 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 
- Home - About - Transformers News - Transformers G1 - Transformers G2 - The Deceptions - The Maximals - The Predicons - Voice Actors - Field Guide - Transformers Facts - OC's Mary Sue Test - Interviews - My Creations - Video of the Month - Galleries - Artist Commissions List - My Collection - The Cartoons and the Movies - Quotes & Bloopers - Links - Webrings - Affiliate Info - FAQ - Buy Transformers Toys & Items - Staff - Contact - Disclaimer |
Transformers Generation One
Generation one is also known as G1, this cartoon series was based on a toy line of transforming toys that was produced from 1984 to 1991. The toy line, in fact was produced longer than the cartoon series itself. Fact: The cartoon was originally known as “The Transformers” but when they released the cartoon with The Transformers Generation 2 in 1993, many of the fans renamed the series as G1 and G2. Hasbro picked this up officially and part of the title “The” was omitted from the name from that point onward. In 1983, Hasbro representatives traveled to the Tokyo Toy Show, they went there for find prospective toys that could cross the ocean to the North American market. At the trade show, they found the company Takara, who were showcasing several transforming toy lines, these included Diaclone, Micro Change and Mecha. The representatives of Hasbro liked what they saw, they bought the rights to produce the toys, and to avoid confusion they marketed the toy line under one brand. Prior to the deal between Takara and Hasbro, Diaclone were briefly sold in certain shops in the U.S. They were sold under the name ’The Diakron’ moniker and in some places in Europe Diaclone had a small following which included their own comic book series. Hasbro always had a business connection with Marvel Comics. They approached them to produce a back story for these new Transformers figures. At this time, the Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter and a Marvel writer Dennis O’Neil sat down and created a story and then editor Bod Budiansky came on to assist. Bod created the characters’ names and their profiles. In 1985, the toy line was released supported by the Marvel comics, the cartoon series and other Transformers merchandise. When the feature film “The Transformers Movie” was released it generated a profit of $5,706,456 in the United States alone. The Transformers wee set up with two warring fractions - the Autobots who are the good guys and their enemy the evil Decepticons. The war on their home planet of Cybertron had raged for eons and both sides run low on supplies and both sides intended to get more supplies that were needed. The Autobots didn’t want to fight but the Decepticons attacked them in space, they boarded the Autobots’ ship the Ark and during their fight on their ship, it was badly damaged and crash landed on Earth during the primitive era. The two most iconic representatives of the Transformers are Optimus Prime the heroic leader of the Autobots and the evil Megatron who led the Decepticons. The leading representatives was changed in the feature cartoon film Transformers the movie, with the death of Optimus, a young Autobot by the name of Hot Rod arose from the ranks to become Rodimus Prime the new leader of the Autobots, and Megatron was repaired and rebuilt by Unicron to became Galvatron. Later on in the series Optimus Prime was rebuilt by a Quintasson and retook his role as Leader of the Autobots from Rodimus Prime who reverted back to being Hot Rod, much to his relief. Timeline of Generation One 1984-1985 - Toy lines become the Generation One foundation, and the Classic characters are introduced. 1985 -The Dinobots and the Constructicons along with the Insecticons were introduced into the toy line. 1986- More characters from different toy lines of other companies are re-licensed and introduced the combiner teams, being some of the ones introduced. It also brought the end of the use of Diaclone and Microman moulds, Hasbro began making moulds for original designs for many of the characters. This was the year the toy line was tied-in animated feature. In this year The transformers Movie was released , but sadly it wasn’t a blockbuster as Hasbro was hoping for, but it was a start of a change of direction for the series. Hasbro also stopped using the non -Takara, like Sky Lynx who was originally made by Toybox. New characters where introduced like Rodimus Prime who replaced Optimus as leader of the Autobots and Galvatron who was Megatron rebuilt by Unicron. Subgroups showed up more and the characters increased , the series now followed the movie story line and was set in the future, but the comic line continued to be in the present. 1987- new characters and gimmicks to make them stand out started in this year, Combiner teams where reduced and to replace them the Headmasters and Targetmasters where brought in, Two big transformers where also introduced for the Autobots Fortress Maximus and the Decepticons Scorponok. The series had one season more but only three episodes where made in America, as Sunbow lost its contract and inability of renewal, this left only the comics to tie in with the toy line. 1988- Even with its smaller support Transformers continued and even introduced more characters , more Headmasters and Target masters where introduced, but a new line the Pretenders and Powermasters where the driving forces in the new lines. Also Optimus Prime returned from the dead and took his place again as leader of the Autobots , Rodimus went back to being Hotrod. 1989-A new logo design was produced for the toy line, subgroups where done away with leaving the Pretender and Micromaster as the only groups, they where then divided into thematic teams and some of the classic characters where redesigned into Pretenders. 1990- was the final year of the Transformers on the US market, it was with a more expanded Micromaster line and the Auction Masters a non-transformers figures based of classic characters but their weapons transformed and they had transformers vehicles. Overseas market Of the countries Transformers was exported to, Japan and the UK were the only ones to make some interesting twists to the toy line. Although the popularity of Transformers has waned in these two countries as well, they still managed to make some output in the interim between 1990 and 1993, before the launch of the next series, Transformers: Generation 2. The UK releases, while in general following the American releases and storylines, omitted a fairly large selection of the original toys from the US line. The UK line first started branching away from the US line in 1990 with the re-releases of several early toys under the "Classics" banner. However, it was 1991 when the UK line went in its own unique direction. Though there were only a few characters introduced, they were toys that none of the US audience had ever seen. The 1991 and 1992 toys also found their way to Asian and Australian stores. The 1991 line did away with the Micromasters but had additional Action Master characters, in addition to re-uses of some of Takara's previously Japanese-exclusive molds. 1992 saw the release of the Autobot Turbomasters, the Decepticon Predators, yellow unnamed versions of the Constructicons (minus the parts to make Devastator), and re-colored versions of four sixths of the Japanese-exclusive Beast Force, simply known collectively as the Rescue Force. In early 1993, more exclusive figures were released under the Transformers (no subtitle) label, most notably the color-changing Stormtroopers, the Lightformers, the Trakkons, and the Autobot and Decepticon Obliterators. The heads of the Obliterators, Pyro and Clench, were the inspiration for the redesigned Autobot and Decepticon symbols that were used on this year's packaging and later used for Transformers: Generation 2. In Japan, it was Takara, the toy company that Transformers originated from, that had the rights to distribute the toys in their country. Unlike Hasbro UK, Takara had more autonomy in regards to their releases and storyline that were running concurrent with the American line. For example, several characters appeared that were only exclusive to the Japanese market and Toei Animation continued the animated series with their own storylines. Come 1989, Takara departed from the lineup of characters that Hasbro released that year, choosing instead with an even more different set of characters. In 1990, the Micromaster concept was embraced wholeheartedly as majority of the toys that year and the next were of that nature. 1991 would see more Micromasters released, including the fist Micromaster combiner, alongside three larger Battlestars, one of which was Star Convoy, a reborn version of Optimus Prime. Uniquely, the 1991 range in Japan consisted of only Autobot characters. The 1992 range in Japan was the final year of Generation 1, and featured several more Micromaster combiners, recolored versions of Defensor and Bruticus, and the smaller Turbomasters and Predators which were concurrently released in Europe. (Credit given to the Wikipedia site where I read up on the information then put it into my own words) |
 |
|
 |
 |
||
 |
|
 |
|
