TFNation 2017 Tickets and Hotel Bookings Open on February 1st, Information

Va'al wrote:
Hilton Birmingham Metropole,
The NEC,
Pendigo Way,
Birmingham,
B40 1PP
United Kingdom

TFNation’s home is the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, in Birmingham, UK.

The Hilton Birmingham Metropole
National Exhibition Centre
Birmingham
B40 1PP
United Kingdom

The Hilton Birmingham Metropole has kindly offered the following discounted rates to TFNation attendees;

£60.75 Single Deluxe room, including complimentary breakfast.

£70.00 Twin Room, including complimentary breakfast for two.

£70.00 Queen Deluxe, including complimentary breakfast for one or two people.

£130.00 Queen Executive, including complimentary breakfast for one or two people and executive lounge access.

Family room prices TBC, including complimentary breakfast.

Discount rates are available for Wednesday 9th August until Tuesday 15th August.

(All rates are nightly and all include VAT. All rooms are strictly subject to availability)

Details on how to book your room will be forwarded to you with your TFNation ticket confirmation email. Book early to avoid disappointment.

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Operation: Kei Zama to attend TFNation 2017

With IDW’s universe of Transformers comics going from strength to strength, the depth of talent involved in creating them grows ever greater and now we at TFNation are pleased to bring more of that greatness to you, in the form of Kei Zama, returning for our second year.

Starting with her series of covers for IDW’s Transformer line in September 2015, Kei-sensei has rapidly gained a large fan following, due to her mean and gritty artistic style, as well as her stunning commission work. Following on from her cover work, she is now bringing the continuing adventures of Optimus Prime to life (along with writer John Barber and colourist Josh Burcham) in his current titular series.

Outside of Transformers, Kei-sensei made her Marvel comics art debut with last year’s Scarlet Witch #10, has provided art for Sparklight comics, as well as covers for IDW’s Atomic Robo, and recently achieved a personal dream in working on an ABC Warriors-related piece for Fleetway/2000ad. Her Blackblood-themed story (written by the mighty Patt Mills) is set to show off her undeniable talent for monochrome imagery and prove a perfect fit for the tone of this title.

We advise all our attendees to keep an eye on Kei-sensei’s blog http://steelandstarlight.com/ for details of her commission list, as the event draws closer.

Kei Zama will be signing autographs, discussing classic British rock bands and selling artwork (including her highly-prized sketchbooks) at TFNation 2017 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel. We look forward to seeing you there!

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Operation: The Forge Returns for TFNation 2017

TFNation is not only pleased to announce that The Forge is returning for TFNation 2017, but also that applications are now open!

The Forge, located in a specially designated room just outside of the main convention hall, is our home for fan art and crafts and shall be joined this year by various other features, details to be announced in future transmissions. The Forge is an area for our creative attendees to promote, display and sell their work.

Here is how it works...

STAGE 1 - MAKE AN APPLICATION

Aspiring Forge artists and crafters are required to pre-register their interest by completing the application form linked below.

You must be aged 16 or above to make an application. You do not need to have booked a ticket at this stage - you are free to apply before making that decision.

Successful applicants will receive an email inviting them to make a formal booking. Applicants who are not successful this time will be notified and will be welcome to apply again in future years.

TFNation staff will allow a grace period of 14 days, until March 13th, before reviewing applications. This is to allow as many people as possible the chance to apply. All applications will be reviewed by TFNation staff. If necessary, applications will remain open after March 13th until all spaces are sold.

Space will once again be limited, so we recommend getting your applications in as soon as you can.

STAGE 2 - PAY FOR YOUR TABLE

If your application is successful, you will then be able to book your table.

Both Forge Craft and Forge Artist Alley stalls cost £25.00, including built in insurance. You must also hold a valid TFNation 2017 full weekend ticket.

If you do not hold a weekend ticket then one shall automatically be added to your Forge booking. If you have already purchased a day ticket and your Forge application is approved, then your ticket will be automatically upgraded to a Weekend ticket for an additional price.

Full terms and conditions will be available at the time of booking - but here are the important things you need to know about each table type.

FORGE CRAFT STALLS

- For attendees to promote, display and sell any hand-made craft items. Up to three individuals may share a single Forge Craft Stall.

- Stalls cost £25.00.
- Stalls are only available to attendees who have purchased a weekend ticket.
- Some crafters produce art prints of their creations. We are happy to allow these, however toys, sketches and art commissions may not be sold here. This is to protect our artists and traders who have invested a lot of time and money into their stalls.

FORGE ARTIST ALLEY STALLS

- For attendees to promote and display any art prints, sketches and art commissions.

- Artist Alley stalls are for one person only.
- Stalls cost £25.00.
- Stalls are only available to attendees who have purchased a weekend ticket.
- Toys and craft goods may not be sold here. Again, this is to protect our traders and crafters.

All stalls must be staffed by the person(s) who paid for them. This is to ensure the safety of your stock and our attendees. The TFNation crew are unable to staff stalls.

Please CLICK HERE for further details on applying to The Forge.
We look forward to seeing your amazing creations!
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Operation: Sara Pitre-Durocher to attend TFNation 2017

It gives us great pleasure to announce that the artist for IDW’s TILL ALL ARE ONE, Sara Pitre-Durocher, will be making her European convention debut at TFNation 2017!

Sara first came to the attention of the TF comic fans in early 2015 with a series of stunning covers for MTMTE, WINDBLADE and RID before providing interior artwork for the one-shot COMBINER HUNTERS. After guesting on a few single issues, 2016 saw the start of TILL ALL ARE ONE, with Sara as the resident series artist. Covering the struggles of a rebuilt Cybertronian society, Starscream has never looked so delightfully devious!

As an art director at Volta creative studios, TF fans will also have seen Sara’s work elsewhere as she provided colours for many of the Combiner Wars figure packaging art and contributed work to the Transformers Legends mobile game, as well as several other iOS and browser titles.

We advise all our attendees to keep an eye on Sara’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/spewpew/ for details of her commission list, as the event draws closer.

Sara will be signing autographs, talking Starscream, hugging Combaticon fans and selling artwork at TFNation 2017 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel. We look forward to seeing you there!

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Operation: Hal Rayle and Maggie Roswell to attend TFNation 2017

We are honoured to announce two very special guests for #TFNation 2017 as the husband and wife team of Hal Rayle and Maggie Roswell join UK fans for the very first time, for something a little different!

To #Transformers fans, Hal is best known as G1 Snarl – the surly Stegosaurus member of the #Dinobots. A character so tough he was actually created to bring his fellow Dinobots in line!

In addition to voicing the coolest set of solar panels to grace a 80’s kids toy, Hal also voiced Shrapnel throughout the G1 series and the 1986 Transformers Animated movie, (not so tough, we admit) the reptilian Skuxxoid race (relatively tough, depending on payments owed) and finally the VERY TOUGH AND VERY MUCH ALIVE #Autobot Pipes in Five Faces of Darkness.

Outside of Transformers, Hal's work could be heard in a number of classic 80s and 90s animations, voicing Arzon in #Visionaries, Deep Six in Action Force, Prince Kro-Tan in Defenders of the Earth, Lieutenant Commander Steel in Swat Kats and numerous other appearances in shows such as Galaxy High, #TMNT and Universal Animation's Back to the Future, in which he clocked up over 65 separate voices alone.

In live-action projects, Hal has leant his voice to many strange creatures including the #Predator in Predator2, all the Ghoulies in Ghoulies and, as his first IMDB credit, voicing an Ewok in Caravan of Courage.

Given our attendees are displaying a growing interest in the technicalities behind the mic of voice acting, we couldn't resist the opportunity to bring in someone from the biggest animated series of all time. So it gives us great pleasure in welcoming The Simpsons very own Maggie Roswell to our robotic world.

Maggie has been a part of The #Simpsons since the very beginning, voicing regulars Maude Flanders, Helen Lovejoy, Luann Van Houten, and Elizabeth Hoover as well as dozens of supporting and guest characters across more than 175 episodes. Her impact on the show is so great that when she took a temporary leave from the show it resulted in the death of one of those characters!

Beyond #Springfield, Maggie’s career is extremely diverse with vocal work for the likes of Mighty Mouse, Darkwing Duck, the feature Fire and Ice and Animaniacs, alongside onscreen performances in shows such as L.A. Law, Remington Steele, Happy Days, #Dynasty, Quantum Leap, Mork & Mindy and many more.

That last show indirectly ties into another of Maggie’s interests: improv. Over a long career, Maggie has improvised with the likes of Robin Williams, John Ritter, Joey Bishop, Phil Foster, John Larouquette and, later, Dan “Homer” Castellaneta, and performed on Broadway with the hit Sills and Company.

Today, Maggie and Hal manage Roswell ‘n’ Rayle Studios, working with a host of international brands on projects that cover multiple aspects of the audio industry, including coaching, casting, demos, post and developing new media.

From G1 Dinobots, Visionaries and Ninja Turtles, to Helen Lovejoy, Sharry Bobins and Queen Elizabeth the Second (yes, we have not forgotten that) Hal and Maggie will be meeting fans, signing autographs and taking part in panels during our convention, which will run from Friday 11th to Sunday 13st August 2017.

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Operation: Guiding Light

We are delighted to reveal Transformers comic writer James Roberts will be joining us once again, at TFNation 2017!

One for the booklovers, James is best known to the fandom as the writer of the highly acclaimed comic series MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE and its much loved successor LOST LIGHT, where he works alongside fellow TFNation 2017 guest Jack Lawrence.

An early member of the Transmasters UK community, James came to the forefront after the publication of his (massive) fanfiction EUGENESIS. ALL HAIL MEGATRON #15 saw James’ first professional Transformers contribution, but it was his work alongside Nick Roche on LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS which really put him on the Cybertronian map.

Our mutual friend James Roberts will be signing autographs, hurting your feels and selling scripts at TFNation 2017, which is based at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel.

The lineup grows… we look forward to seeing you there!

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Operation: Alex Milne kicks in the door to TFNation 2017

Since we announced Josh Perez will be in attendance at our 2017 event, a certain artist has been practically kicking in our door to join him! So it gives us great pleasure to announce that Alex Milne will be breaching our defences and motoring into TFNation 2017 to join his partner in crime!

Alex is a long time Transformers creator, having provided big bot battles with Devil's Due, Fun Publications and Dreamwave. As the main artist for IDW's TRANSFORMERS: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE, it is through Alex's artwork that many memorable moments of the IDW canon have been played out in recent years. Life, death, love, hate, justice and betrayal… and that was just his first DJD issue! When comic readers think of characters like Skids, Cyclonus, Tailgate and Megatron, Alex's work is never far from their minds!

Our attendees will no doubt be eager to learn of Alex's future involvement in MTMTE's sequel, LOST LIGHT. In addition to this, we are excited to learn more from Alex about his recent work on the ROM / TRANSFORMERS crossover!

We urge fans to follow Alex on his twitter @markerguru for details of his commission list, as his work is always is high demand.

Alex Milne will be signing autographs, selling artwork and cuddling Josh Perez tightly at TFNation 2017, which is based at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel. They'll be there – will you?

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Operation: Simon Furman to attend TFNation 2017

For the last three decades, Simon Furman has been one of, if not THE most significant contributors to Transformers lore. Be it comics, television, movies, or games, Simon's influence is still being felt today. From his direct involvement with publications and interactive media, to the ongoing comic stories which have grown out of the rich continuity he pioneered at IDW, Simon's power is beyond measure.

Probably of most current significance to fans, Simon is involved in The Definitive Transformers Generation One Collection from Hachette, crafting the most comprehensive collection of Transformers fiction to date and, with the help of fellow TFNation guest John-Paul Bove, making it look better than ever.

Fans old and new of the Marvel-era material will not want to miss the chance to see both Simon Furman and fellow guest Bob Budiansky, essentially the fathers of Transformers as we know it, at their first dedicated UK convention together!

Simon's body of work outside of Transformers is almost as vast as a predatory bird, with varied comics titles such as Scream, Alpha Flight, What If...?, Thundercats, Doctor Who and much more, and television projects like Dan Dare, Matt Hatter Chronicals, and X-Men Evolution, which also starred fellow Beast Wars co-worker and TFNation guest Venus Terzo as Jean Grey.

Not content to stop there, Simon has collaborated with Transformers legend Geoff Senior to create the cult Brit-classic Dragon's Claws, recent internet sensation To The Death, and of course, our beloved Freelance Peace-Keeper; Death's Head! It never ends!!

Simon's current adventures are detailed on his blog over at: https://simonfurman.wordpress.com and is well worth following!

Simon will be signing autographs and selling comics and script packs from Friday 11th until Sunday 13th August 2017 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel at TFNation 2017. We look forward to seeing you there!

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Operation: Nick Roche to attend TFNation 2017

The engineers have finished reinforcing the foundations, the barriers are erected, and crowd control is in place... so now we can safely announce the return to TFNation 2017 of Nick Roche!

We are honoured that he has elected to grace us with his presence, so precious is his time these days! The last few years have seen him tackling a wide range of work and demand is ever-growing, providing covers for ROBOTECH, JUDGE DREDD and DEADPOOL VS PUNISHER, as well as interior artwork for Marvel’s DEATH'S HEAD & NEW WARRIORS, and co-creating the horror comedy MONSTER MOTORS with 'Minions' screenwriter Brian Lynch….and on top of all this he also collaborated with Brit rockers The Darkness to not only provide a cover for their album LAST OF OUR KIND, but an entire music video for hit single BARBARIAN. What’s more, he's busy working on his own creator-owned project… we hope to hear more about that over the weekend!

And then there's this little thing called Transformers.

A fan since the Marvel UK days and a member of the long-running TransMasters UK creative community (which also brought us the talents of James Roberts and Jack Lawrence), Nick first worked on IDW’s Spotlight series, followed by Devastation, Maximum Dinobots and a notable issue of All Hail Megatron. Following numerous covers for various series, Nick stunned the Transformers community with critically acclaimed 2010 mini-series LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS, which broke hearts, shattered trousers and whose influence has been felt in Transformers ever since.

His continuing involvement has seen him provide alternate covers for almost every issue of MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE and LOST LIGHT to date, as well as a return to writing with the notably strong SPOTLIGHT: MEGATRON and, most recently, to once again put the Autobot's premier black ops team through the wringer with SINS OF THE WRECKERS.

Nick will be signing autographs and selling artwork, somewhere in the middle of the art-fan equivalent of a moshpit, at TFNation 2017 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel - we look forward to seeing you there!

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Operation: Stephen Baskerville to attend TFNation 2017

We are pleased to announce that the ever-charming Stephen Baskerville will be attending TFNation 2017.

A seasoned comic and concept artist, Stephen has lent his talents to countless projects during his career, with no sign of letting up. Providing comic art for characters as diverse as Spider-man, Judge Dredd, Snake Plissken, various denizens of the Beano-verse, the JSA and Thomas the Tank Engine as well as videogame designs for the likes of Reservoir Dogs, SpongeBob Squarepants, GI Joe, Doctor Who and Barbie (sadly not all appearing in the one title, that’s one crossover ripe for the taking).

But it’s for his Transformers work that many of our attendees will both recognise and appreciate Stephen’s art, with a new generation of fans discovering his talents through Hachette’s TRANSFORMERS DEFINITIVE G1 COLLECTION. We look forward to discussion on this release, alongside Fellow TFNation guests Simon Furman, Bob Budiansky and series (re)colourist John-Paul Bove

Working on the British G1 comic, inking for artists including Andrew Wildman, Stephen’s distinct style brought a polished organic edge to many a Cybertronian. After popping back briefly to ink the last edition of the TRANSFORMERS ARMADA comic, a full return to the franchise was announced with the start of IDW’s REGENERATION ONE series, along with the aforementioned Andrew Wildman, writer Simon Furman, artist Guido Guidi and colourist John-Paul Bove, the latter two of whom he continued to collaborate with on the DRIFT: EMPIRE OF STONE miniseries

If you want to contact Stephen before the event, head over to his webpage https://baskervillecomics.carbonmade.com/

Stephen will be signing autographs and selling artwork at TFNation 2017, at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel - we look forward to seeing you there!

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Operation: Code Breaker

Whilst we begin announcing events and panels for this year’s TFNation, it’s important to note we still have a couple of guests to announce, including an individual whose support and commitment to UK Transformers fans has seen him become an invaluable ally of Team TFNation… ladies and gentlemen, Mr Jim Sorenson!

Jim has a passion for researching the details behind the various shows, movies and comics of the franchise. He came to fans' attention when he deciphered the Maximal and Predacon languages used in the TV series Beast Wars. Eventually, he began to share his vast knowledge with fans online, through his blog Disciples of Boltax.

Jim's interest in collecting and researching turned into a career with 2007’s Transformers: The Ark, a collection of over 500 G1 animation models, published alongside collaborator and friend Bill Forster. A year later, the pair were back with a sequel, this time showcasing character models from the Japanese Generation 1 animated series.

Since then, Jim has released numerous publications on the franchise, all snapped up by eager fans. The Allspark Almanac (volumes 1,2 and combined printing) are considered a treasure trove for fans of the series, over-flowing with easter eggs and hidden references, while subsequent works on Transformers: Prime and GI Joe rewards fans of those series. In recent years, Transformers: Legacy made G1 fans rejoice with its painstakingly researched prints of (almost) all the original Transformer G1 box. Recently, Jim produced The Art of The Angry Birds Movie, tying into their Hollywood debut.

Jim has continued to contribute to the TF community in many ways, including the "Ask Vector Prime" for the BotCon magazines as well as his TFNation 2016 work, which included the script reading, giving the audience a few suprises during the show.

We are aware that Jim is working on a project involving the TF Universe, but are unable to go into any further detail at present… fingers crossed Jim will be able to unveil the project at our August convention.

Jim will also be signing autographs, chatting with fans and considering his Billy cosplay at TFNation - Friday 11th until Sunday 13th August 2017 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel at TFNation - we look forward to seeing you there.

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steve2275 wrote:is he wearing a starfleet uniform?

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Operation: Mark Ryan places TFN on Lockdown!

Hero. Villain. Bounty hunter.

As a special surprise to celebrate a decade of live action movies, we are thrilled to be welcoming the multi-talented Mark Ryan to TFNation 2017!

Though we already had a fully packed guest list this year, we simply could not pass up the opportunity to welcome Mr Ryan to our celebrations. As you will see, his CV is incredible.

In 2007's Transformers, Mark provided the touching end dialogue for Bumblebee, the fun-loving Autobot who quickly established himself as a brand leader. He also performed the role of Ironhide in the video game affiliated to the movie.

For 2009's Revenge of the Fallen, Mark took on the role of the aged and opinionated Jetfire. A legendary Decepticon seeker who defected to the Autobots.

However, Mark is perhaps best known to Transformers fans for his part in 2014's Age of Extinction, where he brought big screen life to the movie's antagonist, and fan favourite character, Lockdown. A bounty hunter tasked with retrieving Optimus Prime on behalf of the mysterious Creators.

If you take a trip down to your local cinema this week, you will be able to hear (and maybe even see!) Mark in this year's new movie, Transformers: The Last Knight... But no spoilers from us, we will let you find him!

In addition to the above, Mark interacts with human characters to provide the on set voice and presence of many Transformers, before they are added in via the magic of CGI. This means he has an incredibly rich experience of life on a Transformers movie set, as well as post-production work.

Away from giant robots, Mark's career continues to be wonderfully diverse. From originating the role of Magaldi in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Evita, to appearing as the loyal Mr. Gates in the pirate show Black Sails, Mark really has done it all.

Some of his notable filmography entries include Charlie's Angels, Convicted, The Thirst and The Prestige. He also composed and performed in a musical adaptation of Wuthering Heights. But for many, Mark will be forever tied to his role as Nasir in the 80’s TV series Robin of Sherwood - this represented the first time a Muslim character had been part of the mythos and Ryan’s impact was so great, the concept carried over to later productions such as Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and the 2006 Robin Hood TV series, to become a mainstay of the classic tale.

Oh... and he's also a master swordsman who provides fight scene training to other big name Hollywood actors. We're not making this up!

As with all our guests at TFNation, Mark’s appearance is subject to availability. However, we should make you aware that Mark will be working on a top secret film project around the time of the convention, which could potentially affect his schedule. Armed with that knowledge, please take any opportunity you can to say hello to Mark as he is a wonderfully generous person and loves to meet Transformer fans.

Mark will be meeting fans, signing autographs, but will hopefully refrain from transforming his face into a giant cannon, at TFNation which will run from Friday 11th and Sunday 13th August 2017.

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