I know the cartoon was released in September 84. I still remember it clearly as my birthday was right before the release of the cartoon and my dad took me to Toys R Us to get my presents (soundwave, ravage/rumble and bumblebee)

However, I remember seeing the commercials months before that. Not sure if it was the comic or toys?

What released first?

 

Marketing fact sheets from the time say that the toyline was set to arrive in stores in April (but obviously, even today, we know how fluid street dates and product saturation can be, so I'm sure there were many areas where it didn't show up until a little later). The first issue of the Marvel comic was also planned for April, but wound up coming out in early May.

 

I personally celebrate Thanksgiving as the "true" birthday of Transformers, as Bob Budiansky famously wrote all the bios for the Season 1/#1-4 cast in a matter of days across Thanksgiving weekend 1983.

 

I also remember this to be Thanksgiving

 

Well, here is the first three part miniseries first ever airing bumpers. Video says late 84 for the airing. Transformers replaced bugs bunny? Bugs I'm sure wasn't happy about that! Also, he-man of course still had to show up with ads! Odd thing--they had a toy ad for transformers during transformers? Wasn't that not allowed here in america to have ads for merch from the show you are watching on tv?

Edit--in the comments someone wrote this--

 

I know the toys came out in Spring 1984 (can’t recall which month, exactly). A kid in my 2nd grade class brought a G1 Prowl to school with her. She was a tomboy, haha.

 

The comic was released in May 1984 (cover date September)
The cartoon debuted in September.

 

The people in the comments of that ad said it aired in dec.

 

If you don’t mind may I ask you what area you were living in at the time? I ask because it seems the first episode of the show aired on different dates in different parts of the United States and that’s not even considering the different dates of different countries

For my part of the US the first episode aired at some point in September 1984

Well you gotta keep in mind it was a syndicated show and did not have a dedicated network

Perhaps it aired in December for the people in that video but it definitely aired in September in my area which was New York City on WPIX channel 11

 

Don't know as I never heard of transformers till my mom rented the vhs "divide and conquer" from the video store after the show first aired!

 

I bought my first TF in (I think) May of 1984, because I know it was close to the end of the school year. Cartoon debuted around the start of the next school year.

 

Thanks for getting back anyway

Let me guess September?