Two new Rescue Bots toys revealed - Salvage & Optimus
The next wave of Rescue Bots has Chase as a SUV and Boulder and dumptruck, which was revealed back in July by Hasbro Columbia (which has been rather quiet lately). Either with that wave, or the following wave, will be another two new Rescue Bots toys - Salvage (dumptruck) and Optimus (modified version of his first truck form).
This set of four is noted for January release by Entertainment Earth, and December by BBTS... which could mean January anyway.
Salvage has some wacky colours, which probably can't be helped while all of the primary colours and most of the secondary colours have been taken up by the main six (cartoon) characters...
red - heatwave
orange & white - blades
yellow -bumblebee
green - boulder
blue - chase
red/blue - optimus
That really just leaves brown, black, pink and purple... and the first two might be un-marketable to retailers for a young kids toyline that is only wanting to release "good guy" robot toys.
I'd like to see a purple Rescue Bots toy... but I think it has too much association with the Decepticons colour palette for Hasbro to use it on "kiddie Autobot" toys.
I think a Rescue Bot with pink as a main colour might actually do okay, as kids of the target age-group (4-7) would not be too concerned about a pink or female toy, as most will watch what is on TV and play with what their parents will buy for them. It's not like the cartoon would put in any relationships or gender-based issues (unless making a statement about girls should be respected as being as capable as boys at things).
Unfortunately, it's the Retailers who are the biggest gender-biased filter on things like toys and clothes... particularly when it comes to colours. So Retailers probably won't take to it, unless there was overwhelming statistical proof that says that there are a lot of young girls watching the show and getting the toys.
