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Judd Nelson, star of 1986’s "Transformers: The Movie", to appear at BotCon 2016 on April 8th and 9th

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PRESS RELEASE
March 3, 2016
For More Information Contact: Pete Sinclair

Judd Nelson, star of 1986's "Transformers: The Movie", to appear at BotCon 2016 on April 8th and 9th.


This will be Mr. Nelson's first ever Transformers convention appearance.

Fort Worth, TX - Fun Publications, Inc., licensee for Hasbro's official Transformers Collectors' Convention BotCon, and the show's sponsor, The Transformers Collectors' Club, announced today that Judd Nelson, star of the 1986 animated film "Transformers: The Movie", will be the featured guest for BotCon 2016. From leading roles in "The Breakfast Club" and "St. Elmo's Fire", the 90's sitcom "Suddenly Susan" to his current role on the hit Fox TV series "Empire" and the upcoming film "Billionaire Boys Club", Judd Nelson continues to entertain audiences with his amazing intensity and charisma! This year's award-winning convention featuring Judd Nelson will take place at the Galt House April 7-10 in the great city of Louisville, Kentucky.

Fans of Judd's can visit BotCon.com to register for BotCon 2016 and purchase the "Judd Nelson VIP Pass" starting today. The VIP Pass will contain ONE in person autograph from Judd Nelson, ONE professional picture with Judd Nelson, an EXCLUSIVE HOT ROD art print, an EXCLUSIVE HOT ROD souvenir pin and VIP seating at his moderated panel on Saturday.

Those who register for BotCon as a Primus package holder will receive a five-figure convention set, admission to the Friday private sales room experience, priority seating at all panels and seminars throughout the weekend and admittance to the Saturday night Dinner and Awards party. Primus package attendees will also receive a special bonus Transformers figure to go along with their convention box set. General Admission for non-registered guests will be available on Saturday and Sunday only.

For all the information regarding the BotCon show activities, hotel updates, the exclusive figure offerings and to purchase your Judd Nelson VIP Pass, be sure to visit BotCon.com.

About Hasbro

Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) is a branded play company dedicated to fulfilling the fundamental need for play for children and families through the creative expression of the Company's world class brand portfolio, including TRANSFORMERS, MONOPOLY, PLAY-DOH, MY LITTLE PONY, MAGIC: THE GATHERING, NERF and LITTLEST PET SHOP. From toys and games, to television programming, motion pictures, digital gaming and a comprehensive licensing program, Hasbro strives to delight its global customers with innovative play and entertainment experiences, in a variety of forms and formats, anytime and anywhere. The Company's Hasbro Studios is responsible for entertainment brand-driven storytelling around Hasbro brands across television, film, commercial productions and short-form. Through the Company's deep commitment to corporate social responsibility, including philanthropy, Hasbro is helping to build a safe and sustainable world for future generations and to positively impact the lives of millions of children and families every year. It has been recognized for its efforts by being named one of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" and is ranked as one of Corporate Responsibility Magazine's "100 Best Corporate Citizens." Learn more at www.hasbro.com. © 2016 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

About Fun Publications

For 20 years, Fun Publications, Inc. has been a Hasbro licensee offering fans and collectors of pop culture memorabilia news, exclusive product and family events through different print offerings, websites, collector clubs and brand specific conventions such as GIJoeCon and BotCon. Located in Fort Worth Texas, Fun Publications reaches a large audience, serving the United States and many other countries such as Japan, Great Britain, Brazil, Australia and Canada. For more information visit TransformersClub.com, GIJoeClub.com, GIJoeCon.com, and BotCon.com. BotCon is a registered trademark of Fun Publications, Inc. © 2016 Fun Publications, Inc. All rights reserved

Judd Nelson announced as BotCon 2016 Special Guest

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BotCon wrote:We are thrilled to offer the BotCon 2016 Judd Nelson VIP PASS. This package upgrade allows you access to our very special BotCon 2016 guest, Judd Nelson. This is the voice of Hot Rod’s ONLY TRANSFORMERS appearance ever! The VIP PASS is $129 and is in addition to the cost of your Primus, Golden Ticket Primus, Minicon or Protoform package.

The Judd Nelson VIP PASS includes:

• One (1) autograph signed in person by Judd Nelson
• One (1) professional 5x7 photograph with Judd Nelson (Saturday afternoon)
• Exclusive Hot Rod art print
• Exclusive Hot Rod Cloisonné Pin
• First seating at the Judd Nelson Panel
Please note that there will be no photography permitted during the autograph session.

Your autograph slot will be on Friday afternoon 3:30-6:00 pm and your photo slot will be Saturday afternoon (time TBD). This autograph package for registered attendees is limited to 200 slots.

To sign up:

If you have already purchased your Golden Ticket Primus, Primus, Minicon or Protoform package, log in to the registration system and start a new Attending Registration. If you need more than one, you should put the number needed in the “how many are your registering?” box. On the next page insert each person’s name, age and relationship to you. On the Package selection page select “2016 Attendee Bypass” (do this for each person you are registering). This will get you past this page as you already have an attending package. When you get to the Daily Events page you can choose the Judd Nelson VIP PASS for each person.

If you have not registered for your attendee package, you can now do all of this in one pass. Just start a new registration and follow the screens.

See you in Louisville!

Brian

John Barber Talks More IDW The Transformers #50

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[...] One of the things with Optimus Prime is that he’s a good guy. Like, a really good, powerful, guy. So over the years, he'd sort of had doubt introduced to him in the IDW comic books, where he was a little more hesitating in his actions. As I was writing him, I started to realize he was maybe going down that direction again, and it seemed to me—as a character, from his point of view—he’d want to avoid that.

But at the same time, one of the looming questions has been “what does it mean to be Prime?” Starscream’s ruling Cybertron; Megatron’s an Autobot... Some people see him as a war leader, others see him as a messianic figure... Some ’bots are loyally on his side and will follow him anywhere, and others—old friends—start to doubt him.

[...]

Nrama: As the battle and the main story ended, the issue kicked into another gear with that dream sequence from Optimus. What can you say about that? Is it a premonition? Will some (or all) of it come true?

Barber: Some of Optimus's dream is literally true. Some is symbolic. Some is what he fears. Maybe some is leading him to what he needs to know. And a big part of it recalls an ancient prophesy from the days of the original Primes. Is it Optimus projecting himself onto this old tale? Or is it the prophecy asserting itself onto its object?

[...]

But what really comes next is all of the pieces of this series coming together. The politics of Cybertron, the ancient history of Earth and Cybertron, the relationship with Earth and its giant metal visitors. Optimus Prime, Starscream, Prowl, Arcee, Victorion—all those characters come together. Plus ghost-Bumblebee. Or hallucination-Bumblebee, whatever Starscream is seeing. Even poor dead Bumblebee has a role to play!

IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #51 Clean Cover Art by Andrew Griffith / Joana Lafuente

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John Barber on IDW The Transformers #50

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IDW looks to be setting up a major change to the status quo of its Transformers line, as longtime series writer John Barber and artist Andrew Griffith begins the "All Hail Optimus" arc.

But the battle lines are more than just Autobots vs. Decepticons, as different factions emerge against Optimus, Galvatron and Starscream... and that's not even including the humans of Earth, which as you can imagine might have issues with Optimus Prime annexing Earth.

[...]

Barber: At the start of the series, Galvatron is poised to wreak havoc on the Earth with an army of disaffected Decepticons. This isn’t the first time the Earth’s been in this dangerous position—among other things, Earth’s useful to the Transformers because it has this substance called Ore-13 which can be converted to energon, their lifeblood. Optimus has tried battling on Earth to defend it; he’s tried leaving Earth behind to keep it out of the Cybertronian’s war. Neither of those really worked. So now, he’s looking at Earth and seeing the Decepticons striking again, and he’s seeing there are people starving on Earth and people being disenfranchised in many ways.
"Transformers #50" preview
[Pin It] CREDIT: IDW Publishing
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And Optimus’ motto has always been, “Freedom is the right of all sentient beings.” It’s pointed out to him that he could act to make the people of Earth more free… and free from this eons-long Cybertronian war, that—while it’s technically over—is still endangering the planet.

So he decides to annex Earth into Cybertron’s council of worlds. Whether Earth wants to come or not; and whether the council wants Earth or not. He’s going to pull Earth into the cosmic community and try to improve life on the planet.

So, yeah—a lot of his friends see this as… not a good move. I think all of his enemies see this as bad. But Optimus has loyal allies, plus followers who view him as a messianic figure for being a Prime, and carrying (what’s left of) the Matrix of Leadership. Optimus has been unwilling to use that good will to his advantage… until now.

[...]

Nrama: Last question -- Transformers #50 looks to be extra-sized. Overall, what should fans expect?

Barber: There’s a 30-page story by me and Andrew, then Casey W. Coller drew a 10-pager that deals with the fallout. Plus some rambling reminisces by me. And some nice special guest covers, by Jonathan Hickman and Mike Choi and our regular gang of Transformers superstars like Andrew Griffith, Casey W. Coller, and Alex Milne.

TFcon Toronto 2016 Guest Announcement: Frank Welker

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TFcon is proud to announce pop culture icon Frank Welker, best known to Transformers fans as the original voice of Megatron will be a guest at this years convention in Toronto. Mr. Welker will be appearing Saturday July 16th, with tickets available in the near future.

In the 1980s, Welker voiced many recurring characters in the original Transformers animated series. He voiced several Decepticons, including the leader Megatron, Soundwave, Skywarp, Mixmaster, Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage and Ratbat, as well as Autobots Mirage, Trailbreaker, Chromedome and Sludge. With the release of The Transformers: The Movie (1986), he took on the role of the Autobot Wheelie and afterwards, took over the role of Galvatron.

In Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), he reprised the roles of Soundwave and Ravage, and also provided the voices for Grindor, Devastator and Reedman.

Welker also reprised the roles of Megatron and Soundwave in the series Transformers: Prime and the video game Transformers: Devastation.

He voiced Shockwave, Barricade, and Soundwave in the film Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), and reprised his role as Galvatron in Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), adding to his already large list of roles within the Transformers franchise.

Registration for attendees will be available in the very near future.

TFcon Toronto 2016 will take place at the Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale the weekend of July 15-17th.

Paul Gordon, band member of the B-52s and Composer for Transformers Robots in Disguise Passed Away

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Our friend, keyboard player and guitarist, bandmate and brother, Paul Gordon passed away peacefully today and our hearts are broken. Words can't express all the feelings we share as we remember his generous spirit, kindness and talent. He was and always will be a part of our B-52s family and we will miss him so much. We send our love to his family.

Paramount CEO Brad Grey on Transformers: Bumblebee Spin-Off

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Paramount will sandwich a Bumblebee movie between its next two Transformers pics. The three films will roll out in successive summers beginning with a Michael Bay-helmed Transformers 5 on June 23, 2017, followed by the Bumblebee spinoff June 8, 2018. Another stand-alone will arrive June 28, 2019.

The studio announced the dates for the three movies Feb. 12 but was vague about whether or not the trio would include a spinoff, simply calling the films Transformers 5, 6 and 7.

“There are characters in the Transformers universe that can be and should be made into their own movies,” Paramount Pictures chairman and CEO Brad Grey told The Hollywood Reporter. “We will make the first movie with Michael and go right into a Bumblebee movie, which will be at a lower cost.”

Considering the Transformers franchise has spawned $3.8 billion in worldwide box office since 2007, it should come as no surprise that Paramount is looking to pick up the pace on its robot juggernaut.

BotCon 2016 Guest Update - Derrick J. Wyatt Possibly Attending

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Titan Returns Deluxe Wave 1 Artwork, Plus Ken Christiansen Interview

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The Transformers Generations franchise offers us a sneak peek at the beginning of their “TITANS RETURN” product with these images of upcoming packaging artwork. There’s only so much room on a box or a blister card, so the scintillating character images developed by our artists sometimes gets maneuvered and cropped from the full glory of the original piece. The Hasbro Pulse has secured the full character artwork that will adorn the packaging for this July’s “TITANS RETURN” Deluxe Generations Wave 1.

The original artwork for their packaging was created by Ken Christiansen, a longtime contributor to the Transformers brand. Ken’s dynamic art style is well-known and appreciated by Transformers fans, and he took some time to talk to us about his work on the “TITANS RETURN” images:
HASBRO PULSE: You've been providing phenomenal artwork for Transformers toys over the years - is this the first time you've worked on a Power Master toy? How different is it to draw a Transformer with a removable head?
KEN CHRISTIANSEN: Thanks very much. I was really thinking about it, and up until working on Titans Retun, it's possible I hadn't drawn a Power Master since I was a little kid, and the original toys were on shelves, back in the 1980s! Drawing a removable head isn't much of a stretch when I'm working on Transformers - it's just another part that is in a different place during a transformation. Though the real magic of the removable head is that it's going to be yet another level of transformation, into a new character!
HASBRO PULSE: Your personal art style is a fantastic match for the aspirational nature of a franchise rooted in metal parts and straight edges - what artists have influenced your style and development?
KEN CHRISTIANSEN: My personal art influences as I was growing up were Drew Struzan, Frank Frazetta, and more to the point of the question, famed industrial and futurist designer Syd Mead. But the direct influence on my Transformers work to this day, is the original box back art on the first line of Transformers, the incredible battle scene that gave life and energy to the very idea of the Transformers. And now that I get to opportunity to contribute to the packaging art, I hope I can inspire the next generation of kids.
HASBRO PULSE: The first wave of Titans Return figures features four fan favorite characters in Blurr, Skullcruncher, Hardhead and Scourge. Do you have a favorite among these "first four?"
KEN CHISTIANSEN: I'm excited about all of them, but for me Skullcruncher is a real standout. I think the design team did an amazing job, and I can't wait to get my hands on him!
These four Transformers will have their toy versions unveiled at New York Toy Fair, and are expected to be available in stores this August.