GiG

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We used to make toys with funny missiles.

GiG was an Italian toy company that originally held the license to market Diaclone and Micro Change toys in Italy. Around the same time Hasbro introduced the Transformers brand throughout much of the rest of the world, GiG rebranded its Diaclone toys as Trasformer [sic]. The exact sequence of events regarding this affair has been put into question in recent years (see below). Either way, GiG eventually acquired a license from Hasbro for the Transformers property, although for the next several years, a smaller version of the old "Trasformer" logo would remain on GiG toys in addition to the larger, internationally known "Transformers" logo.

GiG is also known for renaming characters in strange ways (such as referring to Skydive as "Log", labeling Astrotrain and Blitzwing as "Triplex Uno" and "Triplex Due", respectively, or calling Scourge "Sheriff") and for selling various pre-Transformers and Transformers toys that were otherwise unavailable outside of Japan, including the Micro Change version of Blaster (which was a working AM radio) and Galaxy Shuttle.

Distribution of Transformers toys in Italy was gradually shifted from GiG to the Italian Hasbro branch during the Beast Wars line: By this point, European toys were released in two different trilingual packaging combinations in multiple markets each. One of these versions sported texts in English, Spanish and Italian. The initial Beast Wars toys featured a Kenner logo on the front and back of the packaging, and a small GiG logo on the back of the English/Spanish/Italian versions. By the time Fuzors and Transmetals were released, Kenner's name had been replaced by a Hasbro logo (even though the toys' United States counterparts still sported Kenner logos on their packaging), and the English/Spanish/Italian versions no longer featured a GiG logo. In the late 1990s, GiG was bought out by Giochi Preziosi.

The exact relationship between GiG and Hasbro

According to George Dunsay, the brand name "Transformers" originated with the advertising agency Griffin Bacal.[1] Jay Bacal, company founder Joe Bacal's son, is occasionally cited as the person who came up with the name (then-Hasbro employee Henry Orenstein has also once been credited, but this was refuted by George Dunsay[1]). Either way, it's commonly assumed among the fandom that the name definitely originated with Hasbro or one of its partners at the time. Thus, the widely accepted theory regarding GiG's Trasformer line is that it represents a blatant attempt at exploiting the global popularity of Transformers via their existing business relationship with Takara without paying royalties to Hasbro.

The truth, however, 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.) Furthermore, the earliest confirmed official use of "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.

Even moreso, it's also possible that the name Autobot was "inspired" by GiG's use of the name "Auto Robot" (itself a direct adaptation "Car Robot", the name Takara used for the Diaclone toys that would ultimately end up as Hasbro's Autobot Cars assortment) as part of their Trasformer line.[2]

Another commonly held belief among the fandom, seemingly backed up by a vague statement from George Dunsay, is that Hasbro eventually pressured GiG into acquiring a license for the Transformers line because they were (as mentioned above) allegedly "cashing in" on Hasbro's success with The Transformers. Another possibility is that 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), which not only resulted in a variety of transitional Diaclone/Transformers hybrids in Italian Trasformer packaging, but would have also ultimately deprived GiG of Diaclone products, which left 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. 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.[3]

Licensed Transformers

Auto-Robots (Autobots)

Distructors (Decepticons)

  • Megatron → Galvatron (Walther P-38 → Laser gun)
  • Memor → Vizar (Cassette player) (Soundwave → Soundblaster)
  • Tremot (Cassette) (Rumble)
  • Tartar (Cassette) (Frenzy)
  • Gufo (Robotic eagle) (Laserbeak)
  • Iena (Robotic panther) (Ravage)
  • Micro (Robotic eagle) (Buzzsaw)
  • Reflector (Camera)
  • Astrum (F-15 Eagle fighter jet) (Starscream)
  • Corvo (F-15 Eagle fighter jet) (Skywarp)
  • Vampiro (F-15 Eagle fighter jet) (Thundercracker)
  • Brutal (Laser gun) (Shockwave)
  • Atrox (Robotic grasshopper) (Kickback)
  • Prudox (Robotic rhino beetle) (Bombshell)
  • Rantrox (Robotic stag beetle) (Shrapnel)
  • Devastator (Macigno (Dump truck) (Long Haul), Ringhio (Shovel-dozer) (Scrapper), Rostro (Crane truck) (Hook), Rollo (Cement mixer) (Mixmaster), Braccio (Excavator) (Scavenger), Scudo (Bulldozer) (Bonecrusher))
  • Barrage (Robotic rhino beetle)
  • Chop Shop (Robotic stag beetle)
  • Ransack (Robotic locust)
  • Venom (Robotic cicada)
  • Triplex Due (MiG-25 fighter jet, Type-74 assault tank) (Blitzwing)
  • Nibbio (F-15 Eagle fighter jet) (Ramjet)
  • Rapax (F-15 Eagle fighter jet) (Thrust)
  • Sparviero (F-15 Eagle fighter jet) (Dirge)
  • Triplex Uno (JNR Class D51 steam locomotive, space shuttle) (Astrotrain)
  • Pentacar (Menasor) (Barracuda (Kenworth K100) (Motormaster), Caimano (Lamborghini Countach) (Breakdown), Iguana (Tyrrell P34) (Drag Strip), Squalo (Ferrari 308) (Wildrider), Cobra (Porsche 928) (Dead End))
  • Multiforce (Bruticus) (Destroyer (Anti-aircraft truck) (Onslaught), Exploder (Space shuttle) (Blast Off), Vortex (SH-2 Seasprite helicopter), Bomber (Leopard 1 battle tank) (Brawl), Crasher (FMC XR311 jeep) (Swindle))
  • Stridek (Robotic bat) (Ratbat)
  • Ciclone (Fighter craft) (Cyclonus)
  • Sheriff (UFO Hovercraft) (Scourge)
  • Gnaw (Robotic shark monster)
  • Triplex Tre (Cargo plane, Fueler truck) (Octane)
  • Predaking (Zannar (Robotic lion) (Razorclaw), Felin (Robotic tiger) (Rampage), Falcon (Robotic eagle) (Divebomb), Torox (Robotic bull) (Tantrum), Rinox (Robotic rhinoceros) (Headstrong))
  • Trypticon (Defense base, Giant robotic dinosaur)
  • Velenix (Pontiac Firebird) (Runamuck)
  • Diablo (Lotus Turbo Esprit) (Runabout)
  • Thundertron (Abominus) (Grifobot (Robotic 2-headed dragon) (Hun-Gurrr), Battlebot (Robotic shark monster) (Rippersnapper), Bifrontbot (Robotic 2-headed dragon) (Sinnertwin), Crudelbot (Robotic hawk monster), Spectrobot (Robotic monster) (Blot))
  • Slugfest (Robotic stegosaurus)
  • Overkill (Robotic tyrannosaurus)
  • Spaccaossa (Robotic crocodile) (Skullcruncher)
  • Lupo (Robotic wolf) (Weirdwolf)
  • Pipistrello (Robotic bat) (Mindwipe)
  • Hyperbot (Tank, Spaceship, Laser gun, Off-road vehicle, Winged wolf) (Sixshot)
  • Scorpion (Defense base, Giant robotic scorpion) (Scorponok)
  • Tagor (Fighter jet, Robotic gorilla) (Apeface)
  • Tifon (Fighter jet, Robotic dragon) (Snapdragon)
  • Roboclon (Robotic puma) (Pounce)
  • Rapax (Robotic eagle) (Wingspan)
  • Efestus (Fighter craft) (Triggerhappy)
  • Alecto (Car-jet) (Misfire)
  • Proteus (Twin-cockpit space fighter) (Slugslinger)
  • Battletrap (AH-64 Apache helicopter & Ford F-150 camper truck)
  • Flywheels (F-4 Phantom II fighter jet & Tank)

Notes

  • A common misconception among non-Italian fans is that the company's name is "GiGi" (a nickname for Luigi, a true Italian name). Close examination of the company's logo, however, shows that the name definitely only contains one "i".

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Interview with George Dunsay at TF Archive
  2. ↑ "The Chicken or the Gig?", Part 1 at TFSource
  3. ↑ "The Chicken or the Gig?", Part 2 at TFSource
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