As everyone wants to know, I'll pin this post: the final image seen in this video is the cover of the guidebook, "Takara SF Land Evolution." Some of the other characters you can see in the art include White Leo and Big Serow from "Beastformers," a TF-spinoff line Hasbro released as "Battle Beasts" (who'll get a video of their own one day!); Steel Jeeg, a 1970s anime super-robot created by Go Nagai, who Mego retooled and recoloured in black to create "Micronauts" villain Baron Karza; 1980s tokusatsu heroes Cybercop and Gridman, along with Gridman mecha God Zenon; and girl's action-figure/doll hybrid "Cool Girl."

Sadly, the toyline was discontinued by a cosmically-powered Starscream.

“Before time began... there was Diaclone.”

Jesus! I got sucked into this channel and just spent a ridiculous amount of the past week listening to an Irish dude with a weirdly charismatic voice fill my brain with Transformers trivia... I regret nothing.

Who'd have thought that Transformers has roots all the way in the origin of action figures themselves

Cosmically powered Starcream did not offline diaclone or microman? I’m shocked! Congrats Chris. What an amazing series and lore archive that is exceptionally produced. Saturday mornings with Frosted Flakes and Transformers just like the 80s

This video is weirdly well-timed, given that Dennis O'Neil just passed away. I can't imagine Transformers without Optimus Prime, so it's good to know his legacy lives on in the Transformers franchise, as well as in other media.

Rip denny o Neil you will be missed😢

In Dan Gilvezan's book Bumblebee and Me, he wrote that whoever came up with the idea of importing the Diaclone and Microchange lines and licensing them as Transformers should have a wing named after them at Hasbro HQ. So where do you think the Harry Orenstein wing is?

This is basically the Toys that Made Us, but way more detailed and without the dumb skits lol Edit: Toys that Made Us does have many good interviews at least, so it wasn't all bad.

This channel = Every thing you need to know about transformers.

I’ve heard this story told a million times, but it will never fail to be interesting, especially when it’s narrated by you!

I'm really glad Diaclone and Microman evolved into entities from Transformers. Takara not only made the best robot toys, they even revived the genre through their partnership with Sunrise! Never judge a toy by its size. It can be more than meets the eye...

I gotta say that the relaunched Diaclone line is absolutely fantastic. I just wish it wasn't so expensive.

Kinda appropriate that this episode lands so close to Denny ó Neil's passing. I'm surprised his naming of optimus prime wasn't lauded more in the press. Yes he's more known for his batman work but that acclaim is up there with naming captain America or the like in terms of pop cultural influence . Rip man. And great vid Chris. Well done on the sub count

Much better than The Toys That Made Us' explanation.

I love how, in typical TF fashion, they used the Diaclone name a few ways in the TF lore itself. From TFWiki, there’s Diac the Titan Master, a human named Dia, and DAIAKURON, a living planet who is the creator of Primus & Unicron in the TF VS GI Joe comic series. On the subject of proto-Transformers itself, I first became aware of some of the basic details through Internet reviewer SFDebris and his miniseries “Rolling out the Transformers”. Also that one episode of the Toys that Made Us which seemed a little too disengenuois and tried too hard to act sarcastic & cool. Regardless though it’s still fascinating to watch the process of how Transformers came to be and that its story of its conception was more than meets the eye.

I love how comic history intersects with toy history. If it wasn't for Jim Shooter's infamously hands-on approach to editing, Danny O'Neil could've replaced Budiansky.

“Hold on to your dreams, the future is built on dreams” So bob is basically the original vector sigma?

I really hope more franchises that helped Transformers grow continue to show up like the Hasbroverse. Also the Diaclones that showed up in the Fun Pub stories are apparently from a universal cluster called "Cymond" though there's no Cybertron(thus Primus) or Transformers which is pretty interesting.

I never knew how much I needed to hear Chris say "Ultraman" until now

It still amazes me just how complex the history of “How the Transformers Toys Were Created” really is

God bless you, Japan.

History of Transformers Starts with G.I. Joe

RIP Denny O'Neil, the man who named The Greatest Hero! This episode, The basics on the Invention of the Transformers, deserves an Oscar! Your very best episode! Everything was perfect. Til all are One!

Dangit, I really want one of those Kamen Rider Henshin Cyborgs now.

You're officially an icon, now, mate. I sincerely hope someone at IDW or Hasbro/Takara takes notice and names a bot after you. You've earned it.

8:30 LOL When you said HASsenfield BROthers for the first time the first thing that came to my mind was "This name sounds like Hasbro for some reason" and I WAS RIGHT LOL!

No mention of how Diaclone colors are often used for Shattered Glass versions of characters like Ultra Magnus?

Wow, you actually mentioned GIG! Incredible!

I hope you know the Diaclone line is still being produced. They even have CG & Stop-Motion videos about them. I think they decided to reboot it back to the original concept of the bots being driven by the 1" tall soldiers in exo-suits concept, & ran with it. They definitely focused on the "clone" part of "Diaclone," as well.

Shoji Kawamori is a legend in the mecha world. Outside of designing many of the original Transformers, he also made the Macross series (aka the first season of Robotech), and various other mech designs for other anime like Escalflowne, and Eureka Seven.

Your mention of the Muffler/Muffy character brought to mind a conversation that was had between Sam Witwicky and his father Ron in 2009's Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen: Sam: Oh, who could that be? (referring to someone calling his phone) Ron: Two weeks, it could be Muffy. I did not expect this video to bring to mind what could be an obscure reference within the script of a movie I hadn't thought about in years, but here we are.

Those henshin Cyborg Kamen rider toys looks great

This has got to be the most thorough explanation of how the Transformers came to be. I am fortunate to own pre-G1 versions of Sunstreaker, Shockwave and Perceptor -- all of whom are colored differently than their G1 counterparts. Pre-G1 and G1 Sunstreaker are both cast from the same mold, except pre-G1 is fire engine red and G1 is canary yellow. Credit where it's due also to Bob Budiansky for creating those amazing back stories to all the characters. I would spend endless amounts of time reading those tech specs on the back of the boxes and be in total awe of their titles, quotes, powers, abilities, weapons, rankings, etc. Having each robot ranked according to 8 categories with a 1-to-10 scale for each category was a novel idea. That toy line and corresponding cartoon and comic book will forever be linked to a very memorable time in my youth. I feel very blessed and grateful to have been a kid during that era.

2:05 Mazin Go! Mazinger Z as well as a Brave Raideen cameo in a Transformers Basics video. But in seriousness, it can be all traced back to G.I. Joe.

This Episode was AWESOME! Most appreciated! This the episode in which I have learned the most! A Million thanks Chris! Definitely the BEST EPISODE! And the GO Bots was different and a good April Fools one!

did I spot GRIDMAN at the end there? BABY DAN DAN INTENSIFIES

I still stand by this. Chris should play a Cybertronian librarian in some future Transformers series. Maybe Rung, Orion Pax, Alpha Trion, or even a new character.

Randomly, my dad was a fan of the Micronauts comic when I was a kid, and when I was three or four, I had a Micronauts belt. Coolest thing ever at that age.

This was amazing. It's almost like discovering the history of your culture. Thanks for making this, it was awesome to learn where the toys I grew up with came from and how they continue to evolve today.

I just had a brilliant idea to relaunch the original G1 both Transformers and GI Joe franchise is to revisit this franchise of the Microman series 😊

Chris, this is the absolute best Basics so far, and I've loved them all. You provided a much clearer and more coherent summary of the events that lead up to the franchise's creation than certain laugh-track-netflix shows. Thank you for all your hard work!

Such an in depth episode! Today I learned the original comic launched on the date of my birth! It's like it was meant to be...

17:31 Gridman? *[BABY DAN DAN INTENSIFIES]*

Dude...this is my FAVORITE episode....soo cool to know how everything come together, truly your end quote is fitting here......Transformers is always had been...More than meet the eyes.

Micronauts was my major obsessive toyline from the 70's, and as the 80's moved along, I kept my interest going through the comic series. The prices of those early Microman mechs must be insane.

100k, episode 0, and the invention of the nameless characters that I command that die all the time

I say this so many times but THIS is one of my favorite episodes. I absolutely adore the history of the toys that became TFs. I love the homages we get in special repaints nowadays too

Imagine if Marvel and Hasbro made that third pitch a spinoff of Transformers.

Just when I thought I knew it all, this absolute legend hits us with Muffler. Things like that are why I watch your channel.

Honestly, I have no words to express how magnificent this episode is. It's interesting, informative, and entertaining. I also love how the Transformers journey has gone back and forth between America and Japan. From G.I. Joe to Diaclone, you documented the creation of the franchise many of use cherish and gave it the respect it deserves. All I can say Chris is thank you and keep up the good work. And congragulations on 100,000 subscribers! Here's to 200k!!!

I've loved transforming toys for 30 years now. This video made me seriously consider a career at hasbro to be close to these figures that have made such an impact on my life

Take a drink every time you hear "Diaclone" or "Takara". Don't die.

I understand that Takara created a toy line and TV series in the 90s known as the Brave series, with shows like Exkaiser, Fighbird, Da-Garn and more. The line seems to have drawn a lot of inspiration from the Transformers, especially that some Brave shows have mechs that are recolors of older Transformer toys. For example, the original Dai Atlas toy was recolored to be a piloted villain mech seen in Brave Express Might Gaine. With all that in mind, maybe you could do a basics episode on the Brave series.

This is probably the closest thing to a G I Joe The Basics episode. Also RIP Dennis O’Neil.

I had read about the creation of the Transformers in Toy Fair magazine. Thank you, Chris, for fleshing it out for me. I can tell you are a TRUE Transformers fan. I really enjoy your channel. Keep up the good work. 👏👍🤩

ACTION MAN THE GREATEST HERO OF THEM ALL!!!

As a Diaclone fan, this basics episode makes me extremely happy!

Chris your voice is so soft and gentle

It would be interesting to see you cover Battle Beasts and their part in Transformers.

You know I love how transformers and a lot of 80s cartoons were animated in Japan, so technically you could say that Transformers 1984 is your favorite anime, and with the toys originally being from Japan as well. it’s also interesting that a lot of the 1980s cartoons were animated by Toei animation, who does a lot of the animation for popular animes now

I often link your series to my friend who isnt really a transformers fan like me but finds it a good way to understand what im talking about.

Id love to see a kamen rider and transformers crossover now

Best episode yet. I think I like creation and process stories more than lore as a rule (and TF lore is the only one I can bear to keep up with), and while I thought I knew everything, turns out I didn't. This was comprehensive and well told and edited. Like most successful properties, it's interesting to see how close we came to having something unrecognisable, or not having it at all. Imagine if the late Denny O'Neil hadn't been available. Prime could be called Big John. Congrats on 100k subs!

That last picture reminded me of something I only found out about this year - that _Battle Beasts_ were originally attached to the Transformers franchise as well! I remember those little figures being sold when I was in school, but there was never any indication that they had anything to do with Transformers (in fact I didn't even know at the time that they were Hasbro toys). Given that I was utterly obsessed with Transformers at the time that knowledge might've inspired more interest from me for the little 2" figures with the rubsigns. In a way, Battle Beasts always feel like a sort of ancestor of Pokémon - little fantasy beasties with powers derived from the elements, designed to be traded and pitted against each other in duels in the playground...

As a former Transformers fan, this brought nostalgia to my heart. Thanks for the video and congrats on 100k subs 😊

For the 200k subscriber special do "The basics on Chris McFeely"

this channel is somthing i subed to 3 years ago and i still dont regret it cheers Chris

and this is why I display my joes with the transformers, since they are technically distant cousins

Congratulations on 100,000. May your growth continue

This Channel has really helped me with understanding the qualites of the large amout of characters in the franchise hope this never ends

Most comprehensive account of the origins if the franchise I've seen yet. Way better than Toy That Made Us' narrative-driven telling.

Aww shucks, Kicker some how weasels his way into more things. 15:45

Wow, so many origins explored here! Far more than I initially expected. Truly a perfect means of celebrating 100,000 subscribers. :)

I found some Diaclone commercials on KZfaq, and the six year old in me thinks they're amazing. Something about that stop-motion animation is so much better than American toy commercials of the time.

It's really great seeing all the names and faces who've contributed to the creation of the Transformers. Thanks for another wonderful video.

12:46 Marvel Productions hated Marvel Comics. Marvel Productions started out as DePatie-Freleng Enterprises animation studio. It was bought by Marvel owner Cadence Industries and rebranded as Marvel Productions. They looked down on the "funny-book guys" at Marvel and treated Stan Lee like crap when he moved out west to be part of MP. So it's no surprise that Marvel Productions would propose their own idea. David DePatie probably blew a fuse when Hasbro took Marvel Comics idea over his, because in his mind comic books were only one step above porn in the entertainment industry.

Sigh. Not enough cosmically-powered Starscream. Congrats on the 100k subs! I remember when this channel only had, like, just over 10k a few years ago. Happy to support the cause! I think I'm long past due on becoming one of your Patreon supporters! edit - Patreon'd up. Keep it up :D!

Dude, greetings from Argentina... I love your videos, i've been watching all of them non-stop for the past weeks. Here we are still in quarantine and i got some nostalgic thread for Transformers lately (It comes and goes every now and then). I believe that this channel is the best one on the matter, because you explain all versions of the characters and stories in your own way as what it Is, no matter if the version or the show was good or bad. Your are like my encyclopedia on Transformers and you are letting me some catching up. I cannot patreon you because to do so i have to invest in dollars, and its impossible to do so; but un the future if you can make a video on the Generation 2, i'll be waiting It anxious. In particular if you can talk about the new characters of that branch, if they've been in another media later. In Argentina we watch the show when G2 toys were released, but on TV aired the old G1 cartoons, not G2 with the new openings and all the stuff that i learn about G2 show. I remember in my only trip to the US (1993) my parents bought me some G2 toys that where not available here, like the blue Grinlock or the one that was my favorite and i couldn't understand at the time why was not on the show: Rapido. Well, this was a large comment, i don't usually comment on videos, but yours hit a vibe on me and my kids. Thank you so very mucho. Me...

Hear the word "Henshin", kamen rider henshin poses intensify.....

a Chris mcfeely vid without transformers now this is more than meets the eye

Pls do Cliffjumper, he’s DYING to get a video on him

Amazing episode! So well done! And RIP Denny. He was a great man!

GI Joe was ported to Japan by Takara, who couldn't sell it, so they made about robots, made robots that changed itno things, and then partnered with Hasbro who made GI Joe, and relaunched it as GIJ as a team to basically to the same thing with their DIaclone and Microman lines, becoming the Transformers.

I love the artwork towards the end of the video, personally I would love to see that at a botcon or for sale online. The reason I say this is because it proves transformers came from all of the various lines pictured. Also thank you for always telling me and others like me what you know cause some of the infor I knew and the rest well is new to me.

This is going to be one of those videos I return to a few times when I see a referance to the birth of Transofrmers somewhere I and can't remember the whole story.

I loved this! Really fun to dig into that history. I maintain that Hasbro should give Bob a million-dollar check every year for basically getting their IP going over that one long weekend

Hearty congrats both on the 100,000 subscribers - you deserve every one of 'em! - and on this particular episode, which may very well be the most fascinating one that you've done yet, yes? PS: Like many others have said already, Denny O'Neil RIP - he may be more famous for his DC Comics work, and his Batman stuff in particular; but it ain't everybody who gets to name a legend like Optimus Prime, yes...?

Great stuff Chris and THANK YOU for keeping up this amazing series!

Such juicy content! I don't want it to be over. Please do other super robot toys from Japan.

I wonder if many kids playing with the Microman toys went along with the 'actual size' concept in their own imaginative play.

wow, talk about going back to my roots. Been watching TFs since I was a kid, started with G1 then Beast Wars and stopped after Prime had finished. In between those years I got into Kamen Rider AND Star Wars which were both influenced by TFs and I also ended up buying toys for the 2 lines. I may have came across your channel in the past few years but only really started to dig in within the past 4 months thanks to "lockdown", keep up the great work and 'll be waiting for more awesome content :D

The invention of the transformers was off lined by a cosmically empowered Starscream

I have been looking at reviews of the rebooted Diaclone figures, and holy crap we need an anime of that. Each toy has so much going for it you could base an entire series around some of them. Big Powered GV alone has enough stuff for a Netflix original series.

The origins to the original toy line is so engrossing. Keep up the great work man.

You covered more than The toys that made us did! Congrats to you, Chris, for outdoing a Netflix show!

Aersome, now do a "Basics" episode like this on GIJoe, Heman, MASK, and Ghostbusters.

This was a very cool look into the origins of my favourite boyhood toys. Thanks Chris, i learned a lot!

YES YAAAAAA MAN IM AWAKE AT 4 IN THE MORNING AND THIS COMES IN