc.
In the winter of 2002, 3H sought to expand to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, holding its first ever official European convention in Cheshunt
Cheshunt
Cheshunt is a town in Hertfordshire, England with a population of around 52,000 according to the United Kingdom's 2001 Census. It is a dormitory town and part of the Greater London Urban Area and London commuter belt served by Cheshunt railway station...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Unfortunately, the event, which was held in conjunction with the main BotCon 2002 in the USA, had much less advertising and the registration did not open until a couple of weeks before the convention. Since the attendance at the European BotCon had been much smaller than the main show that summer, 3H decided it was too much work to hold two separate conventions, and officially announced that they would never hold BotCon outside the USA again.
In 2003, the convention changed its name to "The Official Transformers Collectors' Convention", OTFCC for short, due to the Hartmans' ownership of the BotCon service mark. The fandom held dueling conventions in 2004, as 3H held OTFCC in Chicago, Illinois, while the Hartman brothers revived the BotCon name for their final convention in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
. In the fall of that year, 3H Productions lost all of its Transformers-related licenses, leaving the convention in a state of limbo.
In early January 2005, Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
announced on its official Web site that Fun Publications
Fun Publications
Fun Publications is a publishing company that runs the Transformers Collectors Club and G.I. Joe Collectors Club under licensefrom Hasbro. Besides releasing comics, Fun Publications releases exclusive toys and runs conventions for their clubs....
, owned by Brian Savage, had been awarded the convention and fan club licenses. The Hartman brothers and other prominent fans Pete Sinclair, Benson Yee, and Rik Alvarez were invited to form an advisory council to help ease the transition of organizing the convention for the new owners. Once the Hartmans' service mark was transferred to Fun Publications, BotCon regained its status of being the official Transformers collectors' convention.
In 2007, a parking spot at BotCon Maylasia 2007 was designated as being "reserved for Megatron". A car had been parked in this spot, but was visibly damaged beyond repair, presumably by the Decepticon leader himself for parking in his spot.
Locations
- 1994: Grand Wayne CenterGrand Wayne Convention CenterThe Grand Wayne Center is a convention center located in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana, Allen County, United States. As a result of a $42 million renovation and expansion between 2003 and 2005, the Grand Wayne now encompasses .-Facility:...
, Fort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
-- July 16 - 1995: Dayton Convention Center, Dayton, OhioDayton, OhioDayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
-- August 5–6 - 1996: Radisson Hotel Rosemont (formerly Clarion Resort Rosemont), Rosemont, IllinoisRosemont, IllinoisRosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States located immediately northwest of Chicago. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that...
-- July 12–14 - 1997: Rochester Riverside Convention Center, Rochester, New YorkRochester, New YorkRochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
-- July 18–20 - BotCon Japan 1997: Science and Technology Hall, Tokyo, Japan -- June 8
- 1998: Anaheim Convention CenterAnaheim Convention CenterThe Anaheim Convention Center is a major convention center in Anaheim, California. It is located across from the Disneyland Resort on Katella Avenue. Much of the Anaheim Convention Center has been renovated in recent years with state-of-the-art facilities...
, Anaheim, CaliforniaAnaheim, CaliforniaAnaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
-- June 19–21 - BotCon Japan 1998: Sevencity Hall, Tokyo, Japan—December 12–13
- 1999: Touchstone Energy Place (formerly RiverCentre), St. Paul, Minnesota -- July 16–18
- BotCon Europe 1999: Barnabas Center, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-- August 13–14 - 2000: Grand Wayne Center, Fort Wayne, Indiana—July 28–30
- BotCon Japan 2000: Trade and Industry Center, Tokyo, Japan—December 17
- 2001: Durham Marriott Civic Center, Durham, North CarolinaDurham, North CarolinaDurham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
-- July 13–15 - 2002: Grand Wayne Center, Fort Wayne, Indiana—July 26–28
- BotCon Europe 2002: Wolsey Hall, CheshuntCheshuntCheshunt is a town in Hertfordshire, England with a population of around 52,000 according to the United Kingdom's 2001 Census. It is a dormitory town and part of the Greater London Urban Area and London commuter belt served by Cheshunt railway station...
, United Kingdom—November 3 - OTFCC 2003: Hyatt Regency O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois—July 25–27
- OTFCC 2004: Donald E. Stephens Convention CenterDonald E. Stephens Convention CenterThe Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, formerly known as the Rosemont Convention Center, is a convention center located in Rosemont, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Built in 1975, the center has exhibition space of and parking available via a Skybridge connected parking garage, which is able to...
, Rosemont, Illinois—July 31 - August 1 - BotCon 2004: Pasadena Conference CenterPasadena Conference CenterThe Pasadena Conference Center is a convention center in Pasadena, California, near Los Angeles, owned by the City of Pasadena. It consists of three buildings.-Pasadena Civic Auditorium:...
, Pasadena, CaliforniaPasadena, CaliforniaPasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
-- June 19–20 - 2005: Embassy Suites, Frisco, TexasFrisco, TexasFrisco is an affluent city in Collin and Denton Counties in the U.S. state of Texas and a rapidly growing suburb of Dallas. As of the 2010 Census, 116,989 people were living in Frisco up from 33,714 in the previous census. Frisco was the fastest growing city in the United States in 2009, and also...
-- September 22–25 - 2006: Lexington Convention Center, Lexington, KentuckyLexington, KentuckyLexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
-- September 27 - October 1 - 2007: Rhode Island Convention CenterRhode Island Convention CenterThe Rhode Island Convention Center is an exposition center in downtown Providence, RI. Built in 1994, it is the largest convention center in Rhode Island, with about of exhibition space, including a exhibit hall. It is connected to the Dunkin Donuts Center. It is also adjacent to the Westin...
, Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence, Rhode IslandProvidence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, Hasbro's home state, the weekend before the live-action Transformers movie was released—June 28 - July 1 - 2008: Duke Energy Center, Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, OhioCincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
-- April 24–27 - 2009: Pasadena Conference Center, Pasadena, California—May 28–31
- 2010: Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort—June 24–27
- 2011: Pasadena Conference Center, Pasadena, California—June 2–5
Special guests
Over the years, BotCon has featured many individuals who have worked to bring the Transformers multiverse to life, including voice actors, animation staff, and Hasbro design team members. BotCon guests include:- 1994: Carl Fritz and Tom Bowman, HasbroHasbroHasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
representatives. - 1995: No special guests.
- 1996: George Boznos and Anthony Gaud, KennerKennerKenner Products was a toy company founded in 1947 by three brothers, Albert, Phillip, and Joseph L. Steiner, in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, and was named after the street where the original corporate offices were located, which is just north of Cincinnati's Union Terminal.Kenner introduced its...
representatives. - 1997: Peter CullenPeter CullenPeter Claver Cullen is a Canadian voice actor, known as the voice of Eeyore in the Winnie-the-Pooh franchise, Optimus Prime and Ironhide in the original Transformers series, and the narrator in both of the original American Voltron series...
, David KayeDavid KayeDavid V. Hope , known professionally as David Kaye, is a Canadian American actor who is better recognized for his work as a voice actor...
and Venus TerzoVenus TerzoVenus Terzo is a Canadian actress best noted for her role as Detective Angela Kosmo in Da Vinci's Inquest and its spinoff, Da Vinci's City Hall. She was nominated in 2002 for the Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role in that same role...
, voice actors; Simon FurmanSimon FurmanSimon Christopher Francis Furman is a comic book writer, particularly associated with of a number of notable Transformers comics for Marvel UK, Marvel US, Dreamwave, and most recently, IDW...
, writer; Andrew WildmanAndrew WildmanAndrew Wildman is a British artist, best known for his work in comics, mainly for Marvel Comics. Wildman cut his teeth on Marvel UK's titles in the late 1980s, including Galaxy Rangers, Thundercats, The Real Ghostbusters and, perhaps most notably, Transformers...
, artist; Bob ForwardBob ForwardRobert D. Forward , commonly known as Bob Forward, is an American writer, director and producer. Forward is the production director and president of his independent company, Detonation Films. Forward has been the writer of many animated television series, as well as a film, The Owl, based on his...
, Beast Wars story editor; Vince DiColaVince DiColaVince DiCola is an Italian-American composer, keyboardist, and arranger best known for his work on the The Transformers: The Movie, Staying Alive and Rocky IV soundtracks...
and Stan BushStan BushStan Bush is an American singer-songwriter and musician whose most notable work includes the songs "Dare" and "The Touch" from the soundtrack to the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie, and "She's Got the Power", featured in the American voice dub of the animated series Sailor Moon...
, musicians; Dawn Berryman, George Boznos, and Jerry Palmer, HasbroHasbroHasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
representatives. - 1998: Gary ChalkGary Chalk (actor)Gary Chalk is an English-born Canadian actor, tri-national US-Canadian-UK citizen and voice artist. He has lend hit voice in over 30 animated television series and has been in films such as The Fly II and Freddy vs. Jason....
, Doug ParkerDoug Parker (voice actor)Doug Parker is a Canadian voice actor and voice director.He has been doing voices in several cartoons and anime.He is probably best known for playing Terrorsaur in Beast Wars, He also played Starscream who made a cameo appearance in the show...
, David Kaye, Susan BluSusan BluSusan Maria Blu , sometimes credited as Sue Blu, is an American voice actress, voice director, and casting director in American and Canadian cinema and television...
and Scott McNeilScott McNeilScott McNeil is a Canadian actor and voice actor. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
, voice actors; Bob ForwardBob ForwardRobert D. Forward , commonly known as Bob Forward, is an American writer, director and producer. Forward is the production director and president of his independent company, Detonation Films. Forward has been the writer of many animated television series, as well as a film, The Owl, based on his...
and Larry DiTillioLarry DiTillioLawrence G. "Larry" DiTillio is an American film and TV series writer. He is most famous for his role as executive story editor of the science-fiction series Babylon 5, and for writing or co-writing most of the episodes in the animated series Beast Wars...
, Beast Wars story editors; Vince DiCola, musician; Bryce Malek, Generation 1 cartoon story editor; Rob Tokar, Generation 1 comic story editor; Jennifer Donahoe and Andy Espenshade, Hasbro representatives. - BotCon Japan 1998: Hirotaka SuzuokiHirotaka Suzuokiwas a Japanese voice actor and actor from Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture who graduated from Tokyo Keizai University.His best known roles include Mobile Suit Gundam , Captain Tsubasa , Saint Seiya , Dragon Ball Z , The Transformers , Ranma ½ , Rurouni Kenshin , Pokémon...
, voice actor. - 1999: Scott McNeil and Jim ByrnesJim Byrnes (actor)James Thomas Kevin "Jim" Byrnes is a blues musician, guitarist, and actor.-Life and career:Byrnes was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to a homemaker mother and a municipal accountant father. He has lived in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, since the mid-1970s...
, voice actors; Brian Chapman, Hasbro representative; Asaph Fipke, Mainframe Entertainment. - 2000: Ian Corlett, John Moschitta, Venus TerzoVenus TerzoVenus Terzo is a Canadian actress best noted for her role as Detective Angela Kosmo in Da Vinci's Inquest and its spinoff, Da Vinci's City Hall. She was nominated in 2002 for the Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role in that same role...
and Alec Willows, voice actors; Vince DiCola; Joe Mattiko and Jamie Overbey, Hasbro representatives. - BotCon Japan 2000: Tesshō GendaTessho Gendais a Japanese voice actor. He is employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce. When he debuted, he used his real name, . as artist name. Because he had experience with ballet, he was known by the nickname "Pirouette Genda."...
, voice actor. - 2001: Michael Bell, Gregg BergerGregg BergerGreggory "Gregg" Berger is an American voice actor, who is known for his longtime role as Odie the dog from the Garfield franchise...
, Gary Chalk, Scott McNeil, and John StephensonJohn Stephenson (actor)John Stephenson is an American actor and voice actor. He has also been credited as John Stevenson...
, voice actors; Paul DavidsPaul DavidsPaul Davids is a writer of films and novels, especially about science fiction. Often collaborating with his wife, Hollace, Davids has written and directed the films Starry Night, Roswell a documentary about the Roswell UFO incident and Timothy Leary's Dead...
, Generation 1 cartoon production coordinator; Simon Furman, writer; Vince DiCola and Gary Falcone, musicians; Joe Mattiko, Hasbro representative. - 2002: Dick Gautier, Neil KaplanNeil KaplanNeil Kaplan is an American voice actor, entertainer and comedian.-Biography:Kaplan grew up in San Jose, California. He got his start as a comedian doing impressions of presidents such as Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon. He also impersonated a little known journalist at the time, Dan Rather. He...
, Michael McConnohieMichael McConnohieMichael D. McConnohie is a voice actor and is the President of the Nevada-based Voxworks voice-acting corporation. He is known for his recognizable deep booming voice and is generally known for playing more charismatic characters...
, Peter SpellosPeter SpellosPeter Spellos is a voice actor who is also known as G. Gordon Baer, Gordon Baer, G. Gordon Bear, David Conrad, and Orville Ketchum.-Anime:* Black Jack - Mr. Brane* Bleach - Koganehiko, Dordonii...
and Wayne "Wankus" Lewis, voice actors; Tom WynerTom WynerThomas Halperin "Tom" Wyner is an English-born voice actor for anime series who usually gets tough guy or villain roles. He is also a producer, director, and writer...
, Richard EpcarRichard EpcarRichard Epcar is an American actor voice actor / director, mostly specializing in the field of voice acting in games, animation and anime. He is the husband of voice actress Ellyn Stern, with whom he owns and operates Epcar Entertainment, Inc., a voiceover production service company based in Los...
, and Steve KramerSteve Kramer (actor)Steven M. Kramer is an American voice actor for many anime titles. He has also done voice acting for various Power Rangers series in the past, with the best-known of those roles being the voice of Darkonda in Power Rangers in Space. His wife, Melora Harte, is a voice actress...
, Transformers: Robots in DisguiseTransformers: Robots in DisguiseTransformers: Robots in Disguise, known in Japan as , is a Japanese anime television series and serves as a self-contained universe separate from any of the other existing Transformers universes...
writers; Simon Furman and Bob ForwardBob ForwardRobert D. Forward , commonly known as Bob Forward, is an American writer, director and producer. Forward is the production director and president of his independent company, Detonation Films. Forward has been the writer of many animated television series, as well as a film, The Owl, based on his...
, writers; Adam Fortier, Pat LeePat LeePatrick "Pat" C.K. Lee is a Canadian comic book artist, publisher, former President and co-founder of the now defunct Dreamwave Productions.-Biography:...
, Derek Choo-Wing, and Chris Sarracini, Dreamwave ProductionsDreamwave ProductionsDreamwave Productions was a Canadian art design studio and comic book publisher founded in 1996 and is best known for their multiple Transformers comic book series...
; Aaron ArcherAaron ArcherAaron C. Archer is a toy designer for the Hasbro toy company from 1995 onwards. Archer has worked on toy lines including Batman, Star Wars, and Alien Resurrection, amongst others. Archer's earliest Transformers work were designs for the later Beast Wars toys, including Transmetal 2 Megatron,...
, Michelle Field, Andrew Frankel, and Joe Mattiko, Hasbro representatives. - BotCon Europe 2002: Neil Kaplan and Wayne "Wankus" Lewis, voice actors; Simon Furman, writer.
- OTFCC 2003: Gregg Berger, David Kaye, Gary Chalk, voice actors; Simon Furman, writer; Vince DiColaVince DiColaVince DiCola is an Italian-American composer, keyboardist, and arranger best known for his work on the The Transformers: The Movie, Staying Alive and Rocky IV soundtracks...
, musician; Dreamwave Productions representatives; HasbroHasbroHasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
representatives. - OTFCC 2004: Scott McNeil, Michael McConnohie, and Dan GilvezanDan GilvezanDan Gilvezan is an actor who provided the voice for Peter Parker/Spider-Man on the 1980s animated series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends and the voice of the Autobots Bumblebee, Outback and Hot Spot and the Decepticon Snapdragon in the original 1984-1987 Transformers cartoon...
, voice actors; Bob BudianskyBob BudianskyBob Budiansky is an American comic book writer, editor, and penciller, best known for his work on Marvel's Transformers comic. He also created the Marvel character Sleepwalker and wrote all 33 issues of that comic.-Career:...
and Simon FurmanSimon FurmanSimon Christopher Francis Furman is a comic book writer, particularly associated with of a number of notable Transformers comics for Marvel UK, Marvel US, Dreamwave, and most recently, IDW...
, comic writers; Andrew WildmanAndrew WildmanAndrew Wildman is a British artist, best known for his work in comics, mainly for Marvel Comics. Wildman cut his teeth on Marvel UK's titles in the late 1980s, including Galaxy Rangers, Thundercats, The Real Ghostbusters and, perhaps most notably, Transformers...
; Vince DiColaVince DiColaVince DiCola is an Italian-American composer, keyboardist, and arranger best known for his work on the The Transformers: The Movie, Staying Alive and Rocky IV soundtracks...
, musician; Hasbro representatives; Dreamwave Productions representatives. - BotCon 2004: Peter Cullen, Dan Gilvezan and Michael McConnohie, voice actors; Wally BurrWally BurrWally Burr is an American voice actor and director. He was best known as the voice director for the Generation 1 cartoon and The Transformers: The Movie. Aside from voicing some incidental characters, he has also filled in roles for regular voice actors who were unavailable for taping. He is also...
, voice director; Bob Prupis and Alison Segebarth, former Hasbro employees; Paul DavidsPaul DavidsPaul Davids is a writer of films and novels, especially about science fiction. Often collaborating with his wife, Hollace, Davids has written and directed the films Starry Night, Roswell a documentary about the Roswell UFO incident and Timothy Leary's Dead...
, Flint DilleFlint DilleFlint Dille is a screenwriter, game designer, and novelist. He is best known for his animated work on Transformers, G.I...
, David WiseDavid Wise (writer)David Wise is a television and animation writer, tutored by writers such as Ursula K. Le Guin, Frank Herbert, Harlan Ellison and Theodore Sturgeon whilst attending the Clarion Workshop.-Early life:...
, Bryce Malek, Generation 1 script writers; Don FigueroaDon FigueroaDon Allan Figueroa is a Filipino American comic book artist and toy designer. He is best known for his work on many different Transformers designs, for both the defunct Dreamwave Productions and with IDW Publishing.-Dreamwave Productions:...
, Brad Mick, Pat Lee, Adam Patyk, and Joe Ng, Dreamwave Productions representatives. - 2005: Michael Chain, Brian DobsonBrian DobsonBrian Dobson is the third of three brothers, the others being Paul and Michael, who are well known for their talent as voice actors.- Anime Roles :*.hack//Roots - AI Harald...
, Michael Dobson, and Paul Dobson, voice actors; Wally BurrWally BurrWally Burr is an American voice actor and director. He was best known as the voice director for the Generation 1 cartoon and The Transformers: The Movie. Aside from voicing some incidental characters, he has also filled in roles for regular voice actors who were unavailable for taping. He is also...
, writer; Aaron ArcherAaron ArcherAaron C. Archer is a toy designer for the Hasbro toy company from 1995 onwards. Archer has worked on toy lines including Batman, Star Wars, and Alien Resurrection, amongst others. Archer's earliest Transformers work were designs for the later Beast Wars toys, including Transmetal 2 Megatron,...
, Eric Siebenaler, Greg Lombardo, HasbroHasbroHasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
representatives; Hideaki Yoke, TakaraTakaraTakara Co., Ltd. was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955, that merged with another prominent Japanese toy company, Tomy Co., Ltd., on March 1, 2006 to form Takara Tomy, also known in English as TOMY Company Ltd....
chief toy designer; Aaron Myers, Dan Taylor, IDW PublishingIDW PublishingIDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
representatives. - 2006: Peter Cullen, Scott McNeil and Blu MankumaBlu MankumaBlu Mankuma is an American actor. He has appeared in numerous Canadian and American productions filmed in Canada.Mankuma was born in Seattle, Washington...
, voice actors; Alex MilneAlex MilneAlex Milne is a Canadian comic book artist, best known for his work on various Transformers comic books.-Career:Graduating from Sheridan College, Milne debuted on the comics scene after being hired by Dreamwave Productions to pencil their Transformers: Energon series...
, comic artist; Hasbro representatives. - 2007: David Kaye, Peter Cullen, and Daniel Ross, voice actors; Stan BushStan BushStan Bush is an American singer-songwriter and musician whose most notable work includes the songs "Dare" and "The Touch" from the soundtrack to the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie, and "She's Got the Power", featured in the American voice dub of the animated series Sailor Moon...
and Ernie Petragelo, musicians; Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, film writers; Hasbro representatives. - 2008: David Kaye, Bumper RobinsonBumper RobinsonBumper Robinson is an American actor and voice artist. Robinson got his nickname because he repeatedly bumped into things while running through his home as a young child.- Life and career :...
, Tara StrongTara StrongTara Lyn Strong is a Canadian actress, voice-over artist, singer, who is best known for her voice work in cartoons.-Early life and career:...
, voice actors; Simon Furman, comic writer. - 2009: Tyrese Gibson, actor; Peter Cullen, David Kaye, Michael McConnohie and Gregg BergerGregg BergerGreggory "Gregg" Berger is an American voice actor, who is known for his longtime role as Odie the dog from the Garfield franchise...
, voice actors; "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
, Vince DiCola and Stan Bush, musicians, Alex KurtzmanAlex KurtzmanAlex Kurtzman is an American film and television screenwriter and producer.Kurtzman was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where he met his high school friend and long time collaborator Roberto Orci...
and Roberto OrciRoberto OrciRoberto Gaston Orci is a Mexican-American film producer, television producer, and screenwriter.-Biography:Orci was born in Mexico City to a Mexican father and a Cuban mother. His mother had left Cuba for Mexico after Fidel Castro came to power. He is the older brother of screenwriter-producer J....
, movie writers; Flint Dille, David Wise and Bryce Malek, Generation 1 writers; Paul DavidsPaul DavidsPaul Davids is a writer of films and novels, especially about science fiction. Often collaborating with his wife, Hollace, Davids has written and directed the films Starry Night, Roswell a documentary about the Roswell UFO incident and Timothy Leary's Dead...
, Generation 1 production coordinator; Hasbro representatives. - 2010: Peter Cullen, Paul EidingPaul EidingPaul Eiding is an American voice actor, voice instructor, and actor, perhaps best known as the voice actor behind Perceptor in the original Transformers cartoon, Roy Campbell in the Metal Gear series, the narrator in Diablo, Judicator Aldaris in StarCraft, and Max Tennyson in Ben 10, Ben 10: Alien...
, Scott McNeil, voice actors; Stan Bush, musician; Hideaki Yoke and Kohjin Ohno, Takara TomyTakara Tomyis a Japanese toy, children's merchandise and entertainment company created from the March 2006 merger of two companies: Tomy and long-time rival, Takara...
toy designers; Bob Budiansky, comic writer; representatives from Hasbro, Takara Tomy and IDW Publishing. - 2011: Gregg Berger, David Kaye, Michael McConnohie, Neil Ross, Jack Angel, Morgan Lofting, Arlene Banas, voice actors; Stan Bush, musician; Flint Dille, story consultant/writer.
Transformers Hall of Fame
At the 2010 BotCon, Hasbro introduced a "Hall of Fame" awards ceremony to commemorate the people and characters of the franchise. Hasbro selected the first four robot inductees, while fans worldwide voted for the fifth. In the end, Dinobot from Beast Wars: Transformers won the votes. Among the human inductees were Bob Budiansky for helping create the franchise through comics and personality profiles, Peter Cullen for giving Optimus Prime his voice, Hideaki Yoke and Kohjin Ohno of Takara Tomy for creating many of the franchise's toys.For 2011, Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay will be inducted for the success of the Transformers live-action film franchise.
2010
- Robots: Optimus Prime, Megatron, StarscreamStarscream (Transformers)Starscream is a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. He is one of the most prolific characters in the Transformers fictional work, appearing in almost all incarnations of the story. Starscream is usually portrayed with the same characterization...
, BumblebeeBumblebee (Transformers)Bumblebee is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. In most incarnations, Bumblebee is a small, yellow Autobot with the altmode of a compact car.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
, DinobotDinobotDinobot is a fictional character from the Beast Wars Transformers universe.-Beast Wars:Dinobot originally debuts in the series' premiere as a subordinate of Megatron, leader of the villainous Predacons. However, Dinobot challenges Megatron's leadership, and is shortly expelled from his crew. He...
(Fan's Choice) - Humans: Bob BudianskyBob BudianskyBob Budiansky is an American comic book writer, editor, and penciller, best known for his work on Marvel's Transformers comic. He also created the Marvel character Sleepwalker and wrote all 33 issues of that comic.-Career:...
, Peter CullenPeter CullenPeter Claver Cullen is a Canadian voice actor, known as the voice of Eeyore in the Winnie-the-Pooh franchise, Optimus Prime and Ironhide in the original Transformers series, and the narrator in both of the original American Voltron series...
, Hideaki Yoke, Kohjin Ohno
2011
- Robots: WaspinatorWaspinatorWaspinator is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. He is sometimes called Wasp. The original Waspinator was voiced by Scott McNeil in the Beast Wars animated series.-Beast Wars:...
(Fan's Choice) - Humans: Steven SpielbergSteven SpielbergSteven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
, Michael BayMichael BayMichael Benjamin Bay is an American film director and producer. He is known for directing high-budget action films characterized by their fast edits, stylistic visuals and substantial practical special effects...
Exclusive toys
One of BotCon's most popular features is the exclusive toyToy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
s made available to the attendees. The toys are different every year and are not retailed anywhere in the world. The number of exclusive toys increased significantly in 2005 after Fun Publications became the official license holder of the convention. The identities and designs of the toys were originally kept a close secret until the opening of the convention, but in the later years of the convention the organizers often chose to reveal one or more of the exclusives ahead of time due to repeated problems with stolen prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
s being sold on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
. In 2008, organizer Brian Savage ordered all eBay users selling these prototypes to return them to their rightful owners.
Although the toys are always unique, financial costs prohibit the creation of entirely new molds. As such, the toys are redeco
Redeco
A redeco is a re-released version of an existing toy with a color scheme that is significantly different from the original release. Redecos normally include changes to the toy's paint application scheme, as opposed to a more straightforward repaint, which only alters the colors, not the ways in...
s or repaint
Repaint
A repaint is a toy that was created entirely from a mold was previously available, however the colors of the plastic and/or the paint operations have been changed...
s of previously used toys given new identities, occasionally switching allegiances and even gender. Beginning in 2003, some of the exclusives were given new, retooled heads to further differentiate the new characters from previous uses of a mold. As the number of exclusives offered at each convention grew, so did the number of retooled parts. Since then, it has been standard practice to produce 3-4 newly tooled heads (or other parts such as wings in the case of 2007) for each BotCon. After the convention, exclusive toys usually become valuable collector's items in the community, particularly among fans who missed the convention.