THE RED SHADOWS MENTIONED IN DTC #2

[Dave Tree]

Hotels cost A LOT.

SteveD would be the best person to give an idea right now, as you pay the going rate for function hire as you would for a wedding.

Just like a wedding, you need to commit and book in advance too.

[jamarmiller]

If a convention would take place I really think it needs to be more than just Action Force

much like the GI JOE convention in the US it needs to focus on the 12inch collectors with ACTION MAN and the 3 and 3/4th inch fans with ACTION FORCE , at the very least.

The US convention has its 12 inch section and its 3 and 3/4th inch section so I would think we would need to do the same thing.

have it focus on both original and modern area Action Man as well as ACTION FORCE, I would even dare say combine it with a Transformers and GI JOE convention as well --- the name Transforce is perfect IMVHO and it has some experience with convention organizing too.

People like Simon Furman and Andrew wildman have worked on BOTH properties and you could double up on them being for Transformer fans as well as AF/GI JOE fans

all in IMVHO

[Dave Tree]

I agree on the inclusion of Action Man, would make it a heck of a lot easier to organise and attract a wider audience.

Dave.

[Red Laser]

If a convention would take place I really think it needs to be more than just Action Force

much like the GI JOE convention in the US it needs to focus on the 12inch collectors with ACTION MAN and the 3 and 3/4th inch fans with ACTION FORCE , at the very least.

The US convention has its 12 inch section and its 3 and 3/4th inch section so I would think we would need to do the same thing.

have it focus on both original and modern area Action Man as well as ACTION FORCE, I would even dare say combine it with a Transformers and GI JOE convention as well --- the name Transforce is perfect IMVHO and it has some experience with convention organizing too.

People like Simon Furman and Andrew wildman have worked on BOTH properties and you could double up on them being for Transformer fans as well as AF/GI JOE fans

all in IMVHO

Would both of them not want a huge fee to appear? And are there any BAF creators still around?

[gung-hoeddie]

well, if it was just a mob of us from here, we wouldn't need to advertise...

I am sure joecustoms members would be interested too you should see the amount of Shadow customs on there

at the end of the day if it were to be taken seriously we'd have to have advertise it. It's how you generate interest which in turn generates revenue which would support the forum for years to come.

Eddie is right. I attend a show in some form every other week, it exhausting, but believe me so much work goes into a gathering of any kind - many of them don't even cover costs - purely becuase the lack of attendance. If it was a forum meet up, genuinley how many from our small community would make it? Who would cover the costs of the venue hire, what would be on offer? What dealers would be prepared to help finance it?

IF there was a convention in the UK, what sort of things would everybody like to see? It could be anything, just go for it.

Have your wish list like this;

1) Dealer Hall - gotta go home with a nice haul of new figures.
2) Show Exclusive - doesn't need to be a figure, something special to mark the occasion, an exclusive Red Dawn cover for example.
3) Talks - there is some great knowledge out there, great platform to present and impart the knowledge.
4) Guests - Ex-employees are a BIG ask (they have been hit by the Action Man community), however I think comic artists are possible from what I've seen and used to people geeking out around them.
5) Exhibition - Something to see, could be a toy exhibition or even a Muton World Tour map.
6) Competition - this could be from a 'timed custom' event or custom costume etc.
7) Website & revival - a chance to promote associated websites, but also of projects like Red Dawn etc.
Auction - A chance to get Eddie pissed and get him to bid £600 on a loose Muton.

Give me some ideas and maybe we can do something with them, I'd be up for kick starting something off, and with some of the dealers I know, I think a few could be interested in supporting the event, as long as people's expectations aren't too high, you gotta start somewhere.

Dave.

Only £600 for a muton? Your prices have come down then dave? Seriously though it would probably be an idea to get some costings first so we'd be aware of what costs what. Then ideas could be looked at as realistic or not, as a first time convention it will be smaller but not impossible to do. jamar is right of course the more it's branched out the more people we could possibly get to attend, but there are still many questions to be answered like where would it be held?

[The Baron]

Dave and I have been kicking a few ideas about for a while now. Dave tells me that Action Man employees are regarded as local heroes in Leicester, so to my mind it makes snese to hold the do there, it's also central to the UK which makes commuting a bit more fair. The other advantage to holding it there is the possibility of former employees turning up with tales to tell. Although I used to date a girl from Loughborough so I may well spend the entire thing in disguise...

Toy exhibitions would be one thing but I would like to have both a MOC collection on display and a large diorama table set up as well. Obviously it makes sense to tie in both Action Man and the comic community as both displays and dealer stalls, I'm not so sure Transformers would mix though. If we could get some guest speakers from the toy and comic production teams that would be superb.

The other angle I'd love to see would be costumes. We've seen a few people making Red Shadow helmets and outfits now, if we could organise a group of 10-15 volunteers to play dress up that would be ace. We could easily kit out a set of and guys too, all we would need is a trip to the Army Navy Surplus store and a box of Katarra8's sew-on patches. Anyone fancy knocking up a life-size Roboskull?

A convention exclusive comic is a great idea!

[AnnieM]

I, for one, would love to see a massive diorama display - something in the vein of those big model railway layouts

some costumed guys would be great, too - earlier this year we saw just how much people enjoy meeting/being photographed with the Star Wars UK Garrison etc.

[SteveD]

Surplus store and a box of Katarra8's sew-on patches. Anyone fancy knocking up a life-size Roboskull?

I'll get my tool kit out this weekend. Does it need to be able to fly? if so I'll need a few extra days to re-write the laws of gravity too. Fortnight tops?

[Dave Tree]

Surplus store and a box of Katarra8's sew-on patches. Anyone fancy knocking up a life-size Roboskull?

I'll get my tool kit out this weekend. Does it need to be able to fly? if so I'll need a few extra days to re-write the laws of gravity too. Fortnight tops?

you have a week

[The Baron]

you have a week, dog