We started out early today. I was so excited last night about taking a vacation at AX that I hardly got enough sleep–three and a half hours. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who didn’t get any sleep. Also, Lawrence was sick with a cold. Adrian came to pick me up around 6:40 am. We left around 7 to pick up Lawrence and then to the Metrolink station. Just like last year, we took the Metrolink. It was a smooth ride. We arrived at Union Station around 9:30, took the Dash and arrived at the Westin Bonaventure around 10.



We took a little breather in the room. It felt like we did a lot already and couldn’t believe it’s still mid-morning. According to plan, Adrian and I went grocery shopping for our weeks-worth of supplies while Lawrence went back to the hotel to get some rest and sleep. The Downtown Ralph’s we went to was awesome. It was like another world in there. It was so clean, something we didn’t expect from Downtown. We got our supplies and headed back after an hour of running around. You see, we were supposed to have done this last year, but didn’t.



After resting again, Adrian and I took a little trip to Little Tokyo. We didn’t have to, but it was to kill some time until time to get our badges at the convention center. Lawrence stayed again to sleep and rest. When we arrived in Little Tokyo, we didn’t bother with the main plaza. I only wanted to go to Kinokuniya to look for a FM Magazine, which I haven’t bought since last summer. After the bookstore, we relaxed at the local cafe drinking iced café mochas because of the downtown heat. We picked up a few more snacks at the market and headed back. Now we’re waiting for Tim to show up after he called and told us he missed to 2:45 train. Bummer! He left from Bernardino instead.



Tim finally arrived. We spotted him walking down the street from our room. As soon as he arrived, we all took the Dash to the convention center to get out badges. We were all exited to get our badges early so that we don’t have to wait in the very, very long pre-registration lines on the actual first day of Expo. Wrong! As soon as we entered the convention center and followed the registration lines, we saw a huge, huge, HUGE crowd. That was the pre-reg line! So I guess that’s the beginnings to line waiting. It had to start somewhere, so why not the day before? It was a quick two hour wait. During one point in the line, groups were split up into smaller lines for the actual registration. Lawrence went to the closest line, while the rest of us went to the furthest line because it was the shortest of the six smaller lines. Bad decision. Lawrence was way ahead of us because he had the faster line. We, in turn, had the slowest line. When we arrived at the front, the person dictating when to use registration computers let two people or two groups of people use two of the six available computers. While in the other lines, all six of their computers were constantly begin used. WTF! After we got our badges, we relaxed in front of the convention center until it got real cold, then we took the shuttle bus back to the hotel. Woohoo! Cup-O-Noodles for dinner!!!

The plan was to leave Saturday morning at 5 am from here, the Inland Empire. We met a the usual meeting place and went to go picked up Lawrence. And with a stroke of bad luck, we actually left in time. In leaving so early in the morning, there was no traffic on the way to Pasadena, with the exception with a few dumb-asses on the freeway. At Pasadena, we found the right exit and headed south to the Pasadena Convention Center.

The first order of business…to find parking space. With it being so early, it wasn’t a problem. After parking, the second order of business…to eat breakfast. Most of us didn’t eat breakfast before we left or didn’t eat a good meal for some time. We walked around the Paseo del Coronado looking for a Denny’s, Coco’s or some other family-style restaurant where they serve good breakfast meals. There wasn’t any tp be found. Instead, after walking for some time, we decided to eat breakfast at the Sheraton nearby. The third and final order of business…to find the registration line. After eating our good but pricy meal, we left for the convention center. There was already a line on each side of the main entrance. But it wasn’t the registration line. We were told the line was at the front the of the box office. There was about half a dozen people already in line. So the waiting and testing of patience beings. But while waiting, we saw “Weird” Al Yankovich walk by with his entourage to his first gig that morning, where attendee began lining up before 6 am. We took some pics. There was also some convention dude selling programs. I wasted the $5 to get one.

We “heard” the box office opens at 8:30. When the time came around, a second line formed for the “early bird special.” If was for those easily swayed to part with $50 just to get in the dealer’s hall an hour before everyone else. In this time of economic upheaval, only a a dozen or so suckers got in that line. Us, general attendees, in the “econo-line” waited another hour before we could get it. When we paid our $15 and 75¢, instead of getting a badge, hold and neck strap, general attendees got Ticket Master ticket’s. How gay is that? They also could’ve rounded up the 75¢. With a convention (“con” for short)with big names, they could’ve much, much better in this aspect. Even with a first-time, unknown con like Anime Matsuri, with no big names (except for Peter Cullen) had actual badges. Again to another line, but this time, the actual line to get into the convention center. Meanwhile, I was wondering what happened to Marvin. He was supposed to be here by 9. But when we got hold of each other, he was already on his way and won’t be here until 10:30.

One of the convention ushers said “Smile while going in and turning in your ticket.” I thought is was really cheesy, but a good way to ease the tension for waiting in lines all morning. He also said “If you can’t smile right now, YOU will when get inside.” Now that’s the truth. When we walked in the main entrance, we were greeted by an almost scale mode of Bumble Bee (from the first Transformers movie). We were immediately “herded” in the exhibit hall. Wow! That’s all I can say. It was just like walking into a small anime convention dealer’s room...literally. With a big name like “Transformers,” you would expect a much, much larger hall for the dealer’s exhibit (“room” or “hall” used synonymously). It was wall-to-wall Transformers merchandise...old (G1 or first generation from the early 80s) to the new (cheaper quality, with very few exceptions unfortunately).

For about an hour in the room—looking at this, looking at that, deciding to buy this, deciding to buy that, we met outside the con to catch our breath. Though there was relatively not a lot of people yet, the air the getting stuffy. Outside, we were looking at a list of what “exclusive” merchandise to buy. With just looking around the dealers hall and the exclusives list, there was nothing I really considered to buy. Maybe it’s just me. I realized at one time, I was was a really big fan. Some of you who knew me back in the day would know. I could name every character and everything else. Now I have become a “general” fan, not tied down to one show, movie or whatever. There’s just too much to know. As a final decision, I settled for a con t-shirt, which I found out later…was sold out. Then out of the blue, I heard someone yell my name down the ways. Marvin finally made it. He still had to get his ticket so he I pointed the way to the reg line, which was really, really, really long.



Round two. We went back into the dealer’s room to get the stuff we decided on. Adrian took care of that. Instead, I was wandering around the room again. When I finally decided to buy something, they were not Transformers related. Dang. Later on, I ran into Lawrence. When he decided also, he settled for two t-shirts, non-Transformers. You’d figure, at a Tranformers con, to buy but something related. Funny.

We’re resting in the convention hall once again. My feet were getting tired already. I’m not “gellin’” after all. These damn things don’t work if you’re on your feet for too long. They make great heat insulators though. Lawrence and I waited for the Brillo brothers to come out of the hall. It was already past noon and we were getting hungry again. Marvin was still in line to get his ticket. Over an hours past since we last talked. He was really getting upset on the long wait and irritating kids. We told him we were going to get lunch and that we’ll meet up afterwards.

While at lunch at the Island Cafe, we saw Peter Cullen (the voice for Optimus Prime in the G1 series and movie) across the walkway having a smoke after his lunch. We tried to scramble to take his pick, but we procrastinated for too long, as always. Only a blurry shot. After lunch, there was really nothing to do. We had to kill time ‘till 4, which was Peter Cullen’s Q&A panel. Back at the convention center, we finally got to meet up with Marvin. Now he’s more of a Transformers fan than I am. But before Marvin met up with us, Marvin’s other reason to be at this con is to meet “Screamer,” an internet blog celebrity. I recognized her as she was passing out flyers, so I immediately called up Marvin to come where we were, not realizing whether or not he was still in the reg line. When Marvin arrived, I introduced ad reintroduced him to the guys. But we immediately stepped outside to meet with Screamer. Marvin got a big-o bear hug from her and I got a handshake. It was cool meeting her. Fascinating. For those interested in her 80s blog, she’s on myspace and look up her handle. At the “real” entrance of the convention center, Stan Bush, singer of the G1 movie theme song, came out. As always, we procrastinated about taking a picture, but this time, we completely missed it.



The other people we were going to meet up with is the Brillo’s cousin, Eugene and his fiancé. They were still in line to get their tickets. Meanwhile…round three…of the dealer’s room. This time, it was Marvin and I looking around. Marvin was in earlier, but for a little while when I called him up to meet up. This time we were in the damn cattle pen much longer. There was also a much larger herd this time around too. I think I was suffering from oxygen depravation! While inside, we caught Stan Bush again. This time he was playing Rockband, sining his song while some attendees played along with the other instruments. That was cool. Marvin got a video this time. The pictures of him we took was of his back.

Thank god that was the last round of the dealer’s room. We chilled outside again. The weather was on out side today. I was nice and cool. We still had an hour to wait until the panel. While wandering around, we ended up just inside the entrance to the convention center. There was a line for some event, assumed it was for the panel. But when I asked one of the used, it was for the autograph signing that was still going on. I then asked her where the line for the panel was, but was told to get a ticket. This was beginning to sound like AX, where staff and ushers don’t have clue on what’s going on. We walked over to the info booth and asked that dude also. He said there wasn’t one yet and that it would help to start a line for the panel. I can’t help but, WTF? Is this guy an idiot too? Someone at the info booth who don’t know what’s going on? Where do you start a line? Unbelievable! Yes, the staff is just like the staff at AX.

Good thing that Marvin asked someone else about the panel. There was never a line nor did we ever had to wait. It was just walk in. When we did go in, the previous panel was just coming to and end. When Peter Cullen came up on stage, he received a standing ovation. So thus, the question and answer panel started. It started as a continuation to his autographing panel. The first dozen idiots asked for autographs, pictures, handshakes and what not. Even as people began asked “real” questions that demanded “real” answers, not were really, really idiotic questions. Amid the entire panel, there were maybe two to four good questions. And for the finale…some idiot, who didn’t take his redlin medication, put Peter on the spot with a totally uncalled for unethical question.

In conclusion, so ended BotCon 2009. At 5 pm, everything pertaining to general attendees ended. For the “inside” club members, there was a party at Paramount Studios. Everyone else was left out in the cold. Even AX (Anime Expo–as a comparison that I could only compare to) has events scheduled for general attendee until at least 10 pm for three of it’s four days. There was nothing else left on Saturday’s schedule. But, the day before, Friday, there were events that lated until midnight. Usually there would be a schedule of event’s posted on the website, but the website itself was extremely poorly designed. There was information, but it wasn’t easy to find or if found, was vague and no clear details.

Marvin brought up a good point earlier in the day when we were talking on the cell. He was irritated by all the kids. I felt the same way. I was also talking to someone who was seasoned con-goer also. He also felt the same way. What I was told, the last time BotCon came around, it wasn’t crowded and that there were very little kids running around. As I talked to more and more seasoned con-goers, the number of kids caused the post irritation. I don’t have anything against kids personally, except for parent who don’t control their kids in public places, but having kids around in a convention for industry and real fans, young adults and older is just…irritating. There was just too many families with children around. This is the result of Transformers going “mainstream,” namely the 2007 movie. There’s nothing wrong with the movie itself, but it’s the way the franchise has been “kid-afied,” made to market and appeal to children regardless to movie rating. This could be the beginning of the end of the franchise in the US. For example, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 20 years ago became kid-afied and lost a lot of it’s credibility. I could already see this from the Star Trek movie that was recently released. I guess that morals in the industry have changed in the US when you have R or PG-13 movies containing a lot of violence and sexual innuendoes being marketed to children to make money. This has been the case with the anime genre for the past decade already…unfortunately.

As a general impression for going to BotCon the first time around, it was a good experience, but not the best. With a name like “Transformers” and “Hasbo,” the con could have been at a larger, much larger venue with the number of attendees. The Pasadena Convention Center was too small. Maybe there were more rooms at the center could have been utilized, which should have been. At one time during the day, the fire department had to remove a lot of the people from the dealer’s room because it was filled to over capacity. With a convention with one specific theme, four days seem to much with so little to do. Two to three days would have been much better. And having the con end at 5 pm, on a Saturday, with the most number of attendees for that day is just poor judgement. Even with the party for the regular club member, there should have been some event or panel for the general attendee until 7 or 9 pm. That way they, we, feel that they got most of the their money and waiting an average of 2 hours in the registration line. This convention should have been named “TransCon” or something to that effect. Only Transformers were presented at “BotCon.” What about the other “bots” from other shows? So the name is a misnomer in itself. I guess I did have a lot to say about one day at BotCon. I didn't bring a camera this time, we did take a lot of pictures. I'll have to get them for the guys and post them on the website. I'll keep you posted.