Editing BotCon

[[File:BotCon2008-FridayFloor.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|That sign down front is good advice.  Especially for your bank account.]]

'''BotCon''' was Transformers Nerd Mecca.

It was the annual [[convention]] for Transformers fans and collectors. The convention has been held, in one form or another, annually since 1994, changing location from year to year. Though originally "unofficial" (wink wink), in 2002 it became the officially-official Transformers convention, openly and fully endorsed and licensed by [[Hasbro]]. For a short period of time it was known simply as the '''Official Transformers Collectors' Convention'''.

The name "BotCon" comes from both "ro'''bot''' '''con'''vention", and the names "[[Autobot|Auto'''bot''']]" and "[[Decepticon|Decepti'''con''']]". 

==Individual conventions==
For details of each convention, click on the appropriate link below.
{{chapters|align=left|title=BotCons:|content=
<div class="list-header">1990s:</div>
*[[BotCon 1994|1994]]
*[[BotCon 1995|1995]]
*[[BotCon 1996|1996]]
*[[BotCon Japan 1997|Japan 1997]]
*[[BotCon 1997|1997]]
*[[BotCon 1998|1998]]
*[[BotCon Japan 1998|Japan 1998]]
*[[BotCon Europe 1999|Europe 1999]]
*[[BotCon 1999|1999]]

<br/><div class="list-header">2000s:</div>
*[[BotCon 2000|2000]]
*[[BotCon Japan 2000|Japan 2000]]
*[[BotCon 2001|2001]]
*[[BotCon 2002|2002]]
*[[BotCon Europe 2002|Europe 2002]]
*[[OTFCC 2003]]
*[[OTFCC 2004]]
*[[BotCon 2004|2004]]
*[[BotCon 2005|2005]]
*[[BotCon 2006|2006]]
*[[BotCon 2007|2007]]
*[[BotCon 2008|2008]]
*[[BotCon 2009|2009]]

<br/><div class="list-header">2010s:</div>
*[[BotCon 2010|2010]]
*[[BotCon 2011|2011]]
*[[BotCon 2012|2012]]
*[[BotCon 2013|2013]]
*[[BotCon 2014|2014]]
*[[BotCon 2015|2015]]
*[[BotCon 2016|2016]]
}}

==BotCon history==
[[File:BotCon94Program.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|BotCon: Slightly less old than the photocopier.]]
The [[BotCon 1994|first BotCon]] was held in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1994. Organized by brothers [[Jon Hartman|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|Men in Black Productions]], headed up by [[Dennis Barger]]. During this time, the show primarily took up a single space at the convention center, with the dealer room and panel space in the same area. Botcon 1996 added a small art room just outside the main hall, and had a one-night video event in another small space. Guests were minimal, being mostly only that year's [[Hasbro]] representatives.

In 1997, the Hartmans took the BotCon name back (since they owned it and only licensed it out to the previous organizers) and brought fellow fan [[Glen Hallit]] into the fold, forming [[3H Productions|3H Enterprises]] (based upon the first letter of all three organizers' last names). In response to the lukewarm-at-best reception to 1996's show, 3H's [[BotCon 1997]] would pile on the improvements and additions, quickly establishing multiple features that have since come to be expected as standard at any BotCon (see below). Each year's show would get bigger and bigger, taking up multiple rooms throughout the weekend. During this era, the BotCon name was also licensed out for several conventions outside of the United States. It was repeatedly stated by the organizers that BotCon was a labor of love, because they sure weren't making any money off it. In fact, it was several years into the life of 3H before they were able to say the convention was "in the black".

[[File:OTFCC logo.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|THIS... is the wave of the future! <br>What's that? Really? <br>We now return you to your regularly scheduled convention.]]

At [[BotCon 2002]], it was announced that 3H had secured the officially-official Transformers convention license (they'd been "unofficially" endorsed by Hasbro for years prior, but this was kind of the "putting a ring on it" moment), 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 [[BotCon 2004|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 ''[[Unofficial guidebooks|BotCon Legends]]'' magazine.  At the end of 2004, 3H lost all its ''Transformers'' licenses, which were soon picked up by [[Fun Publications]], owned by [[Brian Savage]]. The Hartman brothers accepted places in an advisory board for the new convention, along with other prominent fans [[Ben Yee|Benson Yee]] and [[Rik Alvarez]], and the convention became "BotCon" once again.

BotCon attendance has grown steadily over the years, with dramatic increases with the advent of the [[live-action film series]] in particular. Though Fun Publications generally does not release attendance numbers, there are casual estimations that between pre-registrants and walk-ins, attendance is somewhere around the 3000~4000 mark for the last few years. ([[BotCon 2009]] in Pasadena is particularly noted for having a ''massive'' number of walk-in attendees, with the line easily stretching around the block even on late Sunday.)

The last BotCon Fun Publications held was in 2016, and most likely will never happen again.

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==BotCon basics==
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==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, comic creators, and design team members from both [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy]]. Guests usually have a question-and-answer panel (or two), and are most often openly available for autographs and general talking throughout the show. Fun Publications also sets autograph table schedules for most of its guests.

''See also:''
*[[:Category:Convention guests]]

==Exclusive toys and merchandise==
[[File:G2-toy Breakdown.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|1994 exclusive: Hasbro's leftovers.]]

One of BotCon's most popular features is the sale of [[exclusive]] toys to the guests. Although the toys are always unique, financial costs prohibit the creation of entirely new molds. As such, the toys are [[redeco]]s of previously used toys given new identities, occasionally switching allegiances and even gender. Since 2003, various toys have had [[retool|new toolings]] added to them, most typically new heads. After the convention, exclusive toys usually become valuable collector's items in the community, particularly among fans who missed the convention.

BotCon 1994 would feature a single toy, ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Breakdown (G1)#Generation 2 2|Breakdown]], which was originally developed for retail but canceled. 1995 saw the first toy ''specifically'' made for the convention, [[Nightracer (G2)|Nightracer]]. 1996 had the first (and thankfully ''only'') dealer-exclusive toy, which was just the regular exclusive [[Onyx Primal]] with gold lettering stamped on his back and a new box.

3H then upped the ante in 1997 with two toys sold in a single set. The following year had two toys again, but this time sold individually. Over the next decade the number of toys per year grew steadily, ''coincidentally enough'' (wink) as the franchise's retail presence did. In [[OTFCC 2003|2003]], the convention offered the first (and only) "hotel exclusive", [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Universe (2003)|Sunstreaker]], which attendees could get by getting a room in the official block at the convention hotel. In [[BotCon 2005|2005]] with the changeover to Fun Publications, the number of toys made for the show took a massive jump from 2004's four exclusives to a whopping ''ten'' (if you don't count "[[army-building]]" duplicates sold in multi-packs); a main "box set" of toys, an "attendance freebie" available only to those directly attending the convention, and multiple additional souvenir sets. Fun Publications had used this model for exclusives for their official ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' convention since 2002.

[[File:BC-toy G2Redux-Boxset.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|2010 exclusive: Big box set including a loving homage to Hasbro's leftovers. (Keep in mind, this is only ''half'' of the toys available that year.)]]

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, plus the need to hype the convention as awareness of Transformers grew. Currently, Fun Publications reveals the identities of the box set toys months before the show, over the course of several weeks, while keeping its freebie and souvenirs a secret until the first day of the convention (though factory thieves tend to get their hands on production samples and reveal them anyway).

Through most of the 3H run, the toys were —for the most part— available in an "a la carte" method, with the attendee choosing which toys they wanted with their registration... even though the toys were held a secret up until the convention proper, for a while, at least. By OTFCC, 3H began revealing exclusives beforehand in order to push attendance numbers. These toys were available ''only'' to attendees; people who couldn't make it were more or less relegated to having an attending friend pick up extras, or dealing with [[eBay]]. [[BotCon Europe 2002]]'s [[Rook (Universe)|Rook]] would be the first convention toy made available to non-attendees, partially due to the sheer demand for him outside Europe, and partially because 3H had to order ''so many'' just to get the toy made that they were drowning in them. A few other toys would follow suit for the same "overproduced" reason.

The switchover to Fun Publications' model of a big box set that could not be broken up initially [[Ruined FOREVER|caused some contention in the fandom]]. However, they also offered the box set to non-attendees right out of the gate. In addition, the set also comes in "bagged" form, with just the figures, accessories and bio cards, as an add-on to a boxed set. The attendance freebie and souvenirs are for attendees only... up until the end of the convention. Any souvenirs unsold by the con's end are put on the Club store for members to purchase. The attendance freebie, however, remains not-for-sale (though Fun Publications has used them as prizes for online contests).

[[File:BotCon2010-customclassSideswipe.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|And there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth.]]

Starting in [[BotCon 2004|2004]], a toy customizing instructional class was added to the BotCon schedule, and the first attempt to create a unique toy/character from this event was in [[BotCon 2005|2005]].  Since then, the customization class exclusive has been the rarest of each year's exclusive toys, limited to roughly 50 pieces. Most of these customization class exclusives have been unpainted samples of production toys, which participants assemble themselves and apply a suggested paintjob. In [[BotCon 2010|2010]], ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Timelines|Sideswipe]] was the first customization class exclusive with entirely new plastic colors not found in previous releases of the mold, creating an instant "holy grail". For [[BotCon 2013|2013]], in response to the fandom's ever-growing demand for Things They Can't Have, the toy was also offered as an add-on to normal attendees, unpainted but fully assembled (as Hasbro is not super-keen to let unassembled Transformers out there willy-nilly).

Over the years, a wide variety of non-toy merchandise has been made available as well. Almost every year features an exclusive T-shirt and the occasional ball cap, and in recent years, exclusive posters have become commonplace. The Fun Publications box sets each feature an exclusive pin, plus the first 100 attending pre-registrants get another special pin. There have been quite a few other more esoteric pieces made, including wristwatches, lollipops(!), pitchers and glass sets, accessory kits, and more.

''See also:''
* [[:Category:Convention exclusives]]
* [[:Category:Customization class toys]]

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===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:

[[File:OTFCC05-Megatronunused.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Show me "What we can [[BotCon 2016|finally]] [[Megatron (BW)/toys#Combiner Wars|stop asking]] [[Fun Publications]] about for $1000," Alex.]]

*Lickme, a redeco of [[Spittor (BW)|Spittor]] as a Poison Arrow Frog. Function: Psychological Warfare. Mentioned at the BotCon '99 Organizers Panel.
*[[Jai-Alai]], a black redeco of [[Manterror]]. Function: Ninja. Mentioned at the BotCon '99 Organizers Panel.
*[[Cataclysm (BW)|Cataclysm]], a green and purple redeco of Transmetal [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Cheetor]]. This character actually appeared in the convention storyline and was thought to be the lower priced exclusive in 2000 until Apelinq was revealed instead. It is unclear whether Cataclysm was ever truly intended to be released.
*[[Rodimus Primal|Optimal Rodimus Primal]], mentioned by the Hartmans at the organizer's panel at [[BotCon 2000]], this would have been an updated version of Rodimus Prime made from the Optimal Optimus mold. Plans were nixed very early on as [[Primal Prime#Beast Machines|Primal Prime]] was going into its limited production run and Hasbro didn't give licensees the leeway they now enjoy. Optimal Rodimus Primal's role in the ''Wreckers'' storyline were revised for Primal Prime and Rodimus instead.
*Blue Balls Attack Team, from an anecdote shared by Karl Hartman on the now defunct BotCon Beyond message board, a planning session for BotCon had run much later than anticipated and an exhausted Hartman proposed a pair of blue repaints of ''Beast Wars'' [[Retrax]]. Obviously not a serious proposal.
*[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], redeco of the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[X-Brawn#Toys|X-Brawn]] mold as a convention exclusive in 2003.
*[[Defensor (OTFCC)|Hot Spot]], a blue redeco of [[Optimus Prime (RID)#Toys|''Robots in Disguise'' Optimus Prime]] as a new Autobot leader modelled after the Generation 1 character. The toy would have featured a new headsculpt for the robot's larger "[[Defensor (OTFCC)#Toys|Defensor]]" mode. This toy was originally solicited for OTFCC 2004, then pushed back for OTFCC 2005. When the license was removed from 3H Productions, this figure was cancelled.
*For [[OTFCC 2004]], the [[Rail Racer (RID)#Toys|Rail Racer]] trains were offered to [[3H Productions]] as a possible set of [[exclusive]]s. Due to a suggestion from [[Graham Weaver]], [[Steamhammer (RID)|one of them]] was planned to be named after the original [[Steamhammer (G1)|Steamhammer]], as it was a train-y kind of name. Another of the three trains would be [[Astrotrain (RID)|Astrotrain]] and the third was never decided on, though [[Loco (RID)|"Loco" or "Cowcatcher"]] was favored, and the combined mode would have been named "[[Dominus Trannis]]", named similarly to the original [[Trannis]]. [[Hasbro]] changed their minds on the molds' availability, but they later used the "[[Steamhammer (Energon)|Steamhammer]]" name themselves, as they did similarly with "[[Vector Prime]]".
*Several toys were proposed for the 2005 Official Transformers Collectors' Convention. Due to 3H's loss of the ''Transformers'' license these plans never came to fruition. All of the known toys from this proposal were to have new headsculpts and some were to have new accessories.
**[[Megatron (BW)/toys#Combiner Wars|Megatron]], a red redeco of [[Megatron (RID)#Toys|''Robots in Disguise'' Megatron]] as an upgraded (and resurrected) ''Beast Wars'' Megatron. (The concept eventually reached fruition as a [[BotCon 2016]] exclusive!)
**[[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]], a blue redeco of [[Slugslinger (Energon)#Toys|''Energon'' Slugslinger]] as the Generation 1 character.
**[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], a green redeco of [[Strongarm (Energon)#Toys|''Energon'' Strongarm]] as the Generation 1 character. This toy would have featured new snap on Energon gauntlets.
**[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]], an orange and green redeco of ''Energon'' Strongarm as the Generation 1 character. This toy would have featured a new Energon rifle.
*[[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], originally conceived as the ''Cybertron Defense'' Hot Shot redeco for 2007. He was dropped in favor of [[Springer (G1)#Timelines|Springer]], who fit the mold and the story/theme better.
*The developers of BotCon were given a slight chance of using [[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]] in 2007, so they proposed a 4-pack boxset which would have consisted of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] (from [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Wheeljack]]), [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (from [[Mirage (G1)/toys#Alternators|Mirage]]), [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (from [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Optimus Prime]]), and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] (from what, they couldn't remember at the time, but likely the [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Alternators|Rodimus mold]]).
*The 2011 boxset went under a few revisions before they settled on [[Team Stunticon|''Animated'' Stunticons]]. 
**First was [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|''Shattered Glass'']] [[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|''Beast Wars'']].
**Then it was going to be [[Transformers: Classics|''Classics'']] [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]. 
**Then it was going to be assorted [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|''Animated'']] characters.
***The boxset would have featured [[Sideswipe (Animated)|Sideswipe]] and [[Jackpot (Animated)|Jackpot]] (both of which were released), while the other three figures were unknowns that would have been a lime/white [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatorn]], a cream-colored [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]], and...something else.
***The figures available at the show would have been [[Bug Bite (GoBots)|Bug Bite]], (from [[Bumblebee (Animated)#Voyager Class|Hydrodive Bumblebee]]), Toxitron (from [[Optimus Prime (Animated)/toys#Voyager Class|Wingblade Optimus]]), [[Kup (Animated)|Kup]] (from [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Cybetron Mode Optimus]]), [[Wheeljack (Armada)|"Armada" Wheeljack]] (from [[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Rodimus]]), Tigatron (also from Rodimus), Shokaract (from [[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]]), [[Springer (Animated)|Springer]] (from [[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]]), and a three-pack consisting of [[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]], [[Antagony (Animated)|Antagony]], and [[Nightracer (G2)|Nightracer]] (all sharing the [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] mold). 
*Rodimouse, a [[Rattrap (BW)/toys|Transmetal Rattrap]] redecoed as [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]]. (Whether serious or not, it would have paired well with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Timelines|Ultra Mammoth]]).

==Exclusive fiction==
[[File:Beastwarscriticalmass.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|It all starts here.]]
Fiction did not really play into the first few years of BotCon. While attendees of [[BotCon 1995]] did get an exclusive fanzine, it was just that; a magazine full of fan-written stories and fan-drawn art, none of which was approved by Hasbro.

When 3H took the convention back for [[BotCon 1997|1997]], one of the many ways they set out to make the show a real mother of a blowout was by adding an [[Ground Zero|exclusive comic story]] to accompany the toys, penned by "the" Transformers scribe [[Simon Furman]], with art by Marvel comics artist [[Andrew Wildman]]. The hugely positive response to this story (even though it was a stand-alone tale that was irreconcilable with the then-running [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]] that it used as a setting<ref>3H members indicated that the story of how the various non-show characters from later storylines arrived on ancient Earth and why they weren't seen in the show would be later told, but this never happened.</ref>) cemented the need for fiction to bring the exclusive toy characters to life, though it would take some time to settle on a format. [[BotCon 1998|1998]] started the multi-year "[[Reaching the Omega Point]]" story, which was kicked off with a [[Visitations|tongue-in-cheek live script reading]], followed up by a series of text stories released online, and ultimately ended in [[BotCon 2000|2000]] with a full-color comic that assembled the prior text stories before jumping into the final battle.

[[File:Timelines v2n3ce.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1|2008 also marked an increased influx of robo-[[facial hair]].]]

From then on, each convention had at least one new comic book featuring its exclusive toy characters in action, with a few pieces of ancillary fiction told in other formats. However, in short order there were ''three'' different stories running concurrently across two different books (with a few pieces of online prose and a live script reading in 2004), and the problems from prior years with having stories that were told in installments with nearly year-long gaps between them were amplified to a ridiculous degree. With Hasbro pulling the license from 3H after [[BotCon 2004|2004's convention]], all three storylines were left uncompleted. The next convention license-holder, [[Fun Publications]], would later go on to provide conclusions to two of them in their [[Transformers Collectors' Club|online fan club subscription]], but the final story, "[[Primeval Dawn]]", remains open-ended to this day.

When Fun Publications took control of BotCon, the use of a yearly comic continued under the "[[Transformers Timelines (fiction)|Timelines]]" banner, but with a very important change. Instead of following a single multi-year-spanning story arc, each issue is meant to stand on its own as a single story with a conclusive ending (even if it's part of an ongoing arc told elsewhere), typically set in a different universe every year. Starting in 2006, each year's comic is made available through Diamond at comic shops a few months after the convention. Some shows would also feature live script readings, plus [[BotCon 2007]] would reveal [[Theft of the Golden Disk|a CGI-animated short film]] serving as a prequel to [[Dawn of Future's Past|the prior year's story]].

Some of the BotCon storylines have been later continued through the Collectors' Club web site and magazine, primarily in the form of prose stories.

''See also:''
*[[:Category:3H issues]]
*[[:Category:Timelines issues]]
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==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.botcon.com Official site]
*[http://www.transformersclub.com/ Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club]
*[http://www.camphortree.net/tf/faq/fandom/conventions.php Convention info from the Transformers FAQ]

[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Exclusives]]
[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Fun Publications]]