Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021

Monday, February 3rd, 2020 6:24PM CST

Category: Event News
Posted by: D-Maximal_Primal Views: 27,754

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Following an absolute bombardment of notifications, we have big news for all of you Transformers fans. It appears that, following the cessation of Botcon under Fun Publications in 2016, it is making its grand return!

This news comes to us from the Botcon Website itself, which is up and running and is advertising that the next Botcon event will return in the Summer 2021, and the new Botcon owners are a combination of license holders from both the Fun Publications and 3H Enterprises. We also got a very heartfelt Facebook message from Karl Hartman himself, who is now one of the license holders.

Before we share his message, we want to remind you that this revived Botcon is not official. This new Botcon does not currently have official Hasbro backing, and is the equivalent of TFcon or TFNation. However, this does not rule out the possibility that Botcon could be officially licensed again.

Check out Karl's message below, and let us know what you think of this news in the comments section below!

Good Morning. This message is kindly directed at my fellow fans of the Transformers franchise. You’ll want to read all the way to the end, but please do read from the beginning. This message is cross-posted at www.allspark.com. Please credit them if linking to this post.

A BotCon story.

In 1994, the first BotCon was held in Fort Wayne, Indiana, organized by my brother Jon and me. Over the next several years, it was organized by Raksha in 1995, Dennis Barger in 1996, Glen Hallit and ourselves 1997-2002, and finally with Pete Sinclair in 2004. Through various ups and downs, it was determined that BotCon 2004 was to be the last BotCon. For those that weren’t there, I put together a retrospective video set to music, called Requiem, which was shown at the final panel.

The last text on the video read something like this:

Thanks for the love.

Thanks for the laughs.

Thanks for the tears.

BotCon 1994-2002, 2004

Thanks for the memories.

The End

?

As one might expect, that question mark was met with applause through the tears. The truth was that no one really knew what the future held with BotCon, but I wanted to give the fans in attendance a little bit of hope. To quote another staple from 1994: “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”

As it turns out, Brian Savage and Fun Publications took over the reins for BotCon from 2005-2016. During that time, the concept of how BotCon operated was expanded greatly. The toy offerings were increased, and guests from every era of the franchise were plentiful. The size and scope of the convention grew to proportions that Jon and I could never have imagined.

Perhaps the most important aspect of the convention, even from its earliest days, was its ability to draw people together who have the same interest in this toy line. Newcomers to the convention were invited into conversations by “old timers.” There was a sense of belonging for many that attended, which went past the toys. People got to know each other on a personal level. Those people who saw each other every year got used to seeing each other every year. It was like a big family reunion. I’ve always felt that way. I saw people who were at some of the early BotCons grow from somewhat awkward late teen-agers and early twenty-somethings (I was definitely a member of that group!), to confident adults, some of whom with families, who brought their own children to BotCon. The second generation had begun to enjoy what their parents had introduced them to.

So, when word got around BotCon 2016 (confirming what had been known in smaller circles for months prior) that it was going to be the Last BotCon, the mood of the convention for many of us old timers turned very introspective, and quite sad. I’ll never forget speaking to David Kaye at the evening Judd Nelson event that year. I simply went up to him and thanked him for his support over the years. He was one of the first major guests who attended in 1997, and he was back in 2016, almost 20 years later. I asked him if he had heard that this was the last convention. He turned to me with a serious look and said that he had heard about that, and he thought it was some sort of awful joke. BotCon couldn’t be ending. I told him that it was true. He just shook his head.

Sunday came, and at the end of the convention was the traditional organizers panel. This year was different. Many people assembled for what they knew to be the last time. It felt like equal parts retrospective, celebration, and wake. Several spoke about what BotCon meant to them. It meant so much more to many of them than the toys, cartoons, fiction, and guests. It was about the people. It became an entity unto itself. An annual family reunion that, for reasons that no one understood, had to end. Emotions were very raw in that panel. Lots of tears were shed.

Saying goodbye to BotCon was one of the hardest things that we’ve had to do, because of all of the memories that were made there, and all of the friends that were met for the first time there. BotCon was going to end, only to exist in pictures and in our hearts, minds, and memories. It was…

The End.

?

The question mark meant hope.

It means hope. Remember, Hope is a good thing, maybe the best if things, and no good thing ever dies. It just takes a five year break.

As it turns out, Simon Furman was right after all of these years.

It never ends.

The story of BotCon is not over.

It just has a new chapter.

On behalf of myself, Bret Lovell, Andrew Hall and the rest of the BC Productions crew, I am honored and humbled to announce:

BotCon 2021

www.botcon.com.

Transformers News: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in 2021

Credit(s): Botcon.com

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Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051258)
Posted by Bounti76 on February 3rd, 2020 @ 6:32pm CST

Since it is (at the moment) unofficial, I can't imagine they'd be doing any convention exclusive figures to the scale they did in the past. And since Hasbro is doing obscure characters in the Selects line (Lancer, Red Wing, e.t.c) now, I wonder how this convention will do.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051260)
Posted by Jelze Bunnycat on February 3rd, 2020 @ 6:58pm CST

Bounti76 wrote:Since it is (at the moment) unofficial, I can't imagine they'd be doing any convention exclusive figures to the scale they did in the past. And since Hasbro is doing obscure characters in the Selects line (Lancer, Red Wing, e.t.c) now, I wonder how this convention will do.

Without Hasbro's... active participation shall we say, my best guess would be a return to the format of... *grabs my lists* 1998 to (OTFCC) 2004: Big Toy, Smaller Toy, maybe even smaller toys as bonuses.
I'm more curious about the characters, really. They've created quite a few over the years, even after they were allowed use of official trademarks in 1999, and official characters soon after in 2001.

I don't see HasCon going away just yet as it's for all of Hasbro's brands, not just Transformers like BotCon is.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051262)
Posted by Flashwave on February 3rd, 2020 @ 7:48pm CST

So, anyway, Any convention that swings through my area again is welcome. I missed TFCon when it was in CHI so I welcome another good show if its an opportunity to hang out with friends. Excited to hear more as it evolves

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051264)
Posted by LinaNui on February 3rd, 2020 @ 8:04pm CST

I am glad to see that it is back, but I hope that the convention exclusive do not come back. I know they are not currently with Hasbro, but they could in the future. I want Hasbro to keep doing the selects as the way to get cool repaints, not conventions.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051266)
Posted by Delicon on February 3rd, 2020 @ 8:28pm CST

I assume that it's unofficial but whether it is or not, hasn't been confirmed, has it?

I do imagine that if it was official, there would be a Hasbro press release.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051273)
Posted by Jelze Bunnycat on February 3rd, 2020 @ 10:18pm CST

Delicon wrote:I assume that it's unofficial but whether it is or not, hasn't been confirmed, has it?

I do imagine that if it was official, there would be a Hasbro press release.

Everything points to it being unofficial, meaning Hasbro has no direct involvement in its organization, nor is BC Productions confirmed as an official licensee like FunPub was. Don't forget, Hasbro still has Hascon... whenever that's gonna be held again :lol:

They're back at square one, aka 1994 to 2004, or even further if Hasbro chooses to be totally hands-off when it comes to providing stuff. The last part is what I'm eagerly awaiting to hear more about.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051274)
Posted by Sabrblade on February 3rd, 2020 @ 10:25pm CST

If this new BotCon remains unofficial, I'd be perfectly okay if there were no more exclusives toys or fiction (and I say this as one who aimed to get many of the exclusives and followed all of the fiction), with the experience and community of the con being its primary offering.

Getting to see great folks again, picking up a bunch of vintage Beast Wars, Car Robots, and other toys of that era (as well as the odd current figure that I may have missed at retail) in the dealer room, hearing fun anecdotes and other stories of the past at panels, and just having a grand old time surrounded by a generally friendly atmosphere of those who passionately enjoy the same hobby as myself, that's what really made BotCon (and currently makes RoboCon) great for me.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051277)
Posted by Rodimus Prime on February 4th, 2020 @ 12:13am CST

I'm happy to see BotCon return, even if on a smaller scale. I am okay with or without exclusives, the experience of a convention is my main reason for attending in the past, and if BotCon happens to come to the Southeast US, I'll be there.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051301)
Posted by Railbomb on February 4th, 2020 @ 11:41am CST

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:
Delicon wrote:I assume that it's unofficial but whether it is or not, hasn't been confirmed, has it?

I do imagine that if it was official, there would be a Hasbro press release.

Everything points to it being unofficial, meaning Hasbro has no direct involvement in its organization, nor is BC Productions confirmed as an official licensee like FunPub was. Don't forget, Hasbro still has Hascon... whenever that's gonna be held again

They're back at square one, aka 1994 to 2004, or even further if Hasbro chooses to be totally hands-off when it comes to providing stuff. The last part is what I'm eagerly awaiting to hear more about.

Seeing it looks like they have some ties to Pete's Robocon which has been going on near me for a few years now they'll probably do something similar to them: custom class figures with 3D printed heads. Which really isn't the worst possibility to try and push an exclusive without Hasbro's backing.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051325)
Posted by Whifflefire on February 4th, 2020 @ 5:28pm CST

Here's hoping for an East-Coast location, so that I'll finally be able to attend a Botcon.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051346)
Posted by Sabrblade on February 4th, 2020 @ 7:20pm CST

Whifflefire wrote:Here's hoping for an East-Coast location, so that I'll finally be able to attend a Botcon.

In the meantime, this year's RoboCon is in Louisville, KY.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051358)
Posted by Whifflefire on February 4th, 2020 @ 9:02pm CST

Sabrblade wrote:
Whifflefire wrote:Here's hoping for an East-Coast location, so that I'll finally be able to attend a Botcon.
In the meantime, this year's RoboCon is in Louisville, KY.

Eh, still a bit too far for comfort, I'm in southern New England (at school in NY). I was able to make it to Hascon 'cos it was in Rhode Island, but every other TF convention has teased me by being impractically-out-of-budget away.

One day, though, one day when I have money.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051365)
Posted by STngAR on February 4th, 2020 @ 10:17pm CST

I am curious as to where it will be held. Id love to go to a con and Im going to start squirreling money aside to go to one.

:MAXIMAL:

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051366)
Posted by Sabrblade on February 4th, 2020 @ 10:21pm CST

Meanwhile, RoboCon 2020 is promoting BotCon's return next year with some neat exclusives celebrating BotCon's legacy. More info here.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051371)
Posted by primalxconvoy on February 5th, 2020 @ 3:07am CST

Why is it both Seibertron and Allspark have covered this news (cheers folks!), but TFW2005 have not? Its there some sort of history/politics/sour grapes with them them that I'm not aware of?

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051372)
Posted by Burn on February 5th, 2020 @ 3:12am CST

primalxconvoy wrote:Why is it both Seibertron and Allspark have covered this news (cheers folks!), but TFW2005 have not? Its there some sort of history/politics/sour grapes with them them that I'm not aware of?

Why not ask them?
(HINT: People have asked, the answer is in the thread over there)

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051373)
Posted by primalxconvoy on February 5th, 2020 @ 3:17am CST

I have (asked in a thread about another convention recently promoted there), but wanted some other opinions.

Regardless, cheers for covering this news!

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051375)
Posted by Evil Eye on February 5th, 2020 @ 4:17am CST

Intriguing! Of no use to me whatsoever as it's an American convention, but still, I hope it goes well! I'd be interested to see what they do as far as potential exclusives; some other unofficial cons have 3Ps making exclusives for them, so maybe that?

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051388)
Posted by Jelze Bunnycat on February 5th, 2020 @ 11:33am CST

Black Hat wrote:Intriguing! Of no use to me whatsoever as it's an American convention, but still, I hope it goes well! I'd be interested to see what they do as far as potential exclusives; some other unofficial cons have 3Ps making exclusives for them, so maybe that?

That... would be unwise, in the sense of gaining/retaining Hasbro's support that BotCon was known for in the future

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051409)
Posted by The Wadapan on February 5th, 2020 @ 5:12pm CST

Hey, I'm one of the staff members that resigned from The Allspark a couple of days ago. We've written an open letter to the organisers of BotCon.

https://tinyurl.com/AllsparkAndBotCon

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051410)
Posted by Evil Eye on February 5th, 2020 @ 5:31pm CST

The Wadapan wrote:Hey, I'm one of the staff members that resigned from The Allspark a couple of days ago. We've written an open letter to the organisers of BotCon.

https://tinyurl.com/AllsparkAndBotCon

So because some people have their feelings upset by something he said on social media, he deserves to be booted from the running of BotCon? Yeah, no thanks. If you don't want to financially support him then don't, nobody is forcing you to go to BotCon, but don't try and "cancel" him. That's just weak, and a classic example of the kind of vigilante mob justice/cancel culture that's infested the internet.

Lord knows you have enough bloody Transformers conventions over there, there will be one whose organizers sympathize with your views. Try being British, where there is ONE convention run by some...unique individuals.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051413)
Posted by Burn on February 5th, 2020 @ 5:54pm CST

Black Hat wrote:Try being British, where there is ONE convention run by some...unique individuals.

Hold my fucking beer and let me tell you a story about being a fan outside of the US ...

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051414)
Posted by Evil Eye on February 5th, 2020 @ 5:56pm CST

Burn wrote:
Black Hat wrote:Try being British, where there is ONE convention run by some...unique individuals.

Hold my **** beer and let me tell you a story about being a fan outside of the US ...

Touche.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051435)
Posted by Sabrblade on February 5th, 2020 @ 11:51pm CST

Some more information about the new BotCon and BC Productions:

Bret Lovell answers some peoples questions about the new Botcon at about the 1 hour 8 minute mark of the Stasis Lock Podcast.
#1 Pete Sinclair is a stock holder in the BC Productions Company, but not a majority shareholder
#2 Bret Lovell is the Manager of BC Productions
#3 Karl Hartman is involved in the process of planning and running the show
#4 Bret wants Botcon to be AFFORDABLE and to bring it back to the Pre-2001 days
#5 Night Shining is a Licensee to sell Botcon Product. They are a separate show.
#6 Bret is open to Licensing out the name to others for other products.
#7 This is a continuation of Botcon, not a start over.
#8 Night Shining was the first company to approach them to sell product, so that 's why they have Botcon merchandise for sale.
#9 BC Productions started within the last month, so everything is happening fast.
#10 Primal Sabbath is involved in making the Botcon Product Guide.
#11 The name of the main author of the Product Guide is currently being withheld.
#12 Bret's goal is avoid previous mistakes made by previous Botcon companies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAFWcGwfOjE

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051438)
Posted by Sabrblade on February 6th, 2020 @ 12:16am CST

Also, there is this announcement of an announcement from the BotCon Facebook:

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051444)
Posted by Jeddostotle7 on February 6th, 2020 @ 6:13am CST

Damn, Pete's involved? Count me out.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051453)
Posted by ScottyP on February 6th, 2020 @ 9:40am CST

Sabrblade wrote:#12 Bret's goal is avoid previous mistakes made by previous Botcon companies.

Off to a fantastic start on that front :lol:

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051709)
Posted by Sabrblade on February 8th, 2020 @ 7:34pm CST

Posting this here since this is the current BotCon thread.

Way back at BotCon 2014, in honor of the convention's 20th anniversary, a special BotCon Retrospective Panel was held at which 21 unrealized concepts for potential BotCon/TCC exclusives were shown. The first ten were for those that never made it past the concept stage, while the second ten were for those that were initially approved but later rejected (and the 21st one just a bonus).

The panel forbid any photos or filming, so most of these concepts have never been seen publicly. Though, over the years, some of them have been shown online.

Of these concepts, the 10th one shown (meaning, one of the ten that were never approved) was one that was described as "You'll either love this one or hate this one."

It was "Twilight Sparkle Prime" redecoed from Beast Machines Battle Unicorn.

And now, the BotCon Twitter has posted that concept for all eyes to see.

Seems like now would be the perfect time to show this concept. With the news of IDW’s Transformers/MLP crossover, here is the mock up for Twilight Sparkle Prime shown at BotCon 2014.

Former Fub Pub member and current Night Shining member Jesse Wittenrich sheds some additional light on this mock up:

And here's the "official" reveal of the Twilight Sparkle Prime mock-up (first shown 2014 but I believe it was made in 2012 or 2013). It wasn't made to fit any theme but as a stand-alone.

I'd originally wanted to do Shining Armor because of all the... shining armor. But the "mane" character had a better chance.

I'm not sure how many more shades of purple could have gone into the mock-up lol #botcon #transformers
@hasbro

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051732)
Posted by Burn on February 8th, 2020 @ 10:07pm CST

eh, it's not actually that bad.

Would be more fun to release now and see the raging fanboys lose their shit all over again, because this week was much fun to watch.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051733)
Posted by Sabrblade on February 8th, 2020 @ 10:16pm CST

Burn wrote:eh, it's not actually that bad.

Would be more fun to release now and see the raging fanboys lose their **** all over again, because this week was much fun to watch.

Heh, I'm half-temped to quote the post and share it over in that comic thread just to see what happens. :twisted:

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051765)
Posted by Evil Eye on February 9th, 2020 @ 6:29am CST

The colours actually look pretty alright on that mold. Shame I really, REALLY don't care about MLP.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051778)
Posted by ZeroWolf on February 9th, 2020 @ 9:27am CST

Sabrblade wrote:
Burn wrote:eh, it's not actually that bad.

Would be more fun to release now and see the raging fanboys lose their **** all over again, because this week was much fun to watch.
Heh, I'm half-temped to quote the post and share it over in that comic thread just to see what happens.

I'm guessing that reaction was more on social media then here.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051784)
Posted by Sabrblade on February 9th, 2020 @ 9:53am CST

ZeroWolf wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
Burn wrote:eh, it's not actually that bad.

Would be more fun to release now and see the raging fanboys lose their **** all over again, because this week was much fun to watch.
Heh, I'm half-temped to quote the post and share it over in that comic thread just to see what happens.

I'm guessing that reaction was more on social media then here.

Heh, speaking of which, there are commenters on Facebook all panicking/outraged over this mock up because they think it's actually getting made and don't realize it's a years-old concept for something that was never going to happen in the first place.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051813)
Posted by ZeroWolf on February 9th, 2020 @ 1:44pm CST

Sabrblade wrote:
ZeroWolf wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
Burn wrote:eh, it's not actually that bad.

Would be more fun to release now and see the raging fanboys lose their **** all over again, because this week was much fun to watch.
Heh, I'm half-temped to quote the post and share it over in that comic thread just to see what happens.

I'm guessing that reaction was more on social media then here.
Heh, speaking of which, there are commenters on Facebook all panicking/outraged over this mock up because they think it's actually getting made and don't realize it's a years-old concept for something that was never going to happen in the first place.

I'm always confused on why people lash out like that. Even if it was real, no one was forcing them to buy it, and it's existence wouldn't mean every transformer from here to eternity was going to be MLP related. Such an odd reaction. Guess that wiki section on 'ruined Forever' is pretty apt.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051814)
Posted by Evil Eye on February 9th, 2020 @ 1:54pm CST

ZeroWolf wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
ZeroWolf wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
Burn wrote:eh, it's not actually that bad.

Would be more fun to release now and see the raging fanboys lose their **** all over again, because this week was much fun to watch.
Heh, I'm half-temped to quote the post and share it over in that comic thread just to see what happens.

I'm guessing that reaction was more on social media then here.
Heh, speaking of which, there are commenters on Facebook all panicking/outraged over this mock up because they think it's actually getting made and don't realize it's a years-old concept for something that was never going to happen in the first place.

I'm always confused on why people lash out like that. Even if it was real, no one was forcing them to buy it, and it's existence wouldn't mean every transformer from here to eternity was going to be MLP related. Such an odd reaction. Guess that wiki section on 'ruined Forever' is pretty apt.

To be fair, the knee-jerk reaction to the presence of the horse show is well earned, given that it more or less consumed the internet for the best part of a decade. Like, seriously, for a long time there was literally no way of getting away from it, and it drove a lot of people absolutely loopy. And that's before we get into what some of the fans were like...

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051836)
Posted by Burn on February 9th, 2020 @ 5:48pm CST

Black Hat wrote:
ZeroWolf wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
ZeroWolf wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
Burn wrote:eh, it's not actually that bad.

Would be more fun to release now and see the raging fanboys lose their **** all over again, because this week was much fun to watch.
Heh, I'm half-temped to quote the post and share it over in that comic thread just to see what happens.

I'm guessing that reaction was more on social media then here.
Heh, speaking of which, there are commenters on Facebook all panicking/outraged over this mock up because they think it's actually getting made and don't realize it's a years-old concept for something that was never going to happen in the first place.

I'm always confused on why people lash out like that. Even if it was real, no one was forcing them to buy it, and it's existence wouldn't mean every transformer from here to eternity was going to be MLP related. Such an odd reaction. Guess that wiki section on 'ruined Forever' is pretty apt.

To be fair, the knee-jerk reaction to the presence of the horse show is well earned, given that it more or less consumed the internet for the best part of a decade. Like, seriously, for a long time there was literally no way of getting away from it, and it drove a lot of people absolutely loopy. And that's before we get into what some of the fans were like...

Funny, I had no trouble avoiding it.

I guess I'm just better at scrolling on and letting things go than some people?

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051845)
Posted by ZeroWolf on February 9th, 2020 @ 6:54pm CST

Burn wrote:
Black Hat wrote:
ZeroWolf wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
ZeroWolf wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
Burn wrote:eh, it's not actually that bad.

Would be more fun to release now and see the raging fanboys lose their **** all over again, because this week was much fun to watch.
Heh, I'm half-temped to quote the post and share it over in that comic thread just to see what happens.

I'm guessing that reaction was more on social media then here.
Heh, speaking of which, there are commenters on Facebook all panicking/outraged over this mock up because they think it's actually getting made and don't realize it's a years-old concept for something that was never going to happen in the first place.

I'm always confused on why people lash out like that. Even if it was real, no one was forcing them to buy it, and it's existence wouldn't mean every transformer from here to eternity was going to be MLP related. Such an odd reaction. Guess that wiki section on 'ruined Forever' is pretty apt.

To be fair, the knee-jerk reaction to the presence of the horse show is well earned, given that it more or less consumed the internet for the best part of a decade. Like, seriously, for a long time there was literally no way of getting away from it, and it drove a lot of people absolutely loopy. And that's before we get into what some of the fans were like...

Funny, I had no trouble avoiding it.

I guess I'm just better at scrolling on and letting things go than some people?

I was actually going to post something similar, I was aware of the show but I just moved on. Wasn't my interest so just left it at that. I know a part of the fan base has a reputation, but quite frankly every fan base has that, they just vary in volume.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051860)
Posted by Sabrblade on February 9th, 2020 @ 10:02pm CST

ZeroWolf wrote:
Burn wrote:
Black Hat wrote:
ZeroWolf wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
ZeroWolf wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
Burn wrote:eh, it's not actually that bad.

Would be more fun to release now and see the raging fanboys lose their **** all over again, because this week was much fun to watch.
Heh, I'm half-temped to quote the post and share it over in that comic thread just to see what happens.

I'm guessing that reaction was more on social media then here.
Heh, speaking of which, there are commenters on Facebook all panicking/outraged over this mock up because they think it's actually getting made and don't realize it's a years-old concept for something that was never going to happen in the first place.

I'm always confused on why people lash out like that. Even if it was real, no one was forcing them to buy it, and it's existence wouldn't mean every transformer from here to eternity was going to be MLP related. Such an odd reaction. Guess that wiki section on 'ruined Forever' is pretty apt.

To be fair, the knee-jerk reaction to the presence of the horse show is well earned, given that it more or less consumed the internet for the best part of a decade. Like, seriously, for a long time there was literally no way of getting away from it, and it drove a lot of people absolutely loopy. And that's before we get into what some of the fans were like...

Funny, I had no trouble avoiding it.

I guess I'm just better at scrolling on and letting things go than some people?

I was actually going to post something similar, I was aware of the show but I just moved on. Wasn't my interest so just left it at that. I know a part of the fan base has a reputation, but quite frankly every fan base has that, they just vary in volume.

Plus, there's also the side who actually enjoyed the fad along the way, regardless of whether or not they actually took part in it.

I myself watched the show and liked it enough to keep up with it all the way to the end (nine seasons, baby!), as well as watching the Equestria Girls movies, the theatrical movie, and whatever TV specials and online shorts were released.

But, I did not participate in the fandom and nor am I even on social media, so a lot of the obnoxious craziness that some have spoken about was also very easily avoidable for me. And what little of the fan content I did see (memes, fan art, fan videos, etc.) was only sporadic in frequency since I didn't go actively seeking any of it out, and was mostly harmlessly amusing since I don't go to the kinds of sites where the dark sides of fandoms are found.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2051867)
Posted by Burn on February 10th, 2020 @ 12:04am CST

Never watched it, it never interested me. I did catch the end of one of the movies the other day, and I can see why it appealed to so many, but it just wasn't for me.

At the height of it I saw some incredibly weird shit from the "Bronies", and some of said Bronies were just downright weird and freaky while others were more ... well, for lack of a better term, "normal".

But you get that with every fandom.

It was easy enough to ignore, it made no impact on my life, it didn't harm me, nor would it ever harm me, so I just kept scrolling on.

But we seem to have drifted way off topic. :lol:

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2053447)
Posted by Sabrblade on February 21st, 2020 @ 9:20pm CST

I just got this email:

A message from our Company Manager, Bret:

Good evening!

We wanted to take a moment to reach out to everyone and introduce you
all to BC Productions, the new home to a brand you all know quite
well... BotCon!

We say 'brand' because while we all recognize BotCon as the show that
served as the official Transformers Convention for much of its time from
1994 until 2016, it is now much more than that. While we are planning
our first show for Summer of 2021, we have plenty of great brand related
events/items planned for you leading up to the return of the
Transformers fan event of the year!

We have some great partners lined up to bring you an amazing variety of
BotCon related memorabilia and other exclusive offerings. Our friends
over at BBTS just put up the pre-order for their exclusive version of
the BotCon: Beyond the Convention guide book. This 144 page guide book
covers every BotCon item ever produced in the U.S. The BBTS edition will
feature an exclusive cover and an exclusive T-shirt you can only get
through their online store. It is already over 50% sold through! You can
find that listing here:
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/ ... ils/117184

Also, in anticipation of BotCon's return in 2021, we will be hosting a
pre-party event THIS summer at the Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky.
We will be there Friday Night to introduce the new BC Productions team
and to discuss the things planned for BotCon 2021. You can find more
information on that by visiting:
https://nightshininginc.com/robocon

This is just the start! More new partners, upcoming events, and
exclusive toys are all on the horizon, all in an effort to bring you
BotCon like never before.

As the first and largest Transformers convention of its kind, we
couldn't be more excited to bring BotCon back in this new and exciting
way!

Check out BotCon.Com and follow us through all social media outlets!
Looking forward to the future with all our fellow fans!

Bret Lovell
BC Productions

Like us at:
facebook.com/BotConOfficial
twitter.com/botcon
instagram.com/botconofficial

And join in the discussion at:
discordapp.com/invite/H3tvKFf

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2067894)
Posted by Sabrblade on June 14th, 2020 @ 9:01am CDT

Extended interview with Pete Sinclair on the future (and past) of BotCon:

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2073560)
Posted by Sabrblade on July 24th, 2020 @ 9:45pm CDT

The BotCon 2021 Pre-Party livestream:

How to Share With Just Friends

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2073618)
Posted by Sabrblade on July 25th, 2020 @ 3:20pm CDT

The BotCon 2021 Discussion Panel:

How to Share With Just Friends

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2073655)
Posted by Sabrblade on July 25th, 2020 @ 7:53pm CDT

https://www.facebook.com/BotConOfficial/posts/4315248465182246

The first #BotCon 2021 exclusive has been revealed - #ActionForce: Wasp Raider.

Produced by #Valaverse in conjunction with Night Shining.

Available for pre-order later this year. #actionfigure #convention #exclusive #conathome #virtualcon #collecting #wasp #swarm

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2088003)
Posted by Sabrblade on November 27th, 2020 @ 3:14pm CST

BotCon 2021 exclusive Wasp Raider is now up and available for preorder at Night Shining, among other Black Friday goodies.

https://nightshiningllc.com/

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2095721)
Posted by Sabrblade on February 16th, 2021 @ 3:07pm CST

Got this BotCon 2021 email five days ago:

First BotCon branded event of 2021!

Hello!

Just wanted to drop you all a quick line in regard to the first
announced BotCon related event of 2021. The team at BC Productions will
be on hand at RoboCon 2021 on June 18 & 19 to discuss all things BotCon,
which includes both BotCon branded items and the return of the BotCon
Convention!

In regard to the latter, please stay tuned to both BotCon.com and our
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BotConOfficial for an update
next week!

In the meantime, be sure to visit https://nightshiningllc.com/ to order
the all-new BotCon exclusive WASP RAIDER and then be sure to make plans
to meet the BC Productions team during a fun filled weekend of all
things Robots at RoboCon 2021!

Stay Tuned for more info!

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2096172)
Posted by Sabrblade on February 22nd, 2021 @ 10:26am CST

BotCon 2021 has been delayed to BotCon 2022

Hello All!

The following announcement is one we as pop culture fans have gotten use to hearing over the last year, but that doesn’t make it any less of a bummer! While efforts made across the globe due to personal hygiene, social distancing, mask wearing, and the vaccine that was introduced over the winter break indicate that by this Summer Covid-19 will be much less of a threat to the general population than it has been, we still nonetheless have canceled plans for a multi-day BotCon event for 2021. There are various reasons for this, but the primary factors include the challenges faced with holding an event of this size and being able to properly implement social distancing guidelines as well as the lead time needed to book guests and vendors. Per the latter, many of these bookings would have been made over the winter months up until now and since things were/are still very uncertain, getting show partners to commit just is not possible at this time. Those early commitments are something that are truly essential for any large sized show. All that said, there is no reason at this time to believe that we will not be fully back up and running as a society by next year, so you can plan on there being a BotCon 2022! We can’t wait to see you all there!

Now! For the silver lining. BotCon as we have been saying is much more than just a show! It is a brand that has been around for over 25 years and is synonymous with both Transformers and Transforming Robots in general. Assuming that conditions continue to improve and that smaller gatherings are still very safe and feasible for 2021, you can expect to see BotCon booths at various smaller regional shows throughout the country this summer and fall. We are thrilled to announce that BotCon Booths will be at RoboCon June 18 & 19 at the Galt House in Louisville Kentucky and at the JoeFest Toy & Comic Show June 26 & 27 at the Augusta Convention Center in Augusta, Georgia. Fans will be able to chat with the BC Productions Crew, purchase the current BotCon Exclusive WASP RAIDER as well as the current BotCon T-Shirt and other BotCon related items past and present, check out some unreleased concepts, and get a sneak peek at concepts for future exclusives (when available for preview).

Keep it locked both here and at our updated homepage BotCon.com

See you all later this year and at our main event in 2022!

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2096176)
Posted by ZeroWolf on February 22nd, 2021 @ 10:55am CST

When they say Exclusives, do they mean they've got a deal with Hasbro to make them again or are these something different?

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2096214)
Posted by Sabrblade on February 22nd, 2021 @ 4:33pm CST

ZeroWolf wrote:When they say Exclusives, do they mean they've got a deal with Hasbro to make them again or are these something different?

Wasp Raider and more of his ilk.

Re: Botcon Returns as an Unofficial Convention and Will Host Its First New Convention in Summer 2021 (2124334)
Posted by Bed Bugs on December 30th, 2021 @ 12:17pm CST

So it's in Nashville, TN this August. Check their Facebook for the announcement

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