I'd have to agree with you 100% regarding the Botcon set - it seems like this year they're just not even trying at all. Utter crap you F#ck'n Dickheads! They'd be much better off reproducing the "Games of Deception" set from last year. You just know they'd easily turf off all of those once again - instead of being stuck with a shit load of 2008's set that hardly anyone wants (which I can definitely see happening)

I wouldn't say utter crap really. There's just nothing they can do that could really appeal to me repaint-wise anymore.

I mean, let's face it... with Hasbro regurgitating so many repaints in the mainstream lines, it will be harder and harder for Botcon to come up with anything other than niche "let's repaint this seeker that Hasbro didn't do" and so forth.

I don't envy them really.

I mean, let's face it, trying to appeal to a broad audience to drop $400 on repaint toys has got to be a major pain.

I think this year's "theme" is pretty thin so I can only imagine how next years will be if they indeed can't repaint movie toys.

But then again, Takara's putting out some G1-homaged movie toys and Hasbro has done so already with the G1 decoed Jazz and such.

It is going to be harder and harder to for Botcon toys to both appeal to collectors and try to get someone else interested in their stuff when the G1 thing is done to death.

It is the curse of Transformers. People bitch about things not being G1 and then they bitch about change from anything that isn't G1ish.

There's no ability to really create anything fresh and new.

Perhaps we'll one day see the return of con-created characters for these repaints instead of the G1 rehashing. (And yes, it is all G1 rehashing.)

And by broad audience, I mean TF collectors in general. Even though we are niche geeks, even within the niche there is a huge broad range of what people will find worthy of purchase.

Botcon is now aimed squarely at the person willing to fork over a shitload of money for a few repaint toys.

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out over the next few years.

I think many of us will continue to become more selective over what we buy mainstream-wise and especially Botcon-wise.

But honestly, you'd have to say that when they were going through the line-up for Classics 1.0, I'm sure they had that year's Botcon set in mind regarding what figures to sell mainstream & which ones to hold back. You don't think they should have released Thundercracker mainstream & held back Ramjet for the Botcon set? That would have been a much better idea.

But this year, it seems as though they hadn't pre-planned what they were going to do for the Botcon set at all. The Cybertron/Classics repaints seem to have no rhyme or reason whatsoever. Was this also pulled out of Aaron Archer's ass too at the last second before the 2008 Botcon set was finalised? They could have done so much better than this "Shattered Glass" shit. How about asking us what we think through the means of a survey on their website. Man, how cool would it have been if they would have used a variety of Classics 1.0/Cybertron car molds to create some sort of "Classics Menasor" like this one here http://plasticcrack.net/archives/2007/10/hes_very_menasory#more

That would have made all those TF Losers just about wet themselves

There was never ever ever going to be a Thundercracker in the mainstream Classics line.

Hasbro said as much during their panels.

Though of course now, the've managed to convince so many stores into multiple repaints/repackagings of the same figures, that may have changed in their production thinking or retail deals.

In regards to that Menasor, the best I could see would be some toys repainted as Stunticons but I don't think you'd see them remotely be retooled to merge into 1 figure.

And even then though, people would bitch about "I've got Stunticons but they can't be Menasor".

Or what about this "Classics Liokaiser" (scroll down a bit) http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showthread.php?t=125065&page=30 Now that would be the shiznit - but realistically, no chance...

Oh, & are you gonna use that pic or are you worried about ramifications?

Nah. Everybody and their mother have seen it already.

First, I can't speak for Max, but $10 and gas is totally nothing. Count me in.

Second, since I have the Tardis Fit, if you were interested in selling things either in your room, or at a dealer table, I would be more than willing to help haul stuff.

Third, you and your cronies MUST, and I repeat _MUST_, get in on the trivia thing, because seeing you--the "Plastic Crack" team--up there oozing nihilism and ennui while answering Transformers trivia for prizes would be the height of my existence.

Fourth, Jungle Jim's rocks the balls, but I can't imagine paying money to go there.

Fifth, my dad used to take us to the Air Museum all the time, what with him being in the military and whatnot. But one summer when he took us I spent the entire day yelling, "Where are they keeping the alien bodies?" and I embarrassed him and we never went back. But seriously, you know "Hanger 18" is at Wright Patterson, right? And it's actually hanger 19? The more you know.

The Shattered Glass set mentioned Jazz. Would that be a movie repaint or a G1 remake? Or something totally new?

Harrumph. This was gonna be the year I was gonna do the whole con package, too. I was quite jealous of the con Classics pack last year, but I've not a lot of interest in Earth-3 Autobots.

Unless something crazy happens between then and now, I guess I'm just going to go general admission again, and just hang out wit' youse guys until it's time to go home. It's only an hour drive for me, so travel's not a concern, but I agree that this con set's not going to be quite the sought-after item last year's was. I'd hate to plan on buying it for resale and then have them tank.

News on this year's CON set does sound lame. The only thing that mildly interests me is the Nemesis Prime repaint, otherwise pass!

But I am curious to hear what the CON attendee exclusives will be ...

Im going to have to agree. This is the first year the con set doesnt really do much for me. I liked 2005 just cause I love the Arcee mold and the Ironhide/Ratchet make good Classics. I liked 2006 ok even thoug Im not a huge fan of Beast Wars. And of course my love of all things "Seekers" sealed the deal for me for 2007. But honestly, the only thing I'm remotely interested in for this set is the Red and White Starscream. But again, that's just cause my fav character is Starscream.

Cybertron Hotshot with a Goldbug head seems kinda lame, and Cybertron Crosswise as G1 Jazz... meh.

Now if I saw something like Cyb Sideways as Ratbat I might get a little more excited.

Maybe the Black Grimlock will make me a little more interested... maybe...

For now, I'm going to have to rely on the Con add-ons, freebie and a prayer that the "Young and noble Decepticon" isn't a total disappointment.

Club exclusives aside... I think its time they need to start getting ACTUALLY creative and making all new characters like the olden days of Botcon for the con sets. I remember an idea once for a Decepticon repaint of the RID trains that I still think would be good.

Is it the Earth Toy Mall? I've been in there, it is much more a Vintage Star Wars haven than TF source I thought. It is like the best vintage toy store I've been to (not saying much), but when you consider that every item ever is on ebay, those places sort of lost their raison d'etre about 10 years ago.

Funny thing is, my brother and I may be driving up that way during Botcon. Not to actually go to Botcon, but to go see the Air Force Museum.

Meh, figures, I actually plan to attend and the con package is garbage. I would have much preferred Stunticon based repaints, even if they wouldn't combine.

Personally at this point I'm considering just taking a vacation with the wife to Cincinnati that happens to coincide with the con and spending my time/money elsewhere. At least there would still be the opportunity to meet some of these people I only know online.

I mean without doing the fun night or spending money int he dealer's room it would be $425 to get in for the two of us. I'm starting to feel more inclined to put that cash towards that DSLR I've been wanting for ages.

Bottom line, I'm still a bit on the fence. Essentially I like the idea of doing it but I hate the idea of the cost. Don't they usually have some sort of 10 dollar day pass or am I thinking of a different con.

My plans are sketchy but here's what I've got so far. I'm walking in for $10 a day, I'm trying to stay at Wright-Pat 30 miles away and I'm going to try to spend as much time at the library as possible during the week I'm there. I also want to hit as many panels during the show as I can. Since I'm driving home every night after the show there'll be no drinking for me. Plus I'm a pretty boring person in real life anyways so any interviews would be extremely disappointing. However, I'm extremely awkward in social situations so there may be some entertainment value in my crankiness and discomfort in that setting.

Holy crap I just found out the one or two Botcon hangout friends I do have are sitting it out this year. These are guys that have been going to Botcon for over a decade straight and spending upwards of 3 grand just in the dealer room each time so I'm somewhat shocked. They'd rather find someone else to go this year to get the exclusives for them. I can't really figure out why they're not going.

I guess a lot of the big money fans have got what they want already in terms of non-show items so the only draw is the exclusives. Ebay has out-Botconned Botcon in terms of selection so the big money doesn't come to the show just for regular toys anymore. For them it's all about new con toys-not friends, not tours, not customizing classes or panels. This type of big fish fan doesn't give a crap about any panel that isn't Hasbro. I guess if Master Collector lives by the draw of their exclusives, they die by the draw of their exclusives.

Hmmm... perhaps I'll hit every library, walk up to the counter and say "Excuse me. Where's Crazy Steve?".

And when they say they don't know what I'm talking about I'll accuse them of all kinds of things, then keep raising my voice, and eventually be kicked out.

That could almost be fun.

I hate to say it but as usual you are totally right.

There's only so many of the EXACT SAME PANEL one can go to every year over and over again.

Inserting a different voice actor doesn't necessarily make it remotely any different than any other voice actor either. Though I would so spend all my time at a Corey Burton or Frank Welker panel but both of those people actually constantly work and I don't think they ever do geeky cons.

I'll be there.

I was a little disappointed with the announcement of figures, but I'm not really sure what they could have done to keep the momentum of last year.

I think the Wreckers concept was cool, but it was jammed into the post-Beast Machines era and it never really finished. And ever since, the club comic has been a mildly annoying Transformers version of Sliders. The Classics universe was interesting, but I think they already jumped somewhere else again.

That classics Menasor custom is sweet. I hadn't seen that before.

The board wars? Really...? Man, I can't believe you typed that either... ;) However, you can count on me being there. Mike and Greg will also be in attendance, so I guess anything's possible... But, we've got some ideas for the weekend. Maybe we can coordinate?

ZetaConvoy: The more I think about it, the less I feel like doing it.

It really isn't my kind of thing.

"Now maybe... and I can't believe I'm typing this... I can convince Zeta Convoy and my usual cronies to possibly form a... my god I can't believe I'm actually typing this... a team to compete in the boards wars thing. The thing is I say that and yet I realize that not one bit of me really cares. (I'm actually grasping at straws of my own to find some reason to pay money to go to this aren't I?)"

I can't believe you are writing it either, but then I totally hear you on the "grasping at straws" things. (Although I sent in a note to Ryan at Seibertron on the same thing...)

Oh the life of a jaded TF fan....

In the end, I've elected to go. Not for the Earth-3 TFs (although I think Goldbug could be cool), the city, or the complete absence of details at this late date. No, in the end, it came down to the benefits of a relatively cheap airfare and hotel package. I may not be on site but I'm at least nearby and $400 to the good as a result.

But again, where is the excitement? If all there is on offer is unseen toys that can be had on eBay after they are revealed (or in person by sympathetic fans), then there is a lot to be desired.

In other matters, I wish Botcon would stick to rarely-repainted figures. With Classics going full strength, Titaniums still on shelves, and all the homages that popped up in Armada, Energon and Cybertron, it's hard to get excited about another repaint. But Alpha Trion was really cool, so I'd rather see a DevCon or an Elita-One (I think she is going to be one of the add-ons this year) than a bad Jazz.

But I need to start making my "pick-up" list...