:TFcon
{{Short description|Transformers fan convention held annually since 2002}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Notability|Events|date=July 2024}}
{{more footnotes|date=July 2024}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2024}}
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{{Infobox Convention
| name = TFcon
| image =
| caption =
| status = Active
| genre = Transformers
| venue = Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale, Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport
| location = Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Orlando
| country = Canada, USA
| first = November 10, 2002
| last = July 12–14, 2024
| organizer = Colin Douglas
| attendance = 3000+
| website = http://www.tfcon.com
}}
TFcon is a Transformers fan convention held annually since 2002. TFcon will be held for the 22nd consecutive year in 2024 with events occurring in Baltimore, Maryland in November and Toronto, Ontario, Canada in July, as well as Burbank, California in March to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Transformers.
TFcon is the world's largest fan-run Transformers collectors convention.{{cn|date=September 2023}} The event features a specialised dealer room for Transformers merchandise, guest question and answer panels and autograph sessions, a third-party product presentation, Transformers trivia, and a Transformers costume contest.
History
The first TFcon was held in Hamilton, Ontario in 2002, with 190 attendees. In 2003, Joe Ng and the Dreamwave Productions team were the first special guests at the conference. In its first two years the convention was moved around Ontario, before finding a regular location in Toronto. As of 2008, this convention changed its name from TransformersCon to TFcon at the request of Hasbro. In 2009 TFcon expanded to a 2-day convention. Starting in 2012, TFcon has been hosting a charity auction for the Make-A-Wish Foundation each summer, raising over $50,000 for the charity.{{Cite web|url=http://www.villagegamer.net/2012/07/24/transformers-collectors-convention-to-hold-charity-auction-for-make-a-wish-foundation/|title = Transformers Collectors Convention to Hold Charity Auction for Make-A-Wish Foundation |date=24 July 2012 |work=Village Gamer}}
In 2014 TFcon expanded to two shows a year, one in Canada and one in the United States. In Spring of 2019, TFcon hosted a Transformers Generation 1 cast reunion in Los Angeles, featuring 50 cast members from various Transformers media. In 2020 TFcon was held online for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ran as a virtual event.
In 2023, following the signing of a bill which restricted drag shows in venues where children might be present, crossdressing was restricted at the convention, with refunds available for individuals who felt it was unsafe to attend the event.{{cite web |last1=Baggs |first1=Michael |title=Florida Transformers convention bans 'cross-dressing cosplay' under state's anti-drag law |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/06/09/florida-transformers-convention-tfcon-anti-drag-cross-dressing-cosplay/ |website=PinkNews |date=9 June 2023 |access-date=9 June 2023}} Following the response from the fan community, the rules were altered to permit cross-dressing, with the organizers arguing that cross-dressing does not break any Florida state law.{{Cite tweet |user=TFconTweets |number=1666627080195305473 |title=Thanks to the fans that reached out to us to help us shape the following update to our website. |date=8 June 2023 |access-date=8 June 2023}}
References
- {{Cite web|url=http://www.cybertron.ca/boards/showthread.php?t=14254|title = TFcon Toronto featured in ToyFare #141 - Cybertron.CA - Canadian Transformers News and Discussion}}
- City TV Breakfast Television Guest Spot, {{Cite web|url=http://www.bttoronto.ca/inside/more.jsp?content=20100716_053515_9480|title = Show Notes | Show Notes}}
- 680 News article about TFcon, {{Cite web|url=http://www.680news.com/news/local/article/78762--transformers-collectors-convention-returns-to-toronto|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110716052341/http://www.680news.com/news/local/article/78762--transformers-collectors-convention-returns-to-toronto|archive-date = 2011-07-16|title = CityNews}}
- Dorkshelf.com article, {{Cite web|url=http://dorkshelf.com/2010/07/14/tfcon-toronto-is-this-weekend/|title = TFcon Toronto is this Weekend|date = 14 July 2010}}
- Mississauga.com Article, {{cite web | url=http://www.mississauga.com/what%27s%20on/article/20294--autobots-decepticons-theme-of-toy-convention | title=Mississauga Latest News Stories | date=30 June 2023 | access-date=1 July 2023 | archive-date=15 November 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101115020229/http://www.mississauga.com/what%27s%20on/article/20294--autobots-decepticons-theme-of-toy-convention | url-status=dead }}
- TFcon Article in the Toronto Star, {{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/622817|title = Robot love|newspaper = The Toronto Star|date = 23 April 2009}}
- Breakfast Today Toronto interview Phil Gervais about TFcon 2011, {{Cite web|url=https://www.breakfasttelevision.ca/|title=Breakfast Television – Weekdays 6:00am}}
- 680News reports on TFcon 2011, {{Cite web|url=http://www.680news.com/news/local/article/259258--autobot-and-decepticon-fans-head-to-mississauga-this-weekend-for-tfcon-2011|title=Autobot and Decepticon fans head to Mississauga this weekend for TFCon 2011 - 680News|date=November 17, 2012|access-date=November 18, 2019|archive-date=November 17, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121117113608/http://www.680news.com/news/local/article/259258--autobot-and-decepticon-fans-head-to-mississauga-this-weekend-for-tfcon-2011|url-status=bot: unknown}}
- {{cite news|title=Transformers convention hits Meadowvale|work=Mississauga News|date=26 July 2012|url=http://news.ca.msn.com/ontario/mississauga/transformers-convention-hits-meadowvale|first=Chris|last=Clay|access-date=26 September 2023|archive-date=3 January 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103232119/http://news.ca.msn.com/ontario/mississauga/transformers-convention-hits-meadowvale|url-status=dead}}
External links
- [http://www.tfcon.ca/ TFcon Toronto Official Website]
- [http://www.tfcon.com/ TFcon USA Official Website]
- [http://www.tfconla.com/ TFcon Los Angeles Official Website]
{{Portalbar|Canada|United States|Toys|2000s|2010s}}
Category:Multigenre conventions
Category:Recurring events established in 2002
Category:Science fiction conventions in Canada