Trasformer

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Trasformer [sic] was a unique international release of Takara's Diaclone and MicroChange lines by an Italian company named GiG that was launched in 1984, as a continuation of GiG's Diaclone line that was launched two years earlier. The toys are infamous for featuring several characteristics of Hasbro's Transformers versions of those toys, even though GiG initially only had a license from Takara for importing their Diaclone versions.

History

In 1982, GiG had acquired the license for selling imported Diaclone and MicroChange toys on the Italian market from Takara. Initially, GiG simply released the toys under the name Diaclone, such as the Dia-Battles combiner, the Dia-Train or the Power Bases playsets. Of note is that GiG used the noun "trasformazione" (Italian for "transformation") and "trasformare" ("to transform") referring to some early Diaclone toys in official advertising as early as 1982. (And just in case someone's wondering, the Italian language offers several potential synonyms they could have used instead.)

And you thought American safety standards were ridiculous.

In 1984, around the same time Hasbro launched the original Transformers line in the USA, GiG rebranded its Diaclone toys as Trasformer, with the Diaclone Car Robots (which Hasbro released as the Autobot Cars assortment) renamed "Auto Robot" and the Diaclone pilots omitted in most instances. Even though the packaging design was fully based on Takara's Diaclone packaging (and thus also didn't feature any bios or fiction of any kind), some of the toys themselves featured characteristics that didn't originate with Takara's Diaclone toys (which GiG had a license for), but with Hasbro's Transformers versions of those toys, such as the "Countach LP 500S", which was released in yellow[1] (a color that originated with Hasbro's Sunstreaker version of the toy, whereras Takara's Diaclone version was red), and several toys featuring Transformers factory sticker sheets.

However, the Trasformer line also included the Diaclone jet-helicopter Triple Changer, which was never released as part of the Transformers line. On the other hand, GiG also undertook some bizarre safety modifications, replacing the toys' regular missiles with all-new missiles that featured ridiculously oversized rubber tips. Interestingly enough, GiG also released their version of the Omega Supreme mold as part of the Trasformer line, even though the toy wasn't licensed from Takara, but another company named ToyBox.

A common assumption among the fandom is that the entire Trasformer line represents a blatant attempt at exploiting the global popularity of Transformers via their existing business relationship with Takara without paying royalties to Hasbro, with Hasbro eventually pressuring GiG into acquiring an additional license so they could release Transformers proper. This has been put into question in recent years: As noted above, GiG used the Italian words for "transform" and "transformation" to advertise Diaclone toys long before Hasbro discovered them at Tokyo Toy Fair 1983, and the earliest confirmed official use of the name "Trasformer" on behalf of GiG was a magazine advert for the toy line published in April of 1984, a mere two months after Hasbro had officially unveiled their Transformers toy line at Toy Fair. Therefore, it's quite possible that whoever came up with the name "Transformers" on Hasbro's behalf was "inspired" by GiG, rather than the other way around. Likewise, it's also possible that the name Autobot was "inspired" by GiG's use of the name "Auto Robot" (itself a direct adaptation of Takara's name "Car Robot").[2]

Following this theory, the Trasformer toys that featured distinct Transformers characteristics were simply transitional Diaclone/Transformers hybrids, since by that time, Takara was phasing out production for Diaclone altogether in favor of the more popular Transformers versions for Hasbro (Takara discontinued Diaclone in Japan and started their own version of Transformers in 1985). This would have ultimately deprived GiG of Diaclone products, leaving them with two options: Canceling Trasformer entirely, or acquiring a license from Hasbro and thereby also gaining access to additional promotional material, such as the cartoon series.[3]

Whether it was pressure from Hasbro or a mere market decision in order to continue releasing the toys while at the same time gaining access to additional promotional material such as the cartoon show, by 1985, GiG abandoned the Trasformer line and instead re-released the toys in actual Transformers packaging, albeit keeping a small remainder of the old Trasformer logo in addition to the larger Transformers logo, presumably as an attempt to maintain some sense of brand continuity. The small Trasformer logo would finally be dropped for good in 1988, starting with the Pretenders toys. Still, the still existing direct business relationship between GiG and Takara also resulted in a unique mix of Hasbro-inspired and Takara-inspired packaging for Italian Transformers toys, as well as the release of some toys (or at least versions of certain toys) that were otherwise exclusive to Takara, such as Bruticus and Abominus giftsets, the "Hero Set" (renamed "Set Commandos" for the Italian market) featuring the inner robots of the Classic Pretender versions of Bumblebee, Jazz, Grimlock and Starscream in their Japanese-market decos, and the aforementioned Galaxy Shuttle.

Toys

The following list is not a complete overview of the entire line but lists some of the Pre-Transformers that made it into the Gig Trasformer line.

Auto Robot

Shiny!

Dinosaur Robots

  • 1 Tyrannosaurus (Pre-Grimlock) blue crotch Diaclone version, later versions had the usual red crotch
  • 2 Triceratops (Pre-Slag) Blue and white Diaclone version, later versions were red
  • 3 Brontosaurus (Pre-Sludge)
  • 4 Stegosaurus (Pre-Snarl) Black chest, later versions were red
  • 5 Pteranodon (Pre-Swoop Not released by GiG, but distributed in Japanese box

Tripla Trasformazione

Scatter

Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.

Destroy Car

  • [unnamed] (Diaclone Change Attacker "Oneboxcar Vanette"; never released as a Transformer)
  • [unnamed] (Diaclone Change Attacker "Starion Turbo 2000"; never released as a Transformer)
  • [unnamed] (Diaclone Change Attacker "Lamborghini Cheetah"; never released as a Transformer)

Others

TAKARA

  • MC-11 Magnum Robo (No Transformer release)
  • MC-12 Walther P-38 (Predecessor of the Japanese version of Megatron)
  • MC-13 UNCLE Walther P-38 (Predecessor of the US/European version of Megatron)
  • MC-17 Lock Robo Dial Man. (Transforms from a working dial lock to a robot. No Transformer release)
  • MC-18 Lock Robo Magneman. (Transforms from a working key lock to a robot. No Transformer release)
  • A number of watches including Crono Laser

OTHERS


  • It only exists when no one's looking.
    It only exists when no one's looking.
  • Security more questionable than Red Alert.
    Security more questionable than Red Alert.
  • James Bond WISHES he was this cool.
    James Bond WISHES he was this cool.
  • A contest? As if anyone needed incentive to want DEVASTATOR.
    A contest? As if anyone needed incentive to want DEVASTATOR.

Notes

  • "Ligier JS11 F-1", the Trasformer version of Mirage, sports "Ligier" decals on the sides of the vehicle mode rather than the standard "Citanes" logos found on the Diaclone and Transformers versions. Two known variants exist, with either "Ligier" stickers covering the original tampographed "Citanes" logos, or tampographed "Ligier" logos. The "Citanes" version was first, the "Ligier" decals were a later version, and the tampographed "Ligier" was the last of the Trasformer releases (1984) before GiG released the Hasbro-style "Mirage". However, the first release boxes contained the "Citanes" logo Trasformer figure.
  • The GiG versions of Powered Convoy and the Diaclone "Car Robots" had the same boxes as the Takara versions, except for the Italian inserts.
  • The police version of pre-Sunstreaker was released in Italy and Spain from 1983 to 1987. The spoiler and the chrome intake were painted white and the Japanese stickers removed; the spoiler sticker read "Polis Countach". This could be one of the rarest of the "pre-Transformers".

References

  1. ↑ GiG Trasformer "Sunstreaker" at Random Toy Reviews
  2. ↑ "The Chicken or the Gig?", Part 1 at TFSource
  3. ↑ "The Chicken or the Gig?", Part 2 at TFSource
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