ToyLanta 2022 Report

 

It's time again for ToyLanta! The annual toy show is something I look forward to all year and I can't wait to have some fun. As usual I'll be updating each day, so keep checking this post for all the adventures I'll be having. I'll be updating my Instagram and Twitter all weekend, probably more often than here. So be sure to follow me on those for cool pictures from the show.

Friday-

I arrived at the show Friday evening just after 6pm. The day prior was a mix of sleeping off the work night and con prep. I slept between the grocery order, running to the ATM, getting stuff from store the grocery order was missing, and avoiding a tornado on the way back home. Spring is setting in here in the south, that means tornadoes. 

At the con I met up with Shawn. Friday is a dealers room preview and lobby swap party. The dealers were setting up as we checked some out. The dealer space is massive and we only saw about a half of it as well as the Makers Lab. Makers Lab is an area full of tutorials for customizing toys and creating stuff to go with them. It's always neat. This lead to seeing Buddy before heading to the hotel restaurant for some dinner. 

We ended up chatting and eating for a while and missed the lobby swap. However I think we had a better time. Shawn presented me with Shnaw, the Huddle House Sharkticon. In turn, I gave him StarViper a Zone Base exclusive Targetmaster. He'll pop up here soon. Toylanta is home to a lot of custom toys and those were the ones we made.

I headed home after eating my salad for the night around 10pm. Today's haul was Shnaw. A indie Sasquatch action figure gifted by Shawn. ReAction clear Merman and black Skeletor. Not to mention a Sasquatch mini figure made from recycled coffee mugs. I'm eyeing the room for Gobots tomorrow! But first, I'm going to finish this fig bar and get zome sleep.

Saturday-

I woke up at 7am and watched AEW Rampage off my DVR while making breakfast before heading to the great toy show. Getting there with a little timr before the Transformers panel, I took a little time to look around before going to the panel room. Then raking my place up front and talked with the folks in attendance for a hour. Afterwards Shawn and I went to the downstairs lobby area as Rebel Alliance solders ran about with ice cream makers screaming that the Empire is coming. 

Shawn presented me with a large box full of Transformers. Dude up and gifted me a metric ton of robots. Thanks Shawn! We then took the box to my car before eating at tge golf course restaurant. The hotel has a golf course with a pretty good restaurant, probably should have mentioned that first. Great hamburgers. We then went around through both floors of dealer rooms. More time was spent in the Makers Lab as well. An awesome painting tutorial was being held and I spent some time talking CAD with the 3D printer guru.

More time was spent in the dealers rooms untill they shut down for the day. We found some chairs to take a break. I called the Mrs while Shawn fell asleep. We apparently was next to a door because a dealer was loading up his truck. Well, his girlfriend was while he had apparently drank a bottle of vodka and was busy making an ass of himself. We managed to escape to the hotel restaurant for some soda and tiny baked potatoes with carrots that the menu called 'fingerlings'. We had planned to participate in the parachute drop, but apparently nobody showed up except for us. So the parachute toy catapult was being disassembled as we walked up. It was about 7:30PM and time to head home for the night. Dang, I'm worn out.

Today's haul was a box containing a metric ton of Transformers in was cardboard box gifted by Shawn. Two Wendy's Gobots (don't remember the names currently, blue jeep and a blue jet). Brimstone the Rocklord, and a triceratops Tamagora. A great time was had and we've still got Sunday to go. I plan to revisit the table with ReAction stuff and grab the knight Arthur from Ghouls n' Ghosts and some more Gobots. There was a suprsigly lagre amount of Wheeled Warriors and Metal Man action figures, not to mention Battle Beasts. It's time to get some sleep before the last day. 

Sunday 

I woke up again around 7am and fixed myself some breakfast while watching Golden Girls. Admittedly I wake up around this time normally of I'm not working as it's time to take my medication, but this weekend it's because of Toylanta! And also to take my medication... that's not as exciting though. It was Sunday, the last day of the show and last time to soak it all up. My Mom came with me today, she collects dolls and wanted to see if they had anything good.

We got to the show around 10:40am. First stop was showing Mom where the 'pink room' was. While there's assorted dolls around the dealers room, this was a room full of nothing but dolls. A dealer in noticed my Blockbuster Video t-shirt (auto correct suggested t-shit) and we talked about the glory days of that wonderful store. Shortly afterwards, Shawn found us and we hit the big dealers room. While looking around Mom found a dealer full of dolls whom also was retiring and looking to liquidate. A hundred bucks later, Shawn, Mom, and I walked a ton of doll stuff out to my car. 

We came back and I made a point to grab a ReAction Knight Arthur from a dealer and looked for more Gobots. During the look I made a vaccum form sign for the wife in the Makers Lab and grabbed her some Baby Yoda stickers from a Star Wars booth. Most of those are already on her laptop. I found some more Gobots, two were more Wendy's Gobots.

I was thinking that was the last of the set, but after getting home discovered there was two more I didn't see at the show. That's a need to get so I can complete the set quest I'm now find myself on. After some more browsing we called it a day. The show was winding down and so was I.

I found Shawn and Mom sitting on some chairs talking to a GIJOE cosplayer and got some pictures of Mom with him. Goodbyes were said and I hope to see Shawn again at next years show (dude, you better). Mom and I stopped at a RaceTrac for slushies and donuts on the way home. We got back to my house for a nice homemade bbq dinner the Mrs had waiting.

My haul for Sunday was that ReAction Knight Arthur in magic armor, two more Wendy's Gobots (the names escape me, red car and helicopter bots), and an orange BuggyMan from Gobots. Not to mention the stuff for the Mrs, whom loved her sign (it's now hung in our bedroom). It was a good show this year and well packed with a lot of people. After all this time of covid-mania running wild, things honestly felt back to normal for the first time.

Shitting Their Prime Pants

It feels like ancient history now, but then again, I suppose it was almost 20 years ago. At the time some major drama in the Transformers fan world went on that seemed larger than life. For outsiders- the Transformers fandom is more of a subculture than other fan bases. It's a little world of it's own that many members stay pretty wrapped up in. These days it's much larger and segmented, but it used to be much smaller and more tight knit. This particular event took place from 2003-2004, when things were starting to get a growth spurt. The internet was becoming more of a common thing and message boards for various interests were popping up all over. These were quickly taking the place of older online gathering spots, much to the dismay of some assholes.

There was one constant, BotCon. Prior to the last years, it was a smaller more personal affair back then. There were occasional attempts at other TF conventions and some TF programming at other shows, but BotCon was pretty much viewed as the only one. It was like our annual family picnic and a must go destination for many. Hasbro supported the show, but it wasn't officially official until around 2002.  I'm not going to go into the complete history of the con, but here it is of you're so inclined. In short, the brothers who founded it had a partnership with their friend Glen a few years into the cons life. This partnership ran the show for about 6 years. In 2003 they had a falling out and split up. Glen who owned the official license would go on to run the official fan club and con now named The Official Transformers Collectors Club/Convention (OTFCC for short). The brothers would run BotCon as an unofficial show in 2004. And within the fan community, a battle line in the sand was drawn. 

We Had Our Own Damn Con

I don't have to tell you all what's going on right now, we all know, we all want it to be over. It is what it is. Of course a lot of conventions were canceled, relating specifically to Zone Base, Toylanta. This is where you're used to see  'in these uncertain times' , but instead, Shawn and I went to Mellow Mushroom and had our own damn con. *edit* At the time, it was supposedly ok to eat at restaurants that were open for dining in. This wasn't a large gathering, diners were spaced several tables away from each other as well.*

Shawn created exclusives for the event of two six feet away from others eating. Battlemasters Gunspring and Hammerdown made from parts swapped Battlemasters. Rung, because we all need a little help after a week of isolation. And a Huddle House Stripper, his name is Chad. Shawn also brought me a Playmobil horse for my Headless Horseman. Now he can ride into to town for take-out.

We ate and chatted for hours about random toys and stuff. I had the Pacific Rim pizza... because duh. Shawn opted for a mushroom based pizza because he had to fight Bowser later in the evening.

After a while we went to Walmart, which was about 2 miles away and still open. It was there we stood in the action figure aisle discussing the various figures on shelves for hours. As there's a pandemic going on, the store closed early and we continued in the parking lot before heading home.

From Stompers to Star Wars and every Transformer in between, our con was the coolest place in town. Thanks to Shawn for coming out and creating the awesome exclusives and to Mellow Mushroom for being open (really thought we were to get drive through and eat in a parking lot). Aside from the various teenagers filming Tik Tok videos we were the coolest... In hindsight, maybe we should have made one.

BotCon 2021

After the surprise reincarnation of the BotCon website and social media Friday night, today (just after I speculated about it while recording the podcast *sigh*) the truth became known! BotCon is indeed back! While the show isn't until 2021 (with a preview to be at Robocon this summer), it looks to be an old school BotCon experience! Unofficial most likely, but that's ok. I'm pretty excited, I don't know if I'll be able to go or not (dude, it's just now 2020 as of a month ago), but I'm excited. This is exactly the kind of thing I've been wanting BotCon to return to. If I can go, I'm going to try and make it.

Toylanta 2019

It's time again for the greatest toy show in the world, Toylanta! I'll be attending all weekend and will be updating this post each night, so be sure to check back throughout the weekend! Also, be sure to check out my Instagram as I'll be updating it more frequently throughout the weekend from the show!

Friday Report

After the wife got home from work, we ate Publix subs and went to the show.  Traffic was pretty bad and we got there a little later than wanted. Early dealer room sales was wrapping up as we got in and got badges. Met up with Shawn in the lobby whom giffted me a New Age Toys Bugbite! We looked around some of the dioramas  and the lobby swap before the State of the Hobby panel. During so I grabbed a Gobots Tanks figure for $5.

The dioramas included an epic World War Z scene, an SS Flagg decked out with Night Force vehicles, and a large recreation of the Death Star trench run. The Death Star was seemingly made with all sorts of containers and random things like WD-40 lids and egg cartons. Really neat.

After the panel more talking was had in the lobby before the wife and I departed for the night. We stopped by Walmart for a few things and I grabbed a Gears for Shawn who hasn't been able to find one. Friday night at the shown is mainly a social night and it sure is fun to take it in.

Saturday Report

After a good nights sleep and a great breakfast, we got to the show around 10am. The line was still insane even by 10. Fortunately, I already had my badge and we went in. Man, the dealer selection this year is great. A giant variety of different things. Lots of indie toy guys, which I love. I buy toys all year long, so when I go to a con I prefer to find the more oddball stuff that won't be at Walmart. Nothing like a glow in the dark Storm Trooper with a cat head to sell that point!

One of the indie toy groups had a vending machine full of their own merchandise. I sunk about 2$ into it and got one of his Chewie Rolos (a plastic Rolo with a Kenner Chewbacca face) and a bunch of his pins. Another dealer has a free bin and I walked away with a Whispering Willie and a 2$ Ultraman figure. One guy who always has a good booth had a Waduros. I'm still debating on pulling the trigger on it. It's not complete, but so hard to ignore.

A dealer who had some Battle Beasts informed Shawn that he'd be setting up more for Sunday. So needless to say the heat is on! Fun was had and the wife and I got lunch at the hotel restaurant. Holy crap they had amazing food. The absolute best salmon burger I've ever had.

Afterwards we went to the panel room for the Kenner Designer panel. That was amazing. Apparently the Kenner designer created the Jurassic Park logo while coming up with stickers for the lines vehicles. During the product pitch Spielberg loved the sticker so much he made it the logo for the movie. Not long after that wrapped up was Dusty and me for the Transformers panel. We had a good crowd that made for a fun panel.

As our panel ended, the dealers room was closing. We found our way to the lobby for the parachute drop, which was as crazy as ever. Someone had begun throwing a toy plane from the balconies which became a slighty dangerous situation every so often. We talked ghosts a little before checking out a few room sales parties. Pretty fun, but the last one we went to had the best selection of stuff and stunk heavily of poots.

The wife and I headed after a fun day of the show for some rest. Toylanta is a great con and this year is going down in the top years.

Sunday Report

Aftet hibernating all night and a great breakfast, I got to the show around 10:30am (the wife stayed home) after a stop for a can of Java Monster (was momentarily confused that I gave the casheir too much money, fortunately was wrong ). I lucked up and got a front row parking spot (a first) and went right on in and right to the guy who was bringing more Battle Beasts and he didn't. Dammit. Spent some quarters in another indie toy guys vending machine and came out great! Got a tiny Gameboy cartridge, a tiny NES controller, amd a glow in the dark little bear. I bought a great Necronomicon as well. Found Shawn and we worked our way through dealers.

Sunday is the day for deals as everyone is packing up. Scored a non-transforming Galaxy Megazord I'd been eyeing all weekend for 7$. I don't have any real attachment to that Megazord, but it was such a nice looking robot that there was no resistance. One dealer that always has stickers and  buttons at the shows booth is a tradition of mine and I made a point to stop by.

Shawn and I sat down and chatted for a while before deciding to take one more walk around the dealers room. I hoped to get a better price on that Wauduros, but no luck. It was just too incomplete for the price sadly. Battle Beast selection was slim with most dealers having a handful a little over priced, which was a shame, but there's always later opportunities for better luck.

Didn't buy any Transformers, which was ok as I buy them all year long. Fortunately there was ample amounts of them there for those who were looking for a particular toy. One dealer had a great display of a few prototypes though. A Fall of Cybertron Kickback and Starscream was in that case for viewing.  I had a hard time pulling the trigger on some Rocklords. They were in great condition, I just think I'll be able to find some later cheaper. Problem with so many dealers is you have so many options that it can be overwhelming. No the worst problem to have at a con ;)

We struck up a Zoids conversation with some dealers that went longer than I realized (and somebody didn't adjust his watch for DST) and before long it was time to go (we had our grocery pickup scheduled for 4pm). Said my goodbyes to Shawn and said goodbye to Toylanta for another year. Next year will be at a different location, so it's kinda a bittersweet ending to a great con this year (I like the location). Though a roomier dealer space would be nice.

This years show was a great time and just what I've been needing after a few hard weeks at work (even had an earache all weekend, thank God for ear drops). While some of the things I hoped to find didn't happen (my favorite dealer didn't have  anything I wanted in his infinite baskets of neatness... a first), I still got some great things and just had a great time. Which is exactly what I wanted.

Haul:
New Age Toys Critter gifted by Shawn
Tank Gobot
Whispering Willie Corps! figure (free!)
Large Ultraman sofubi
Stool Sample (3D printed stools in a biohazard baggie give  to me by an indie toy guy)
1 'Chewie' Rolo and assorted  buttons from one indie toy guys capsule machine
Gameboy cartridge, NES controller, and glow in the dark bear from another indie toy guys capsule machine.
'Summer reading club' Necronomicon from same indie toy guy as the video game toys and stool sample
Galaxy Megazord figure
Two translucent Godzilla minifigures in red and blue
A Soundwave holding Blaster ala 'Say Anything' sticker
Sheet of Toyhax symbol stickers gifted by Dusty,

Rangerstop Atlanta!

Well, I wasn't expecting this!

Save the date!

Toylanta prep

Firecons are kinda my mental mascot for this years con

It's Monday night as I'm writing this. I'm at my desk taking a small break from my work. Despite it only being a 4 day week this week (taking Friday off for the con), I'm pretty busy. I always try to make up ahead of time for time off I take as to not burden my department too much. It's also going to be a long week for a 4 day work week, as I got Toylanta to look forward to this weekend and I'm pretty excited. These days it's pretty much the only con I go to and honestly, it's the perfect con. Just a giant adventure of toys everywhere you look (and even more just out of sight) and fortunately for me, the stuff I'm into usually goes for a pretty fair price.

I like digging in bins for figures, scouring for deals, and this con has plenty. I dig the shows vibe too. Relaxed, laid back, meant to be fun. No anxiety or various fandom drama, just a bunch of cool people enjoying their various hobbies together. The high quality conversations I have over the weekend cannot be replaced. One year I spoke for hours with a dude about discount store fantasy figures. Another about Starriors. Just a great convention.

Fortunately the show is just a short road trip for me, so I just have to plan for the drive each day, which isn't too bad. Mainly anticipate where I'm eating lunch more-so than really anything else. Looking forward to the Transformers panel I help line up each year. Dusty and I are planing some good conversation and hoping those in attendance participate.

I've been slowly working on a list for stuff to look out for, though I wonder just how much I'm going to adhere to it. I don't really buy a whole lot at the show, but what I do get is generally great. I still fondly remember my main purchase of 2016. Aside from some great Beast Wars stickers I got, I hadn't really bought anything until I was about to leave that Sunday ending out the con. As I walked around and said goodbye to friends I dug through one last dump bin and there it was. A gallon zip lock bag containing about 75% of a G2 Bruticus in fairly good condition for 20$. Well shucks.

Just a few more days and we'll see what fun I'll have this year. What's great about this show is it's always an experience. Each year I have a different experience and that's the kind of thing you can't buy.

See you all in March!

4 years ago

GNAW WAY

Thanks to that Facebook memories thing, I was reminded that the best Transformers convention ever was 4 years ago. Hard to believe it was so long ago, but that's the march of time for you. If you weren't there you really missed out on something special. It was literally everything I wanted in a Transformers convention.

There's an element you only get when something is made from pure love. When the people making something just want it to be what people want. When they say to themselves, "I want this to be the kind of show I'd want to go to".

Throwback Thursday- Botcon 1995 Pre Reg

Oh, they're doing it again? I can't miss it again this year!

*****************************************************************************
                             BOTCON '95             

The Second Annual Transformers Convention             
Dayton Convention Center, Dayton, Ohio
Saturday and Sunday, August 5 & 6, 1995
Some planned events include:
- A special Convention Exclusive Transformer figure available only to preregistrants
- A laser light show synchronized to the soundtrack of Transformers the Movie
- A presentation by Hasbro executives on upcoming plans for the toy line,
  including a question-and-answer session
- An art display and contest with prizes awarded in color and black & white
  categories, as well as an art auction
- A display room featuring private collections of Transformer-related
  merchandise
- Continuous videos, including the Japanese episodes and the Movie
- Dealer tables for the buying, selling, and trading of Transformers and
  Transformer-related items
- Presentations by the officers of the fan clubs and club media producersPrices:Non-Dealers:
     Preregistrants $25 for whole weekend, $15 for single day (Sat. or Sun.)
          (Preregistration includes the Convention Exclusive Transformer)
     For non-preregistrants, admission at the door is $5 per day.Dealers:
     $80 per table for whole weekend; $45 per table for single day (Sat. or
     Sun.)
       (Price includes admission for dealer and one helper, and the
          Convention Exclusive Transformer)
Hotel Costs:Stouffer Renaissance Dayton Hotel is connected directly to the Dayton
Convention Center.
$64 per night, single or double room (up to 4 people per room), plus 12.5% tax
(=$8 in tax per night).  To reserve rooms, contact Stouffer Renaissance Dayton
Hotel at:
          Fifth & Jefferson Streets
          Dayton, OH 45402
          phone: (513) 224-0800 (call collect)
Remember that you must make hotel reservations separately (not through the
convention organizers) by *July 14, 1995*.  Be sure to say you're coming for
BotCon '95 in order to get the reduced room rate.
Other things to see in and around Dayton:Wright Patterson Air Force Museum with IMAX theater; International Women's Air
& Space Museum; Dayton Art Institute; Dayton Museum of Natural History;
National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center; Victoria Theater; Memorial
Hall; Sunwatch Village; Paramount's King's Island; The Beach Waterpark; Blue
Jacket Outdoor Drama.
     The Dayton Convention Center is conveniently located close to Dayton
International Airport, and is easily accessible by highway.  Greyhound bus
station is located directly across the street from the Convention Center and
hotel.
Contact:  Raksha, convention organizer
          a.k.a. Jovanka Kink                    Michael Payton, phone contact
          1177B Georges Place           OR       (614) 885-5313 (Sun.-Wed.)
          Columbus, OH 43204-1085                e-mail Micr...@aol.com
          e-mail jk...@magnus.acs.ohio-state.eduArt Contest:   David Kolodny-Nagy
               3701 Connecticut Ave. N.W. #500
               Washington, D.C. 20008-4556
               e-mail st93...@pip.cc.brandeis.edu                         BotCon (TM) by Jonathan Hartman******************************************************************************                                                      _____________________
                    Registration Sheet               |Official Use Only:   |
                                                     |Date Received_______ |
                        BotCon '95                   |Registration #______ |
               August 5 & 6, 1995; Dayton, OH        |Weekend__ Sat__ Sun__|
                                                     |---------------------|Name       _________________________________________________
Address    _________________________________________________
City       ______________________  State___  Zip____________
Country    _________________________________________________
Phone      _________________________________________________
e-mail (if applicable)   ___________________________________               __ Dealer
               __ Non-Dealer               __ Attending whole weekend (Saturday and Sunday)
               __ Attending Saturday only
               __ Attending Sunday onlyPrices:
Non-Dealers:
     $25 for whole weekend; $15 for single day (Saturday or Sunday)
          (preregistration includes the Convention Exclusive Transformer)
     Admission at the door for non-preregistrants is $5 per dayDealers:
     $80 per 8' table for whole weekend; $45 per table for single day (Saturday
     or Sunday)
          (Price includes admission for dealer and one helper, and the
          Convention Exclusive Transformer)Total amount enclosed: $___Hotel Accommodations must be made separately:
$64 per night, single or double room (up to 4 people per room), plus 12.5% tax.
Contact Stouffer Renaissance Dayton Hotel directly at:
     Fifth and Jefferson Streets
     Dayton, OH 45402
     phone: (513) 224-0800 (call collect)
Reservations must be made by July 14, 1995.  Be sure to say you're coming for
BotCon in order to get the reduced rate.Registration deadline is July 20, 1995.
Cancellations must also be received by this date to guarantee a refund.     Return this sheet with check or money order payable to:
               BotCon '95
               1177B Georges Place
               Columbus, OH 43204-1085                         BotCon (tm) by Jonathan Hartman
******************************************************************************

*note* I had so much fun doing this last week, I thought I'd do it again. Not sure how many of these I plan to do, but for the moment I'm having fun. I pulled this from this old usenet post.

Throwback Thursday- BotCon 1994 Pre Reg

Who's all going?
 

BotCon '94 Information Sheet
What:     Transformers Tenth Anniversary Convention
Where:    The Grand Wayne Center, Fort Wayne, Indiana.
When:     9:00am-5:00pm, Saturday, July 16, 1994
Contacts: Jonathan Hartman, Chairman       David Kolodny-Nagy, Art Contest
                209 West Rush Street Box 845     Brandeis Univeristy,  PO Box 9110
                Kendallville, IN 46755-1741        Waltham, MA 02254-9110
                (219) 347-1154                              (617) 736-5485

The purpose of this convention is to celebrate the tenth anniversary of
Transformers.  Fans, collectors, and dealers are all invited to come and be a
part of this special event.  Planned events and activities include:*    A presentation by Hasbro executives on the past, present and future of the Transformers, including a sneak preview of upcoming toys.

*    A special Convention Exclusive action figure available only to those who
     preregister. [Not necessarily a TF then...Dave]
*    A collection gallery displaying private collections of American, European
     and Japanese Transformers items.
*    An autograph signing and question-and-answer session with members of the
     Transformers comic book staff. (Tentative) [perhaps because the team
     itself is tentative - Dave]
*    An art contest and auction for fans to show their talent at rendering
     their favorite Transformer.  Prizes will be awarded in two different
     categories.
*    A video gallery where Transformers cartoons will be shown, including The
     Transformers: The Movie.
*    Dealer and collector booths for the buying, selling and trading of Transformers and Transformers related items.Attendance by preregistration is encouraged as it will allow guests to guarantee a hotel room for staying overnight (if desired), and it will be the only way to get the exclusive convention action figure.  The fee for non- exhibiting guests is $15 per person before April 30, 1994.  After that date it will be $20.  Dealers and collectors who wish to set up a booth are required to pay $45 before April 30, 1994.  This includes drapes and an unskirted table for one 10'x10' booth.  Exhibitors will be allowed to bring one helper for the booth.  Additional drapes, tables, table skirting and booth spaces are also available if desired.  After April 30, the fee will be $50.  Free bus transportation will be available to and from the airport on the day of the show only.  Admission on the day of the show will be $5.  Lodging is available at the Fort Wayne Hilton at the Convention Center which is attached to the Grand Wayne Center.  The special convention rate of $62 per room will only be guaranteed to those who preregister.  The Hilton is conveniently designed so that guests do not have to go outside to travel between the Convention Center or the adjacent parking facility [and the hotel].  The hotel also has a shuttle service to transport registered guests to locations around the city, including the airport.  Many eateries are available to guests downtown, as well as those provided by the Hilton. For more information, please contact Jon Hartman at the above address.  Inquiries about the art contest and auction should be directed to David Kolodny-Nagy.[Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce type stuff deleted.  For those uncertain exactly where this is, Fort Wayne is in the Northeast corner of Indiana.]

< clip and print! >
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

BotCon '94 Registration Sheet
Name:______________________________          
                                          |Official Use Only:    
Address:_____________________________             |Date Rec'd:__/__/__
                                                  |Reg #:                
City:________________State____Zip_____            Phone: (___)_________Age____


CONVENTION INFORMATION:
Rates:    Non-exhibitor before April 30, 1994 - $15 per person
          Non-exhibitor after April 30, 1994 - $20 per person
          Exhibitor before April 30, 1994 - $45 *
          Exhibitor after April 30, 1994 - $50 *
          Entry fee on day of show for walk-ins - $5 per person
* Fee covers one 10'x10' booth and a helper
  Please inquire if you want more than one booth

HOTEL INFORMATION:
Rates:    $62 per room per night (single or double occupancy)
          Rooms must be reserved by a deposit equal to one night's
               accomodation.
          Earliest check-in time on day of arrival is 3:00pm.  Check-out time
               is 12:00pm.

PLEASE INDICATE ONE OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING:

_____Exhibitor
_____Non-exhibitor_____I will be driving to the show [Autobot?]
_____I will be flying to the show  [Decepticon?]_____I will be staying in the hotel on Friday night
_____I will be staying in the hotel on Saturday night
_____I will be staying in the hotel both nights.
_____Single or
 _____Double Occupancy
Number of People Attending:_____
Total Amount Enclosed:
$_____Please include your hotel deposit with your registration fee if you need a room.  Return this sheet with your check or money order to:

     BotCon '94
     209 West Rush Street
     Kendallville, IN  46755-1741



*credit* I found this in an old usenet post. Guess I'll go ahead and link to my post regarding older cons while I'm at it. Since I'm at it, check out these scans of Tomart covering BotCon 1994. Some of the copied text didn't format well to the blogger format, so I made an attempt to clean it up so it could be easily read.

Living in the past

It's silly how my mind works. I often think of older Transformers conventions as better automatically. Which isn't fair to newer shows, but I guess that's just me doing a stereotypical "things used to be better" and feeling all smug. Though, those older BotCons had something that the later ones didn't have and it's extremely hard to describe if you were never there. A vibe, a mojo, a something. Not that's not saying newer shows don't get it, Charticon in 2013 had it. My friend Don compared Toylanta (the show where the Botlanta panel track I organize is) to the most similar any con he's attended to the first BotCon (he went to the first and yes that was flattering). Not to mention, I see pictures online of smaller TF shows around the world, and they seemingly have it. I don't know if it was just a moment in time, or me being younger, but there was a certain something about those older shows that I've never let go.

BotCon 01, the hair since has migrated from my head completely to my face

So, if I may relish a bit in old convention videos I found on Youtube. Wait, I can. I totally can. So I'm going to do that. If you follow the links on the video, you can go to the respective poster's page and check out their other work. That's my way of giving a catch all credit to the content. But really, go check them out.

BotCon 1995, the second BotCon. I would have loved to go, unfortunatley I was just a kid in high school and only knew of them from ads in Lee's toy magazine (or was it Tomart?). I used to love that old back section full of classifieds. Pre-internet, that was the main way for people to advertise their toys stores, or zines, or fan clubs, or conventions, or really anything that we easily do on Facebook now and take for granted. I'd often see them in toy, video game, and horror magazines. I'd regularly send in an envelope with a few dollars and enjoy the onslaught of random catalogs and various zines and pamphlets I'd get in return. You'd be surprised at the amount of detail that goes into a book  made at a local copy center.

At about 5:59, that's me in the fire bowling shirt walking up to a table. Oh yea, that's also the same shirt I'm wearing in the pic a little up at BotCon 2001. It was the first BotCon I was able to go to. As a broke community college student, they all seemed so far away and out of touch. Though in 2001, I was on my own and just barely making ends meet. 2001 was in Durham North Carolina, which is about 4-6 hours away from here. My Mom called me one morning to check on me, and while we were talking I brought it up as I was trying to figure out how to go.  She actually woke me up and the Toyfair issue opened to the page with the ad was open laying right next to me. When I asked her how far away Durham was, she offered to take me. We went Friday night, and came back Sunday with the main day of fun being Saturday. Of note, we hit every difficulty imaginable and the trip there took over 12 hours. I wish I was kidding.

OTFCC 2003, despite all the organizers drama that led to the 3H split, I went to OTFCC 2003 (there was a name change) and had a great time. It was a really good show and if you watch that video or as you can see in the preview there was a dance party. I was there a few minutes when some friends and I went to discover it after the line died down. I fondly can remember Brian Kilby making a nervous smile that pretty much said it all and Ant not appreciating the remix of Metallica and TFTM audio clips. This was just before Hooper X launched from our group and started punch dancing to the derision of others.

The following year was OTFCC 2004 and BotCon 2004. I wanted to go to both, but could only go to one. So I went to OTFCC 2004 and had a great time. It really was a good time and the last 'old style' BotCon. Outside of the at show memories, and not in this clip, was Ruben Studdard. There was a wedding going on in the convention center (as well as a few other cons) and they apparently hired him to sing at it. Later in the hotel, I got to witness a drunk Ruben Studdard in the hotel resturant, a well as his entourage get into a fight with the bridesmaids in the lobby.

I didn't get to go to BotCon 2004, I could only choose one, and OTFCC was closer and a lot of my friends went as well, so the draw for what makes a con fun was there. I did order a non attendee pack though, really wish I could have went. I couldn't find a video of the 2002 show which was also a great deal of fun. I'm not doing any travel this year for conventions, I'd love to check them all out though. Hascon is coming up and it looks neat. There's TFCon of course and I've enjoyed those a lot. Pete Sinclair has his new Robot Convention I'd like to check out, ignoring any drama (I try my best too, it has zero to do with why I'm going to a convention anyway), there's going to be some cool displays there and I'd love to go to Fort Wayne again. Botlanta was earlier this month which makes the year wait until next year feel like an eternity. I went to a good deal of the Fun Pub BotCons and always had a good time, though eventually got priced out as the costs started going over what I could justify. There's just something special about these older shows. That's what I want to do with Botlanta, and I hope I can find at other shows. That vibe. It's hard to describe, but once you feel it, you know it.

I could go on and on, but I figure now's a good time to stop inserting videos and help the wife make supper. I've got some TF's to open, I should get to that.

Botlanta 2017

So much thanks to my friend Duron Land for the image we used on the standee.

This past weekend held the first ever Botlanta event at Toylanta (formerly known as Joelanta). Toylanta is a wonderful local toy convention that I have the honor of helping out with. Initially it was a GI JOE centered convention that ran for quite some time before broadening it's focus to also cater to other interests. At that point it was renamed Joelanta and the Great Atlanta Toy Convention, and is where I came onboard. They had invited me to operate a Transformers panel that I have had fun doing for years with my friends Dusty Griffin and Brian Kilby (and on occasion Diecast and Crazy Steve).

The panels popularity had grown to the point where it grew into it's become a programming track at the show. Which we have dubbed Botlanta, as the con has a great naming convention going on. Going into this year, the head honchos of Joelanta decided to rebrand the convention into Toylanta to avoid any confusion. Joelanta, Botlanta, and assorted other panels with a massive (and I mean massive) dealer space (there's dealer halls every nook and cranny) make up Toylanta. Which is becoming even more popular (and bigger) as each year goes by.

So this year, I got to organize a Transformers show. While I've organized fan meet ups and ran panels at conventions before, it was a new experience for me. I reached out to various fans within the Transformers fan community to help Dusty, Brian, and I make a panel track. One thing that was important to me was to make this show distinct. I thought each panel should be informative as well as entertaining to those in attendance. I wanted the track to be an experience to remember and a destination to not miss.

Crazy Steve ran a panel with his awesome collection of vintage toy ads from newspapers and catalogs. Not only is it neat to see those old ads, but as he explained, there was some interesting history displayed in them. Various variations on figures would be in the pictures and artwork that would reference various stages of the Transformers toy line in planning. Dusty, who is a Toy Hacks designer, showed his creative process for making a Repro Labels set and even gave out free sets to attendees! Thanks to my pals at RFC, we were able to produce several panels covering several topics and even put on a live episode of RFC. I was also very pleased to meet two gentlemen (whom I became fast friends with) that had approached me to run a panel on toy displays and even set up an impressive display.

While planning the show, I contacted Derek Yanniger, whom was a key artist on the Transformer Generation 2 comic book. His work was an integral part of the overall look and feel of the comic, which just happens to be my favorite TF comic to date. Derek agreed to come Saturday, and was an absolute treat to have. We set him up with a table to sell his artwork and signatures. In the afternoon, he did a panel with my friend Gabe, on his time with the comic. Derek was such a gracious and outright cool person, it was an all around great experience.

I had spent so much energy into the show that by show time I was a nervous wreck. I just wanted it to be everything somebody coming would want it to be. Fortunately, I had the support of my crew and especially my wife (who made sure I always had a cold soda, or a back rub when I'd take a moment to sit down). Together we all put on a show that I'm very proud of. It was my first time, in a hobby where I don't have many first times anymore. Sunday as the convention was wrapping up and I spent a lot of time with various people at the show talking. Which is my favorite part of these conventions. I get to meet new friends, see old friends again, sometimes meet friends in person for the first time, and generally get to hang out with my friends having fun with something we all love.

I learned a lot this year, which will help going forward in the years to come. Learned what works, what didn't work as much, and what to work on for next year. Seemingly and thankfully everyone that came had a great time. As the show wrapped up and everyone said their goodbyes, I felt like a moment in time was passing. There was a mojo in the air of togetherness that I felt strongly. I can only hope others felt it too and it wasn't just the results my pulse racing all weekend. Shortly before leaving the con, I went into our panel room to say goodbye for the year. As silly as it seems, it felt like leaving home. As an adult, a year doesn't seem so far away anymore. But waiting for next year feels like an eternity.


Check out the Botlanta FB page for pictures and hey, while you're there, please like and share!

My personal Woodstock

It's hard to believe that this week is the 3 year anniversary of the best damn Transformers convention ever. Charticon was more than your standard fan convention, Charticon was an event that made every attendee family.

I'm not intending to take anything away from other convention organizers. Putting one together is a huge act of work that requires miracles and heart trauma. I've mentioned before how much OTFCC meant to me. I meant it. It's just, the bar was raised in August 2013 in Charlotte, NC.

It's literally the gold standard.

It's kind of hard to pinpoint what made it so special. I'd been to plenty of TF conventions before. It was like everyone involved was bubbling over with how much love and work they put into the weekend and it bled out onto all the attendees. Almost all of us at RFC made it and we spent the weekend having the time of our lives. My wife, who normally humor's these things, still calls back to it fondly.

We kind of had a follow up with TFCON Charlotte in 2015, and myself and others hoped it would signal the start of regular shows in the area. But a sadly, that wasn't the case. Charticon was a one time deal that's left it's fans wanting more ever since.

I promised them a tolberone if they brought it back and forgot to bring it at TFCON Charlotte.

It might be my fault we haven't had another.