With the last BotCon days away, Radio Free Cybertron looks back at more than two decades of the official Transformers convention. Brian and Don are joined by Ben Yee, Anthony Brucali and, for the first time, former BotCon and OTFCC organizer Glenn Hallett. They trade first-convention stories, favorite exclusives and thoughts on what replaces BotCon. Rob Springer, listener voicemails and an Exvee segment on the late JD Church round out the tribute.
First BotCons
Don was first in line at BotCon 1994 in Fort Wayne and peeked in to see boxes of G2 Breakdown waiting for attendees. The dealer room showed him Japanese and European toys he never knew existed. Glenn’s first was 1995, with a laser show set to the movie soundtrack. He found the convention through John and Carl’s articles in Lee’s Action Figure News, which listed their phone number. Ben’s first was 1997, Anthony’s was 1999 in St. Paul, and Brian’s was 2001. All of them say meeting online friends in person was the real thrill.
Listener Voicemails
Rick, known online as ShatteredGlassJazz, is heading to his 13th BotCon. His favorite years are 2006, 2008 and 2011, and he got engaged to his wife, Erica, at BotCon 2010 in Orlando. Jeremy from the Transmissions podcast attended in 2004, 2011 and 2012. He remembers meeting Peter Cullen at what he believes was Cullen’s first convention. He also carried home Autobot and Decepticon logos from the 2012 Hasbro booth.
A third caller watched a dealer snap the leg off a Fortress Maximus during a demonstration. At a Chicago show, he also saw one woman distract two dealers while her friend pocketed G1 toys.
Building BotCon
Glenn explains that a turbulent 1996, including friction with Dennis Barger’s TransCon plans, led to BotCon 1997. He and John and Carl sketched the framework for the coming years on the drive home to Fort Wayne. Don singles out the 2001 Tigatron and Arcee exclusives and still hangs his 3H certificate of appreciation at home.
Friends and the Headmaster Arcee Question
Glenn sums it up as “BotCon keeps getting in the way of BotCon,” because seeing friends became the main event. Ben describes the sadness of Sunday night goodbyes, and Don fears this whole BotCon will feel like Sunday evening. Brian’s favorite fan moment came at OTFCC 2003, when Don stood up at the Hasbro panel and asked for a Headmaster Arcee. Don explains Arcee mattered because she starred in the movie and never got a toy.
Rob Springer Remembers
Rob notes this is the second “last BotCon” he has lived through, after the 2004 split. His favorite story is from 2002 in Fort Wayne. He spotted Beast Wars Metals Ravage, the Jaguar X9 figure, for $40 but had only $20 on him. By the time he ran back from the ATM, one buyer had taken the whole stack, and a dealer relisted them at $80. He settled for Shadow Panther and welcomes whatever official convention comes next.
Geeky Moments and Rare Toys
The panel remembers the OTFCC 2003 message board dance party and Cybertronian language pamphlets handed out in 2001. Anthony hosted a live fan-fiction reading at BotCon 1999, and Don role-played as Spike at BotCon 1994. Ben recalls buying Beast Wars Second Galvatron for $25 in a dealer room. He says that sense of wonder faded once everything could be ordered online.
Favorite Exclusives
Glenn picks the 2001 Arcee, which made a pink and white spider work. Anthony chooses the 1999 Sandstorm and the 2001 Tigatron, the first Japan-only X9 mold released in the US. Ben gives an honorable mention to Packrat versus Fractyl, then names Flamewar, the character he created for 2005. He defends that 2005 set, which Fun Publications pulled together in about nine months. Brian’s pick is Ultra Mammoth from the club subscription service.
The Future of Transformers Conventions
Don hopes Hasbro keeps a collector-focused show that celebrates the brand’s history. Anthony expects Hasbro to bring conventions in-house, possibly as a multi-brand event. Ben thinks a Hasbro version of Comic-Con could work if it keeps the fan focus. Brian points to smaller unofficial shows like ShartaCon for the personal feel BotCon once had. Ben thanks 3H and Fun Publications for what they built, and Glenn may start an archive blog of his convention years.
Remembering JD Church
Exvee says BotCon 2012 meant the most to him because it was his only chance to meet JD Church in person. Fort Max recalls standing in the exclusives line while JD jumped and yelled “Hey Fort Max!” until he finally turned around. They also remember JD being moved out of the golden ticket rows while Brian and Exvee kept their press seats. Archive audio of JD tells his side of the story.
Radio Free Cybertron is the world's first and oldest toy and action figure podcast — broadcasting from the heart of the Transformers fan community since October 1999. What started as a scrappy fan show has grown into an institution, with nearly 1,000 episodes and over 25 years of coverage. Every week, host Brian Kilby and the RFC crew dig into the latest Transformers news, toy reveals, collecting, and everything hitting shelves from Hasbro, Takara, and beyond. No fluff, no hype — just informed, passionate collectors who have been doing this longer than anyone else on the planet. The original. The longest running. Till all are one.