transformers

BotCon is an annual convention for Transformers fans and collectors. The convention has been held, in one form or another, annually since 1994.

The name "BotCon" comes from both "robot convention" and the names "Autobot" and "Decepticon" used in the toyline.

Featured BotCon guests are usually involved in the creation of Transformers media in some respect, whether voice actors from the animated series, artists or writers from the Transformers comic books, or actual Hasbro employees.

BotCon history

The first BotCon was held in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1994. Organized by brothers Jon and Karl Hartman, the convention had 180 attendees. BotCon 1995 was organized by Raksha, a prominent figure in the fan community, and 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). During this era, the BotCon name was also licensed out for several conventions outside of the United States.

At BotCon 2002, it was announced that 3H had secured the official Transformers convention license, as well as licenses to produce comic books and start a fan club. However, the Hartmans were pressured by Hallit out of planning or running the convention, leaving Glen Hallit as the sole organizer. As a result, the BotCon name, which was owned by the Hartmans, ceased to exist for a time, as 3H's convention was called "The Official Transformers Collectors Convention," or OTFCC for short.

In 2004, BotCon made a comeback as an unofficial convention, which was held in Pasadena, California. The history of the BotCon franchise up to that point was covered in great detail in the BotCon Legends magazine. At the end of 2004, 3H lost all its Transformer licenses, which were soon picked up by Fun Publications, owned by Brian Savage. The Hartman brothers were invited onto and accepted places in an advisory board for the new convention, along with other prominent fans Benson Yee and Rik Alvarez, and granted use of the BotCon name once again.

Since that time, BotCon has been held once again as an annual convention, run by Fun Publications.

Locations

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:


Kup piece
You left a piece out!

This article is a stub and is missing information. You can help Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki by expanding it.


Exclusive toys

One of BotCon's most popular features is an exclusive toy (sometimes two or more toys) sold to the guests. The toys are different every year, and will not be sold at retail anywhere in the world. The identity and design of the toys were originally kept a close secret until the opening of the convention, although 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 prototypes being sold on eBay.

In the past, the toys were sold individually as part of the convention registration process, however the current convention organizers are only offering the exclusives as part of a package deal, a move that has caused some contention in the fandom.

Although the toys are always unique, financial costs prohibit the creation of entirely new molds. As such, the toys are redecos of previously used toys given new identities, occasionally switching allegiances and even gender. In the last few years, minor remoulds have been made to the exclusives, such as the new heads given the Deathsaurus and Ironhide in 2005. After the convention, exclusive toys usually become valuable collector's items in the community, particularly among fans who missed the convention. Before the convention, many fans complain vociferously because the prices of exclusive, limited-run figures are high. This is particularly true of the 2007 "Games of Deception" set, which many fans still complain about because of its unavailability at a retail level.


BotCon-exclusive toys

1990s

2000s

Proposed/Unreleased Exclusives

A number of toys were planned over the years but never produced, for various reasons. Note that some of these entries are essentially jokes from the organizers' brainstorming sessions, which they then later mentioned to other fans:

Exclusive fiction

  • Tales from the Beast Wars: Reaching the Omega Point - Comic book


External links