Fwoosh Toys/Articulated Icons - A Retrospective

GrumpyMatt said:
I was there too! That was the best convention I've ever attended with so many companies in attendance and the added bonus of the seemingly completely random Arnold Schwarzenegger statue. Love the Columbus area, too.

What are the issues bringing it back? It seemed very successful.
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We've hosted The Arnold Classic(now Arnold Sports Festival) since 1989. He's had a long connection to the area. He was one of the initial investors in Easton Mall & left one of his tanks as a display piece outside of the original movie theater there for wow a while. It is a random connection, but a long-standing one!
 
RicksNerdLife said:
Well...the "official" story is that there was a scheduling conflict, and someone else had the venue booked at the same time Val Staples likes to hold PowerCon. Which doesn't make sense, because there are multiple halls in the place that it could be held.

Unofficially, I've heard numerous excuses.

-It's not profitable enough.
-Val is burnt out.
-Val thinks it would be better in a bigger city.

We will find out soon enough, I guess.
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I don't know Val personally, but he seems like a gigantic cunt. So, you know, lying wouldn't be a surprise.
 
I mean I feel like being burnt out and it not being profitable enough to keep going are fair.

Plus, the domestic indie toy scene doesn’t exactly seem in the same place it was during the last power con.


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thewyldman said:
I mean I feel like being burnt out and it not being profitable enough to keep going are fair.

Plus, the domestic indie toy scene doesn’t exactly seem in the same place it was during the last power con.


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100%

The problem, if this is the case, is just not being honest enough to say that. Shitty, transparent excuses don't do anyone any favors and just erode trust in your product/brand.

PowerCon, to me, always felt like something that was a little too up its own ass. Seemed like Val presenting himself as way more important and influential than he actually was. I like the idea of PowerCon, mind. But early on it seemed a lot like Val wanted to go from a nobody with a nothing convention to being on the level of a NYCC in a year or two, and when that didn't happen he turned into a huffy baby.
 
I mean Power Con lost a lot of oomph when Mattel pulled out and it had to reinvent itself.


I don’t think it’s bad that he’s not saying it. It’s not like anybody else is trying to really recoup that spot. We’re seeing it just fraction off into smaller more focused and regional conventions instead.


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I definitely will always think it's bad if someone just lies about something. I mean, with some exceptions. In this case, there's really no reason to not just be honest and say 'it wasn't working out' - if that's the case.

Mattel not being there was definitely an issue. And I'd put that back toward the idea that Val just wanted it to be more important than it was and Mattel pulling away was another nail in the coffin of 'this is never going to make me rich.' I dunno. Again, I'm pre-disposed to think the worst because everything I've ever seen of Val makes me think he's a fucking tool of the highest order.
 
thewyldman said:
I mean I feel like being burnt out and it not being profitable enough to keep going are fair.

Plus, the domestic indie toy scene doesn’t exactly seem in the same place it was during the last power con.


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Oh, man. It was less the indie scene and damn near SDCC last time.

-Four Horsemen
-Nacelle
-NECA
-Super7
-Mondo
-Premium DNA (yeah, yeah, don't wanna hear it, lol)
-Valaverse
-McFarlane

And, of course, the smaller creators--Frazetta Girls, Spero, Fresh Monkey Fiction. Even overseas companies like Fury Toys.
 
Yeah, it was a blast. Very much felt like a Toy Fair just for smaller companies like all the ones listed. Got to spend like 20 minutes talking to Chris who does the paint masters for FMF which was cool. Getting to meet Robo and Veebs in person a couple times and getting to make an actual human connection after 20 years of just knowing each other online.

That first year I remember FuzzyBlueDemon spend like 30 minutes talking to Randy from NECA and while FBD's usually a pretty cool customer, it was by far the most excited I've seen that grown man be over anything. I just stood back and let him have his moment.

They did just announce like last week that next year they're doing a MOTU specific convention in Cincinnati and that Power Con will return somewhere, in some form in Spring 2027. Selfishly, I'd love for it to still be in Columbus, but a day trip to Cleveland or Cincinnati wouldn't be awful. I'd heard rumors as well of what was going on behind the scenes. That the Columbus convention center wanted them to take a bigger space or that it would still be in Columbus just at a different venue. Guess we'll see.
 
Yeah, I thought it was nuts seeing the guys from Four Horsemen, Valaverse, Creative Beast Studio and Fwoosh all within feet of each other.

Ramen Toys, JE Russell from Chicken Fried Toys, Harvinger Studios and Mego were there, too. And that whole Glyos section ... Everybody was accessible, friendly and appeared to be having a good time.

A lot of influencers and the like wandering around.

The craziest thing was the Vala booth, when I was there on Sunday morning, it was Vala, 3POA's LaserPants and Articulated Ninja (with mask) manning the booth. LaserPants cashed me out.
 
Boy Wonder said:
Yeah, it was a blast. Very much felt like a Toy Fair just for smaller companies like all the ones listed. Got to spend like 20 minutes talking to Chris who does the paint masters for FMF which was cool. Getting to meet Robo and Veebs in person a couple times and getting to make an actual human connection after 20 years of just knowing each other online.

They did just announce like last week that next year they're doing a MOTU specific convention in Cincinnati and that Power Con will return somewhere, in some form in Spring 2027. Selfishly, I'd love for it to still be in Columbus, but a day trip to Cleveland or Cincinnati wouldn't be awful. I'd heard rumors as well of what was going on behind the scenes. That the Columbus convention center wanted them to take a bigger space or that it would still be in Columbus just at a different venue. Guess we'll see.
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I definitely missed Randy's presence at this last PC.

He was dropping so many good nuggets during the panel at that first one. Not that Blaine isn't cool, and all. But the panel was fairly straight forward this last time, and less a conversation with a bunch of friends like before. Randy is the head honcho. He knows all, and was more than eager to drop the info. Lol

And Trevor is a nice enough guy, if not a little standoffish, and didn't seem to really want to engage too much. Just said my hellos and moved on. Blaine, again...cool dude. As was...Manny, I believe his name is?

But Randy was the man. Patient and kind, and more than willing to sit there and talk nerdy--even in that stifling ass hall that first year.

I'll tell who else is amazing--if any of you ever get the opportunity to meet Eamon O' Donaghue, do it. That man has an energy that I aspire for. Such a character. Funny, almost hyper, but just excitable and gets you excited for what he's working on.

It was just so cool being able to tell the people who work on this stuff how much you admire and appreciate their art.
 
As someone who has spoken to or been friendly with Randy for going on two decades now before even getting the chance to actually meet him...

...the shit he catches is so undeserved. Yeah, he would give shit to people on Twitter. He gave people back what they gave him.

But overall, that dude is one of the nicest, kindest, most generous people out there. Genuinely. He did not deserve that.

I have my suspicions who did it, but they are legit two of the most psycho people I've seen in this hobby, and in the off chance they're here, I don't want to kick up that hornets nest.
 
RicksNerdLife said:
I have my suspicions who did it, but they are legit two of the most psycho people I've seen in this hobby, and in the off chance they're here, I don't want to kick up that hornets nest.
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If they're here I doubt they'll last very long. The kind of shitbags that do cowardly stuff like that don't last very long in spaces where we don't play the 'everyone get along!' game.


RicksNerdLife said:
I'll tell who else is amazing--if any of you ever get the opportunity to meet Eamon O' Donaghue, do it. That man has an energy that I aspire for. Such a character. Funny, almost hyper, but just excitable and gets you excited for what he's working on.
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I used to listen to the He-Man.org podcast and it was almost entirely because of Eamon. Even when I don't agree with him, I loved his enthusiasm and he just seemed so kind and lovable.
 
Damien said:
If they're here I doubt they'll last very long. The kind of shitbags that do cowardly stuff like that don't last very long in spaces where we don't play the 'everyone get along!' game.



I used to listen to the He-Man.org podcast and it was almost entirely because of Eamon. Even when I don't agree with him, I loved his enthusiasm and he just seemed so kind and lovable.
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Well then, I have my suspicions (not confirmed, just who I know have a vendetta against Randy and seem the type to do it)--

CobraShadowJoes. Steve Wagner and whatever his little yippy tagalong's name is.

They were former friends of Randy's, actually would hang out with him outside of Cons and such. They had a massive falling out, and would trash him any opportunity they got. And I'm talking are banned from NECA's booth at any and every show--THAT bad.

They seem like the type to leak his personal number out of spite. They are legit two of the most imbalanced, immature, borderline psychotic people I have ever known. Particularly Steve.

Again, could not possibly confirm, not an accusation, just who I suspect. I could be massively incorrect.

And yes, at the opposite end of the spectrum, everything you mentioned about Eamon, he is that and more. SUCH a nice guy, and his beautiful girlfriend was such a sweetheart.
 
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