Topic: German Comic Con - Dortmund - 5th Anniversary Special - Dec 7-8, 2019

[Darth More]

I spontanously decided to go to the German Comic Con in Dortmund tomorrow.

https://germancomiccon.com/en/dortmund/


The one and only reason why I decided to go is the Hasbro panel, which I will cover as far as I can.

Not sure if I can ask questions, but if you have any, please let me know!


Hasbro's panel is Saturday (Samstag) from 1:25 p.m. to 2.15 p.m.

[Darth More]

So my train leaves in 30 minutes. Early entry was 9 am, official opening is 10 am - I'll be there by 11 am. Take as many pics and will record the Hasbro panel.

If the audience can ask questions, I'd address the following topics:

- we're at comic con, so what about more Comic characters in TVC and TBS? (Satele Shan etc.)

- what happened to TVC Darth Revan? The second Revan for TBS was a smart move and an easy repaint/resuse of the exsisiting sculpt (but to me as a 3 3/4 scale dude it feels like a slap in the face)

- more playsets! How's Jabba's Palace Playset doing? Any chance to see more of them? Cantina? Wuher and his bar (modular system?), Hoth playset (Rebel base, Wampa cave?)


- suggestions for TBS Archive line: Clone Commander Cody, Clone Troopers, Ep. III Obi-Wan with face updatee

- The Mandalorian: great reception - new products?''

- Why are TVC and TBS treated so unequally? Is TBS still the premium line? Why do we get SO many lazy repacks in TVC?!


- License - it's silent around Hasbro and Disney: any news about the extention of the license (probably won't get an answer to that)...



If you have more questions - PLEASE WRITE THEM HERE - I'm still reading! The Panel starts in 3 hours.

[Darth More]

I secured a seat in the first row. The Hasbro panel begins in 45 minutes. I already talked to the representative who is responsible for the Hasbro booth. She is extremely nice and ALSO wears a Star Wars T-Shirt!

Asking questions during the panel is possible and also afterwards at the booth. The American colleagues will be on stage after the American Pie panel with Thomas & Shannon.
But they will ALSO answer questions at the booth after the panel.

Nothing new yet - no new product at the booth as far as I know.
But Hasbro casted the German Garrison of the 501st to be at the booth for photo shooting.

More (and better) pictures follow in about 8 hours.


DON‘T FORGET TO ASK YOUR QUESTIONS HERE!!!

[Darth More]

I’ll also reach back to our SDCC2019 questions:

http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=9440.315

[Darth More]

The panel begins a few minutes late

[Darth More]

Panel ended after about an hour (later start, later ending). Very warm, very heartful, with Transformers, Marvel, Star Wars including some „new“ reveals that won’t surprise you.

TBS: Bly and Sith Jet Trooper

TVC: Only ONE foil showing Leia (Ceremony) and Cave of Evil Pack. NO NEWS! I’ll address that now.

[Darth More]

...cause pictures tell more than words...


Hasbro booth @GermanComicCon2019 - Dorrtmund - Saturday morning BEFORE panel

[Darth More]

American Pie Panel with Thomas & Shannon

1:00 pm - 1:25 pm

[Darth More]

Hasbro Panel - 1:40 pm - 2:35 pm
(scheduled 1:25 pm - 2:15 pm




NEWS


STAR WARS

The Black Series


- #104 Clone Commander Bly
- #106 Sith Jet Trooper


Force FX Lightsabers

- Darth Maul's lightsaber (comes to Europe for the first time)
- Count Dooku' lightsaber (international reveal) - comes with vac metal finish


The Vintage Collection


- NO REVEALS - NO NEWS - NO WORD (SERIOUSLY!) - NO NOTHING -

This was the last foil of the presentation showing TVC Princess Leia (Yavin Ceremony) and The Cave of Evil 3-Pack. The sole exsistance of The Vintage Collection was mentioned, but that's it.




Volker C from StarWars-Figuren.com filmed & shared the panel already:

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[Darth More]

Hasbro booth @GermanComicCon2019 - Dortmund - Saturday afternoon AFTER panel:

NEW REVEALS ON DISPLAY

[Darth More]

So here's my summary:

(to be written in full text tomorrow (Sunday))


Booth:


- truck was very cool, attrackted many people, especially children
- German Hasbro team, very young, very polite, free popcorn
- giveaway of TRANSFORMERS tattoos & STAR WARS bags
- booth appeared to be a little messy (not Hasbro's fault!!)
- awesome TRANSFORMERS area in truck's trailer which was unfortunately hardly discovered by kids...


PANEL:

- began late (due to previous delay of American Pie panel)
- some technical issues also

- introduction: German team & American team on stage along with the German Garrison (NO Sequel character haha, but a Scarif Trooper)
- very warm welcome and presentation of TRANSFORMERS, STAR WARS  and MARVEL

- 6" is the best (at least for Hasbro)
- new FX Lightsabers
- ABSOLUTELY NO WORD on The Vintage Collection!!



AFTERMATH of Panel:


- was able to talk to Hasbro Germany for 10 minutes before panel started
- talked to Hasbro USA (Eric & Maria) for over 2 hours after panel!!

Summary:

- The Black Series is the strongest selling line of the Star Wars brand
- made concerns clear about unequal treatment of The Black Series and The Vintage Collection
- talking about using parts in TBS and also TBS scaled down for TVC
- Return of Comic Packs, Comic Characters, Expanded Universe, Sith Lords (Darth Revan) and ebay prices (I told Eric about Chuckles' suggestion about a Doctor Aphra with removable hat! He liked it a lot!
- more characters of videogames thanks to Eric (he also pushed the latest GameStop exclusive figures)!
- EVERYTHING is possible for The Black Series!* (except for big vehicles, no X-Wing)
- general ideas for 6" vehicles: Snowspeeder (ESB), AT-ST (both generally possible)

- more product in general planned (no details yet), more details on New York Comic Con 2020
- return of The Clone Wars, 40th Anniversary of Empire Strikes Back, THE MANDALORIAN -> strong year of 2020
- Hasbro's products for Star Wars in 2020 "are pretty much all wrapped up" - they're two years ahead
- also more variety for The Vintage Collection planned
- Jabba's Palace playset did perform very well! High chances for more playsets - suggstions: The Cantina, Bespin Carbon Freezing Chamber, Death Star, Hoth
- lots of talking with no real answer about why TVC is treated so bad
- more HasLab projects planned, open internationally
- possible return to years like 2010 with more products of different sources, but focus on TBS...

- no news on TBS Archive Line Wave 2 - more on NYTF 2020
--> suggestions: Clone Commander Cody, Ep. III Obi-Wan with photo real treatment
- photo real tech doing excellently

[Tamer]

Wow, this is great. Wish I had known you were going. I would have tried to get you a few questions and interviews! Off to share your coverage. Great photos and great information!

[Starchaser]

Hey Philipp, thanks for doing such a thorough job reporting on this. Thanks also for "representing" for the Star Wars community. Good job asking questions after the panel. I'm sorry Hasbro won't be straight with collecting community about the inequity in TVC vs. TBS, but at least you asked. Great job!

[Tamer]

I see my Hasbro Contacts have emailed me the one sheets and high rez assetts for this. I will get them on the front pages too.

Once again great work on the Hasbro Questions. You asked most of what we would have come up with anyhow!

[Darth More]

Wow, this is great. Wish I had known you were going. I would have tried to get you a few questions and interviews! Off to share your coverage. Great photos and great information!

Fun story actually: When I posted on here that I was going, I didn't even had a ticket, yet!
After opening this thread I went ahead to buy a ticket online. I learned that the Comic Con was completely SOLD OUT for Saturday and Sunday! oops
So ebay was my only choice and I went at full risk after I got a ticket via e-mail for 20€ in advance.

It all worked out.

I did not plan to go to Comic Con, again. I was hyped when it took place here in Dortmund for the first time ever in Germany 5 years ago. Couldn't go on the very first one, but went on the second one in 2016 with three friends of mine. It was nice, but I felt it didn't really pay off for me. It was just too expensive and only felt like a commercial rip off - at least to me.
Well, by now day tickets cost 55€ (~$60), which I find absolutely ridiculous.

Well, I was happy with paying 20€ for my last minute ticket on Friday night (9 pm!) and I'm really happy to have gone to GCC2019 eventually!

And yes, I did go very spontanously, but I also wish the participation on here within those 12 hours had been a little bigger...that's why I used the questions from SDCC19.

I see my Hasbro Contacts have emailed me the one sheets and high rez assetts for this. I will get them on the front pages too.

Once again great work on the Hasbro Questions. You asked most of what we would have come up with anyhow!

Yeah, I signed up to their newsletter, too, but also told and Maria that you were receiving it already, too, as our admin.
Their PR manager for Germany Katharina sent me a message yesterday to confirm my email, yesterday. So I do hope I can establish a connection and stay in touch for all the questions I still have, but couldn't ask.