While we all have our own favorites due to nostalgia (84, 86, 96, 07, etc) it's hard to think of a year where more has been on the line. Transformers has survived many ups and downs, always finding a way to maintain relevance and connect with a new generation of kids. But it's never faced as much risk as it does now.
Hasbro is on shakey ground, as is much of the toy industry. The only plastic that still hits the shelves is either a legacy property or based on media, with original toylines few and far between. Transformers is lucky in that its heart and soul is a gimmick that never goes out of style. Each toy a puzzle of varying complexity that gives maximum satisfaction only in tangible, physical form. Fans are drawn to, and kept interested by, the great characters and supporting media, but anyone reading this is here because That One Bot reached your hands and you were hooked. But how can we ensure this continues in 2019 and beyond?
Unfortunately I don't have the answer. I think Hasbro is doing what it can, and on paper their strategy seems sound. The Bayverse took the brand to it's greatest heights of relevance, but has crashed and burned. To move forward they are going for a more family-friendly and simpler reboot. If the Bumblebee movie is profitable and has legs, we may see retailers return some of the shelf space that has been shrinking steadily the last few years. If not... it could be tough for Hasbro to keep even the space it has now. And with no Toys R Us the path to profitability becomes even harder.
IDW comics may be far less relevant to the culture at large, but the last 10 years have been enormous for adult and young adult fans. Somehow Transformers became a place that stories could be told that captured the zeitgeist as well as or better than any other. Great artists, fresh writers, and new characters unlike any we had seen before. Uniting people who had never read any comics before with veterans, and all under the banner of a KIDS TOY! Not since the Hama GI Joe run had a toy property produced such quality graphic fiction.
But in many ways that's all over now. A new era is about to begin. And while I hope we see something new and just as good, the odds are... it won't happen. I've seen too many eras end at other comic companies, it's probably going to be a long time before the next great run of TF comics. And without IDW what becomes the playground for adult fans? Likely we'll know the answer by 2020.
Video games? Nothing on the horizon there. The card game is cool but won't attract the outsiders needed to grow the fan base.
TV hasn't worked for TFs in a loooong time, and the internet shows have been... less than galvanizing. I'm more positive about the Machinima series than most but my kids could care less about them, and they are too short to provide what the brand needs.
So pretty grim right?
Yes, but we've been here before. When the 86 movie bombed and the toyline folded shortly after, there was no reason to think Transformers would ever return. Especially after G2 took it's best shot and failed. It was a time when old toylines disappeared and new ones took their place like clockwork. And yet The Brand was able to find enough reasons for Kenner to give it a shot. For Mainframe to use it as the next step for their pioneering CGI efforts. Now that Transformers is global, and has even found a way to prosper outside of official channels, it seems inevitable that they'll return to prominence. No matter how long they slumber underneath a volcano, they will have another chance to reconfigure and recharge.
So don't let whatever happens in 2019 get you down. The fandom has been here before, and we will find new ways to enjoy our common love. And if a few fairweather fans drop off, let them. We'll keep doing like we were before they arrived. And with that in mind, I have some new Siege bots to check out...
Have a safe and Happy New Year, and thanks for keeping it #Refined in 2018!
Follow dan on Twitter @mantisninenines
