BotCon has announced its final guest for the 2015 lineup: Kojin Ono! Read on for more details and get ready for registration, which should be going live next week barring any issues.
KOJIN ONO is a designer for Takara-Tomy and was the key creative force behind the introduction of Car Robots in Japan, the converting robots that would be at the core of the 1984 launch of a “new” toy line known as “The Transformers”. The robot known as “Sunstreaker” was the first of his designs, but would hardly be the last. Hound, Bluestreak, Sideswipe, Trailbraker, The Dinobots, The ConstructiconsAll of these amazing design were brought to diecast metal life by Kojinsan, who it should be mentioned, was part of the initial class of Transformers Hall of Fame inductees back in 2010 along with Peter Cullen, Bob Budiansky, and Takara’s lead designer on Transformers, Hideaki Yoke.
It is truly an honor to welcome this legendary designer to his first ever BotCon!
Hit the discussion link to share your thoughts on BotCon’s final guest.
Autovolt 127
Holy Crap. He's like the grandfather of the Transformers.
That would be interesting to ask.
Ikkstakk
Right? It doesn't change my mind, but it does make it harder to stay the course. I'll be bringing my vintage G1 Sunstreaker for him to sign, regardless, and probably just gape at him, mute, while he signs it.
The other big problem with the Flywheels guess is that with Battletrap, Megatron, Oilmaster and General Optimus, that's a lot of large toys already. A fifth is really going to be pushing it.
Also I have heard rumor that the blue Chopshop is meant to represent a Diaclone driver figure, and will therefore likely be paired up with the black Skids or the Waruder Waspinator, if that is what it is, or some other Diaclone-inspired figure yet unrevealed.
Grimlockimus
Suddenly the Golden Ticket option looks a little better now. C'mon, who wouldn't want to have a meet and greet session and chat with the man who made transformers what it essentially is today.
Problem with the Flywheels guess is that with one souvenir figure left to reveal (based on the 2-2-3 set up with these sets) is going to be the one paired up with that blue Chopshop figure and the two don't seem like a good mix. I could be wrong and the comic has them together as a team but it seems unlikely.
Thundershot
Don't forget that comic preview that had the Scoop mold blacked out and they updated it to take away the outline. It's almost guaranteed to be Hound.
microclone
amazing, devastator and the dinobots sprang forth from this guy, what more does anybody need to know!
madhatprime
Amazing, simply amazing that he'd come all this way. Very, very cool. I wish I could be there to meet him. I do hope you all that are going to botcon show him that us Western transformers fans are a great bunch!
EightiesKid
Double post
EightiesKid
Heck yes man!!
Now this is a dude I would love to meet. Meeting the guy who helped design many of my favorite childhood toys? Wow.
Thelonicon
Which is why you crapped on the thread in the first post.
Anyway this is a pretty cool guest. I'll probably have to bring my reissue Metroplex box to get signed. Any dealers bringing vintage Diacline in box can safely raise their prices by $30 now.
Thundershot
Wow. That's awesome! I wish I was able to go this year!
I had to go back and click the link because I thought he directed you to the teletraan-1 wiki. He linked you to the GOOD one…
Nighthawkblack
This is someone I wish I could meet. I wish he was part of the MP line today. What he did in those years is amazing the vision, detail and execution of those toys. If you are reading this, domo arigato!
Underwear
Since you're so loathe to read up that wiki, here ya go copied and pasted just for you.
"Kōjin Ōno (大野光仁 Ōno Kōjin) is a TakaraTomy employee born on May 11, 1959 in Tokyo. He worked for Takara for several decades prior to the merger with Tomy. Ōno was one of the main designers for the Microman and Diaclone toy lines, and designed many of the toys that were later licensed to Hasbro and repurposed as the first Transformers toys ever. His name is sometimes transliterated as "Koujin Ohno" or "Kohjin Ohno".
"Among Ōno's designs were the first "car to robot transforming toy", the toy that later became the Autobot Sunstreaker, and the former largest Transformers toy ever, Fortress Maximus. Later Ōno played a key role in the introduction of the Beast Wars toy line to the Japanese market and designed toys for both the 2007 live-action movie line and its successor, Revenge of the Fallen"
Toys that Kōjin Ōno is known to have had a hand in designing:
Generation 1
Sunstreaker
Hound
Bluestreak, Prowl
Skids
Ironhide
Jazz
Inferno
Mirage
Sideswipe
Trailbreaker
Starscream/Thundercracker/Skywarp
Camshaft
Overdrive
Downshift
Grimlock
Slag
Sludge
Snarl
Swoop
Bonecrusher
Scavenger
Scrapper
Hook
Long Haul
Mixmaster
Devastator
Blitzwing
Astrotrain
Octane
Metroplex
Galvatron
Getsuei
Kaen
Seizan
Shouki
Suiken
Yukikaze
Raiden
Shin-Gouki
Again credit where credit is due, having Ono-san is a huge thing.
Primal Sabbath
Well if all of these "leaks" coming from weibo, taobao, and the like are any indication… There's all, but like two unrevealed souvenirs. And my guess is they're obvious. Flywheels from Blitzwing (because Battletrap) and Sergeant Hound from Scoop (because of that still unconfirmed officially Gen. Optimus).
And the custom class figure.
But I've been surprised before. And I hope that's going to be the case again this year.
AutobotAlvaron
I wonder what is his opinion of CW/CHUG updates of his classic designs, and if he had any direct influence/input on them. Somebody please ask him that.
Th0r4z1n3
OH MAN!!! I JUST realized he also worked on the Starscream mold, I'm sooo tempted to have him sign my Diaclone Starscream box!
…I wonder how that would effect the value, I'd hate to "ruin" something that hard to come by, but it would be so awesome to have… decisions decisions…
EDIT: Is he going to have a booth where he'll be signing things, or is it going to be a situation where I'll have to carry SS around, hope not to ruin the packaging, and stalk him in hopes of getting it signed?
Registration delays be damned, this is shaping up to be the BEST BotCon in the history of ever!
WinstoBot
Wow, this guy is the "Father of Takara Bots". Does anyone know of a place/site with lists of who the Transformer designers were? This is so interesting.
allew
I'm sure the club will have some cards or prints featuring him or his work that you can get signed.
Sludge
OK, I will admit it. That is an awesome guest.
SG Roadbuster
im aware of this. that's why im trying to convince him to do so.
it frustrates me to no ends cuz i'd like to know the souvies and pricing ahead of time so i know how much to send with my mule. as I wont be able to make it.