Origin of Transformers ?

[TheLogicalProwl]

Diaclone toys began their life as giant robots that could be piloted by little figures - eventually leading to vehicles piloted by these little figures that also could transform into robots.

If you ever wondered why the G1 Insecticons and Dinobots had cockpits that could open, it was meant to hold those little figures.

Here are YouTube videos showing all the Diaclone commercials in Japan. Towards the end you see the G1 Transformer toys, although some with different colours (like Red Sunstreaker for example).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvPnLMFTKFM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2kFSkSwP_c

Have fun,
J.

[UltraPrimal]

Basically the Takara owned and still owns most of the original toys(Diaclone, Microman, etc), which Hasbro licensed and repainted and rebranded as "The TransFormers".

However it should be noted(although I have to check my facts so don't quote me on it), that Diaclone and Microman actually stemmed from G.I. Joe, which is owned by Hasbro. If I recall, Hasbro brought the old 12" G.I. Joe line over to Japan via Takara back in like the 50's or 60's. G.I. Joe was the top toy brand in America at the time because of WWII. However, it wasn't such a great hit for Japan because this was obviously the guy that defeated them in the war. So what Takara did was they remolded the G.I. Joe figures, gave them cyborg parts(which was kind of the hot thing over there at the time), and re-released them as a new line. And they were a HIT! But after a few years, the price of oil(and plastic) started to sky rocket and the 12" size weren't economically viable, so they shrunk them down. And as oil prices continued to climb they shrunk them down even further. And to compensate they started making transforming vehicle robot mechas for them, which now know as the toys that would become the TransFormers of old. Again, I'm a little hazy on all the details, but that's roughly the long and short of it.

[MULTIPLEX]

Originally Posted by lavaller

a good book too get that explains that is transformers vault if you dont already have it you MUST get it its awesome

Originally Posted by Xtreme987

^
Kewl I just found this book on Chapters. Here is the link if anyone else wants to check it out:

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/...FQsO5wod6H8AAA

Thanks lavaller for the tip

That book looks excellent. I love reference books. I beleive I will be picking this up. Between this and the Covenant of the Primes, I'm set

[Autobot_Orion]

It all began with an ancient battle between Primus and Unicorn. Primus eventually transforms himself into the planet Cybertron. Transformers were created on Cybertron and the rest is history.

[anemis]

ask protoman he,ll give you their entire history in a nutshell

[MULTIPLEX]

Originally Posted by anemis

ask protoman he,ll give you their entire history in a nutshell

Maybe he should run a class at TFcon. I'd sign up for that. It's been a while since I've been in a classroom

[justprime]

Transforming toys were around years before Hasbro decided it needed a cartoon to sell there version of toys,.. Branded by them as "Transformers" (to compete with mattels gobots,)..they have peddeled there wares for the last 30,.. so prior to 83 ( takes generally a year to make'm thats why there stamped 83 or in the case of diaclone earlier dates IE.. Ops trailer will show two dates 80to82 and can be stamped takara or takara and hasbro ) add the production time for the cartoon series, offically Transformes didnt exsist till then (84),... being as most G1 series/season 1 toys were taken from other lines this splits collectors as to what is a true "transformes" piece in some circles diaclone vs hasbros releases.... IE diaclon battle convoy or optimus prime early G1 primes used the battle convoy toy redecaled, and are different from later releases of the same toy in numerous to suttle ways, as are soundwave,megatron etc...

[jjwankenobi]

Originally Posted by Xtreme987

^
Kewl I just found this book on Chapters. Here is the link if anyone else wants to check it out:

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/...FQsO5wod6H8AAA

Got The Vault for Christmas 2012. It is fantastic and the pullout tech specs and G1 poster reproductions are a bonus. It seems blasphemy, IMO, to have a section on the Bayverse movies though.

[Msol]

Jay Bacal is the guy who came up with the name Transformers, as he was one of the higher ups at Hasbro's ad agency, Griffin-Bacal. They then brought the idea to Marvel. Jim Shooter, the editor-in-chief, came up with the name Optimus Prime (I think? It's all on his blog) and then had it sent down to Budianski to finalize things.

I've always enjoyed the fact that the fiction has a very western feel to it. Notice that soon after the G1 show ended here, the Japanese quickly reverted things back to how it was pre-G1: piloted mecha, more or less (Headmasters to some extent, then very obviously in Masterforce).

[QuadESL63]

If you can read Japanese there is a good book called "The Official Guide of Takara SF Land". It is a Microman/Micronauts & Diaclone reference but there are sketches of things to come in the Diaclone toy line but ended up in the TF line like the sketches on "Motormaster", or there is a picture of a triple changer that was never ported to TF, etc.