Great Interview with Marty Abrams

[palitoy]

Mego might have gotten use of some of the Takara molds but without Hasbro the Transformers phenomenon doesn't happen. No Hasbro means no Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron, Starscream, Sunbow cartoon, etc. We would have ended up with something completely different. Hasbro wasn't even the first to import or use some of those molds and Gobots beat them to the market. But Hasbro had the right idea at the right time to turn the concept into Transformers. They had the idea to take toys from several different lines and turn it into one. Hasbro had the idea to take the transformable piloted Diaclone Battle Convoy mech and turn it into the sentient heroic living being Optimus Prime.

It wouldn't have been called Transformers and you're right those characters wouldn't exist but Mego might have had a hit with it, it's all just conjecture at this point. It's possible that Mego's interpretation on the concept could have struck a chord as well, not a guarantee but possible. I bet Marvel would have been involved somehow.

[Werewolf]

We can speculate Mego could have done some type of transformable toy line or maybe even had folded it into Micronauts. But would it have become the enduring pop culture success like Transformers? Hard to say. But how many people actually remember the Convertors line? We also have to keep in mind how emotionally invested kids were into the characters. It was more than just the fun gimmick of changing one toy into another. Kids loved the characters. When Optimus Prime died kids literally went running from the theaters crying.

The if Mego had lasted long enough they would have done Transformers is like Star Wars killed Mego to me. Neither really holds true, in my opinion.

[palitoy]

We can speculate Mego could have done some type of transformable toy line or maybe even had folded it into Micronauts. But would it have become the enduring pop culture success like Transformers? Hard to say. But how many people actually remember the Convertors line? We also have to keep in mind how emotionally invested kids were into the characters. It was more than just the fun gimmick of changing one toy into another. Kids loved the characters. When Optimus Prime died kids literally went running from the theaters crying.

Nobody is taking away Hasbro's success here and i agree, Mego would not have duplicated that formula.

The if Mego had lasted long enough they would have done Transformers is like Star Wars killed Mego to me. Neither really holds true, in my opinion.

Well, except that they would have been first in line for the option to pick up the toy concept. That is a fact, turning it into the fad it was? we'll never know.

[Werewolf]

Well, except that they would have been first in line for the option to pick up the toy concept. That is a fact, turning it into the fad it was? we'll never know.

I didn't disagree with that. I said they very well could have made a some type of transformable toy line. But would it have been Transformers or a Transformers equivalent? No, you take Hasbro out of the equation and the phenomenon doesn't happen. Transformers was toy lightening in a bottle. The rare chance where everything fell into place. Without Hasbro you end up with something like Convertors. A very nice line of transformable toys that barely anyone remembers.

I compare it to the SW myth because losing SW didn't kill Mattel or Hasbro. Mattel didn't get SW so they made MOTU and Hasbro didn't get SW so they made RAH GI JOE. They lost SW and still thrived. They made their own success without SW.

[palitoy]

I didn't disagree with that. I said they very well could have made a some type of transformable toy line. But would it have been Transformers or a Transformers equivalent? No, you take Hasbro out of the equation and the phenomenon doesn't happen. Transformers was toy lightening in a bottle. The rare chance where everything fell into place. Without Hasbro you end up with something like Convertors. A very nice line of transformable toys that barely anyone remembers.

I don't agree, Mego and Hasbro were both excellent at marketing and definitely peers. The one thing I know for certain with whatever Mego would have done, it would have done a big splash with media tie ins.

Converters was a lame effort by "Select Toys" to cash in. There was no PR of any kind and yeah, it withered on the vine. Mego would have tried harder than that and where it would have ended up, we'll totally never know.

I compare it to the SW myth because losing SW didn't kill Mattel or Hasbro. Mattel didn't get SW so they made MOTU and Hasbro didn't get SW so they made RAH GI JOE. They lost SW and still thrived. They made their own success without SW.

I see your point but I don't think it's quite the same.

The Star Wars myth can actually be disproved, I'm actually working on that right now. It's boring and complicated but it can be dispelled, the other didn't happen, so it's an annecdote at best.

The only truth to any of it is, Mego would have been first in line for the option.

[Werewolf]

The one thing I know for certain with whatever Mego would have done, it would have done a big splash with media tie ins.

Other than Micronauts I don't remember any of their in house brands having any kind of comic tie-in. Eagle Force didn't and that was going to be Mego's next big thing. Maybe a cartoon or comic was in the early planning stages but it never happened. Hasbro had a cartoon and comic ready on roll out with the toy line. Also, for me a big problem with the Micronauts comic was most of the characters in the comic weren't available as toys. No Marionette or Bug and only a generic Space Glider. With the Transformers comic and cartoon the characters in the comics and toon were the same as the toys.

The SW myth to you as like the Transformers one to me. A frustrating myth that will just not go away.

Edited to add. I'm hopefully not coming off as unpleasant or hostile. That's not my intention. I'm not always as good at getting my points across as I'd like to be and these 80s toy lines are kind of a passion of mine.

[UnderdogDJLSW]

I really enjoyed that interview.

[palitoy]

Other than Micronauts I don't remember any of their in house brands having any kind of comic tie-in. Eagle Force didn't and that was going to be Mego's next big thing. Maybe a cartoon or comic was in the early planning stages but it never happened. Hasbro had a cartoon and comic ready on roll out with the toy line. Also, for me a big problem with the Micronauts comic was most of the characters in the comic weren't available as toys. No Marionette or Bug and only a generic Space Glider. With the Transformers comic and cartoon the characters in the comics and toon were the same as the toys.

There was a law in place in the 1970s, Mego couldn't have had a cartoon for Micronauts.

Marty Abrams was one of the most outspoken proponents of changing that law including testifying in Washington but he never got to cash in on it. Hasbro and Mattel got that gravy.

We're not going to agree on this but seeing as Mego sold over a hundred million bucks of an unknown Japanese toy line without a cartoon series, I stand by my statement that they could have had a hit with the concept. It is feasible, it certainly wouldn't have been as dishwater dull as the "converters" example.

The SW myth to you as like the Transformers one to me. A frustrating myth that will just not go away.

Edited to add. I'm hopefully not coming off as unpleasant or hostile. That's not my intention. I'm not always as good at getting my points across as I'd like to be and these 80s toy lines are kind of a passion of mine.

It's not a myth that they would have but first in line for it, it's the expectation that would have been had as much success. I'm not even saying that.

Thank you for clarifying because it does read as if i'm angering you here.

I'm not trying to crap on the success of Transformers or 80s toylines, they clearly have made a lasting mythology, I'm just saying part of their success was the concept, they were fun toys. If Mego's version sold half as good, it would have been a big hit too.

[Werewolf]

There was a law in place in the 1970s, Mego couldn't have had a cartoon for Micronauts.

I remember that and believe we have discussed this before. A few properties still managed to skirt around the law like Raggedy Ann and Strawberry Shortcake.

it certainly wouldn't have been as dishwater dull as the "converters" example.

I only used Convertors as an example because, like the Transformers line, Convertors used licensed molds from various Japanese lines. The point was, transforming toys had been imported long before Transformers, Gobots and Convertors and were never even a blip on the market before Hasbro's Transformers concept.

Thank you for clarifying because it does read as if i'm angering you here.

Not at all in fact I appreciate your knowledge and input. I just have to disagree Mego would have ended up with anything comparable to the lasting pop culture appeal and level of success as Optimus and Bumblebee.

Edit to clarify: To be clear I don't argue that Mego could have made a line of transformable toys. But that is not the same as actually making something like Transformers that goes beyond the gimmick and has characters that people love and connect with. Optimus Prime was the Superman for a lot of 80s kids. Maybe Mego could have done a transforming line and had maybe the success of the second tier line Gobots. But some 30 plus years later no one is wanting a Scooter Gobots movie let alone even remembers the character and Gobots had a pretty decent level of success. But they still weren't Transformers.

[palitoy]

I remember that and believe we have discussed this before. A few properties still managed to skirt around the law like Raggedy Ann and Strawberry Shortcake.

Both of those started as an IP elsewhere, so animating them was semantics but it's honestly no different than "Peanuts" cartoons and owning a Snoopy doll. It was a work around.

I only used Convertors as an example because, like the Transformers line, Convertors used licensed molds from various Japanese lines. The point was, transforming toys had been imported long before Transformers, Gobots and Convertors and were never even a blip on the market before Hasbro's Transformers concept.

Yeah Mego had more pizzaz than that though, I mean even the Eagle Force had a frigging stunt show at Toy Fair.

Not at all in fact I appreciate your knowledge and input. I just have to disagree Mego would have ended up with anything comparable to the lasting pop culture appeal and level of success as Optimus and Bumblebee.

Well, I'm not even speaking to legacy when I say they could have enjoyed success with the concept. That's not even on the table for me, I'm just talking about selling lots of toys. I agree if Mego had them, we would have had different everything and it may not have been as enduring.

[TRDouble]

The Star Wars myth can actually be disproved, I'm actually working on that right now. It's boring and complicated but it can be dispelled, the other didn't happen, so it's an annecdote at best.

I am VERY much looking forward to reading this!