I can't believe this will be my 100th blog post. I know that's not really a big deal, but it is fun to see that I have been blogging this long. I thought for today's post, I would take a look back on probably the one toy line outside of Generation One that had a huge impact on me as a fan. That toy line was 1992's Transformers: Generation 2.Around 1990, the Transformers brand was dead in the United States. It was still going in Europe and Japan, but in the U.S. it was finished. There were no new toys, comics, or television shows. Also, the line had really gone on out on what many fans would call a low note. The toy line ended with the non-transforming Action Masters and more Micro Masters. There were also the K-Mart Legends, but that was all. The comic book had also ceased printing by this time or by early 1991. The comic ended well, but with everything else in the Transformers franchise gone and the toys being sent to the clearance aisle, there really wasn't much left for the robots in disguise.
In 1992, Hasbro decided to take a stab at reviving the Transformers name in the United States. Hasbro knew that the Transformers brand was a popular one in the 1980's. Maybe they also realized that they strayed too far from the original concept, who knows. They launched a revived Transformers toy line in 1992 with Transformers: Generation 2! In order to capture the magic of the original series, the first wave of toys were all remolds and redecos of a handful of original toys. The first wave consisted of Autobots: Optimus Prime, Jazz, Inferno, Sideswipe, Grimlock, Slag, and Snarl. Also, the first wave saw the Decepticons: Starscream, Ramjet, Scavenger, Mixmaster, Long Haul, Bonecrusher, Hook, and Scrapper (the six Constructicons could combine to form Devastator). The toys were a huge success. This lead to more original molds of several mini-bots being released in the first year. Also, Hasbro imported several European exclusive Autobots and Decepticons to flesh out the first year with all new Autobot cars and Decepticon jets. Megatron was also pulled in with an all new mold and he was now able to transform into a tank.
The line's success pushed Hasbro to relaunch the original animated series (now dubbed Transformers: Generation 2), and relaunch the Marvel comic book (also now known as Transformers: Generation 2). The first season of the show ran on the weekends with episodes selected to promote the current figures. The comics continued the original story, and Marvel did a great job with the new story lines and for growing up the Transformers and making the story much darker. With all of the success of the first year, Hasbro released more remolds in second year with the Airealbots and Combaticons. They also released new molds called the Laser Rods and Rotor Force, and the triple-changing Dreadwing. There were also new molds for Combat Optimus Prime and Combat Megatron. The cartoon was picked up for a second season (now airing every weekday), and the comic book continued on.
By year three, the line had run out of steam. The animated series ended after season two and the comic book ended after only twelve issues. The year three toys were also highly disappointing with the not so interesting Gobots and Autorollers. The Cyberjets did introduce ball and socket joint design to the line which allowed for more articulated figures and more complex transformations in the future. The last great figure to be released was Laser Rod Optimus Prime. With the line fizzling out, Hasbro passed the Transformers property to its boys' division, Kenner to try and breathe new life into the fading Transformers. The line would be reborn in 1996 with Beast Wars, which helped catapult the franchise to an undying phenomenon that is still going strong in 2010.
Why did I write about Transformers: Generation 2? Wasn't Generation One the reason I became such a huge fan? Well...yes and no. Generation One was a fond memory from my childhood. I loved watching the adventures of the Transformers on television and video cassette, loved the movie, read the comics, and enjoyed taking my custom Autobot and Decepticon armies into battle. Transformers: Generation 2 is what got me hooked all over again, but it was in a new way. Generation 2 allowed me to really dive into those great memories, collect classic toys I was too young to have in 1984, and it came at a time when I could truly appreciate the nostalgia. As my Transformers hobby continues to fade into the past, I can always look back on the years of Generation 2 fondly. I will always remember the surprise of seeing the toys return to the toy shelves, choosing Mixmaster over Jazz at Wal-Mart, waking up early on Saturday morning to see Heavy Metal War for the first time, getting new Transformers for my birthday, or even my parents surprising randomly with the Generation 2 rerelease of Optimus Prime. It was a great run, and I will remember those years fondly.
No comments:
Post a Comment