Live Script Reading Question

[awa64]

Originally Posted by JLvatron

The BotCon convention is approved by Hasbro so you could say all BotCon events are Hasbroly official.
Even if Hasbro reads the scripts and approves them (which would be awesome! ) it makes them officially endorsed. But that doesn't mean it's Transformers story cannon.

Approved and cannon are completely different things.

Except in the vast multiverse of Transformers fiction, the criteria for whether something is canon or not comes down solely to whether or not said piece of fiction was approved by Hasbro.

Given the infinite multiverse concept laid out by Universe, the question of WHICH continuity it's canon in can be questioned, but its nature as canon cannot. That's resulted in a huge number of subcontinuities--there's probably over 7 continuities within the original Marvel G1 comics alone--but they're all canon.

[JLvatron]

I guess that's fine details, but you do have a point.

And I personally don't agree to that definition of Cannon. Keep in mind, Hasbro said the Cybertron show was a continuation of Energon.

...and it clearly wasn't.
But they still said it.

[M Sipher]

Originally Posted by JLvatron

Approved and cannon are completely different things.

For, say, Star Wars and Star Trek, this is true. Both of those franchises will officially declare sections of approved fiction non-canon (Trek does this) or "less canon" (the Wars approach, giving movies a higher level of "canon" than the eight jillion comics and books and RPGs and video games and etc).

Transformers, however... has no such edicts. Hasbro or Takara have never said "no, this doesn't count", and it's highly unlikely they ever will. Both have in fact gone to great lengths to be as fictionally all-inclusive as possible... Takara more maddeningly obsessive, given the colosso-G1 ultimate timeline they put out a year or so ago online and through Kiss Players, which ties pretty much everything outside of the Unicron Trilogy stories into a single uber-G1 series... and also retcons Galaxy Force as a post-Super Link series. Self-reference, epsecially obscure self-reference, has become the order of the day.

Basically, everything approved IS canon. It may contradict another piece; the Hasbro toy-packaging ad copy, Takara cartoons, Takara manga, 3H comics, IDW comics and FP comics/video to the base Beast Wars cartoon continuity are all irreconcilable with each other to varying degrees, but all are BW canon. It may be a "splinter timeline", a "what if", a sidestep (like the UK comic additions to the Marvel run). It may not apply to a certain "continuity family" (RiD is basically its own animal, though Car Robots isn't anymore). Oftentimes a lone piece of TF canon will not even agree with itself (cartoon Constructicon origins, anyone?).

TF canon is (and always has been) basically a gigantic plate of spaghetti, only some of the noodles splinter off, join other noodles, mobius in on themselves, and are probably also loaded with quantum. BW took both the irreconcilable cartoon and comic G1 as its vaguely-defined backstory, after all.

It may not work with some other piece... but it be all canon. Yes, even Beast Within, help us all.


And by the way... yes, when someone is telling blatant falsehoods -not "technicalities", but completely contradictory-toreality accounts- about what someone has said about their own work, one should not be surprised if the person who is being misrepresented will speak up... and that knows no national borders.

And if a script is available for the TFcon reading, I'm sure it'd be an interesting read. It's honestly good to see a fan-run convention do well... it's the mark of a healthy franchise. When fan-run shows are no longer able to support themselves, then I begin to worry about the strength of the brand.


- GS

[Protoman]

Originally Posted by M Sipher

I'd just like to point out that this is an almost complete fabrication on Protoman's part. The only element of truth is that yes, Trent and I wrote "Bee in the City" and several other pieces for the Official Transformers Collectors' Club website and magazine (all of which goes through Hasbro's approvals process just like anything IDW does). The BC05 script predated our involvement with FP.


- GS

Excuse me, replace last 2 with 2. My bad. I know you did 2 of them, I just thought it was along with the 2007 one. Amazing you came here all over this Greg.

[Magnimus]

Originally Posted by M Sipher

I'd just like to point out that this is an almost complete fabrication on Protoman's part.

Or Protoman is simply mistaken or operating under a misconception whereas "complete fabrication" has a harsh negative connotation that implies one is actively constructing a falsehood.

[Protoman]

Originally Posted by Magnimus

Or Protoman is simply mistaken or operating under a misconception whereas "complete fabrication" has a harsh negative connotation that implies one is actively constructing a falsehood.

It's ok Mag, I got this one. Greg is like this.

[Nightshade83]

Sorry guys, for getting a little worked up about this. To be honest, all I wanted to know was whether or not it was official. If it was, then Nightbird could have been added to the "Female Transformers" list at Teletraan, which would have been cool.

I just like to keep things at least somewhat consistant with established canon for my fanfiction. I'm studying to be a professional editor, so I tend to go overboard my attention to details. Usually that's a good thing, but I guess not in this case.

I just wanted a fellow writer who actually has a shot at official recognition to get the credit he deserves.

Sorry. I didn't mean to cause a fuss.

[Dispensor]

Originally Posted by Nightshade83

I was just pointing out that M Sipher joined all of a few hours ago just to point out a technicality. He has no other interest in this site. I don't really give a flying frag where he's from, if it weren't obvious.

Why shouldn't he feel the need to personally get involved in a matter that concerns him?

Folks, I have known M_Sipher for almost ten years now. I know him to be many things. Dishonest is not one of them. If he says Protoman has misrepresented his stance on the canonocity of the work he and Trent Troop did for Botcon, then he is to be believed. Period. Indeed, I can't imagine why he or Trent would ever claim what Protoman said they did.

I'm not going to speculate on Protoman's motives, because I know him to be a very generous and likeable person who has put alot of hard work and dedication into TransformersCon.

Motives aside, this is the sort of situation that can easily get out of hand, and for the sake of all parties, AND BOTH CONVENTIONS, I strongly urge that the matter be dropped here and now. There's absolutely nothing to gain and definitely something to lose here, people.

[Nightscrabbler]

It's impossible to prevent this from getting out of hand, it's a discussion on the canonality of Transformers fan-fiction, the most pressing matter in the world today.

Hey, can you post a transcript of this year's reading, JL? If it's no inconvenience. I didn't get to hear it all.

[Protoman]

Originally Posted by Shan

It's impossible to prevent this from getting out of hand, it's a discussion on the canonality of Transformers fan-fiction, the most pressing matter in the world today.

Hey, can you post a transcript of this year's reading, JL? If it's no inconvenience. I didn't get to hear it all.

It's true... do we have a solid spot with all the past scripts uploaded?