(Featured image: Gobots face off against the Transformers. Left to right, The Gobots: Crasher, Super Gobot Leader-1, Cop-Tur, Road Ranger, & Zod, and The Transformers: Hound, Soundwave, Buzzsaw, Bumper, & Optimus Prime)

The first episode of season three of The Toys That Built America tells the story of Tonka‘s race with Hasbro to gain the top spot in the transforming toy robot market of the mid-1980s. While this is a story that many of us are aware of, some new details came out of the docu-series, like the lead paint woes that delayed Hasbro’s launch of The Transformers toy line, and how Tonka almost named their toys Transformers. The 42-minute episode revolved mainly around the American side of the toys (as the name of the series highlights), detailing Tonka’s desire to become relevant in the toy market of the 1980s, and how an opportunity to look at old Knickerbocker stock led them to seek out the Machine Robo toy line from Bandai. At the same time Henry Orenstein, while hunting for the next big thing, discovered Takara’s Diaclone and Micro Change line. From there the race is off to be the first to market, and then to be the strongest market presence. Both companies hit many hurdles along the way and raced to clear them. Tonka rushed to create a big ticket item for the holiday while Hasbro developed novel ways to deal with competitors and knock-offs.

(Above: The Gobot Command Center with two Transformers, Shockwave & Jetfire, that were licensed by Hasbro to keep competitors from having them)

The show also explores the marketing strategies between the two companies, as Tonka hired animation powerhouse Hanna-Barbara to create a cartoon for the Gobots, while Hasbro went with Marvel Comics as well as the fledgling Marvel Entertainment to develop a mythos to market The Transformers. Additionally it explains how by going with Marvel that Hasbro was able to sidestep some of the regulations involving how toys could be marketed to children. Shrewd decisions on each side play like a game of cat and mouse, where sometimes the safe bets don’t pay as well as the riskier chances, and the ruthlessness of business begins to shine through.

(Above: Left, The Transformers’ Grimlock from Marvel Entertainment. Right, Gobots’ Leader-1 from Hanna-Barbara)

Overall, it was a good watch. Fans unfamiliar with the story will no doubt enjoy learning about the early competitive days in the transforming robot market. Fans familiar with the story will enjoy the new insights and information shared in the interviews with the executives and directors who were behind the scenes in this clash of toy companies. We see more of Tonka’s side of things in this episode, and learn some of the hoops that both Tonka and Hasbro had to jump through to secure licensing from their Japanese partners. Bandai locked Tonka into purchasing what seemed to be an astronomical number of units, and Hasbro had to license a completely unrelated toy to get Takara to consider allowing Hasbro to sell their Diaclone and Micro Change toys.

(Above: Left to right, The Transformers Grimlock, Seaspray, Beachcomber, Warpath, Kickback, Mixmaster, & Ratchet, and Gobots Jeeper Creeper, Scorp, Leader-1, Super Gobot Baron Von Joy, Rest-Q, Scooter)

What I found the most interesting is the story of how Tonka executive Pat Feely dug through some of Knickerbocker Toys’ old stock, and found some transforming robot toys, which inspired him to seek out the source of the toys in Japan. That led him to Bandai, and the deal that secured Machine Robo for Tonka, which became Gobots. Interestingly enough, we know now of some of Knickerbocker’s early transforming robot toys, called the Mysterians. While the first wave was released, a second wave of robots that turned into cars was not. These somehow wound up at Takara and were merged into the Micro Change line. When Hasbro licensed the Micro Change cars, these four Mysterians were included and became The Transformers’ Brawn, Gears, Huffer, and Windcharger. It would be ironic if Tonka’s venture into Gobots was caused by Mysterians who became Transformers.

(Above: The Transformers who started out as Knickerbocker’s Mysterians, from left-to-right, Windcharger, Brawn, Gears, and Huffer)

Overall, it was well worth the time spent watching it, as it is always great to learn more of the story of how these brands evolved and influenced one another, and how sometimes seemingly minute business decisions still affect the products we see today. The Toys That Built America can be viewed on the History Channel, History.com, Hulu, AppleTV, and Amazon, among others.

Click the link below to view it on History.com:
Watch The Toys That Built America

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