So I find out Botcons gonna be in my backyard of Lexington KY this year. I figure if I dont go to this thing, the 4 year old version of myself will jump through a time portal and whip my ass. So im with my crew friday night doing copius amounts of illicits and in my stupor mention Botcon. I get a blanketed reaction of "WTF?" but continue to enthusiatically expound upon it. "Optimus Prime's gonna be there!" Theres genuine interest but in fear of lookin nerdy in front of bitches my topic of interest gets little support. Later interest becomes piqued in the haze of debauchery.
It was unknown to me that Botcon starts at like 8 in the freakin morning alas my bum friends are still out at 2pm. Fuck it its Saturday and I'm convicted to go. I help myself to a Gravity Bong hit and procede to Botcon! I swing there to find that they had a midnight showing of TF the movie at the local arthouse theatre the night before. Wish I had made that.
So I go into the main room of Botcon and its a goddamn transformer paradise. Gonna have to appologize for not takin pics as I dont really have a digital cam. Like 30-50 booths selling or displaying all TF merch past, present and future. I see this dude assembling a series of the largest fighter jet 'bot Ive ever seen. Theres display cases of new imaginations of old G1 TF's. These are the closest deal to G1 I've probably seen outside Alternators/20th Prime. I snag a Decepticon shirt for myself at a booth ad a Thundercats for my sister.
I goto the IDW booth and Don Figuroa and Simon Furman are sellin comics and signing shit. I kick it with them for a bit. Super nice fellahs. I ask them if theres anything I can buy off em that they both worked on so they can sign. So they rock me a promo book and hancock it for 10 bones.
They announce that Peter Cullen is gonna have a discussion panel in one of the hotel ballrooms. I send my ass that direction.
He's already begun but hes got a legion of supernerds at his complete command. He looks like someones dad with a full mustache, flannel shirt and bluejeans. He looks like he owns a log cabin somewhere where he goes huntin and fishin. He does a Q n' A session filled with pretty interesting shit: I'll try to remember the gist of it:
Peter Cullen said he was inspired as a kid to do voice acting by Mel Blanc. He eventually got to work with his idol in a Captain Caveman 'toon.
He was asked about Michael Bay's movie and he thinks that of what little he read (2 pages of script) that they have the spirit of Optimus there. He said the main difference is that he has more casual speak to relate with the Witwicky character and the audience. Dunno how I feel about that one, but after Cullen went in Prime voice Im convinced he can read a line about Prime shopping for tampons and I'd believe it.
This led to a good question about how he keeps his voice in check doing voice work and he amiably replied in Prime voice, "I reckon I'd soothe my throat with some Kentucky Bourbon." Which was a righteous answer considering how Prime would only drink the best. All while stroking off the local crowd.
He was asked if he had any of the toys and he mentioned that be spent a pretty penny at the con buying an original G1 Prime. Guess you gotta have that fucker if you dont...and youre Cullen at a Botcon.
Then some fat bitch asked him about an obscure My Little Pony episode to where she endured the ridicule of the ballroom of geeks and even Mr Cullen himself. (sorry klint)
When he was finishing up the Q n A a hip cat in the crowd had asked if wearing the red flannel and blue jeans was intentional and he stood up and posed replying with his love and gratitude for the fans.
At the end I got to shake the hand of Optimus Prime.
Stoned off my ass.
If I remember anymore I'll try to update. The convention schedule is presented here for anyone interested in what kind of shit goes down at one of these things:
