Newly Discovered Concept Art from the Generation 1 Transformers Cartoon: Ravage, Blue Bluestreak, Mirage
Sunday, May 27th, 2018 3:50PM CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Toy NewsPosted by: Bronzewolf Views: 39,967
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Mirage is also interesting, as he had a totally different character model than what we saw in the final product. Check them out below!
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Posted by Quantum Surge on May 27th, 2018 @ 3:53pm CDT
Posted by Sabrblade on May 27th, 2018 @ 4:09pm CDT
Posted by Ultra Markus on May 27th, 2018 @ 5:16pm CDT
looks like the diaclone Blue Streak colors was their first choice
and Mirage looks like a night from King Arthur's court
Posted by starfish on May 28th, 2018 @ 2:47am CDT
Bluestreak was originally supposed to be blue, hence the name. The box art showed a blue toy, the catalogues (presumably using a sample figure) showed a blue toy, and now we know that Sunbow made a blue animation model of him.
I can’t think of any reason why anyone would want to purposely change his colour at such a late date. Too many blue characters already? Well that doesn’t wash because we had numerous white characters in that first year (Prowl / Ratchet / Wheeljack) and a bunch of red ones (Prime/Sideswipe/Ironhide/Cliffjumper). I can’t see any reason not to have given Mirage a ‘blue buddy’.
So yeah, it looks to me like a mistake. Hasbro ordered a bunch of blue Bluestreaks from Takara and ended up with a whole shipment of grey ones.
There are two reasons why this could have happened.
1) A simple mix-up. Wasn’t there also a (possibly apocryphal) tale about Takara making a figure too big because they’d misread the sizes on the specs that Hasbro had sent them?
2) This was overstock. There are examples of red Sunstreakers and white Astrotrains being sold in Transformers packaging, as old Diaclone stock was used up first before manufacturing new figures. Maybe Takara were just about to release an all-grey version of the Datsun themselves, made thousands of copies, and then basically told Hasbro that it would be more cost-effective to use the figures already made, rather than put the blue one into production.
Of course, I could be totally wrong, but that’s my theory anyway.
Posted by Emerje on May 28th, 2018 @ 8:23am CDT
What's even stranger is that the all silver figure is unique to the character and the Transformers line and doesn't appear in the Diaclone line which had both the blue and cartoon-accurate color schemes. Definitely not a result of Takara overstock.
It's sort of like how Hound doesn't have anything to do with dogs, but rather likely comes from the phrase "hound of war", being an army Jeep and all.
Emerje
Posted by Cobotron on May 28th, 2018 @ 11:57am CDT
So let's add Bluestreak not being blue to the already long list of mistakes in the G1 cartoon.
Just kidding! But, it is my favorite deco on my most favorite toy.
While I've never been a fan of the G1 cartoon, I do always love seeing conceptual designs and ideas that didn't quite make the cut.
I hope we get to see some more stuff like this.
Posted by Ultra Markus on May 28th, 2018 @ 12:00pm CDT
Emerje wrote:The name Bluestreak isn't actually about his color, but his personality trait. To "talk a blue streak" means a person is talkative and tends to ramble, a trait he had in G1. They certainly could have chosen to use the blue mold, and the box art did seem to indicate that they intended to at once point, but they chose to make the name unrelated to the color while still being character appropriate.
What's even stranger is that the all silver figure is unique to the character and the Transformers line and doesn't appear in the Diaclone line which had both the blue and cartoon-accurate color schemes. Definitely not a result of Takara overstock.
It's sort of like how Hound doesn't have anything to do with dogs, but rather likely comes from the phrase "hound of war", being an army Jeep and all.
Emerje
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define. ... e%20streak
Posted by Ultra Markus on May 28th, 2018 @ 11:29pm CDT
starfish wrote:Just putting it out there, but here’s my theory about the Bluestreak colour swap.
Bluestreak was originally supposed to be blue, hence the name. The box art showed a blue toy, the catalogues (presumably using a sample figure) showed a blue toy, and now we know that Sunbow made a blue animation model of him.
I can’t think of any reason why anyone would want to purposely change his colour at such a late date. Too many blue characters already? Well that doesn’t wash because we had numerous white characters in that first year (Prowl / Ratchet / Wheeljack) and a bunch of red ones (Prime/Sideswipe/Ironhide/Cliffjumper). I can’t see any reason not to have given Mirage a ‘blue buddy’.
So yeah, it looks to me like a mistake. Hasbro ordered a bunch of blue Bluestreaks from Takara and ended up with a whole shipment of grey ones.
There are two reasons why this could have happened.
1) A simple mix-up. Wasn’t there also a (possibly apocryphal) tale about Takara making a figure too big because they’d misread the sizes on the specs that Hasbro had sent them?
2) This was overstock. There are examples of red Sunstreakers and white Astrotrains being sold in Transformers packaging, as old Diaclone stock was used up first before manufacturing new figures. Maybe Takara were just about to release an all-grey version of the Datsun themselves, made thousands of copies, and then basically told Hasbro that it would be more cost-effective to use the figures already made, rather than put the blue one into production.
Of course, I could be totally wrong, but that’s my theory anyway.
maybe they knew smokescreen was going to be in the future and decided that they didnt need two blue fairlady Z's
Posted by Va'al on June 16th, 2018 @ 2:30am CDT
The images below show not only a colour test for Decepticon cassette Rumble (sic), but also two preliminary sketches for what will eventually become the Panini sticker album covers, too! Check it all out below.
Here is one of two never-before-seen sketches that would evolve into the memorable promotional illustration that would adorn the cover of the Transformers Panini sticker album
Here is the second of two Transformers sketches that would eventually evolve into the memorable promotional illustration that would adorn the Panini sticker album!
Robots who diss guys! - Never-before-seen TOY colour scheme for Rumble’s cartoon model!
Posted by Alpha Dominus on June 16th, 2018 @ 8:40am CDT
Posted by sto_vo_kor_2000 on June 19th, 2018 @ 1:46am CDT
Small correction there buddyBronzewolf wrote:especially interesting because it shows that at some point in the production stage, Bluestreak was intended to have his Diaclone Blue color scheme. As opposed to the silver and black color scheme, which he ended up with in both toy and cartoon form.
The G1 release of Bluestreak never came in the colors of silver and black...... The car mode was all silver
It wasn’t until they started doing G1 reissues in anime colors that he was finally released in silver and black
By the way fantastic find
Posted by sto_vo_kor_2000 on June 19th, 2018 @ 2:17am CDT
starfish wrote:Just putting it out there, but here’s my theory about the Bluestreak colour swap.
Bluestreak was originally supposed to be blue, hence the name
Naha
He was actually given the name from an old saying which was supposed to be a reference to talking with great speed and intensity hence the old term “talking a blue streak “
I guess depending on how early in production this may have been that could be designs intended for frenzy not rumble, remember even the Bible for the transformer series had rumble listed as the red oneVa'al wrote:The images below show not only a colour test for Decepticon cassette Rumble (sic), but also two preliminary sketches for what will eventually become the Panini sticker album covers, too! Check it all out below.
Posted by Jelze Bunnycat on June 19th, 2018 @ 2:09pm CDT
sto_vo_kor_2000 wrote:starfish wrote:Just putting it out there, but here’s my theory about the Bluestreak colour swap.
Bluestreak was originally supposed to be blue, hence the name
Naha
He was actually given the name from an old saying which was supposed to be a reference to talking with great speed and intensity hence the old term “talking a blue streak “
Not to beat a dead horse, but are you at least going to entertain the possibility that the blue one was originally planned for US release given the art and the blue one appearing in catalogs, a bio was built around it making it a clever play on words (something the line did on a regular basis), but for whatever reason the colors were changed to all silver later? Takara was only just starting deals with Hasbro, so there may have been a few... kinks here and there.
Posted by Michael Alex Kawa on June 25th, 2018 @ 4:18am CDT
Anyways I love seeing concept art, I don't know why I just find it so cool.
I have always found it odd though that Bluestreak's colors were changed, not just because of the name, but the fact that those were the original Diaclone colors, but I guess Sunstreaker's colors were also changed (among others) so maybe it is not that odd. But he did appear in the catalog with the Diaclone colors, so it still makes it sorta strange they were changed.
Posted by ZeroWolf on August 6th, 2018 @ 12:20pm CDT
Transformers G1 original production art Episode 1 the Ark and Mount St Hilary
Transformers G1 original production COPY Cybertron*
Transformers G1 original production COPY The Ark launch site*
Transformers G1 original production art Episode 1 Deception Ship
* Please read the item descriptions on these.
Also James hopes to raise enough funds to be able to bring more production art to the fans, with his set on never before seen model sheets from 1986's Transformers: The Movie!
Posted by Va'al on October 10th, 2018 @ 3:02am CDT
This time, the auctions up on eBay feature the likes of Hound, Brawn, Sunstreaker, Ironhide, Cliffjumper, the inside and outside of the Ark as it crashed on Earth, the oil rig from the first episode in the series, the Cybertron terminal, and a lovely cel print of Cybertron itself, in its lineart glory.
Not included in the auctions, as James will be keeping it for himself, is a concept piece for Cliffjumper, as explained below:
Here I present a never-before-seen concept illustration (circa 1983) of the Autobot CLIFFJUMPER by Marvel Productions! - Included in the huge batch of Marvel Productions' Transformers artwork I acquired were a bunch of concept illustrations which appear to be the EARLIEST renditions of certain characters - These illustrations were definitely created in-house at Marvel Productions, and were definitely based on the toys - HOWEVER, it would appear that the artist was taking HUGE liberties with their robot forms - Those I've shown these illustrations to agree that it's quite possible that they relate to the shelved pilot-script that Jeffry Scott wrote titled "A Robot's Best Friend Is His Dog"
Posted by RiddlerJ on October 10th, 2018 @ 7:16am CDT
Posted by Decepticon Stryker on October 10th, 2018 @ 11:07am CDT