Pre-Transformers
From Transformers Wiki
| This article is about the fandom term for toys derived from lines that existed before Transformers. For the cartoon character called "Pre-Transformer" in the script, see Guardian Prime. |
In fan terminology, pre-Transformers is an umbrella term for the Diaclone and Micro Change toylines, as well as for the original, non-Transformers-branded versions of such toys as Jetfire and the Mini-spies; all of which originally made up the entirety of the original Transformers toyline for (roughly) the first two years of its run. Some of these figures also sported different color schemes than their more well-known Transformers counterparts.
In many instances, future reissues of these figures or new toys of those characters would be redecoed to homage the pre-Transformers color schemes originally unused in the Transformers franchise.
Contents |
Overview
The early history of transforming robots
The first known instance of a transforming toy robot toy comes from Japanese company Yonezawa Toys, with their battery-powered "Space Explorer" tin robot - released sometime during the late 1950s [1] - having the ability to automatically convert into a simple box roughly resembling a television set. It would only be in 1975 when something closer to a modern transforming robot would be produced by means of toy manufacturer Popy (ポピー), with their figure of the titular robot protagonist of Brave Raideen featuring the then-innovative ability to transform into a spaceship and back, a design concept that was quickly iterated on by multiple other Japanese toy manufacturers throughout the remainder of the decade. Soon, transforming toy robots started appearing everywhere across the country, both as mechs and sentient characters in anime and as action figures in toy aisles.
In 1977, Takara would enter the transforming robot scene with an often-overlooked but very important addition to the genre. As the Microman line was at the height of its popularity, they would supplement it with a series of automobiles that'd transform into alternative "attack" modes featuring extra play features, releasing under the Microman Command subline. Among these was "Cosmocountach", a - as its name suggests - Lamborghini Countach whose alternative mode was a rudimentary-looking wheeled robot. The key innovation here was the "Countach" part: while previous transforming robot toys converted into spaceships or other generic futuristic vehicles (or, in the case of Yonezawa's Space Explorer, into a household object!), Cosmocountach was the first to transform into a real-life vehicle, a major feature of the success of the transforming toy robot genre that was about to burst into international popularity during the next decade.
Diaclone, Micro Change, and the rise of pre-Transformers
While Cosmocountach was Takara's first experimentation with a robot-to-car transforming toy, it would still be a while until a fully-fledged line centered around this concept came to be. By 1980 they kicked off Diaclone, a toyline ostensibly about robots and vehicles with transforming elements, but at this point, still very much in the traditional vein of the Japanese toys of its era: the robots were mechs with pilots rather than sentient beings, the transformations were usually centered around large unitary modules that combined to form the robots, the designs followed an anime-esque traditional "super robot" aesthetic (although curiously, Takara would also at one point try and go for the Gundam-pioneered "real robot" market by selling a few Diaclone model kits under the "Real Type" sub-brand! [2]) and the majority of vehicles were spaceships or futuristic land vehicles rather than real-life machines. In 1981, they introduced the Dashers to the toyline, a trio of small robots with more traditional robot-to-vehicle transformations akin to what would later be seen in the Transformers, but alas, these also converted into futuristic vehicles. By 1981, Takara had also introduced the "Change Attacars" subline, which would, for the first time in Diaclone, feature real-life automobiles... That converted into attack vehicles for the Diaclone pilots rather than robots. Makes you wonder: what if you combined both and made a line that had cars... And robots?
It would only be in 1982 that Diaclone would see the introduction of the Car Robots subline, spearheaded by designer Kōjin Ōno. Born as a product of both creative preferences within the design team towards more realism and extensive market research that'd show this too was the leaning of kids at the time (Ōno mentions that the team would frequently survey children in a park near Takara's headquarters [3]), Car Robots would be the first instance of a line-up fully centered around a suite of robots that transformed into realistic automobiles. The first figure in this series, "Diaclone No. 1 Countach LP500S", would set the stage for the line's design direction, with many other toys following suite - the most legendary of these being "No.17 Battle Convoy", a certain red and blue robot that converted into a truck - and the rest is history. The line was broadly successful and by the end of 1982, a grand total of 22 Car Robots molds had been produced.
Beyond Takara with their Diaclone and Micro Change figures, many other Japanese toy brands also jumped into the rapidly growing market of transforming toy robots with real-life alternate modes. Bandai was arguably as much of a genre pioneer as Takara, with the famous Super Dimension Fortress Macross series and its squadrons of mechs that transform into realistic jets releasing in the same year as the Diaclone Car Robots. Machine Robo - the predecessor to the American-localized GoBots - would also release in 1982, further competing with Takara within the field of robots that transform into realistic vehicles. Other Bandai toylines like Special Armored Battalion Dorvack and Armored Insect Corps Beetras would also extensively feature transforming robots, albeit with more distinctively sci-fi alternate modes instead. Yonezawa Toys, the very progenitors of the transforming robot genre, would also release their own transforming robot toys during this time, most of them being gimmicky battery-powered toys: of note is their Remote Change Robo Series, which featured small auto-transforming robots capable of converting into chibified real-life cars.
Licensing and the transition into Transformers
There is a credible case that the unreleased Mysterians toyline from American company Knickerbocker Toys was the origin point for the not-Choro-Q-inspired figures in the first wave of Generation 1 Mini-Vehicles - those being Brawn, Gears, Huffer, and Windcharger. These designs were shown in internal Knickerbocker documents in 1982, then Hasbro purchased Knickerbocker in 1983 and the molds were released in Micro Change in 1983. But the chronology is not entirely clear, because Takara designer Masaki Maruyama is typically credited as designing these figures (as well as the other Mini-Vehicles). Perhaps Knickerbocker designed the toys and Maruyama's attributed credits are wrong... or early Takara designs were at first licensed to Knickerbocker for a release that never happened... or the two companies were designing them in tandem. Conclusive details about who gets full credit for such obscure unreleased products from a long-defunct company are likely lost to time. Notably, the other non-pre-Transformers Mysterians designs would eventually get released by a different company called Marchon (also under the Mysterians name), although it is unknown what (if any) deal they cut with Hasbro and/or the late Knickerbocker.
The legacy of pre-Transformers
By 1986, almost all of the pre-Transformers toy-molds that made up the original Transformers toyline had started to trickle out in favor of the all-new molds based on Floro Dery's concept artwork designed for The Transformers: The Movie, though, a few unutilized Diaclone concepts, as well as retools of previously-released pre-Transformers molds from Takara found their way into the mix. By 1987, the Hasbro Transformers line (1992 in the Takara line) had reached the point where only original molds were being produced.
Pre-Transformers lines
The molds released across the Generation 1 toyline — counting the original American version and its subsequent Japanese equivalent, as well as its many permutations across Latin America — add up to a bulk of figures whose roots can be traced back to a staggering twelve (or, if the Knickerbocker story is correct, maybe even thirteen!) different toylines, produced by a total of seven (or, again; potentially eight!) different manufacturers, the majority of them based in Japan.
Molds released in Hasbro & Takara's Transformers toylines
- From Takara:
- Diaclone
- Car Robots / Real & Robo — predecessors to Optimus Prime, 1984-1985 Autobot Cars, Ultra Magnus and Seekers were originally released in Diaclone's first "real world vehicle" subline
- Other assorted Diaclone releases included predecessors to Insecticons, Omnibots, Dinobots, Constructicons, and Blitzwing
- Jizai Gattai — predecessors to Stunticons, Aerialbots, Protectobots, Combaticons, and Metroplex designed for this aborted subline but only released as Transformers
- Astrotrain and Octane were also originally designed for Diaclone
- New Microman
- Micro Change — predecessors to Megatron, Soundwave and his initial quintet of Mini-Cassettes, Blaster, Perceptor, and 1984 Mini-Vehicles hail from this "desk object" themed subline of the 1981 iteration of Takara's long-running Microman franchise
- It should be noted that the convoluted back-and-forth between the various Transformers and Microman toylines extends far beyond the scope of this page. See Microman's own page for further information.
- Diaclone
Molds released in Hasbro's Transformers toyline only
- From Takara:
- Diaclone — predecessors to Jumpstarters, Powerdashers, and (through a long story) the French exclusive Horloge Robot
- Watch-Q — predecessors to the Kronoform figures (first released as its own toyline, later rebranded into a Transformers subline)
- Mech Soldier — predecessors to Mini-spies
- From Takatoku Toys:
- Armored Insect Corps Beetras — predecessors to Deluxe Insecticons
- Special Armored Battalion Dorvack — predecessors to Deluxe Vehicles
- Super Dimension Fortress Macross — predecessor to Jetfire
- From Toybox: "Super Change Robo Mechabot-1" — predecessors to Omega Supreme and Sky Lynx (the latter being designed by ToyBox but only ever released as a Transformer).
- From ToyCo: "4 Changeable Astro Magnum" — predecessor to Shockwave
Molds released in Takara's Transformers toyline only
- From Takara:
Molds released in South American Transformers toylines only
- From Yonezawa Toys: "Remote Change Robo Series" — predecessors to the Eletrix
- From Asahi Corporation: "Attack Change Machine Powertron" — predecessors to Bat-Robôs
- From Best Join: "Radio Robot" — predecessor to Radio AM Robot (and, confusingly, also a knockoff)
Licensed international releases of pre-Transformers
Hasbro's Transformers line was originally just one of several international venues for many of these figures. It was only when Transformers became such a huge worldwide success that it completely eclipsed these other versions, resulting in weird transitional phases in many instances. Some of these are frequently mistaken for knockoffs (not helped by the fact that there are knockoffs of many of these versions as well!).
United States
- Takara
- Diakron (featuring Diaclone figures, including the Powerdashers that were first named as such here)
- Kronoform (again, later rebranded into a Transformers subline)
- RadioShack — "Galactic Man" (a version of Shockwave's mold)
- Village Toys — Convert-A-Bots, featuring "N-4-SR" (another version of Shockwave's mold in two different color schemes) and Pow-R-Bots (featuring Turbo Z, Porsche, and Jeep as versions of Esporte, Porsche, and Jipe's molds)
- Select — Convertors (featuring "Wheels" and "Chopper", plastic versions of Roadbuster and Whirl's molds, respectively)
- Ertl Company - Pow-R-Trons (featuring Zoomer and Turboid as versions of Turbo's mold and Distroid and Fy-Ton as versions of Pick-Up's mold)
United Kingdom
- Grandstand — Convertors (unrelated to Select's US line of the same name; featuring "Omegatron", a version of Omega Supreme's mold in its original Mechabot-1 colors)
- Tandy — "Galactic Man" (almost identical to RadioShack's version, due to both being owned by the same parent company)
Italy
- GiG — Trasformer (featuring Diaclone and Micro Change figures, some of them already in their unique Transformers colors; as well as "Megarobot", a version of Omega Supreme's mold)
Germany
- GAMA — "Trans Robot" (a version of Omega Supreme's mold very similar to Grandstand's "Omegatron", with the packaging design being close to Toybox's original Mechabot-1 version, but with the "Trans Robot" logo taking some cues from Hasbro's "Transformers" logo, also replacing the tank's long barrel with a radar dish because no war toys for you, German kids!)
France
- Joustra — Diaclone (featuring Takara Diaclone and Micro Change figures, some of them already sporting Autobot and Decepticon insignia stickers)
- Orli Jouet — "Robotrack" (featuring "Mecabot", a nigh-identical version of Omega Supreme in Hasbro colors, possibly produced as part of a partnership with GiG, with the TV commercial even featuring footage from the Transformers cartoon)
Finland
- Takara — Diaclone (featuring Diaclone figures, including a unique black version of Tracks's mold)
Post-Generation 1 releases
As Hasbro and Takara would eventually make newer Transformers toylines throughout the following decades, they would also overwhelmingly rely on all-new original toy designs, with both companies therefore mostly leaving the old pre-Transformers molds to the realm of occasional commemorative reissue toylines (and neither company ever again releasing rebranded non-Hasbro / Takara toys as Transformers, like Hasbro had formerly done with Macross, Dorvack, and Beetras). Nonetheless, there would still be a few instances of figures and decos from pre-Transformers Takara toylines making their way into future Transformers toylines after the end of Generation 1.
Pre-Transformers figures released after Generation 1
Oddly, a few extra Micro Change toys would only be released as Transformers for the first time during the 90s:
- MC-06 Watch Robo — Autobot, released in 1993 under the Transformers: Generation 2 toyline
- Meteor Robos — Egg Beasts, retooled and released in 1998 under the Japanese Transformers: Beast Wars toyline
Pre-Transformers decos released after Generation 1
Some decos for the classic molds in some of the aforementioned reissue toylines would be directly taken from their Diaclone and Micro Change equivalents.
- Diaclone
- Powered Convoy — Ultra Magnus Yokokuhen Version, released in the 2001 Toy Festival (later repurposed as Delta Magnus)
- No.21 Corvette Stingray — Road Rage, released in 2002 by e-HOBBY
- No. 6 Honda City R — Crosscut, released in 2002 by e-HOBBY
- No.19 New Countach LP500S Police Car Type — Clampdown, released in 2003 by e-HOBBY
Figure Ō Tigertrack, featuring the deco of New Countach LP500S' yellow version.
- Powered Convoy DX Set — Deep Cover, released in 2003 by e-HOBBY
- Finnish Diaclone Corvette Stingray — Black Tracks, released in 2003 as a Lucky Draw prize
- No.15 New Countach LP500S — Tigertrack, released in 2003 as a Figure Ō magazine mail order item
- Insecter Robos — Zaptrap, Salvo, and Shothole, released in 2004 by e-HOBBY
- No. 1 Jet Fighter Type — Overcharge, released in 2005 by e-HOBBY
- Micro Change
- MC-13 Gun Robo Walther P-38 U.N.C.L.E. — Megatron Black Version, released in 2001 by e-HOBBY
- MC-20 Micro Scope — Magnificus, released in 2005 by e-HOBBY
Notably, most of these releases would canonize said decos as new characters, a good portion of which would later get all-new toys in modern toylines like Masterpiece and the "CHUG" ensemble!
When the opposite happened
As a curious juxtaposition to the contents of this page, there have actually been a few instances where later Transformers molds were themselves re-released as part of other toylines! Although these are pretty rare occurrences (the overwhelmingly majority of Transformers molds released over the years have remained exclusive to the Transformers brand), the most notable examples come from Takara:
- The 1990 Brave series is a well-known sister franchise of the Transformers (as well as a spiritual sucessor of sorts to it, serving as Takara's leading transforming robot toyline for a couple of years before the Transformers brand would eventually return to Japan in 1995), with various figures like Sixshot, Grandus, and Deathsaurus getting retooled and re-released as characters from the series.
- A handful of later Microman toys (remember, the original toyline that Micro Change branched out of) were redecoed from the Generation 2 Laser Cycles, the Action Masters Armored Convoy truck, and the Micromaster Rocket Base.
Beyond Takara, this also happened with a pair of companies that distributed Transformers product:
- The Argentine Invasion Galactica series was a tiny short-lived toyline that consisted of a handful of repackaged Estrela Transformers figures, likely released under the new branding in an effort to avoid protectonist taxation by passing off the import toys as national products.
- South Korean licensee Sonokong would also at one point sell a pair of Beast Wars Neo toy giftsets under the generic "Dino Robot" and "Jungle Robot" names, without any mention of the Transformers brand on the packaging.
Notes
- The act of licensing out Japanese transforming robot toys (and robot toys in general) to Western markets appears to have also started with Popy. Popy started off as a part of Bandai, but separated from them in 1971 to explore other avenues, creating lines such as the Popynica line, which made toys for the Kamen Rider franchise, and the Chogokin line, which made toys for franchises such as Mazinger Z. The toys released in these two lines ended up being licensed out to Mattel as part of their popular Shogun Warriors franchise in the 70s. The aforementioned Brave Raideen also licensed out to Mattel. All of this would eventually lead to the creation of the Machine Robo toyline—but due to the declining popularity of robot toys in the very early-80s—Popy was reintegrated into Bandai in 1983, which thus led to the partnership between Bandai and Tonka, that created GoBots.
- As mentioned above, Hasbro's once-rival, Tonka, teamed up with Bandai in 1983, to create the GoBots franchise using licensed-out Machine Robo toys. Much like Takara's attempts at releasing their products in Western markets through the Diakron and Kronoform lines, Bandai attempted the same thing with Machine Robo, releasing the Robo Machine and Robo Machines lines in Europe; the Machine Men and Robot Machine Men lines in America and Canada, respectively; and the (unrelated) Machine Men line in Australia—all of which had varying degrees of success, and ran concurrently with one another.
- The Action Master Treadshot's design was inspired by a toy originally manufactured by Sunmayor Ohkawa (サンマーヤ大川) Co., Ltd., the "357 Magnum Robo" (357マグナムロボ). It was later called the "Highway Patrol Robo" and released in GiG's Trasformer line in Italy. It was even covered in Takara's Takara SF Land Collection Complete Works toy book for unknown reasons.
External links
References
- ↑ There are multiple conflicting presumed dates for the release of Yonezawa's Space Explorer, ranging from 1956 to somewhere in the late 1960s - nonetheless; 1959 seems to be the most commonly-cited date on auction and antique websites. Notably, his "first-transforming-toy-robot" status would still remain even if the later dates are correct, as the next second-oldest known instance of a transforming robot toy is Popy's Raideen all the way in 1975 - so, Yonezawa was very early to the genre!
- ↑ Diaclone Dia Attacker Phantom Color Type on scalemates.com
- ↑ "The park was conveniently located right in front of our company, allowing us to conduct surveys of children there. Of course, nowadays, such practices would be an absolute no-no from a compliance standpoint (laughs). But, as I mentioned earlier, there's a certain persuasiveness in directly hearing from children through these surveys. Their enthusiastic support played a pivotal role in propelling us forward in our development efforts." - Kōjin Ōno, Figure King #316, May 2024 (translation provided by Soundwavesoblivion.com)
