Transformers downward spiral start?

[primenova]

This one is bit tricky finding which thread to put it in. With it being covering the whole Transformers line. cartoon toy comics.

But when was the downfall of Transformers original G1 start? It was heading down before Susan even looked at getting Turtles up & running.

I think it started with the Movie when they started working on it in 1985. So setting the movie 20 years in the future. So this saying that we have no new characters or toys for 1985-2000 (if Hotrod Kup Blurr first appeared after 2000 in Hasbro plan?). Also most of the new characters seen in series 2 aren't in the Movie (so they didnt have the toy designs for the 1986 toyline). Then all new toys released 1987 are in cartoon series 3 so after 2006 (but they show in comics 1987 because Marvel needed the characters in present day)

So was it a big mistake setting the film so far in the future? Should it have been set 1991 so just 5 years ahead?

Should they have done series 3 covering the gap between series 2 & pre Movie (maybe getting few more series before going post Movie). Considering that the line was a toyline selling.

[that_bluestreak]

it wasn't a mistake but i think they should have flipped back to the present afterwards. although its easier to write futures. i think that they didn't care enough to make things make sense - it was a kids cartoon to sell toys and as long as it did that it served its purpose. the various continuities don't fit together, so we shouldn't try and make them. i am not sure i can see this as a downfall!

[The Doctor]

The toyline has been a continuous retail staple for 40 years. I am unclear how it failed.

-Ralph

[primenova]

We have in the UK but they stopped it in US for a year. UK might have got the toys a year later but we have had them for 40 years instead 39 years. Going slightly off topic - because this goes 10 years later - we get a UK beastwars comics? it could have happened)

[Shockprowl]

Who's Susan?

[Andy Turnbull]

Assuming Susan Blu as she was voice director on TMNT.

[Toph]

Well, I started losing interest in the toyline when it became nothing but pretenders and micromasters.
I think what really hurt it was that it became way too gimmicked, until they settled on the worst one (pretenders) as the dominant form of transformer.

And it was more than a year in the US. The original line ended in 91, while G2 didn't launch until mid 93. At least it was summer 93 before I first saw it.

[Shockprowl]

The 'Movie' was definitely the beginning of the end.

[Andy Turnbull]

Honestly, moving away from realistic alt-modes was the first step. There is something appealing about that, that futuristic looking vehicles don't quite measure up to. The odd one here and there is fine, but no, a bad idea.

[primenova]

Yes with that IDW started out using modern day earth modes than being off world modes. But then when you get to the reboot - how everyone had earth modes?