One version of the Autobot leader elevated product placement to a new level. So began one of the biggest wild goose chases in the Transformers universe. When searches for the toy proved unsuccessful, many assumed that the name-appropriate Bluestreak was a valuable limited edition version of the toy, and poured their energy into finding this variant. Prompted by a visual misrepresentation in early toy catalogues and instruction booklets, franchise fans began to suspect that a blue version of the character was available for purchase. In contrast to what his name would suggest, the character Bluestreak was released as a red- and silver-colored Transformer figure. RUMORS TOLD OF A RARE BLUESTREAK VARIANT. But because of production limitations, Hasbro made the decision to release the same toy with different colors in order to “make the line look bigger” resulting in a number of red Bumblebees and yellow Cliffjumpers. HASBRO SWAPPED COLORATION ON TWO TRANSFORMERS.Įarly miniature car characters included popular models Bumblebee, a robot that turns into a yellow Volkswagen Beetle, and Cliffjumper, one that transforms into a red Porsche Turbo 924. Turned off by the militant nature of the handle “Beast Wars,” when an offshoot line of animal-themed Transformers launched in 1996, countries like Canada opted for the more peaceful-sounding “Beasties.” 7. THE NAME “BEAST WARS” DIDN’T FLY IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE WORLD. TRANSFORMERS LASTED LONGER INTERNATIONALLY THAN THEY DID IN THE U.S.Īs sales began to wane in the United States in the early ‘90s, foreign markets continued to prosper, with the line selling particularly well in Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as Takara’s home country of Japan. As such, grades were boosted to bolster the characters’ skill sets. in Civil Engineering), I came up with jargon that I hoped would lend a pseudo-scientific, cool-sounding veneer to the characters.”Īs time went on, Hasbro began to fear that consumers would be hesitant to purchase toys with middling scores. Budiansky created the tech specs, and he later said, “Drawing from my knowledge of comic books, science fiction, and my engineering background (I have a B.S. Tech specs would evaluate such attributes as strength, speed, intelligence, courage, and endurance with a grade between 1 and 10. The first league of Transformers toys were assigned and packaged with numeric grades, known as “tech specs,” assessing the battle worthiness of the character in question. HASBRO EMPLOYED GRADE INFLATION FOR ITS “TECH SPECS.” The least likely namesake of the bunch belonged to Autobot medic Ratchet, who Budiasky confirmed was named after the antagonist from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Louise Fletcher's Nurse Ratched. The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'s fellow villain Shockwave, a hyper-rational Decepticon, owed personality traits to Star Trek hero Mr.
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The leader of the villainous Decepticons, Megatron, initially bore the moniker Gun Robo-P38 U.N.C.L.E., an obvious nod to the 1960s TV series. SEVERAL CHARACTERS WERE INSPIRED BY FAMOUS POP CULTURE FIGURES.Ĭomic book writer and artist Bob Budiansky, the mind behind many of the Transformers characters, made a habit of embedding pop culture references within the names and designs of his robot creations. The company teamed with Hasbro to repurpose a number of Diaclone and Microman figure models for the American Transformers banner, including several early Autobot cars that were originally Diaclone toys and a Microman handgun that became Megatron. Prior to the inception of the American Transformers franchise, the Japanese toy company Takara had undertaken two less successful action figure ventures called Diaclone and Microman in the ‘70s and early ‘80s. MANY TRANSFORMERS FIGURE MOLDS WERE BORROWED FROM OTHER TOY LINES.
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As a result of Reagan’s media deregulations in the mid-1980s, toy company Hasbro and Japanese toymaker Takara (now TakaraTomy) were suddenly free to launch a venture like Transformers: An action figure line that coexisted with a cartoon series about its characters, encouraging the purchase of as many of its products as possible. Historically, children’s programs had been prohibited from promoting products due to the FCC’s concerns that commercial elements would compromise the integrity of the content onscreen. President Ronald Reagan’s policy of deregulation extended to American television, and the repercussion for kids’ TV opened up a new frontier for toymakers. By now, these early fans are all grown up, so there are probably a few things they've forgotten-or perhaps never knew-about the incredible toys.
The 1980s was a golden era for the action figure, and Transformers were among the most popular. Gustavo Vargas, Flickr // CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
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