Transformers TFCon 2019 Event Preview

This weekend will see the Transformers fan convention, TFCon, arrive at Burbank, California. TFCon will cover all things from your favorite Robots in Disguise. That includes events and signings for the comics, the animated shows (both classic G1 and newer shows), the live-action films, and of course, the toys. Here’s a look at some of the key events to check out and my top picks for what events to check out.

Friday, March 15:

Five Faces of Darkness Screening With Flint Dille Commentary (8:10 pm): Generation 1 animated series writer Flint Dille will be in Burbank as a special guest for TFCon and providing live commentary for the five-part miniseries that kicked off Season 3 of the classic 1980s Transformers animated series. Flint Dille has written some of our favorite cartoons in the 1980s. Besides Transformers, he’s also worked on the classic G.I. Joe series, Inhumanoids, and Visionaries. It will be a great experience to check out Flint Dille’s unique perspective on the original series.

Saturday, March 16:

Generation 1 Q/A with Micheal Bell, Michael Horton, Marlene Aragon, Alan Oppenheimer, Donald F. Glut and Paul Davids – City Ballroom (10:00 am): Saturday will kick off with a great lineup of classic G1 animated series talent providing a special Q&A session. Alan Oppenheimer might best be known for his work as Skeletor in the classic animated series Masters of the Universe. However, he also voiced a number of classic G1 Cybertronians, including Warpath, Beachcomber, Breakdown and Seaspray. Michael Bell is a longtime animation voice-acting veteran, voicing the likes of Duke in the original G.I. Joe, and the original Prowl, Sideswipe, Bombshell, Brainstorm, First Aid, Scrapper and Swoop in G1 Transformers. We’ll also be hearing the voice of Alita-1 in Marlene Aragon. So, if you are a fanatic for the original 1980s Transformers animated series or 1980s action shows in general, this is your hot ticket for Saturday.

Bumblebee Movie Q&A with David Sobolov and Jon Bailey (11:00 am): David Sobolov is a tremendous talent, with his Transformers experience going back to the classic 1990s series, Beast Wars, where he voiced Depth Charge. More recently, he came to voice Shockwave in Transformers Prime and graduated up to the live-action franchise, voicing Blitzwing in Bumblebee last December. If you enjoy Screen Junkies’ Honest Movie Trailers series, you will note that the great Jon Bailey is also the voice-over artist/narrator behind that show. More recently, he got the chance to voice Soundwave in the Bumblebee movie and the big chief Autobot himself, Optimus Prime, in the Combiner Wars web show. Sobolov and Bailey will be taking part in a live Q&A panel for fans in attendance, so it will be great to see what insight and anecdotes they have to offer on working with Travis Knight for the live-action franchise.

Transformers Animated Q/A with Eric Siebenaler, Derrick J. Wyatt and Marty Isenberg (12:00 pm) The crew behind the beloved Transformers: Animated show will be in attendance for live Q&A panel, including senior product designer Eric Seibenaler and writer Marty Isenberg. If you were a fan of this animated series, it’s definitely one to check out.

Transformers Costume contest (2:00 pm): One of the best things about any fandom is great cosplay, and Transformers is not the easiest property to do good cosplay for. This should be a great chance to see what fans can come up with for Transformers-themed costumes.

The Transformers: The Movie (1986) Q/A with Ron Friedman, Neil Ross, Paul Eiding, Douglas Booth and Flint Dille (3:00 pm): Cast and crew members for the original theatrical 1986 animated Transformers movie will be present for a panel looking back at the now iconic film. Guests include the aforementioned Flint Dille, along with Neil Ross “Springer) and Paul Eiding (Perceptor). You might also recognize Eiding’s voice as the character from another iconic franchise, Colonel Roy Campbell in Metal Gear Solid. Then later in the day, fans in attendance can check out the full animated feature at 6:20 pm.

Sunday, March 17

Beast Machines 20th anniversary Q/A with David Kaye & Bob Skir (2:00 pm): The legendary David Kaye will be in attendance for a special Beast Machines 20th Anniversary panel. OK, Beast Machines may not be the best or most classic animated series for the franchise. For a lot of fans, it’s a mixed bag, especially as the follow-up to the far superior Beast Wars. But having the amazing David Kaye in attendance to answer questions and talk about the show could be great, considering his wealth of experience and time voicing Megatron in multiple animated shows, along with Optimus Prime in Transformers: Animated. Think about that. Kaye has gone on to voice both Optimus Prime and Megatron in very successful Transformers shows. Beast Machines head writer and story editor Bob Skir will also be on the hot seat to talk about what is quite possibly the most polarizing Transformers animated series in history.

Q/A with Transformers War For Cybertron Writer Brandon Easton (3:00 pm): In another signature panel this weekend, Brandon Easton will be in attendance. Easton is working on the recently announced, upcoming Netflix animated series, Transformers: War for Cybertron. So, this will be the first chance for fans to pick the brain for a writer for a currently in-production Transformers animated series. Hopefully, Easton will have some interesting news or reveals for the show.

On top of the panels, the guests of honor will be conducting autograph signings, there will most likely be a jam-packed dealer room, and also a tournament for the Transformers Trading Card Game. You can read more on that one RIGHT HERE.

The Transformers TFCon is slated to run from March 15-17 at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel and Convention Center.