Something fun to close out your day with is a bit of Generation 1 trivia to share with you, courtesy of The Spacebridge Facebook page. In this post we get to see a rare look at a Powermaster Optimus Prime design sketch, which shows off the planned Headmaster gimmick that was later dropped.
Here’s the full blurb with some great information about the Powermaster Optimus Prime figure and its originally planned gimmicks:
Trivia Tuesday! – Did you know that Powermaster Optimus Prime was originally planned to be a POWERMASTER + HEADMASTER + TARGETMASTER! The Headmaster part was dropped late on, this explains why the large head is removable and why the trailer has a compartment in the back with a ramp. Originally “Roller” would have become Optimus’s head and be stored in the back of the trailer when in vehicle mode. Here are some rare design pictures showing the Headmaster. No pictures of his Targetmaster gun have been found (yet), Hasbro staff who remember working on this recall two identical transforming guns were planned. The first patent for this toy still shows the Headmaster. I’m going to do a big update this week on G1 toy concept art, stay tuned!Pretty cool? Feel free to share your thoughts by clicking the discussion link below!
bman29
Loved this figure as a kid, even though his arms were tiny for his size. And he basically just sat upright and the semi just folded up into the trailer. Still liked it because he was on scale with Galvatron and Magnus finally.
But its so interesting seeing the progression of the series as toys(the designs) from the beginning of the series in 84' to the end of the decade and how much it had changed in a small amount of time. The age of gimmicks abounded.
BigRed
That sounds honestly amazing, thanks for sharing those rarities with other fans!
Scaleface
Someone please make that Roller add-on for the Xovergen Masterarmor.
TheSpacebridge
I'll rephrase.
I own the original copies from Takara's office used by Takara then purchased by me from a Takara staff member
I don't own the original hand drawn images, they are most likely long destroyed
I was just trying to point out I'm not scanning the book instead using my own documents
Cheers
Hitch
MegaMoonMan
How can those be the originals when they are photocopies of something else?
Do you mean you own the originals these copies were made from?
TheSpacebridge
Like I pointed out earlier in this thread, my images aren't taken from the book. I own the original Takara design sheets.
Cheers
Hitch
vrba79
I hear this being sung in the voice of Peter Cullen: "The wheels on mah head go round and round…"
Rikkmaery
Sorry if I came off as a jerk. I just found it kind of funny how sometimes things are treated as new when they aren't.
And by "exact image" I meant that the one over on TFWiki shows about the same thing. But considering it's all from the same book that's fairly easy.
PredaConvoy
Anyone else look at Headmaster Roller and think Minicon Leader-1 from Armada?
From comments above, I can see that I wasn't alone in my thought that the new Prime I was excited for as a kid was going to be a headmaster and targetmaster too! Great minds think alike!
DoubleClouder
God who cares. Half this stuff gets lost over time anyways. Also Hitch scanned them from his source material, so if the exact pic is on the wiki, someone stole it from him. I for one am glad that he shares this sort of thing, even though I have know about it for a long time. Also he posted it to his facebook page, he didn't send it to TFW as a news article. Hitch has also provided HQ versions of TF commercials that have been around for 30 years, but it doesn't make me appreciate his efforts any less.
Agreed, I would prefer it just be a source of information as opposed to having to go thru all the BS.
Rewind
That's a major reason I don't generally look at the TF Wiki. While I love humor and am generally a sarcastic person I don't appreciate the attempted humor and sarcasm on the Wiki. I guess I think of Wikis as sources of straight, dry information and when I see silly comments and even opinions on them it just turns me off and makes me question the accuracy and integrity of the information.
Anyway, thanks again for sharing. Truly appreciated.
WishfulThinking
I honestly thought this was the direction Hasbro would take with Magnus.
TheSpacebridge
It's that exact sarcasm that does the Wiki no favours.
I didn't even know the picture was on there until you said and I do look at the wiki
It's not a race to post these things first, I'm just promoting them to people who may not have seen them yet
Cheers
Hitch
Rewind
Oh, well in that case I retract my excitement at seeing this for the first time and will instead be overwhelmed with shame and embarrassment for not having seen it back when all of the better-informed and superior fans did.
T-Hybrid
Just gonna throw it out there…there's no reason Combiner Wars couldn't revive this as a giftset of:
1) Voyager CW Prime = Torso.
2) Trailer becomes limbs.
3) Legends Roller & Hi-Q to plug into his chest cavity and form a new head.
BOOM, CW Powermaster Prime.
Rikkmaery
Look at all these people who never read TFWiki enough to know this exact picture has been up there for some time XD
WishfulThinking
Ugh. Glad Roller didn't do this as it looks horrible. The Targetmasters might have been cool, though.
emptythreat
^^^^^THIS.
Lord Madhammer
I'm kinda glad they didn't do this.
*still hoping for a MP PM Prime*
hotwhilz
I can see third party upgrades or a whole new mold.