A Pretender Shell For Whom?

[snazzbot 101]

They were available well after my time of being into Transformers should have been gone (beyond looking at them longingly at the toy store and wishing for simpler times). But the idea of robots in humans seemed stupid even then (at least from a practical, toy perspective).

But thinking of it now, some variation of Pretenders-by-way-of-Exo-Squad could work.

[GoktimusPrime]

The concept of Pretenders started from Hasbro wanting to create Transformers who could transform into humans. Takara instead suggested enclosing TFs in human shells. Hasbro agreed to this (and the Decepticons would be monsters).
(source: Ono Koujin interview)

The problem with the 1988 Pretenders isn't just that they're enclosed in human/monster shells, but also that the robots are badly compromised as a result. Uber thin robot modes that simplistically bend/fold over to transform. Landmine's alt mode is basically the robot bent over with a gun on its back. Pretenders like Iguanus and Gunrunner are too kibble-dependent.

The 1989 Pretenders were thankfully a LOT better. Take Bumblebee and Bludgeon for example - both have good solid robot modes that transform into clearly identifiable vehicles (and they were mostly cheaper too ).

[liegeprime]

Yeah, the 1989 pretenders have good innerbot alt modes which thank goodness wasnt limited to vehicles for alt mode - e.g crab, rhinoceros. Unfortunately the size got smaller as well.

[GoktimusPrime]

Yeah but they were better value for money IMO. Although I personally prefer the "Space Marines" look of the 1988 Pretender Autobot human shells, whereas the 1989 human shells are like random dudes in armour. One is a wrestler and one is a conjoined twin?? And of course, Mario-wrestler is a Decepticon and one of the Autobots is a walrus-man!

But yeah, the robots themselves were definitely better. Hasbro later sold the Classic Pretender robots separately as "Legends" (not available in Australia - they were Kmart exclusives in the US). And while none of the 1989 Pretenders were sold in Japan (Japanese fans go nuts over them!), Takara did sell the Classic Pretender robots on their own in the "Hero Set" pack. Can you imagine if they sold any of the 1988 Pretender robots on their own? Who'd buy Gunrunner?!?

[snazzbot 101]

Yeah, I can see value in the Idea now, but back then - with no access to any fiction - all they were was a compromised toy within another compromised toy.

With today's technology they could definitely update the concept, but my instant thought is why should they try and and sell us two toys at once when they just sell us one?

[GoktimusPrime]

No newsagents or comic stores around your area?

Anyway, even with supporting canon the toys were still pretty lame. It's interesting to see how writers tried to deal with such an odd concept. While in Japanese (Masterforce) continuity the Pretenders could mass-shift themselves inside their shells and switch between human/TF scale, in Anglophone continuity the Pretenders just happened to be gigantic humans and monsters! For the Decepticons this worked pretty well, but for the Autobots it was just... odd. It was awkwardly handled when they debuted... the Autobots guarding Ethan Zachary's lab compound and when the Decepticons attacked they saw "puny" humans guarding and one of them remarked that they looked too big to be humans and Scorponok replied that it simply meant that their cowardice is greater!! (What the Fakkadi?! ). The Autobot Pretenders' shells only worked as disguises when they were taken off Earth to places where giant humans existed (e.g. Grand Central Space Station, Femax, Pequod, Cheyne, Pz-Zazz, VsQs etc.)

By time they got around to the Pretender Beasts I think writers just gave up on trying to make them robots-in-disguise (not that any of the animal-moded G1 TFs have ever been robots in disguise anyway )

[morg176]

The pretender shell toy as a concept was a good one, unfortunately, the technology of the day did not allow for the full potential of the concept to reach satisfaction. As mentioned earlier, with todays technology and designers the pretender concept could be quite good again.

Providing the robots look and articulate well, and the shells dont look like bricks.

seaspray as a pretender... anthropomorphic whale thing! Cliffjumper ..a satyr! and and maybe pretender shells for headmasters and powermasters.

Them again i think that powermasters should be redesigned as an attachable powersource, ie, they actually contain batteries and attaching them lights something up (parts, weapons etc)

thoughts

[snazzbot 101]

No newsagents or comic stores around your area?

Yeah not the best way to say it. More like no access to fiction I found likeable. I liked comics back then, still do, but I was instantly turned off by the British comics and their boxy robot art and awful coloring. Besides I wasn't a true fan by then - by the time the movie hit I still cared, but I never got to see it and I thought many of the new toys were sort of crappy (I distinctly remember looking at Galvatron's tank-trank stickers and being incredibly disappointed).

[GoktimusPrime]

Are you sure you're not confusing the UK comics with the US comics? Cos the UK comics had spectacular artwork and far superior colouring compared to the US comics. Nel Yomtov's colouring was always rather lacklustre -- some US artists were alright, but you did have others like José Delbo who made them look "boxy." Also, Marvel US used really horrific print quality in the 1980s -- very pixelated. I think the colouring in the UK comics was really good, especially considering that it was hand done, not like the digitally enhanced colouring that we have in Western comics today.

Here are some pics for comparison:
(A) Blaster, Warpath, Perceptor & Co. as they appeared in the US comics
As they appeared in the UK comics
(B) Ultra Magnus getting pwned in the US comics (adaptation of TFTM)
Getting pwned in the UK comics
(C) Emirate Xaaron as appeared in the US comics - Delbo's boxy art at it's finest!
As Xaaron appeared in the UK comics
(D) Powermaster Optimus Prime in the US comics
Powermaster Optimus Prime in the UK comics

Besides I wasn't a true fan by then - by the time the movie hit I still cared, but I never got to see it and I thought many of the new toys were sort of crappy (I distinctly remember looking at Galvatron's tank-trank stickers and being incredibly disappointed).

I like G1 Galvatron.

But 1986 was the first time that we saw a few Transformer toys that were "fungineered" (i.e. co-developed by HasTak and animators (Sunbow/Toei)). I've never been a big fan of this... I much prefer the usual way where toys are properly "engineered" (i.e. toys made first, then cartoon models are made later based on toys). Most people's favourite G1 toys are "engineered" toys - e.g. all the 1984-85 Transformers.

But IMHO Galvatron and Hot Rod are the best of the "fungineered" '86 Transformers. Rodimus Prime would be the absolute worst. <shudder> Ultra Magnus (an "engineered" ex-Diaclone) was always the "future" Autobot leader when I was a kid. A lot of recent TF lines are "fungineered" now... Bayformers, Animated, Prime. Of course, I'm not saying that all "engineered" toys are great or that all "fungineered" toys are awful. We've had some terrible "engineered" toys (e.g. Battlechargers, Firecons, Pretenders!) and some great "fungineered" toys (e.g. Deluxe Concept Camaro TF1 Bumblebee, Animated Leader Megatron) -- but generally speaking I prefer "engineering" over "fungineering."

[Demonac]

"fungineered"??