OTFCC 2004

« OTFCC2004 »
Faster, Prime! That logo's almost on top of you!
Date	July 31,2004
City	Rosemont, IL
Venue	Donald E. Stephens Convention Center

OTFCC2004was the Official Transformers Collectors Convention in 2004, run by3H Enterprises.

Venue

It was held in the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in theChicagosuburb of Rosemont,Illinois,July 31throughAugust 1.

Merchandise

A 28-pagesouvenir guidewas available.Exclusivemerchandise included aDreamwave Productions"20th Anniversary Mega-Litho" poster, aPalisades Toys6 "Ultra Magnus Statue, and aDevil's DuePublishing's GI Joe vs Transformers Volume II Preview Edition. (At least that's what the convention souvenir booklet says. Anyone actually see/remember this stuff?)

Convention-exclusive toys

"I have no electronics, yet I'm still picking up radio signals."

• UniverseMegazarak
• UniverseSentinel Maximus

Sentinel Maximus was not actually available at the time of the show, and was mailed to pre-registrants byHasbromonths later (after3H's collapse). Some who ordered this toy never received it at all due to outdated mailing lists.

A pair ofSkyblast's Energon Spears (as well as Energon Stars) cast in blue ('Alpha') and purple ('Omega') plastic were given away at the Hasbro booth after completing a survey.

Fiction

A dramatic encounter that may or may not have ever actually happened!

The Convention Guide had a five-page teaser story, "Shell Game",featuring the exclusive toy characterMegazarak.Written by Simon Furman, with art by Andrew Froedge, colors by Joe Givens, and letters by Simon Bowland, it was notable forUltra Trionand his nifty, dashing cape.

Multiple3H comicswere also first sold at this convention:

• Transformers: Universe featuring The Wreckers#2,The Director's Cut, with all-new coloring and additionalcharacter profiles
• Transformers: Universe featuring The Wreckers#3
• Transformers: Universe#2
• Transformers: Universe#3

Universe#3 featured two convention-exclusive variant covers: a standard convention cover and another available only to Platinum Pass holders.

Alive-action voice actor playwas performed Saturday night.

Guests

Snapdragon and Ironhide couldn't make the photoshoot due to scheduling conflicts.

We're not worthy!

Hasbro employees

• Greg Lombardo,Director of Marketing
• Aaron Archer,Design Director
• Eric Siebenaler,Designer
• Tony Beard,painter for Hasbro Toy Group — Cincinnati (formerly Kenner).

Voice actors

• Michael McConnohie— Voice ofTracks,Cosmos,andHot Shot.
• Dan Gilvezan— Voice ofBumblebeeandHot Spot.
• Scott McNeil— Voice ofDinobot,Rattrap,Waspinator,Jetfire,Omega SupremeandStrongarm.

Comics and art

• Bob Budiansky— Editor of the first four issues of the Marvel Comic, writer of the next 50 or so. Writer of bios, creator of mythos.Scroungesprung fully formed from his very cranium. 'Nuff said.
• Simon Furman— The guy who wrote the other half of the Marvel Comics. Writer of other bios, creator of other mythos. 'Nuff said.
• Andrew Wildman— Artist for several issues of the Marvel Comic.
• Guido Guidi,freelance illustrator for various companies handling TF licensed work; somebox artas well.

Musician

• Vince DiCola— composer of the musical scores forThe Transformers: The MovieandRocky IV.

Events

OH MY GOD THE FLOORS ARE BARE CONCRETE HOW DARE THEY IT LOOKS LIEK AN AIRPLANE HANGAR I AM SO TOTALLY INSULTED GLEN HALIBUT YOU BIG FAT JERK!!!!!! (this was an actual complaint.)

Abandon allhopetaste ye who enter here.

The highlight of the weekend wasDEATH BY CHOCOLATE.It was originally billed as aTransformers-themed murder-mystery dinner complete with Nightbeat art, but due to the hosting entertainment company - Celebration Services, Inc - refusing to change their format or script without "substantial remuneration", theTransformerstheme was dropped and it became a standard murder-mystery dinner based around a bunch of people named after brands of candy. We had lots of fun filling out the forms and playing with the pencils on the group W bench there; thenBob Budianskyshowed up and everybody got lithographs signed byPeter CullenandFrank Welker.

One of the weekend's best kept secrets.

Panels included:

• Generation 1Creators Retrospective, with Bob Budiansky, Simon Furman, and Andrew Wildman.
• MSTF:The Musical
• HasbroDevelopment Team
• Dreamwave'sFuture Plans
• Devil's Due's Future Plans
• Furman,Glen Hallit,Dan Khanna,and Guido Guidi discuss theWreckersandUniversecomics.
• Pat LeeTeaches You How to Draw Like Pat Lee
• Voice Actor Panel
• Painting Workshop with Tony Beard
• Aspiring Voice Actor Contest - A Tribute to CrappyScott McNeilImpressions
• Live-Action Script Reading- a Simon Furman script featuring the guest voice actors and winners of the Aspiring Voice Actor Contest

Current and upcoming toys displayed by Hasbro included theEnergoncombiner teams andMega-Dinobot,and numerousAlternators,includingTracks,Jazz,Dead End,Hound,andSwindle.