OTFCC 2004

OTFCC 2004 was the Official Transformers Collectors Convention in 2004, run by 3H Enterprises.

Venue

It was held in the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois, July 31 through August 1.

Merchandise

A 28-page souvenir guide was available. Exclusive merchandise included a Dreamwave Productions "20th Anniversary Mega-Litho" poster, a Palisades Toys 6" Ultra Magnus Statue, and a Devil's Due Publishing'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

• Universe Megazarak
• Universe Sentinel Maximus

Sentinel Maximus was not actually available at the time of the show, and was mailed to pre-registrants by Hasbro months later (after 3H's collapse). Some who ordered this toy never received it at all due to outdated mailing lists.

A pair of Skyblast'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

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

Multiple 3H comics were also first sold at this convention:

• Transformers: Universe featuring The Wreckers #2, The Director's Cut, with all-new coloring and additional character 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.

A live-action voice actor play was performed Saturday night.

Guests

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 of Tracks, Cosmos, and Hot Shot.
• Dan Gilvezan — Voice of Bumblebee and Hot Spot.
• Scott McNeil — Voice of Dinobot, Rattrap, Waspinator, Jetfire, Omega Supreme and Strongarm.

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. Scrounge sprung 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; some box art as well.

Musician

• Vince DiCola — composer of the musical scores for The Transformers: The Movie and Rocky IV.

Events

The highlight of the weekend was DEATH BY CHOCOLATE. It was originally billed as a Transformers-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", the Transformers theme 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; then Bob Budiansky showed up and everybody got lithographs signed by Peter Cullen and Frank Welker.

Panels included:

• Generation 1 Creators Retrospective, with Bob Budiansky, Simon Furman, and Andrew Wildman.
• MSTF: The Musical
• Hasbro Development Team
• Dreamwave's Future Plans
• Devil's Due's Future Plans
• Furman, Glen Hallit, Dan Khanna, and Guido Guidi discuss the Wreckers and Universe comics.
• Pat Lee Teaches You How to Draw Like Pat Lee
• Voice Actor Panel
• Painting Workshop with Tony Beard
• Aspiring Voice Actor Contest - A Tribute to Crappy Scott McNeil Impressions
• 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 the Energon combiner teams and Mega-Dinobot, and numerous Alternators, including Tracks, Jazz, Dead End, Hound, and Swindle.