O6 wrote:...why? I'll admit to only having done a little customizing, at least as an adult, and when I have it's almost always been GI Joe. But why wouldn't you run paint thinner over them to get the factory paint off first?
Hasbro doesn't use top-level paint all the time except it's on translucent materials, PVC, or vac-metal. Many colors in Hasbro's decos are done either in the plastic's matrix (so dyed throughout the part) or use a kind of car paint that bites into the plastic beyond surface-level.
I've already gone through this numerous times; Botcon really needs to step up their shit if they want to compete in the convention circuit. The problem is that most of the people who go to Botcon (or Joecon) don't go to any other conventions, ever.
I can't imagine spending 3x what I would probably pay to get into SDCC for just Botcon, let alone what I spend to go to MAGFest. (For what it's worth, I am paying $60 for MAGFest for two people, plus hotel which usually comes out to about $150 after splitting it with people.)
Botcon reminds me of Trek conventions from the '80s that weren't the big cons. Since Botcon is the biggest TF convention, it seems like they have a very specific audience they're catering to, they're not trying to compete on the convention circuit. That said, I agree that they need to step it up and deliver a better exhibit hall and more panels, they need to get competitive, to get the casual fans and locals in the door better so that they don't bleed off too heavily if the core group starts dropping out.
SDCC's entry price doesn't come with exclusive toys though, and the door price per day on SDCC is twice that of Botcon (or would be if SDCC wasn't sold out of individual day passes 5 months in advance now).
They could do with about twice as many panels, and video rooms would definitely help. I still don't understand why there's no fan-run panels at all--they're ALREADY at the fucking convention, put their asses to work FOR you!
This is true, something closer to Star Wars Celebration like that. That stuff costs money though, you have to rent space way in advance, then hope you can book all the space you're using to recoup that expenditure. But it shocks me how anything fan-run is kept out, how the panels seem to be run by invitation only - what if I had a panel and wanted to pay to be part of the show for us here at TFV? There's no way I can find on the Botcon site to apply for that, I researched that not too long ago. A third of the panels I went to at SW Celebration were fan panels, and SDCC has probably half the small rooms dedicated to fan panels all 4 days.
some volunteers to run audio and projectors
Equipment has to be run by on-site staff, not volunteers. Volunteers can do panel room admittance and other non-security stuff, but not tech and not lifting/carrying without insurance and contracts.
Fuck, does Botcon even HAVE a volunteer program?
It did seem to, volunteers were working the panel room door and the autograph line. Oh, and the autograph line area took up more space than Hasbro's booth, that was really odd-looking to have this empty space wasted.
There's FOUR full-length blockbuster action movies for this damn franchise now, they can't have at least ONE night where they put them up on a big fucking projector? Fuck it, I'd go see TFTM on a big screen!
They have a movie airing for the Thursday people I think, and Friday has at least 1 panel that does projector fun with fan films and MSTF - there was more of that at '09 than '11, and I didn't go on Thurs or Fri this year. But it should be playing round the clock, fan films, commercials, movies, etc. In '11, someone organized TF:TM as evening content in Santa Monica 30 miles west of the convention, and Wally Burr and others from the film were there at the theater (I regret not going to that, I was invited but had some dumbass reason why I didn't want to go that faded the minute I walked in my door). All that should be on-site or at least organized as close by, done by the OTFCC.
Botcon seems content to ask for your $50 and kick your ass out at 7.
$20 per day, and 5pm.
BWP wrote:This. My brother does the miniature-painting thing, and when he ends up with used/already painted minis, he runs them through this paint-erasing stuff called Simply Green before he gets near 'em with a brush.
Paint remover is easier to use on unpainted miniatures, especially metal ones.
Dom wrote:Generally, what I saw is that is false and you are wrong, even before the Sunday closeouts.
I have a hard time believing this. Factor in travel and lodging expenses, and it is cheaper (to say nothing of less trouble) to simply order exclusives online. Lewis is getting the whole shebang for ~$1000usd. He is not going to miss any work. He is not going to spend time/money travelling. He is not paying for a hotel room. The only thing he would miss in previous years would be the custom class figure and maybe a few autographs.
Lewis in in primarily for the "buying stuff" angle. The more BotCon plays up the "chance to buy stuff", the less reason people like Lewis have to go to the convention itself. Actually, that means there is less reason for anybody to go to the convention. (I go for panels and sometimes autographs. I have stood in line to get autographs at regular cons from guys like Starlin or Quitely. I might orbit the dealer room once or twice to kill time. But, the guest list is what makes or breaks it for me.)
I have been to 3 Botcons in the last 5 years, you haven't. I'm a fairly careful researcher and I take note of pricing patterns. Some booths are not great prices, others are. Some products sell out before Sunday, others linger. I helped a buddy get a G1 Jetfire that was in great shape and complete for $100, online on ebay that sort of thing closes for at least $120 plus shipping in this condition. I picked up the Dark Energon figures from BBTS for less than I would have paid with tax and shipping from their own website, and that was Saturday. So financially, if you are interested in the content angles of the panel, of meeting folks and going to parties and such, of getting autographs and meeting celebs, of buying art, any of that stuff, really there is a lot of "human" cost benefit to going to Botcon, and then you also find some decent deals if you cast a wide enough net and do the legwork.
Okay, would you travel over-night and spend money on a hotel room for it though?
In '09 I'd have said yes, in '11 I would have said maybe not, in '13 I didn't know it was driving distance until it was too late to book a hotel so I didn't have the option. If I had known at the end of this Saturday night the things I know today? Yes, I would have driven down and gotten a room, and I'm slightly kicking myself for not bringing an overnight bag as I had the offer of a free bed at the resort from a buddy, it turned out.
I went to BC07. The atmosphere changed. The "hang-out" aspect was there in 2001 (the last pre-Fun Publications BotCon I went to). But, in '07, not so much. Walk-ins basically got....a dealer room. I stood in line to shake Nick Roche's hand. (I did not pack any comics for him to sign.) Shaking Roche's hand was the highlight of the con.
Sounds very isolated, making plans to meet folks in advance can really affect a convention experience. Having specific goals beyond shaking one guy's hand also can help. Focus can shape and determine your reality.
Towards the end, a Fun Publications rep got on the PA system and announced a super special deal, buy 2 cases of movie Voyagers (wave one stuff that had been out for a while), get a third case for free. (It was something like that.) And, Particle Man (one of the more colourful dealers) sold Zab and I a huge box of knock-offs for like $10.
Between my ticket and my door fee, I spent ~$50 to walk around a dealer room and shake a guy's hand. It would have been more money if I did not hitch a ride home with Zab and Lewis (who I normally hang out with for free). That is not $50 worth of fun.
And you didn't drop into any panels, you didn't go to lunch with someone, you didn't sit in the lobby playing with a figure when someone came up to you and struck up a conversation. Those things happen at Botcon, I've seen it and I've lived it. If you don't set significant enough goals like those mentioned above, having a social attitude can really make a con like this - or at least leaving yourself open to it.
I have had toys break apart in my hands while gently applying purpose made thinners using a q-tip. I did not trust the plastic of the "Heroes of Cybertron" figures.
Knowing your materials can make a big difference. I think Heroes of Cybertron are all PVC, PVC is rubbery and porous, it doesn't take to paint well and it certainly doesn't take to caustic thinners that destroy paint.
