“In a world where consumers want both the familiar and the new, more toy companies are turning to concept art and unused designed to keep their stake in the market.”
This summer during Comic Con International in San Diego, Hasbro’s display of their upcoming Transformers figures featured a set of four toys that at once stood out. They had the familiar faces of Optimus Prime, Starscream, Bumblebee, and Megatron, but there was something different about them. Starscream looked like he had been created by a deranged madman in his garage, Megatron was covered in spikes, and Optimus and Bumblebee were trains.
These figures, representing the first of Hasbro’s Timelines Capsule, were inspired by the comic Hearts of Steel, which imagined the Autobots and Decepticons awakening 100 years prior to when they did in canon. Bumblebee met John Henry and Mark Twain to deal with the threat. An era of trains, steam engines, and iron clads, this series has been one fans have wanted to see figures of for quite a while, with several 3rd party companies creating unlicensed figures of the characters.
But those that might go and pick up the comic (assuming they can FIND the comic, considering it is out of print) would be surprised to discover that the leaders of the two factions are nowhere to be found in the story proper. Indeed, Optimus and Megatron only appear at the end of the trade, as sketches that never made it into the story proper. Optimus never appeared as a train, nor Megatron a Civil War era cannon. So what were they doing as action figures if they never appeared in any story?
How A Pee Break Changed The World
As covered in SFDebris’ More Than Meets The Eye series about the creation of The Transformers, in the early Eighties the CEO of Hasbro and the President of Marvel Comics just happened to be using adjacent urinals and struck up a conversation.
The topic of GI Joe and its return to markets led to Hasbro meeting with Jim Shooter and Larry Hama. Hama was the one that changed the direction of GI Joe, switching the focus from the vehicles to the characters. It would also be him that would point to Kenner’s Star Wars Line of toys as an example of how build an action figure brand. Hama pointed out that kids weren’t buying C-3PO because he was an interesting action figure but rather because they wanted to complete the set of heroes. That kids didn’t merely buy the heroes but the villains as well. Hasbro should do the same, which is how the concept GI Joe went from a single soldier to an entire team of colorful heroes battling the evil Cobra.
An added benefit to this was that it allowed for easier Wave Replenishment and continued sales. Just because a child had Duke, Destro, and Cobra Commander did not mean they could stop. Every few months a new character would appear on shelves. This also prevented the danger of Peg Warming, where the market becomes flooded with the same character who remains on shelves for months or even years.
Kmart, in its final years, became known to toy collectors as a kind of time capsule and Target has adopted aggressive clearance markdowns to fight against Peg Warming. Often Amazon’s Prime Days and Hasbro’s Flash Sales have been used to empty out warehouses at a loss just so new items could come in. By having all new characters showing up every few months a steady stream of buying and selling could occur.
This process had a drawback though Hasbro didn’t see coming. Because such focus was put on having a large cast the need to develop a following for each new character meant that the shows, comics, and eventual movies needed to dedicate more time to the new heroes, villains, and vehicles.
The infamous The Transformers: The Movie bloodbath that saw nearly the entire 84 and 85 cast slaughtered to make way for the new characters Rodimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, and co was a direct result of this. But sales saw a decrease as fans became frustrated by the loss of their favorites, and new fans catching reruns couldn’t get an Optimus or a Megatron toy because they were no longer being produced.
Some collectors call it the “Batman Paradox”: Batman is the hero and should be easy to get. You want him to be readily available for even the most casual of collector. But there is little need for multiples of the same man in a black suit, and thus the risk of peg warming and loss of sales. Everyone needs a Batman but also doesn’t.
Multiple solutions were developed to deal with the balancing act of needing to keep the familiar faces on shelves while also offering something new. Kenner, for their Batman line based on the Burton films, solved the “Batman Paradox” with their multiple batsuits. Jungle Camo Batman, Arctic Batman, Deep Dive.
The same mold but in new colors, meant to catch the eye. Each with their own gadgets, so that kids would want to collect the different Batman figures so they could tackle different mission during their play. Hasbro, for their part, began to reboot Transformers, and in the 2000s made it their goal to always have their Main Four (Optimus, Bumblebee, Megatron, Starscream) appear in each media. Different looks, different alt modes, but those four characters.
But this also had risks. People wanted Optimus Prime to LOOK like Optimus Prime. Radical changes to the character, such as turning him into a bat, a fire truck with a Jay Leno chin, or giving him an anime-inspired design, upset older fans. Indeed, much controversy came with the first Transformers Live Action Film by having Optimus not be his famous a Freightliner FL86 semi-truck cab, as well as his flame paint job. Media began to have Optimus simply resemble his G1 self, and thus the “Batman Paradox” returned.
The idea of having both on the shelves, to satisfy either side of the fandom, has been difficult. Developing toy-only designs has always been costly, requiring at times years of work for something that does not promote a TV show, a comic, or a movie. And there is no guarantee there will be interest.
A solution was needed. A way to give the fans something new with minimal risk and lower preproduction cost.
What’s Old Is New
Those who grew up in the era of DVDs remember the Behind the Scenes and Make Of featurettes that walked viewers through the process of creating films. The Lord of the Rings Extended Editions see their special features run longer than the expanded movies. Where before fans had to scrounge for details and facts about the creation of the entertainment they loved, DVDs allowed fans to see how things came together, evolved, and grew. Even a character like Dexter Jettster, who appears only briefly in Attack of the Clones, got some time in the special features of that DVD with George Lucas looking over the different designs for his head to select the one he wanted.
Fans often remember these designs and wonder what might have been. For The Transformers: The Movie the character of Rails, a train that turned into a massive snake, as long been one fans wanted a better look at. Unused designs for games such as God of War has resulted in fan art springing up. When a film fails often fans who discover it later pour over the design work and wonder what might have been. And Hollywood is no different.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture reused designs for multiple new characters from the abandoned Phase 2 ideas for a proposed sequel TV series. The Alien Franchise has seen multiple designs for new versions of the Xenomorph be given a second chance in the comics. Star Wars Rebels pulled from Ralph McQuarrie’s designs for Chewbacca and R2-D2 to create the new characters Zeb Orrelios and Chopper.
For toy companies it has been a slower process. The use of concept art to create action figures saw sporadic usage in the late 90s. The Star Wars Power of the Force line saw 3 generic pilots (Airspeeder, Cloud City, and Speeder Bike) get action figures in their 3.75” line in 1997.
For the next 7 years small amounts of these McQuarrie Concepts would get action figures, such as Padawan Obi Wan in training gear or a Yoda based on a Christmas design that McQuarrie drew. It wouldn’t be until 2007 and the anniversary line that an entire line of concept figures would be made.
After that though usage would drop off once more, with only a few figures, such as the Concept Obi Wan vs Vader set or the all white Concept Boba Fett figures in the Black Series, being made.
Then, in 2021, Mattel decided to do something revolutionary.
The Old Adventures of New Eternia
Partnering with Netflix and Kevin Smith, Masters of the Universe: Revelations was Mattel’s move to bring back one of the most success toy lines of the 1980s. Seeing the success Transformers continued to have and the revitalization of GI Joe with the Classified Series, Mattel created a new line of MOTU figures: Masterverse.
While the first few waves would focus on the new Netflix Series, and a special Anniversary Version of He-Man was sold, fans of MOTU were confused by listings for Masterverse figures that were part of the “New Eternia” branding. There was no such show or comic with the name and rumors swirled about what this might be.
The reveal was a toy only storyline, focused on an Eternia that had been shattered and broken with different heroes and villains from the series reimagined as they traveled the wild world. Some, such as Skeletor, were given new looks. Others, like Beast Man, moved to the morally gray area of the conflict. All the figures had new designs but many came with pieces that would allow one to swap heads and armor to recreate the classic designs.
Mattel revealed that New Eternia was based on the original concept art created during the birth of Masters of the Universe; figures in the New Eternia line were at once fresh, retro, daring, and familiar. He-Man was He-Man, but now with a Viking design. Skeletor looked like a demonic pirate. Man-At-Arms came with his traditional head sculpt but also with a clean shaved face so that he looked completely different. Jitsu, a villain in the original series, was now a hero.
Masters of the Universe fans loved the new line. It allowed them to collect the old favorites without having shelves overloaded with the same designs.
Filling Out The Ranks
Mattel and Hasbro have now moved to make Concept Art another piece they can use to create merchandise for fans. Mattel several years ago tested out the waters for a reissue Street Sharks line with their Concept Art Street Sharks Made to Order three pack. This used the very first art designs for a Street Shark as well as two villains. For their Masters Of The Universe Origins line they created Sketch Book Exclusives, creating figures in the style of the original toys but using concept art as the inspiration.
As for Hasbro, in addition to the Timeslines figures, they have also introduced the Concept Series to their adult-focused Studio Series line. Bumblebee Movie Sunstreaker, Megatron, Frenzy, and Rumble have already been released and later this year Age of Extinction Widowmaker (the first concept figure not based on any existing character) will be on store shelves. Hasbro has also noted that should the Hearts of Steel figures sell well other concept art figures from that series could be made.
In an interview with Toys Are Russ, Transformers Brand Manager Nate Purswell stated that in 2027 they will be doing Concept figures for the 86 Movie, name dropping the Cassettes as ones they wanted to bring out, and stating that designer Evan Brooks has all the concept art for the 1986 movie to begin planning out which characters to bring to the line.
Other toy companies are getting into the Concept business as well. Multiple concept Ninja Turtle figures, based on the original sketches that inspired the heroes, are being produced, and rumors are swirling that other franchises could also see items based on concept art appear soon.
What all of this means for collectors is that the fandoms they love are about to grow even larger than what film, TV, and comics have presented. That now every character will have a chance to potentially shine.
Like Santa rescuing the Misfit Toys these characters, thought abandoned and discarded, may very well have a second lease on life.
Emerald City Video 
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