BotCon 2000 - ZacWilliam

Yup, I was definately suffering Botcon Withdrawl Syndrome yesterday, getting back to boring old mundane reality. That was hands down the most fun weekend I've had in a real long time! Wooo!

Well, I know everyone's probably read a hundred of them and is ready to move on by now, but this was my first Botcon, (Primus willing, first of many and I figured I had to try my hand at the traditional Botcon Report...

Let's put it this way, when I woke up at home Monday morning I thought for a moment maybe the whole thing'd really just been a dream, like when you dream you're at a store at Christmas time and they have all these unbelievably awesome new TF stuff, your favorite types and charecters and all... It was a little like that, except I saw all the stuff I bought sitting on my dresser after a moment and smiled.

So here we go...

Friday

Me and my brother got up *EARLY* to fly from Hartford to Pittsburg, and then take the Powerglide mini-plane express from Pitt. to Ft. Wayne. We met the very lovely Dark Angel and found out we were at the same hotel,

which was great since we were worried we'd be the only ones that far (4 miles)away.

After we checked in, the 3 of us got together, met a couple of other great fans stying there too and went over to the Convention center to register. There wasn't a line at all, so we got our packets (cool Rhino TF postcards, and BW S3 variation on TF:TM poster stapled inside the convention book). Then basicly everyone just hung out, mingled with all the other fans, and watched the art contest set up and all. The Video Rooms were going.

Men In Black, apparently banned from the actual con, in a less-than-classy move had set up a "pre-emptive strike" type sales room of their own upstairs. We checked it out quick, but the prices were too high (no competition yet). Later a group of us ordered a Pizza in the Hilton lobby and hung out. For a night with nothing much officially happening, it was still a really darn good time.

Saturday

This was a very long day (in a good way so I'll just touch on the highlights:

1) BOY was the Dealer Room CROWDED when it first opened. You could barely move. (happily the crowd thined out latter) It was great though, as there were so many cool things in there I honestly didn't know where to turn first.

2) Both the Art and Display rooms were great. Absolutely brilliant.

Many of the Kitbashes, drawings, and paintings were simply gorgious. I didn't feel so bad that I didn't bring an entry after all. My stuff was good enough to put up in there, but there's no way it could have stood against the great work that actually (and deservedly) won.

It was simultaneously awesome abd heartbreaking to see that (nearly) complete collection of every TF in the next room too. Ah, where's a convienent blackout when you need one. *yoink* Magmatron is a Heroic Maximal Dinobot, and they are advertising him on the box as a Japanese Import. Cool. I definitely want to see his spec.

3) The Hasbro Panel:

I thought it was funny that the guy seemed to think the McDonalds toys would be a big surprise announcement. Other than that this pannel was low on news.

I groaned along with everyone else at the cliche fanboy "Arcee with Headmaster Daniel" request, but at the same time, atleast the unanimous roaring response Hasbro got when they asked if we would by it may have told them something. Maybe.

I found it interesting that the question about the BWN Unicron prototype wasn't met with the same flat out "no plans now" of other Japanese exclusive requests. There was some evasiveness in the answer that, while not enough to make me hopefull, was a tantalizing tease of the possibility.

We managed, I think, to get across both fandom's general dislike of how far in size and design BM toys are from the show. I think we also communicated that we'd like backstory paid attention to more and enjoy the much improved tech-specs of late. Yes, there were some rude, dumb, or inappropriate questions but it could have been much worse IMO.

Also, we pretty much had it confirmed that Savage/Noble would be in stores for Christmas (likely along with his own wave of more BM deluxes) This isn't exactly stunning since he's been spotted in store computers and the newest Previews listed a previously unknown new wave of Basics at the same time. Still, it was nice to have that backed up and confirmed.

This pannel was the longest I've ever had my hand in the air without getting to ask a question. Oh well, other people covered most of what I wanted to say.

4) The Movie!!!! (There was plenty of other good stuff inbetween, but this post is going to be long enough as is WOOOO! THAT WAS COOL! It was unbelievable the difference seeing this on a big screen again. WOW! And in a theater full of that many people who all loved it to. Yeah, we were a little applause happy, but with good cause I'd say. Encore!

5) After the movie we hung out at the convention center again (missed 3 marriot shuttles I think, and had to hire the Hilton's in the end.) Dark Angel got a personal serenade from Vince D'Cola that had her in rapturous emotional breakdown for the rest of the weekend. When we finally got back to the Marriot a bunch of us all got together again relaxed around the outdoor pool.

Sunday

Well, not as much going on this last day, but some cool stuff none-the-less. The MSTing was very funny, and seemed to go quick. Probably got the neatest announcement of the Convention IMO came from Ravestrike at the Video Game Pannel. He and the rest of the group responsible for the recent BW Transmetal fighting game are getting ready to set to work on a new TF game for the Playstation 2. It should be a GENERATION ONE / BW crossover game too! They're set to begin work this fall, with the nominal plan for a Japanese release, since it's easier to get a game out there, and then to eventually bring it here. Wooo! I hope everything works out. I'd be less optimistic just on general princible, but these tallented folks have already manged to get us 2 games, so lets all hope miracles can happen more than once.

Hung around and did some more shopping. Prices really started to plummet at some booths as the end neared and a sort of half auction/feeding frenzy ensued with some great deals.

I got to spend some time with the lovely white-cloaked White Dove discousing the TF Language project she has going (as a fanfic writer I like the idea of mapping out cybertronian words and language, and from what I saw it's coming along great.) She was all out of duckies for Megatron though. *sigh.*

Anyway, when the convention ended I hated to go. The great thing was, the jubilant Dark Angel shared our shuttle to the airport and was even able to rearrange her flights to come on ours, which made it all seem to last that much longer. And she got to sit almost right behind Vince D'Cola again on the flight! I think you could have powered the Ark with her excitment. We all almost ended up following him back to California I think.

All and all a spectacular Weekend. A major hand to the Hartmans for putting on something THAT cool every year!

My Finally Mechandise Tally

1) Shocorakt: Very nice. I agree with Suspy, even better looking in person than on the box, and I think I like his colors better than Rampage too. A Matrix of Conquest accessory would have simply Rulled. Guess I'll have to make my own.

2) Apelinq- Aparenlty he's going to tie into next year's all new Botcon BM story. According to the Botcon Comic Exclusive he seems to be a member of a new version of the Autobot Wreckers, an elite Battle team from the UK Comics. I like the colors, pretty cool, and yet ANOTHER faction in the Beat Machines story. AND he was a surprise, I was totaly expecting Cataclysm (TMCheetor)!

3-4) Botcon 99 booklet and Botcon 2000 Comic- Had to get this whole story cause I love Furman and Senior. Pretty darn cool. Lots of neat revelations, charecters, charecterization for the exclusives and all. Maybe not the best work of either, but great stuff none the less and I hope Botcon keeps bringing us more like it. Loved the cameo's by all the early non-show BW guys. So... now was Sandstorm *always* Scorpious or...

4-5) TF Acessory Guide Part 1 - I definitely needed this. I just wish it was complete for the whole length of the line instead of just through the movie years. Hope the next is done soon.

6-7) Argentine Orange "Halloween" Bumblebee and White "Ghost" Cliffjumper. I got a good deal and I'm making them new characters. Very nice, I just wish they weren't so rare, I really want to open them...

8-9) Two Transforming Kronoform watch robots. They need new batteries but I love these guys. I put one on and couldn't stop playing with it all weekend.

10) Bombshell - Got him for 5 dollars during the final close out sale. Great condition, great deal.

11) TF Car Robots: Trainrobot J7. Great toy. I almost didn't but him, but the deal was so good I couldn't resist. I'm glad I gave in. If the others are this nice I definetly must grab them too.

12) Humble old Nosecone - the only Technobot I didn't have. Look out, here comes Computron.

13) Much needed parts to complete my Omega Supreme and Blur.

14-15) Last but not least two fan made Japanese TF comics. Cybertron Chronicles Part 1 and then that one about Primacron based on the show. Both were very, very well done. FINISH the STORIES PLEASE!!!!. Seriously, the Chronicles one may be the best TF comic I've ever seen done ANYWHERE, including the official stuff, US UK, and Japan. Why didn't he do more! *sigh*

Add to all that that my brother Gabe bought a whole load of cool stuff too and I think thigs worked out very nice on all fronts. I know I know, "post too long." I could go on for much longer though. It was *that* great a time! Thanks again to all the H's, and to Dark Angel, and Meesum, and Fort Max and the rest of the cool folks at the Marriot and Convention for making it a trip to remember. Hope to see you all again next year.

-ZacWilliam, who had something to say here but has forgotten. Oh well, it's not like the post hasn't rambled on enough...