1981

«	1981	»

The year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) predates the launch of the Transformers brand by three years.

For further information, see: Transformers timeline

Events

Non-Fiction

• Takara relaunches the Microman line as New Microman, which eventually leads to its spin-offs: Diaclone and Micro Change.
• Animation production company Marvel Productions, created by Marvel Comics owners Cadence Industries' purchase of DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, begins producing animated TV shows and commercials.
• Sunbow Productions, the media arm of advertising company Griffin Bacal, begins producing its first full-length television content with The Great Space Coaster. They also collaborate with Marvel Productions for the first time, for the animated commercial promoting both the upcoming comic and toyline of the relaunched G.I Joe.
• Pioneer Laserdisc Company, later known as Geneon Universal Entertainment, the Japanese company that holds the domestic rights to the Generation 1 cartoon and its sequels, including The Transformers: The Movie and the various Beast Wars series, is founded.
• June 18 — First flight of the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk (alt mode of Predator Falcon, Shadow Jet, Skyjack, G1 Air Raid, Aero Raid, Delta Seeker, Armada Wind Sheer, Shattered Glass Whisper and Revenge of the Fallen Mindwipe)
• July 31 — Jimmy's favourite band, Journey release their 7th album, Escape.
• August 1 — The channel MTV launches.
• October 15 — The first issue of Comic Bom Bom is released.

Births

• ??? — Francesco Mei

January

• January 1 — Kelly Fremon Craig
• January 16 — Beatrice Caggiula
• January 30 — Chieko Higuchi

February

• February 3 — Daichi Endō

March

• March 2 — Gong Ge'er
• March 9 — Todd Casey
• March 12 — Chiwa Saitō
• March 31 — Tatiane Keplmair

April

• April 10 — Perla Liberatori
• April 13 — Daniel Lacy
• April 30 — Grzegorz Woś

May

• May 7 — Jeremy Levy
• May 14 — Mikhail Tihonov, Sérgio Cantú
• May 18 — Zou Shiming
• May 23 — Alex Montiel

June

• June 4 — T. J. Miller

July

• July 15 — Tomasz Błasiak
• July 21 — Sayaka Kinoshita, Davide Perino

August

• August 3 — Travis Willingham
• August 8 — Tongayi Chirisa
• August 30 — Simone Crisari

September

• September 1 — Michael Adamthwaite
• September 8 — Eryck Webb
• September 15 — Ben Schwartz

October

• October 16 — Vagner Fagundes
• October 17 — Liam Garrigan
• October 28 — Stefano Sperduti

November

• November 15 — Sammy Sheik

December

• December 15 — Victoria Summer

Fiction

Knights of Unicron

The Knights of Unicron are top of the pops again with "Thunder Touch", the single from the multi-platinum album Sonic Interference. Behind the Music pack-in booklet