Commercial bumper
| This article is about the bits between the show and the ads. For the television advertisements, see Commercial. |
Commercial bumpers are short segments used to mark the start and end of a commercial segment during a television show. They have been used in many Transformers cartoons.
- Japanese term: Eye catch
Generation 1
The original Transformers cartoon featured a rotating series of commercial bumpers, which changed by season. The music for all seasons remained the same, however, with Victor Caroli narrating "The Transformers will return after these messages" and "We now return to The Transformers", while a character transformed. The animation for the season 1 and 2 bumpers was provided by Toei while the animation for the season 3 and 4 bumpers was provided by AKOM.
The commercial bumpers were among the many aspects of the cartoon subjected to aural desecration by Kid Rhino. Whereas the original bumpers featured only music and the narrator's voice, the Rhino DVD releases included lasers, squealing tires, revving engines, swooshing sounds, and transformation sound effects, none of which were present in the original.
1984
The Transformers will return:
- Optimus Prime transforms to robot mode.
- Jazz drives out from behind an Autobot symbol, spins out while transforming to robot mode, and backs off-screen while firing.
We now return to the Transformers:
- Starscream flies over Earth, transforms to robot mode and lands.
- Laserbeak flies under cam in cassette mode; a passing Decepticon symbol hides his transformation to condor mode.
1985
The Season Two commercial bumpers are distinguished by their bright, solid-color backgrounds.
The Transformers will return:
- Cosmos transforms and lands on an upside-down planetoid, which then rotates so he's upright.
- Omega Supreme transforms from base to robot and fires.
- Shockwave transforms from gun to robot and fires at the camera
- Devastator forms, raises his fists together and is enveloped by an energy glow.
- Blitzwing
We now return to the Transformers:
- Thrust transforms to robot mode and lands.
- Warpath transforms to tank mode and drives under the camera.
- Astrotrain flies past in shuttle mode, changes to robot mode and fires, then changes to locomotive form and drives into the camera.
- Grimlock changes to dino mode and uses his tail to smash a rock outcrop with the Decepticon emblem.
- Hook, in crane mode, lifts a sign declaring "We now return to the Transformers".
1986
The Transformers will return:
- Sharkticon, transforming to shark mode and walking into the camera.
- Rodimus Prime, dodging fire from Cyclonus before changing to vehicle mode.
- (?) Base-mode Trypticon fires, then transforms to dinosaur mode.
We now return to the Transformers:
- Ultra Magnus, discharging two passengers before transforming to robot mode.
- (?) Blurr flies past camera, transforms and fires.
1987
The Transformers will return:
- Scorponok transforms from base to scorpion, scuttles at the camera, and transforms to robot.
We now return to the Transformers:
- Highbrow transforms from helicopter to robot over a planet.
The Headmasters
Every bumper for The Headmasters featured the same narration: A cry of "Head On!"
Into first commercial:
- Laser-pistol-mode Sixshot leaps from Galvatron's hand, transforms to robot mode and fires a volley of shots from his blasters.
First return to show:
- Jet-mode Brainstorm flies and spins through space, then transforms to robot mode and fires a blast.
Into second commercial:
- Vehicle-mode Chromedome dodges two blasts from offscreen, then transforms to robot mode and fires back.
- Scorpion-mode Scorponok transforms to robot mode, materialises his shield and ends with a mighty pose.
Second return to show:
- Tank-mode Hardhead comes under fire from behind, and turns to return fire before transforming to robot mode.
- Ship-mode Fortress Maximus transforms to robot mode.
Super-God Masterforce
Every Super-God Masterforce bumper is accompanied by a drawn-out cry of "Mastaaaaa-FORCE!"
First rotation
Into first commercial:
- Jet-mode Metalhawk flies over a polar wasteland, then transforms to robot mode and fires two shots.
First return to show:
- The Seacons burst out of the ocean and combine into King Poseidon.
Into second commercial:
- Jet-mode Blood flies over a city and shoots and a building, then transforms to robot mode.
Second return to show:
- Goshooter transforms to robot mode.
Before closing credits:
- Truck-mode Ginrai drives across a rocky landscape, and transforms to robot mode.
Second rotation
Into first commercial:
- Jet-mode Metalhawk flies over a polar wasteland, then transforms to robot mode and fires two shots.
First return to show:
- The Seacons burst out of the ocean and combine into King Poseidon.
Into second commercial:
Second return to show:
- Goshooter transforms to robot mode.
Before closing credits:
- Super Ginrai bursts out of a volcano in vehicle mode and transforms into robot mode.
Third rotation
Into first commercial:
- Ship-mode Grand Maximus flies through a smokey battlefield, fires off a shot, and transforms to robot mode.
First return to show:
- Super Ginrai tears through a wall of strange organic material, then combines with Godbomber into God Ginrai. This bumper was also reused
Into second commercial:
- Scorpion-mode BlackZarak scuttles through a dark canyon and transforms to robot mode.
Second return to show:
- The Gigatank drives through some water as the Megajet flies overhead, then the pair combine into Overlord.
Before closing credits:
- Super Ginrai tears through a wall of strange organic material, then combines with Godbomber into God Ginrai. This bumper was also reused
The final episode of the series, "You Too Use the Masterforce to Transform" feature a unique final bumper, starring Cab's pet parrot and armadillo. The parrot rides around on top of the rolled up armadillo, then falls off as the armadillo uncurls.
Victory
Victory's bumpers were distinguished by their use of cutesy "super deformed" characters, who would destroy the opposing faction's insignia.
After opening credits:
- Star Saber flies in and transforms, then slashes the Decepticon insignia, which falls apart to reveal the Autobot insignia beneath.
Into commercial:
- Deathsaurus falls into shot in beast mode, transforms and smashes the Autobot insignia with his mace, which crumbles away to expose the Decepticon insignia.
Back to show:
- The Dinoforce combine into Dinoking, who jumps on the Autobot insignia, then cheerfully plucks the Decepticon insignia from rubble.
Before closing credits:
- Holi destroys the Decepticon insignia by bursting out of it in car mode, then transforms to watch Jean as he pushes the Autobot insignia into shot. Holi leans against it and Jean salutes.
- The Brainmasters combine into Road Caesar and kick the Decepticon logo and the camera follows it as it rolls off to the right, past the Autobot logo, and falls over. Road Caesar jumps on it and dusts his hands off. Curiously, this bumper was only featured in "Attack! Leozack"
Generation 2
Generation 2 incorporated CGI clips from the line's toy commercials, each one featuring a piece of unique narration.
Into commercial:
- The Constructicons transform and start smashing stuff as the narrator appeals to the audience: "Hey, don't trash the place! Transformers: Generation 2 will be right back!"
- Jazz drives off a ramp and transforms to robot mode with a flip. "Hey, don't flip out! Transformers: Generation 2 will be right back!"
- Optimus Prime drives down a road for a while before transforming. "Don't hit the road! Transformers: Generation 2 will be right back!"
Back to show:
- Ramjet swoops down and transforms to robot mode as the narrator requests: "Don't go ballistic! Transformers: Generation 2 is back!"
- Devastator smashes a chasm into the ground, out of which emerge the Dinobots. "And now, back to Transformers: Generation 2!"
Beast Wars
Beast Wars featured a standardized short commercial bumper, with the show's logo from the opening credits accompanied by the "BEAST WARS!" cry, and Garry Chalk proclaiming either "We'll be right back!" or "We're back!" as appropriate.
After the final act of the episode and before the final commercial, there would be an additional bumper, with a narrator urging viewers to continue watching the series as a montage of action clips and quotes played quickly in the background.
Garry Chalk: "BEAST WAAAARS!"
Narrator: "More exciting action--"
Chalk: "MAXIMIZE!"
Narrator: "--from your favorite 3-D Transformers!"
Chalk: "Prime jets, ON!"
Ian Corlett: "Whoaaaaah, cool!"
Narrator: "On the next exciting adventure of Beast Wars! With 3-D action!"
Robots In Disguise
- Car Robots
The Japanese Car Robots series had bumpers that each featured the series' logo on a plain black background, with a fully-CGI character starting off in their vehicle/alt. mode in one of the top corners who then moved towards the middle of the screen as they transformed into robot mode. These were accompanied by one of two different musical stings, depending on whether they were leading into, or returning from the ad break.
- Robots in Disguise
Into commercial:
- CGI animation of a superdeformed Optimus Prime transforming into the FoxKids logo. Neil Kaplan narrates "We'll be right back, on FoxKids!"
- The Spychangers run towards the screen and transform, as Wally Wingert implores "Don't speed up--we'll be transforming back to the show!"
Back to show:
- CGI clip of Optimus Prime's transformation from the original Car Robots opening credits. Kaplan: "Shift--shape--and ready to roll--back to Transformers on FoxKids!"
- Side Burn's face appears on his own car-mode viewscreen. Wingert: "Dude! We're cruising the fast track, back to Transformers on FoxKids!"
Super Link
The Japanese version of the Energon cartoon featured still shots of various characters, who would introduce themselves to the audience or give their characteristic rallying cry ("Galvatron—hyper mode!" for example). Rather than follow a fixed pattern across the series or be chosen randomly, the bumpers would often relate to the events of the episode during which they appeared, and characters would sometimes make references to what was happening in the show at the time. The special episode "Distribution" featured an abundance of original commercial bumpers which didn't actually lead into commercials, but were just included for "fun" in the middle of the show.
Super Link's commercial bumpers didn't make it into Energon (because it took commercial breaks more frequently and at different times), but the fake bumpers from "Distribution" did, since they were actually part of the episode. Naturally, the joke (weak as it was in the first place) was met with dull bemusement by the Energon audience, since viewers who had not seen Super Link(i.e. most of the viewing audience) had no idea what they were.
Galaxy Force
The bumpers for the Galaxy Force series featured a harmonised cry of "To-ran-su-for-MAAAAA!" taken from the end of the main theme tune. When the theme changed at episode twenty-eight the show used two different versions of the cry, neither from the main theme, each with slightly different timing for the pre- and post-break bumpers; "To-ran-su... fo-or-MAAAAA!" and "To-ran-su-FORRR-maaaaa!" respectively.
For the first half of the series, each bumper would start by showing the series' logo on a light blue star field, from which the planets would break away and fly around a bit as the title glowed white and phased-out. This would then quickly cross-fade into a close-up still of a character, on top of which said character would then phase-in with the same white glow seen earlier (together with their name and faction's insignia) and strike a pose with a mighty clunk.
From episode twenty-seven (the series' half-way point), the bumpers would start with a close-up silhouette of a character on a star field background, overlaid with the series' logo in the bottom corner. The logo would then phase-out as the silhouette moved away from the camera, usually turning around, as the lighting adjusted to reveal the character and the background cross-faded into said character's close-up still. Each bump would still end with the same pose-striking clunk as before, together with the character's name and insignia phasing into view.
For the first thirteen episodes, the bumper leading into the ad break was also used to return to the show, whereas from episodes fourteen to twenty-five, most (but not all) episodes featured different characters either side of the break. From episode twenty-six onwards they were always different, and occasionally displayed two or three characters on the same screen.
A notable exception is episode 51, which is the only episode to feature no commercial bumpers; instead, the Galaxy Force logo scrolls on and off the screen to signal the beginning and the end of the commercial break.
