Hasbro has answered questions once again! Read on for the info!
- Has Hasbro ever considered a subline of Transformers marketed to girls?
We continually look at opportunities to expand the brand and audience every year.
Currently at this time though we do not have a “girl” dedicated product line as we see Transformers being for everyone.
- The recent Toys R Us exclusive Universe toys (Autobot Countdown and Darkwind) have an amazing number of paint applications, with many many parts that are completely covered in paint. Are these parts using the same “mask and overspray” method, just several times over (one spray for the flat part of the tire, two or three more to get the rounded side, etc), or is there some other process that doesn’t take up more spaces in the allotment of paint applications?
We have a number of different processes for applying our deco in our arsenal. Depending on the desired effect we might have to apply more paint on a toy in certain areas to achieve our design vision. In the end, applying deco still comes down to using paint masks and oversprays.
- During Energon and Cybertron, it was revealed at one point that freelancer artists were brought on to design one or both modes of a toy, and sometimes to flesh out the mechanical detailing of some designs. Is this practice still in use, or have things been consolidated under Hasbro’s roof since the design work on the 2007 movie toys began?
Many of the designs are done in house and through our entertainment partnerships to come up with the best character and toy designs. While in years past we might have farmed out a bunch of the work, the size of the team has grown substantially over the past few years and has thus changed how we handle the work versus previous years.
Thanks to ASM staffer Matt Karpowich for compiling this round of questions!