Recently in botcon convention Category

Dare I say it... I feel a renewed sense of lame geek vigor now that I'm back from the GRC.

So...

Thanks to WaterMelonEatingBoy for making a surprise visit on Sunday!

It was great to meet fellow bloggers Mr. Terrific, Teresa, and Ramen Junkie. And it is always a pleasure to see The Evil King of Macrocrania.

I got the chance to hang out and drink with the crew from About Heroes. Here's to Dan, Spider-Ben, and EvilOmar! I hope Omar can feel his balls once again.

W and A, while only coming down Saturday, seemed to have a good time too.

Props to Spectroscott and NeoSpark. And I could never forget WoozyGuy's fantastic Casino Night dancing.

JKNotRowling, a total non-TF person, had a very good time losing his virginity. I think that even Brandy had a good time at her GRC deflowing this year!

And Botcon for me would never be the same without Tom, Mike, Greg, and Kristin. If it wasn't for them I doubt I'd ever have gone to another con past 2005.

And of course, thanks to Giga, who now has the personal pleasure of witnessing me constantly saying "Tell me again why I spent $420 on 4 transparent toys that I already own in some other form or color?!?!?!"

And thank you to all those wonderful toy dealers who bought up all the Animated figures at stores around Cincinnati and then marked them up 200-300% then sold them to little walk-in kids who really wanted them. Yes. There is indeed a special place in Hell reserved for you. And I'll open the door when ya get there!

This is what you end up buying when the things on your needs list aren't able to be easily met.

However, the Jacksons weren't exactly staying put in the wallet.

The crap includes:

An Awesome Raydeen PVC
Transformers Visualworks book
E-Hobby Ghost Starscream
2008 Winterfest Arcee Exclusive
The Botcon 2008 Boxed Set
The Botcon 2008 add-on souvenier figures
Silver Alloy Convoy PVC
Bearbricks
Exclusive Crazy Steve Botcon 2008 WTF?!? Tetrajet Skywarp
Galaxy Force Dark Fang Wolf exclusive
Beast Wars Neo Heinlad
E-Hobby Translucent Hot Rod
TF Movie Bumblebee (Stealth Version)
E-Hobby Twincast and Flip-Sides
Takara Exclusive Fusion Cluster Protoform Convoy
Takara Exclusive Fusion Cluster Protoform Starscream
Brave Maximus Weapons kit
Sewing Stars Exclusive Buttons

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I'm home.

And all I can say is I am major tired.

Botcon itself, as usual, was so-so meh.

Everything around Botcon however was utterly fantastic.

You don't go to Botcon for the toys.

You don't go to Botcon for the guests.

You go to Botcon for you are your geek friends being screamingly retarded on pitcher after pitcher after pitcher of Killians!

And... to top it off?

Mister Terrific won 1st place in the diorama contest last night!

More later after I decompress.

Have I mentioned lines before?

Yeah. There are lines.

And more lines.

Now it wasn't as bad as last year.

However, FP never ever seems to learn a lesson and change the way they do things. The fact that they are all paper-based and not electronic completely makes this laughable.

So much could be solved with a little investment. Oh well.

Thankfully I brought plenty of cash. The cash line at least seemed to move. The add-ons were over $200 with tax. Ugh!

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So far, my only horribly doy moment was realizing that I gave out the wrong area code when I gave out Giga's cell! It is 614 folks! I'm so sorry!

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Let's see... I finally ran into Zeta Convoy late last night with the his gf. Mike too. MrDeuce and the others were driving in from Louisville and got in much later.

It is really good to see those guys. I really only see them once a year but it is worth it.

I also ran into Crazy Steve and chatted briefly. He's still working on those Tetrajets!!!

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Hot Rod is the only toy I really like.

And from what I hear, I seriously doubt that I'll be able to get another set.

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Is this green 2-day old baby poo or guacamole? You make the call.

Worst Mexican food ever!

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I'll try to post some of the stupidity if it occurs.

And all the pics will go to my Flickr Botcon Gallery!

So this is it.

I gotta take the Hoont the get boarded, rake up some more magnolia blossoms, clean out the car, and finish packing.

We should be on the road by 1:30 or so.

View Larger Map

I'm so happy this is a quick drive!

If you don't hear from me before... then see ya from the Gayest Robot Convention you can possibly imagine!

So I noticed that the Allspark message board has a post announcing that the Botcon custom class figure turned out to be the retooled Transformers Collectors Club Nightbeat figure.

I guess that's kind of cool.

But...

There's a part of me... the part that pays that extra $40 a year to belong to that mostly useless club... which is kind of angry.

I mean... don't you think you should actually produce the figure for purchase by club members before using it for something like this?

I mean.... yeah... that's great and all for the people that paid to be in the class but I don't know...

When it really comes down to it I just don't give a shit.

I think that part of me that wants to save that $40 a year pretty much knows I will now.

Ah!

It is so nice to begin a vacation on a nice sunny day and just get up without the alarm and not feel like I really have to do anything other than pull my crap together for the con and run a few errands.

And no... I'm not going to work on Project 5 until Tuesday at the earliest. I'm in no mood to ruin a generally good mood heading into Botcon by getting covered in dust for hours.

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I saw that the TF SDCC exclusive this year will be another repaint of the Classics Prime mold, this time as the done-to-death Nemesis Prime deco.

So we get the same general idea done at Botcon and then again, only blacker, for SDCC.

Definitely time to retire the mold. I can accept the original, the Magnus, and even the Botcon repaint. And of course, the Henkei one isn't really for the American audience. But 5 of the same thing is 1 too much!

Speaking of the mold, the custom Ultra Magnus armor to Classics Magnus is really nice.

It still amazes me people will bitch about it and still go on and on about the use of a white Prime.

Be happy somebody is making something that will alter the figure... and selling it!

If you aren't going to kitbash and customize the shit out of it yourself then quit yer bitch'n!

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Ugh! My last day of work before what I guess you could say amounts to my only vacation this year.

It is kind of sad when Botcon becomes your vacation, as it has the past 2 or so years now.

I miss my once or twice yearly jaunts to San Francisco that used to happen quite a lot prior to 2004.

Hmmm... San Francisco or Cincinnati, OH? San Francisco or Providence, RI? San Francisco or Lexington, KY? San Francisco or Podunk Suburb Of Dallas, TX?

Yeah. Nothing quite compares to my favoritest city in 'Murica.

I've sent out emails to everyone that I knew was going to be there. Hopefully ya got 'em.

Note: I am not the keeper of the phone. I don't own one nor do I plan to in any capacity for a long time. That's Giga's number!

In other news, I'm actually super excited about something now that is Con-related.

I can't wait to get my hands on my super rare Botcon 2008 exclusive Tetrajet and exclusive poem "I Only Feel Alive at Botcon (and that is why I want to die)" figure and ancillary item. (Perhaps he'll do a personal reading too!)

Man... talk about quite possibly the single best custom tshirt caption that sickly captures my general feelings of toy collecting and GRC conventioneering.

Leave it to Esteban Loco to sum it up perfectly for me.

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What's really sad is what a bad turn I've taken from Botcon 2006, and even Botcon 2007 due to the events of the last 6-8 months.

Injuring my back really but me into a downward spiral overall health-wise, not to mention mentally.

I looked back at Botcon 2006 pictures and I've put on over 50lbs since then.

Not good.

Not good at all.

I've got to get back to my gym routine and get my back solid and strong or else I'm going to be even more miserable in my 40s.

Sucks.

And since I gave all my fat clothes to Goodwill in 2005 I really don't have anything that fits right any more.

I am definitely the poster child for how 6 months of no exercise and bad diet can undo years of hard work.

Still... even 50 lbs heavier... I'm a lot lighter than some of those Botcon geeks.

And I smell better too!

Come and and smell me. I dare you.

Yeah. That means you.

If you want to at least hook up and briefly meet at the con email me your cell # and I'll return ours.

Hmmm...

I kinda of wish I'd made up those Gay Robot Convention Conventioneer tshirts now.

Things are finally looking up.

Tara Strong has been announced as the next GRC guest!

Two new people.

Say it ain't so!!!

I'm actually looking forward to a voice actor panel again.

Now I just gotta find a life-size blow up doll of Toot Braunstein for her to sign.

It'll be my very first autograph ever at a con.

And I would so loves me some Foxxy action too!

That'd make me mega happy.

This Botcon... SwineTrekkie asks if you are indeed "Prepared For Extermination?"...

Finally!

Someone new!

Keep adding to the list with fresh faces and my opinion may change.

Well.

Maybe.

You see.

I don't really want to be a hater.

I don't want to become the type of fan I can't stand.

But I need more new hotness in my life now.

I kinda wish the TYFSUNLUTFAF had been unveiled as the other 2 mini-cons now.

I'm sorry, but I just can't believe that this year's 2008 Botcon box and loose sets have sold out if, and I mean if, they were produced in equal numbers to the last two year's sets.

Now I would believe it if they reduced the production run substantially and therefore, it has sold out because of that.

Now what's funny is that they are still trying to get rid of the extra 2005 sets, and they are using a slightly discounted rate to lure people to still pay for a Primus package.

At least they are throwing in this year's attendee figure, whatever it may be. (Though it'll be balls crazy hilarity if it those two leftover minicons!)

The spontaneous creation of that other package also is indicative of something bizarre.

Oh well.

We'll have to see when we get to the Queen City.

I suppose I shouldn't care.

I got my Jetscream and Earth-Three Convoy.

And I'm a total fucking selfish dick when it comes down to it anyway.

Or so I've been told.

So that auction that popped up the other day was for the final Botcon box piece after all.

It is actually the only bot in the box I really really like with the Prime coming in second.

The minicon is no big deal to me. I mean, it can't even connect to the Starscream so it is just another thing to throw in the box. I've never been much for minicons anyway.

From a mold standpoint, some of the people thinking they'd do an Armada Starscream since he had the minicon made a certain amount of sense, but I've got to think that the economics of this means that the other 2 animal minicons'll be in the add-in packs.

I love to read all the speculation on these things.

It goes from one extreme to another, and it can't be helped that the Classics line didn't have a Scout Class level figure, unless you count the minicon releases.

So the box contains a Voyager, 4 Deluxes, and a Minicon.

That leaves the other 2 minicons (the cat and the eagle) likely in an add-on set.

Though what the other add-ons could be and the attendee figure could I haven't a clue.

Maybe they'll be more to my taste than the box set.

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Though I was just thinking. If it holds true that the other 2 minicons are in the add-on set, that would mean that they had to make equal numbers of add-on sets to the box and loose ones.

What would be awful, but I wouldn't put it past them at all, would be to do the 2 minicons as the attendee "figure" with them saying "it is 2 figures instead of 1" or something.

But those quantities wouldn't work either since there are more box sets made then attendees to the con. Sure they give away at the casino night and as door prizes some of the attendee figures, but they'd have way too many.

Oh well.

As I said, s'all pointless speculation by fandom. And now I feel dirty and filthy for just having contributed to it here.

I forget who I was IM'n with the other night but they brought up the fact that I hadn't said much about Botcon Jazz or Grimlock.

That's a lie!

I haven't said a single thing about Botcon Jazz or Grimlock.

There isn't really anything to say.

Jazz looks like any other countless Jazz figures that have been produced and Grimlock isn't all that much different from Classics Grimlock.

I mean, I could have seen them do the Jazz in Stepper colors. That way at least he'd be kind of an Anti-Jazz palette-wise.

But a few words about killing, painted on an alt mode, doesn't do anything for me.

So far Jazz, Grimlock, and Goldbug will likely leave my possession within a few days of returning to Cowtown.

That is if I don't sell 'em off to any dealers who want them at the show.

So.

I've been thinking.

Since there's no real Polish clothing that I could adapt to a "uniform" for the GRC I was thinking...

How about a Utilikilt?

I mean... the commercial at the site makes me want to buy one because it appears wearing one will give me some kind of Scottish ass-kicking powers.

And us 'Crackers need to look our best at the robot dinner.

Hmmmm...

Yes.

I think a Utilikilt will rock!

Zeta Convoy? Would you wear one?

So I happened to notice this today.

FUN PUB INC MASTER COLL(Other) $554.00

T'would appear that I'm fully committed now.

It is a chicken versus the egg scenario isn't it?

That cash would have been better spent on a shelf to store crack, yet one needs to spend money on crack that will inevitably go on a shelf.

Oh the humanity.

Love the head sculpt.

But that's all I can pretty much say.

Hmmm. This has got me all bad crazy and shit.

See. The whole Botcon theme doesn't really appeal to me at all.

I mean. Zero excitement.

But there's something about doing Prime in what basically amounts to an almost- Shockwave color pallet that stirs something in my loins.

Dammit!

Total dammit!

Balls dammit even!

He's not a pad repaint.

I even like the cracks, the "Until all are gone!", and especially the wear and tear. (Jin got me moist and lov'n the wear and tear.)

The colors for the most part work pretty well.

I'd prefer dirty silver or even a worn grey for those gold details but that's just because he's so "dirty" in general.

I hate to say it.

I really do.

But I like it.

Now I'm wondering if the rumblings and rumors are true of yet another repaint of this mold for SDDC as a straight-up Nemesis Prime Scourge.

Well... the dirty deed is done and faxed in.

Alas, it is not done dirt cheap though.

At least I can be happy that there's no airfare to pay this year.

Got an email from the GRCthat registrations will be out later today.

It'll be interesting to see what the other figures are, as they are usually listed on the form.

At least I think they have been on the previous forms.

What's funny? The mad rush I wish I could witness tonight as TF geeks across the world rush to fill out and fax in their form to get a little metal cloisonné pin.

Bad craziness.

For some reason I must have accidentally had the Botcon forums update me on a thread about what people are looking to buy or sell during April's GRC.

The auto-email I received got me thinking.

There's not much I want anymore, especially in light of the fact that I still haven't had the time or space to go through all the old Attic of Love boxes and thin it all out.

However, there are a few things I'll be looking for and probably have about a 10% or less chance of finding them.

• The 5 Takara JUSCO exclusive Car Robots spychangers I need


• The 2 Takara exclusive translucent Movie Protoform figures
• The original 2 Takara NIKE shoeformers (If I can get them cheap!)
• Takara "Classics" Megatron in the grey color scheme
• Revoltech Megatron
• Takara Car Robots Crystal Super Fire Convoy (Seibu store exclusive )
• Takara G1 Masterforce C-311 Grand Maximus
• Takara G1 Masterforce C-303 Minelba/Minerva
• Takara G1 Masterforce C-301 Go Shuta
• Takara G1 Victory D-328 DinokingGiftset
• Takara G1 Masterforce D-307 Overlord
• Takara Robot Masters Black Lio Convoy
• Takara G1 Silver Alloy Convoy PVC (chase)
• Takara G1 Metallic Galvatron PVC (chase)
• Takara G1 Metallic Ghost Starcream PVC (chase)

That's the problem with my collecting these days.

The remaining things I'd like to add are all fairly hard to find or way more than say $200 each.

Since I pretty much don't give a shit about 99% of G1 toys, there's not much for me to care about there at all.

I also noticed on the Botcon brochure that vendors now only have to have 50% Transformers merchandise.

That, along with Master Collector's hinted at "pop culture/science fiction" changes to Botcon lead me to believe that it will become less and less of a Transformers-centric thing.

Of course, that's the inherent problem with a profit-generating focus on Botcon versus the fan-focused convention: they are somewhat mutually exclusive.

I mean, there really are no new dealers or vendors for Transformers out there. Sure you end up with some people getting additional tables as well as the people who buy tables to surprisingly try and sell their non-licensed non-official wares such as Tshirts and paraphenilia, but a fan cannot judge "tables sold" as any indicator of how many actual dealers or vendors proper will be there.

Even though the TF-centric fans will revolt to some degree, I can see Master Collector trying to change Botcon into a less Transformers-ish event and a broader "toy robot" convention. Hell... that's easily done without changing the name at all.

They even passed out some questionairres on the matter 1 or 2 cons ago.

Regardless of any negative TF fan response, I'm willing to bet that the economics of it will result in it happening anyway.

I mean, I don't think anybody can delude themselves and think that the people who run Botcon do this out of any generosity. It is done to make money and that's pretty much what it has to do to survive. If it morphs into something else to make more money then it will.

What was I saying?

Oh. Yeah. I know I barely have a chance in hell of finding any of that stuff I'm looking for.

However, I'd gladly trade my likely future mint-in-box Botcon 2008 figure set for a fraction of the things I really want.

Anybody got an MIB Minerva they wanna part with?

BEWARE: Train-of-thought rambling ahead. Then again, that's all I pretty much do anyway usually no?

Well... at least the Gay Robot Convention organizers put out a general brochure before the registration this year.

I have zero interest in the Botcon figures this year and even less than zero interest in Botcon as a convention. (Pretty much 90% or so the same as previous years. That'll never change even with a new con organizer I'm afraid.)

Just more repainted toys but this year with a theme that only the most serious hard core mom's basement-dwelling geek could muster a shit about.

And I already have 3 versions of the Classics Bumblee mold and multiple versions of the Classics Starscream mold. I can only imagine the Goldbug they mention will be gold Bumbleblee and yet another Starscream repaint.

Will they actually make a new fugly blue retooled Goldbug head though? I wonder.

Now the one thing that would be funny... and might actually (jokingly) pique my interest is if the "evil" Autobots all have goatees on them.

Obviously, I could paint that on myself but then it would be a custom and not an officially approved toy so I couldn't get it AFA graded and all.

They're kinda grasping at straws for the Wednesday tour too. Laser Tag? The toy mall? A grocery store? A comic store???

Ok. I can see if you aren't from the area that the toy mall might be remotely interesting but c'mon. Laser Tag and Queen City Comics???

And Jungle Jim's is totally scraping the bottom of the barrel to keep people occupied but I can't say it is remotely worth part of the $85 day fee.

Renting a car would be cheaper and you can do much of this for free without any tour charge.

The Air Force Museum is cool though. I've been there years ago and that I can see being worth it with the right people with me. (Actually, the trip to Dayton would probably be the most fun part of it.)

It is really going to be hard for me to find a real reason to do anything but walk-up for this con. But then again, Giga and I would really enjoy that 2-day course but probably only that.

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?)

This may be my first GRC in which I just walk around, drink, bullshit, and not wait in lines.

What sucks the most though is I have to decide soon if I'm going to drop the cash on this or not.

I suppose I could sell the exclusive set for toys to some of the dealers. Thought I suspect this set will be easily parted from buyers hands unlike the past 2 years.

What would be really funny? If the attendee freebie is actually the missing Sunstorm seeker from last year's set.

Bwahahahahah.... that'd be the way to piss off people wouldn't it?

Well... those that actually care about having the supposed "perfect" seeker set.

Now one thing that I may be able to convince some people to do... is to head over into the scary northern southlands of Kentucky and go to a tittie bar!!!

I myself have never had the pleasure (or displeasure) of seeking Kentucky tail. And least I don't remember having had any before. Hmmm... oh the Dark Ages of my 20s sometimes make me forget stuff.

So... Spectorscott... JackOfAllGeeks... Despotes...RJ... Zeta C... Crazy Steve... what're your plans geeks?

Crazy from Powet... you going to be there again this year?

And for Kelmeister, JKNotRowling, and Max... here's the shit on general attendance.

I'd love you guys to come and chill and be The Lame with us but I won't force you to suffer through it since it isn't exactly free.

Hmmm.... I've still got my "Up Close and Personal With Crazy Steve" documentary to consider. I wonder... since he was in the military... does he get a discount at the Air Force museum if he flashes his tits or something?

Placebo's cover of "Bigmouth Strikes Again" is one of the best cover songs ever.

Ok. Time to look at the finances and see if a Primus package is really worth it or not.

Don't forget... The Hoont needs to be boarded during this time too. That's potential drinking money right out the door before we've set foot out of Cowtown.