Botcon '12 Exclusives

[BWprowl]

It also just looked stupid. "Ohohoho, leapard print seats! Brilliant!"

Like I said, opinions. I thought the spots were reasonably clever, and certainly more contextually entertaining than, say, just slapping a bumper sticker on SGoundwave that declares how cool he thinks rock ‘n’ roll is.

I like the vehicle mode for Sideways/BC09Scourge. I also prefer Scourge to be clearly unearthly, like Cyclonus.

If you want that, you could just get Titanium Scourge. He’s got a ‘non-Earthly’ vehicle mode, and he actually looks like Scourge. Don’t get me wrong, I agree with you that SideNoiseWaysMaze is a cool toy (I love it as Ratbat), but it just doesn’t work as Scourge at all (recursively enough, Generations Scourge would work really well as Ratbat, if they’d get around to using that alternate head). The fact that FunPub foisted BotCon Scourge on the fans in a world where Titanium Scourge came out like a year prior, and Generations Scourge would be out a year or so later, and stuck him in a set he had no place in, will forever be one of the most baffling situations I’ve seen in Transfandom.

kinda think the mismatchery was intentional/the point,

I think you are giving them way too much credit on this question. I doubt that the Fan Club has that kind of creativity working for it. Look at their work product.

Hey, I'm not calling the Club geniuses by any stretch of the imagination, but I think even they would be able to divine that looking stupid is AM Thundercracker's whole shtick.

The execution of the concept, the fact that it was "continuing a series that had ended to keep the most obsessive fans happy".

Oh come, like you wouldn’t be jazzed if they defibrillated PCC for a season? You just mad because the series that got Botcon’s stay of execution happens to be one that you personally don’t like. If BotCon had brought out one last set of SideStreaker repaints as a send-off to obsessive fans of Generations, you’d be doing fucking cartwheels.

EDIT: You know, that’s arguably what happened with the ’07 set. “Oh no, Classics is over and all the fans are sad! Let’s give them one last set of Classics toys to make them happy!” And you said, Thundergate aside, that that was a good set!

And, wow, Toxitron is so creative! Look, he is a moronized Optimus!

Meh, he's just a Bizarro riff. Uncreative, sure. But hardly offensive.

[Shockwave]

And to build off of what Prowl said, Dom, calling it fannish is... Ok, here's the thing: ALL of the sets are fannish! Seriously. They're put out by THE FAN CLUB! By definition fannish. So saying something that was produced by a fan club for fans is fannish is like saying that you don't like butter because it's too buttery. I'm sorry but I can't give you this one. Now, if you just hate the set because you hate Animated that's another story entirely.

[BWprowl]

And now we've got Treadshot revealed. This one's actually kind of okay. I like the idea of an Armada Side Swipe homage, and the mold looks nice in those colors. Plus it's kind of neat that they're finally explaining the origin of that previously-mysterious Universe Treadshot vs. Ultra Magnus pack (even if it does suck that the answer turned out to be SG). On the other hand, I'm not the biggest fan of the Generations Jazz mold, and the alternate head they went and used is, in my opinion, not as good a match for Treadshot/Side Swipe as the regular Jazz head woul've been. Oh well, not like I'll be buying it anyway (If Dom were still getting the set/splitting it up, this might be one I petitioned for).

Word on the street is this mold'll get done up again as Kick-Off for a souvenier set, so that's kinda cool. Unless it, y'know, turns out to be SG Kick-Off.

[Dominic]

If you want that, you could just get Titanium Scourge.

That is not a bad mould. But, it is a bit small to be next to TFU Cyclonus.

Hey, I'm not calling the Club geniuses by any stretch of the imagination, but I think even they would be able to divine that looking stupid is AM Thundercracker's whole shtick.

I am not giving it to them. I really do not think they put that much thought in to it. More likely, they did not bother to double check the moulding trays before they made the toy.

You just mad because the series that got Botcon’s stay of execution happens to be one that you personally don’t like.

It is not a question of me not liking TFA. It is a question of the set having much of what I do not like about TFA. I am not a fan of the movies either. But, I could not be as annoyed with a movie themed pack.

(Seriously, Sorenson wears on me about as much as Willis does.)

If BotCon had brought out one last set of SideStreaker repaints as a send-off to obsessive fans of Generations, you’d be doing fucking cartwheels.

I would want it at mass retail and you know this.

Meh, he's just a Bizarro riff. Uncreative, sure. But hardly offensive.

It is an obnoxiously stupid idea that they pretend is charming or whimsical or something.

And to build off of what Prowl said, Dom, calling it fannish is...

By "fannish" I mean "full of self-indulgent ass-holery".


Last night's reveal establishes that Jazz is on the table. This opens the door for a G2 Jazz, a red Jazz or even a silver Jazz, along with additional options for Autotroopers....

I am more interested in the implications for the "no head mould re-use" statement. Will that apply to the custom class figure and/or to the non-convention heads?

Oh well, not like I'll be buying it anyway (If Dom were still getting the set/splitting it up, this might be one I petitioned for).

I might be getting this set. I do not know yet.

as Kick-Off for

Kind classy of Fun Publications to continually piggy back on Roche and Roberts huh?

Jazz also opens the door for Shockwave. A friend of a friend who happens to "get stuff" early was saying "Jazz is on the table" over the holiday break. He was also saying "Shockwave maybe". Willis (who is not at all my friend thankfully) made reference to Shockwave about a week ago on AllSpark. So.....


Dom
-still needs to post a "Sector 7" review.

[BWprowl]

I am not giving it to them. I really do not think they put that much thought in to it. More likely, they did not bother to double check the moulding trays before they made the toy.

Wow, you mad. Almost as mad as I am about BotCon Scourge.

It is not a question of me not liking TFA. It is a question of the set having much of what I do not like about TFA. I am not a fan of the movies either. But, I could not be as annoyed with a movie themed pack.

Alright, I'ma need specifics on this one. What, specifically, did the Animated BotCon set have that was indicative of what you did not like about Animated? Because all I see are some dudes repainted to look like other dudes from a previous series, which describes about 90% of BotCon offerings.

(Seriously, Sorenson wears on me about as much as Willis does.)

Sorenson never persuaded fans to hate a character just so he could turn on them and call said character awesome and make fun of said fans for hating him. He'll never be as bad as Willis.

By "fannish" I mean "full of self-indulgent ass-holery".

I'm still not getting what was 'self-indulgent' about it. It's not like the FunPub guys had the toys repainted into their personal fan-characters or something, they just made an Animated version of an established G1 team. There's so much precedent for this sort of thing (in BotCon, in Animated, in the entire franchise) that you could fill a vault and swim in it, Scrooge McDuck-style.

I am more interested in the implications for the "no head mould re-use" statement. Will that apply to the custom class figure and/or to the non-convention heads?

One thing that needs to be pointed out is that a lot of the 'already on the mold' alt heads from the Generations figures haven't been used until now, so coupled with new convention-exclusive heads, we could have plenty of variety, without any heads being re-used.

Oh well, not like I'll be buying it anyway (If Dom were still getting the set/splitting it up, this might be one I petitioned for).

I might be getting this set. I do not know yet.

Ah. Well, keep me on the short list.

[Dominic]

Wow, you mad. Almost as mad as I am about BotCon Scourge.

If they are going to make an over the top bad toy, they need the credibility to establish that they were not just being lazy in making a bad toy.

Alright, I'ma need specifics on this one. What, specifically, did the Animated BotCon set have that was indicative of what you did not like about Animated? Because all I see are some dudes repainted to look like other dudes from a previous series, which describes about 90% of BotCon offerings.

Maybe I am biased because the set came out so soon after the Sideways kerfuffle, (where Sorenson put something stupid into a sourcebook as a joke, even though "it maybe did not count, but hey...") And, much like SG, I am fucking sick of the fact that the franchise gets away with producing idiotic shit and the fans saying it is brilliant and awesome. (Retardimus Prime, aka Toxitron, is not brilliant. It is a fucking stupid idea.)

Sorenson never persuaded fans to hate a character just so he could turn on them and call said character awesome and make fun of said fans for hating him. He'll never be as bad as Willis.

There is more than one way for people to be obnoxious. Apples and oranges here man. The important thing is that they are both assholes.

One thing that needs to be pointed out is that a lot of the 'already on the mold' alt heads from the Generations figures haven't been used until now, so coupled with new convention-exclusive heads, we could have plenty of variety, without any heads being re-used.

Part of me wants Wheeljack's head on Track's body as Axer. I dunno why. (Track's head is really hard to take off, which makes me wary of customizing....)


Dom
-would not mind a proper "happy Jazz" face, but ain't planning on it.

[BWprowl]

If they are going to make an over the top bad toy, they need the credibility to establish that they were not just being lazy in making a bad toy.

Credibility such as...a history of making bad toys?

And, much like SG, I am fucking sick of the fact that the franchise gets away with producing idiotic shit and the fans saying it is brilliant and awesome. (Retardimus Prime, aka Toxitron, is not brilliant. It is a fucking stupid idea.)

I don't think anyone behind it ever intended Toxitron to be seen as, say, an expert examination of the darker recesses of leadership and the tole it takes on those who accept its mantle, forcing them to effectively devolve into the reverse of what they hoped to be. I think he was just inteded as, you know, a mildly amusing joke character. For someone with a well documented love of dick and fart jokes, Dom, you can be awfully humorless sometimes.

(Did people really rave that much about Toxitron? I know Scourge here is a bit of a fan of the original unproduced figure, but I didn't really hear much about the Animated Botcon one.)

There is more than one way for people to be obnoxious. Apples and oranges here man. The important thing is that they are both assholes.

What else has Sorenson done, besides get a tiny joke misinterpreted by David Willis and blown up into a destroying-Animated-for-Dom-forever conspiracy? I honestly haven't really kept up with these things (And as someone with a love of having material compiled and on-hand, you at least owe him thanks for 'The Ark' I and II).

Dom
-would not mind a proper "happy Jazz" face, but ain't planning on it.

Man, you and me both. I think this might be the first instance of an *expression* on a head-sculpt making it not work for the intended character.

[Shockwave]

Alright, I'ma need specifics on this one. What, specifically, did the Animated BotCon set have that was indicative of what you did not like about Animated? Because all I see are some dudes repainted to look like other dudes from a previous series, which describes about 90% of BotCon offerings.

Maybe I am biased because the set came out so soon after the Sideways kerfuffle, (where Sorenson put something stupid into a sourcebook as a joke, even though "it maybe did not count, but hey...") And, much like SG, I am fucking sick of the fact that the franchise gets away with producing idiotic shit and the fans saying it is brilliant and awesome. (Retardimus Prime, aka Toxitron, is not brilliant. It is a fucking stupid idea.)

Ok, fine I'll give you Toxitron, but Dom, you REALLY need to start separating the fandom from the franchise. They are not one and the same and the fandom should not be ruining the franchise for you. If this trend continues, you'll hate Transformers altogether before you reach 35. I mean, look what happened with BW. You let one obnoxious fan ruin the whole thing for you. And for what? It's not like Synjo was an important part of your life or someone that matters to you so why let him have that power of you? I know I've said this before, but it seems like most of your problems with the franchise of late aren't really with the franchise itself but with how idiotic the fandom can be. So the solution here is pretty obvious: Stop interacting with/paying attention to that part of the fandom. It's pretty easy really. The only part of the fandom I pay attention to are you guys and you guys are awesome. I stay away from the larger sites like Seebertron or Allspark or the twiki because I don't wanna get wrapped up in all the shit that happens there. So with all of that in mind, and putting aside all the fandom nonsense: I'll have to ask again what about the 2011 set (and I'm really just talking about the boxed set not all the extra shit they sell at the con) is fannish? And subsequently I'm also curious what you don't like about Animated (again, putting fandom bullshit aside)?

And wow, I once again ranted longer than usual.

Sorenson made a joke. That does not make him an asshole. It makes Willis that much of a bigger asshole for making a mountain out of what should have been a mosquito bite. The lesson here? Stay away from the damned wiki.

[BWprowl]

So we’ve got those tiny pics of the whole set out now. Ultra Magnus isn’t too surprising at this point, but it’ll be interesting to see the bigger images hit so we can get a look at his supposedly new headsculpt. Metalhawk’s mildly interesting, being a repaint of Thunderwing (called it!) apparently based on Metalhawk’s Pretender shell. Kind of a weird call, being that his armored shell is the form Metalhawk generally spent the *least* amount of time in, and it kiiiiinda looks like the new head on the BotCon toy might *actually* have a human face in a helmet going on there, but I guess we’ll know for sure later. ‘S yeah, I think Treadshot is the only one of these that remotely interests me.

Someone also leaked images of one of the at-show figures: Octopunch, as a repaint of Sea Spray. He has ducks on his roof!

[JediTricks]

The comic was pretty bad, I will agree completely there Why the hell did everybody have modern-ish Earth modes millions of years ago....on another planet? Yeah, there are plenty of real-world explanations. But, the more of those you suggest, the more it raises the question of they those issues were not accounted for before writing the shitty comic. In-story, the only explanation that works is that we saw the story as recounted by Kup and (mis)understood by the other Autobots. But, that is giving Fun Publications far more credit than they deserve. There are a few nicely drawn pages, but that does not save the comic by any stretch.

I thought that story took place in the FUTURE beyond G1, during the days leading up to BW but before Megatron took them back in time into Earth's past. I haven't read it though.

Anyway, I have never seen the appeal of these sets, and surely don't understand the high pricetags they garner.