Date: Thursday, February 8th 2024 1:31pm CST
Categories: Toy News,
Event News,
Press Releases,
Digital Media News,
Collectables
Posted by: william-james88 Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
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Below is a press release from Hasbro regarding all activities and products that tie into the 40th Anniversary of the Transformers brand. There is another confirmation that the Transformers 1 movie comes out September 13 and it is revealed that there will be a Transformers themed episode of the Masked Singer. In terms of collectibles, they confirm that we are getting more Transformers Funko Pops and they reveal a
non transforming Optimus Prime in Ecto 1 colours from Jada.
HASBRO CELEBRATES TRANSFORMERS 40th ANNIVERSARY WITH MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE PRODUCTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND MORE
For 40 years, the TRANSFORMERS franchise has continuously adapted and redefined itself, culminating in one legacy across generations through innovative products, captivating entertainment, inspiring licensed partnerships, and engaging publishing projects
PAWTUCKET, R.I. – FEB. 6, 2024 – Hasbro, a leading toy and game company, today announced its plans to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the beloved TRANSFORMERS franchise.
TRANSFORMERS made its worldwide debut in 1984 with its revolutionary robot-to-vehicle action figures, bolstered by a comic book series and an action-packed animated series, The Transformers. The launch was a massive hit, and it introduced characters like Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron, Starscream, and others who became fan favorites and the ultimate heroes and villains of Cybertron. Today, hundreds of robots continue to join the franchise and illustrate the brand’s core ability to change and adapt to new environments while offering a variety of ways to play for a new generation of fans.
“Beloved since its inception in 1984, TRANSFORMERS has evolved from an innovative toy line into a powerhouse franchise embraced by millions of fans around the world,” said Alyse D’Antuono, Vice President, Global Franchise Strategy & Management, Action Brands, Hasbro. “The past four decades continuously delivered a … More Than Meets The Eye experience for fans by introducing new toys and games, as well as thrilling storytelling in animated shows, comics, blockbuster films and much more. As we build the next chapter in the TRANSFORMERS universe, we look forward to celebrating one legacy for another 40 years.”
“When you have a franchise that goes 40 years in this business, it’s pretty remarkable,” said TRANSFORMERS voice-over talent and original voice of Megatron, Frank Welker, “to watch the franchise just build and build and build it is amazing to watch.” Added fellow voice cast member and original voice of Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen, “I’ve always had the feeling this was going to go a long time.”
Drawing inspiration from the brand’s origins in 1984, Hasbro will launch an exciting array of products, promotions, experiences and action-packed content throughout 2024, allowing new generations to discover where it all began.
Products:
Hasbro Pulse recently revealed the next HasLab of powerful proportions. Fans can back this TRANSFORMERS HasLab project, Transformers: Legacy Robots in Disguise 2001 Omega Prime, until March 14, 2024, at 11:59 PM EST. If fully funded, the project will begin shipping in Fall 2025. More information can be found on HasbroPulse.com.
Over 40 distinct Hasbro TRANSFORMERS anniversary figures will be available across the year-long celebration. Each product packaging will be branded with the TRANSFORMERS 40th anniversary logo, including the recently revealed TRANSFORMERS Generations Comic Edition Shockwave and Grimlock figures. In March, Hasbro Pulse will kick off the 40th anniversary with a Hasbro Pulse Fanstream and weekly fan-focused content.
With the first robot figures “capable of disguising themselves as vehicles, planes, weapons, and communication devices” landing on shelves in April 1984, Hasbro set out to strengthen the TRANSFORMERS brand with multiple partner licensees. Early licensed products included sticker books, TV trays, dinnerware, school folders, notebooks, records and tape sets, gumball banks, kites, and Halloween costumes. Decades later, the brand continues to expand with new licensing, publishing, promotions and entertainment that will be available throughout the year-long celebration.
Music
Fans can jam out with the TRANSFORMERS 40th anniversary vinyl album, ‘Hasbro presents Transformers: Music from the Original Animated Series,’ featuring music from 1984’s The TRANSFORMERS classic animated series (seasons 1-3). Originally released in 2019 with over 45 minutes of music, this reissue album includes bonus tracks and a mixture of remastered orchestral and ‘80s inspired synth tracks from the original tapes by composer Rob Walsh. The album will also be available digitally for the first time across all digital music platforms. Pre-orders open July 26.
JLab – The TRANSFORMERS 40th anniversary collection includes headphones from top audio maker JLab. The collection includes the newly released JLab JBuds Lux ANC Headphones, providing immersive sound and incredible comfort to TRANSFORMERS fans. It also includes a more compact listening experience with new 2024 active noise canceling true wireless earbuds, the JLab JBuds ANC 3 model. For more information visit
http://www.jlab.com.
Fashion
Mad Engine – A new line of t-shirts has been created for the TRANSFORMERS 40th anniversary, which features artwork based on the original TRANSFORMERS comics as well as new designs to commemorate the milestone. Fans can find the full assortment now on Amazon.com.
RSVLTS – A collection inspired by TRANSFORMERS 40th anniversary is coming soon from apparel brand RSVLTS.
Toys & Collectibles
Robosen – Robosen is thrilled to not only kick off a huge year in 2024 with Hasbro but, more importantly, utilize the excitement and anticipation of the 40th anniversary of TRANSFORMERS with the launch of its most anticipated robot sequel since the Flagship Optimus Prime.
Jada Toys – Two new 1:24 scale die-cast vehicle mash-ups inspired by TRANSFORMERS and Ghostbusters brands will arrive this Fall: HWR Ghostbusters Ecto-1 with Optimus Prime G1 graphics (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $19.99) and HWR G1 Optimus Prime with Ghostbusters Ecto-1 graphics (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $29.99). Vehicles feature premium sculpt and paint finishes, as well as highly detailed interiors, exteriors and more.
Super7 – New characters in Blind Box, ReAction, and Super Cyborg formats will be available for purchase starting this Fall on Super7.com, HasbroPulse.com, as well as other major retailers, including Amazon, Target, BigBadToy Store, Entertainment Earth, Macy’s and more. Follow Super7’s social media channels for product announcements and launch timing.
Funko – Fans can look forward to additional TRANSFORMERS x Pop! figures this Summer.
FiGPiN – FiGPiN is re-launching their XL collectible enamel pins featuring Optimus Prime and Megatron in a 6″ format. Each pin comes with an exclusive FiGPiN Logo as well as updated packaging to enhance your display. These will be available on FiGPiN.com late spring.
New Zealand Mint: In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the beloved TRANSFORMERS series, Hasbro and New Zealand Mint are excited to unveil a limited edition, pure silver collectible of the first Transformers comic cover. This exclusive piece is not only a nod to the enduring legacy of the TRANSFORMERS universe but also a testament to the fine craftsmanship and attention to detail that New Zealand Mint is renowned for. The release of this collectible marks the beginning of an exciting series of TRANSFORMERS-themed coins, designed to captivate both long-time enthusiasts and new fans alike.
threezero – The limited-edition Transformers MDLX Optimus Prime (Vintage Animation Edition), Transformers MDLX Bumblebee (Vintage Animation Edition), and Transformers MDLX Megatron (Vintage Animation Edition) are threezero’s redesigned versions of the classic TRANSFORMERS characters in celebration of TRANSFORMERS 40th anniversary. They feature incredible detailing and a new vintage animation-inspired color scheme with new decals. The Transformers MDLX Vintage Animation Edition line of figures is based on the original 1980s The TRANSFORMERS cartoon and toy line, as redesigned by threezero Art Director Kelvin Sau.
These figures will be available at selected distribution partners worldwide, threezero Store, and threezero Tmall. A limited first batch of 100 units will be available for on-site purchase at the threezero booth on the opening day of TF Con LA on March 8th.
Publishing
Skybound Entertainment – New comic books and graphic novel collections based on the TRANSFORMERS series will be released this year. As part of the new shared Energon Universe from visionary creator Robert Kirkman, TRANSFORMERS, G.I. JOE and Void Rivals characters come together for a truly special comic book experience that has broken industry sales records. A new graphic novel compendium series collecting the landmark TRANSFORMERS series from Marvel Comics will also launch Fall 2024.
Dynamite Entertainment – Collect a new set of nearly 200 premium trading cards featuring fan-favorite characters from the TRANSFORMERS brand’s “Generation 1” era, showcasing classic art styles from an international array of top artists and Hasbro’s design archives. More information and product previews will be shared in the future.
Promotions
Monro – One of the United States’ leading automotive service and tire providers will offer TRANSFORMERS-themed auto service packages now through March 31. The program will include special offers, giveaways and more at participating Monro locations. For more information, visit
https://corporate.monro.com/overview/default.aspx.
Entertainment
The 40th anniversary celebration shifts into high gear with Paramount’s highly-anticipated animated projects released this year with the second season of the original kids series TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK and TRANSFORMERS ONE, the first-ever fully CG-animated theatrical movie, debuting in theaters on September 13.
Fans can tune in to a special TRANSFORMERS-themed episode during Season 11 of The Masked Singer, premiering this Spring on Fox.
Updates on these projects and other special entertainment content planned during TRANSFORMERS 40th anniversary year will be coming soon.
For the latest information on the TRANSFORMERS , including toys and entertainment, follow @TRANSFORMERSOfficial on Instagram, @TransformersOfficial on Threads, @TRANSFORMERS on Facebook and @TRANSFORMERSOfficial on TikTok.
Fans can now watch the 1984 The TRANSFORMERS animated series HERE on the Hasbro Pulse YouTube Channel. Additionally, TRANSFORMERS photos and video content are available HERE.
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![Transformers News: Transformers 40th Anniversary Includes Collaboration with Funko, Ghostbusters and the Masked Singer]( "Transformers News: Transformers 40th Anniversary Includes Collaboration with Funko, Ghostbusters and the Masked Singer")
![Transformers News: Transformers 40th Anniversary Includes Collaboration with Funko, Ghostbusters and the Masked Singer]( "Transformers News: Transformers 40th Anniversary Includes Collaboration with Funko, Ghostbusters and the Masked Singer")
![Transformers News: Transformers 40th Anniversary Includes Collaboration with Funko, Ghostbusters and the Masked Singer]( "Transformers News: Transformers 40th Anniversary Includes Collaboration with Funko, Ghostbusters and the Masked Singer")
![Transformers News: Transformers 40th Anniversary Includes Collaboration with Funko, Ghostbusters and the Masked Singer]( "Transformers News: Transformers 40th Anniversary Includes Collaboration with Funko, Ghostbusters and the Masked Singer")
About Hasbro
Hasbro is a leading toy and game company whose mission is to entertain and connect generations of fans through the wonder of storytelling and exhilaration of play. Hasbro delivers engaging brand experiences for global audiences through toys, consumer products, gaming and entertainment, with a portfolio of iconic brands including MAGIC: THE GATHERING, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, HasbroGaming, NERF, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH and PEPPA PIG, as well as premier partner brands.
Hasbro is guided by our Purpose to create joy and community for all people around the world, one game, one toy, one story at a time. For more than a decade, Hasbro has been consistently recognized for its corporate citizenship, including being named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by 3BL Media, one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute and one of the 50 Most Community-Minded Companies in the U.S. by the Civic 50. For more information, visit
https://corporate.hasbro.com.
About Hasbro Entertainment
Hasbro Entertainment leverages Hasbro’s leading collection of iconic brands to develop, produce, and finance premium film, television, animation, and digital content for audiences of all ages. Unifying Hasbro’s robust production expertise under one umbrella, Hasbro Entertainment is focused on creating multi-platform adaptations of the company’s brands, including such beloved worlds as DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, TRANSFORMERS, G.I. JOE, NERF, PLAY-DOH, MAGIC: THE GATHERING, PEPPA PIG, and MY LITTLE PONY. Hasbro Entertainment has over 30 active projects, with upcoming titles including TRANSFORMERS ONE, a live-action Dungeons & Dragons series for Paramount+, and a broad slate of ongoing animated series, including Peppa Pig, Transformers: EarthSpark, Kiya & the Kimoja Heroes, and My Little Pony: Tell Your Tale. For more information on how Hasbro Entertainment is connecting and captivating generations of fans through the wonder of storytelling, visit:
http://www.Hasbro.com
About TRANSFORMERS
The TRANSFORMERS brand is a global powerhouse franchise with millions of fans around the world. Since 1984, the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons has come to life in movies, TV shows, comic books, innovative toys, and digital media, bringing incredible “MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE” experiences to fans of all ages. The brand’s enduring connection is made possible by its rich storytelling and characters: the heroic Autobots who seek to protect all life, and the evil Decepticons who seek to conquer the universe. The TRANSFORMERS
Date: Sunday, August 7th 2016 9:28pm CDT
Categories: Site Articles,
Digital Media News
Posted by: ScottyP Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 62,480
Dare To Be Great
The Transformers: The Movie Turns 30 - A Tribute
Author: Scotty P | Editor: Counterpunch
Additional Written Contributions from: Burn, Bronzewolf
Special Thanks To: Shout! Factory, Seibertron
With today marking 30 years since the release of
The Transformers: The Movie, the fine folks at Shout! Factory (from whom you may
Preorder the upcoming Blu-Ray release of the movie by clicking here) posed a question: how did this movie capture a special place in the hearts of millions and kids of the 80s? We'll explore the answer to this by carefully looking at the characters, themes, and imagery of the movie with a bit of input from the Seibertron staff along the way.
Transformers has always been about its characters, not merely robotic automations as seen in other media, but rather fully fleshed out individuals with distinct personalities and stories.
The Transformers: The Movie continued this tradition and made new room in the hearts of fans for the characters it introduces even as it takes away some beloved favorites.
This movie introduces around a dozen more icons to an already robust mythos.
Hot Rod,
Galvatron,
Cyclonus,
Springer,
Kup,
Scourge, and even characters that didn't get toys at the time like
Arcee,
Unicron, and the Quintessons all brought something new to the table. A cavalier Autobot? Not a brand new idea, but never had children seen that element within an Autobot destined for leadership. A sleek futuristic car mode tricked out with flames and attitude to spare and you've got a character designed to capture the imagination of a young audience. For those looking for the stately authority figure, another Autobot introduced by the movie,
Ultra Magnus, was around to pick up the slack. Forum Administrator Burn offers his personal story about how Ultra Magnus made him a Transformers fan for life:
Burn wrote:The year was 1986, and The Transformers: The Movie was released on Boxing Day here in Australia. I was 10 years old. I remember going during the day to see it as this could very well have been the very first movie I got to see on my own. It was at "The Airdome Theatre", one of those 'old style' movie theatres with canvas seats, thick red drapes, and even a balcony area. Very old school. (This theatre would be demolished a few years later and the town has been left without a full sized theatre since.)
So there I was, 10 years old, on summer break. I went into the theatre as a burgeoning fan of The Transformers, and I came out an even bigger fan. Oh sure there was that traumatizing moment when Optimus died. But then, there was Ultra Magnus. "ULTRA MAGNUS IS AWESOME!" is all I could think right then. I left that theatre on a high and walked around the corner and up the street a bit to a newsagent, going straight to the comics section and that's where I found it: Marvel UK Transformers #74.
That began my collecting of the Marvel UK comics, which also had a tremendous influence on my life. So on the same day so many years ago, not only had I walked out of the theatre after witnessing what I considered to be the greatest movie ever, but I also became a comic book fan.
Just a few weeks ago, my girlfriend, who is a major Studio Ghibli fan sat me down to begin what my introduction to Studio Ghibli movies, "My Neighbour Totoro". It was one of the first Studio Ghibli movies she saw as a child and wanted to share that with me. So we watched it, and I decided that it would only be fair that I show her The Transformers. She'd never seen it before. She sat there watching, listening some of the greatest lines in cinema history ("Why throw away your life so recklessly?", "One shall stand, one shall fall", "Their defenses are broken, let the slaughter begin", "Megatron must be stopped, no matter the cost"), and it was just wonderful to be able to share something special in return.
To say this movie that is 30 years old had an influence on me would be an understatement. It turned me into a fan of comic books, it made me (and most of you may not even know this), a Ultra Magnus Fanboy and a hater of Hot Rod. As an adult I can watch it and see all the flaws. But I don't care, this movie, like collecting Transformers toys, reminds me of a simpler time in my life where I didn't have to worry about bills and other annoying adult things.
Happy anniversary to The Transformers: The Movie!
While the impact of new characters from the movie would mark a lasting shift in the franchise, it was perhaps the ones who were taken away that left the biggest mark on the fandom. In most cartoons of the time, if older, established characters needed to step aside to give some screen time to new ones, plot devices would be used more often than not to harmlessly have them go off on another adventure, or disappear ambiguously to set the stage for some future return. Not in
Transformers: The Movie. Within the first ten minutes of the movie, the body count begins to add up. Most famously,
Optimus Prime falls in battle with
Megatron, an emotional moment that was a sad, but somewhat protracted goodbye to the hero that kids had idolized since the series' inception.
There are dozens of accounts and articles about Optimus Prime, but less about other significant characters such as
Ironhide,
Prowl,
Ratchet,
Brawn,
Wheeljack, and
more. Why would the deaths of these characters also lead to emotional moments that made this movie stick in the consciousness of countless fans for years? It was hard to know as a child, but reflecting back, as this
was a story about war, even these important characters were killed off in darkly appropriate, anti-climactic, quick, and not really even mentioned again ways. The desperation in Peter Cullen's Ironhide, crying "No!" when he hears of the plan to destroy Autobot City, is then cut off by one of Frank Welker's most ruthlessly delivered lines as Megatron - "Such heroic nonsense." Ironhide then takes a point blank shot to the head from a fusion cannon and is never heard from again. It's quick, it's brutal, then it's over. It's war.
While Transformers had always been a story about a war, it was more or less toy soldiers off to battle, and whatever the result, they would come back next week for you to pull out of your toy box while their adventures continued again on screen. With
Transformers: The Movie, some of kids' favorite heroes became disposable, and their endings signified just that. This battle between Autobot and Decepticon was now more real than it had ever been, and the quick establishment of this new paradigm gripped those that weren't crushed, as now, truly, anything could happen.
There was another foreboding presence casting a shadow over the film’s events in the form of a giant planet that devours other worlds: Unicron. This now legendary villain is introduced in a beautifully animated opening sequence, with a slow panning shot revealing the colossal scale of what Vince DiCola's score immediately tells you is a villain to fear. A quick look at the surface on an unknown alien planet, later found out to be Lithone, shows beings very similar in appearance to Transformers on what looks like a peaceful world. Just as your new robot friends go to do some science, they are (mostly) eaten. Yes, eaten alive by the new terror that's been put in front of the audience and there is no room for doubt that the danger to our transforming friends is very real.
![Transformers News: Dare To Be Great: Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of The Transformers: The Movie]( "Transformers News: Dare To Be Great: Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of The Transformers: The Movie")
Many children could watch the Battle of Autobot City and think in the back of their minds "what happens if that big planet shows up again?” The futility of the conflict finally comes to the forefront when a depleted Autobot crew trying to rebuild receives a transmission from
Jazz and
Cliffjumper that their moonbase is about to be eaten, but then receive a similar message from Daniel's dad, who was the kid avatar Spike in the
earlier TV episodes. Now, suddenly, even the characters intended to represent the captive audience in front of the television was in mortal peril. Before they can act, a rebuilt Megatron, now Galvatron, shows up and chases them away. All of that establishing material, which took away many childhood heroes, was now, ultimately, for naught. The recently defeated Megatron not only immediately returned, he did so rebuilt and strengthened by a galaxy-spanning threat the like of which the Transformers had never seen.
The lessons about the nature of conflict and its brutal consequences are ones that have resonated with the generation that grew up on the movie through the theatres or the various VHS releases. Those consequences are real for the Transformers just as they are in a real war, without the sugar coatings that accompany some of the other TV cartoon movie adaptations of the same era.
Yet among the heavier messages, there's still a childlike wonder to the film that's kept us captivated enough to go back and be able to find those all these years later. The imagery alone, such as a shuttle taking off from a massive Moonbase, Daniel seeing those first glimpses of Autobot City over the horizon, an entire city transforming, Optimus Prime catapulting through the air to stop the Decepticons in his final battle, an underwater minefield of aquatic robot threats on a planet that looks like a corkscrew, and even a planet made of nothing but
actual trash painted a picture of a much larger world. The tagline of the cartoon had always been that the Transformers were "More Than Meets The Eye". It certainly delivered on this promise, but
The Transformers: The Movie took it to another level.
This wonder also facilitated a necessary escape into a friendly place for many fans, even those born much later than the Transformers franchise itself. Site News Staff member Brozewolf shares a story about why this movie means so much on a personal level:
Bronzewolf wrote:"I'm not an 80's kid, far from it actually, so I didn't grow up with the original cartoon or the original toys, but Transformers is still a big part of my life. I first watched Transformers: The Movie with my brother. We were "Vacationing" to Kansas City at the time due to some issues in our family. It was stressful for all of us, especially my brother and I. We had heard of Transformers before. We had seen a bit of G1, a bit of Prime, we had a few toys, but when that movie came on TV, we both knew we were hooked. It gave us the ability to forget about what was troubling us for a moment and get sucked into a world of action, adventure, cool cars, and awesome robots. It was a world we knew we'd never leave, and years later, we still haven't."
Ultimately, fans keep coming back to watch this movie again and again and buy it repeatedly on different formats because it's not only amazingly animated, composed, and acted, it's also a story about growing up. People change, like Spike, now a father to his son Daniel. We make well intentioned mistakes, like Hot Rod accidentally helping Megatron to deliver the fatal shots to Optimus Prime. Our moments of triumph are sometimes short lived, like
Starscream's incredibly short leadership of the Decepticons. But if we take the lyrics of Stan Bush and stay sure to be at our "best when the going gets rough", we can rise above the darkest hours of our lives and become people that can make a difference, at least for a moment.
Arise again,
The Transformers: The Movie. Thanks for traveling with us on this journey through life, and hopefully we'll be here to celebrate many more birthdays to come.
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