Microman
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Microman is a line of toys manufactured by Takara (now Takara-Tomy) from the 1970s to the present. Microman toys were originally imported to the United States by Mego as Micronauts until they went bankrupt in 1982. Later some of the toys became a part of the first line of Transformers.
The bulk of the line consists of small 3.75" action-figures that are known for their high poseability compared to similar sized toys. It also includes vehicles and robots.
History
In 1972, Takara released a series of 8" & 12" action figures named HENSHIN CYBORG (Transforming Cyborg.) This was a spin off from their popular COMBAT JOE line, a series which Takara licensed from Hasbro, the creators of G.I. Joe. The body of the HENSHIN CYBORG was molded in clear plastic to expose the gleaming inner cybernetic implants and the "atomic engine".Since the cost to produce vehicles and playsets for these 12" dolls was very prohibitive, (not to mention not very practical for the Japanese market where living space was a premium and parents were never too keen on large size toys that take up a lot of room) Takara decided to produce a miniature version of the HENSHIN CYBORG and they called this series MICROMAN.
The original MICROMAN line ran from 1974 through 1980.
The first series, MICROMAN ZONE, included four figures and several vehicles in kit form that needed to be assembled. MICROMAN ZONE proved to be popular and by its second year, the MICROMAN line began to take on its own identity and separated itself from the influence of the HENSHIN CYBORG line.
Unlike other toys line at the time, MICROMAN figures were marketed as being the "actual" size of the real thing. MICROMAN figures were real cyborg beings from the planet MICRO EARTH that disguised themselves as toys.
Another reason for the popularity of MICROMAN was the interchangeable concept. Since all MICROMAN toys used the 5 mm standard for connectors and ports, parts from one toy could be attached to another toy to form brand new toys.
Microman in America
The story of the Microman toys in the US is a very tangled web of toy lines and companies. When the toys were imported into the US they were divided into different lines by different US companies. In the US these toy lines became very popular in their own right. Two popular US toy lines to come from the Microman toy molds. The first is the 3.75 inch action figures and some accessories imported by the Mego Corporation that were known in the United States as Micronauts. The other US toy line adapted from Microman started when some smaller transforming vehicles were imported to the US by Hasbro and combined with another, similar Japanese toy line known as Diaclone to become Transformers.
Some toy collectors recognize these toys as popularizing the 3.75 inch size action figure that Fisher-Price Adventure People, Star Wars and eventually even G.I. Joe (the original inspiration for the line) changed size. The uniform size across many toy lines in the 1980's influenced the play patterns of the children who used them. Because the toys had similar size the children could play using toys from several toy lines together.
In 2004 the Takara company started importing Microman toys to the US again under the original name
The Transformers connection
In the early 80s, Takara produced a second Microman line (called New Microman). Many of the playsets and accessories were based on, or disguised themselves as "life-sized" realistic objects. A number of these objects transformed into vehicles or robots, interacting with the Microman figures. (Those toys were part of a sub-line called MicroChange.) Of those that turned into robots (or robotic animals), most were sold to Hasbro and along with fellow Takara toy line Diaclone were re-marketed to the American public as the Transformers.
Former New Microman: MicroChange toys re-badged as Transformers include:
- "Megatron" - originally a black-and-brown Walther P-38 who turned into a robot wielding a laser gun and a sword. Although the Japanese version (sold in 1985) was this version, the American version was the U.N.C.L.E. variant (named for the hit TV show), featuring a chrome body, "extensions (a sight, scope, and barrel extension/silencer). However, the sword -- also included with the Japanese "U.N.C.L.E." version -- was excluded from the American Megatron, possibly for fear that children may stab themselves in the eye with the sword. Furthermore, the orignal Japanese toy's ability to fire plastic, pellet-like,bullets was removed from the American toy. The UNCLE extensions converted into a cannon capable of being operated by one of the Micromen.
- CassetteMan - a microcassette recorder that turned into a robot. This toy was converted into the Decepticon Soundwave and was capable of carrying a number of other robots who turned into actual-sized microcassettes. (The Transformers version was imagined in comics and TV as changing into a traditionally-scaled cassette recorder.)
- "Car" - Seven MicroChange robots were made to disguise themselves as "toy cars". Three of them were made to resemble Takara's own Choro Q (Penny Racers) cars. All seven were released as Transformers (more specifically Autobot Mini-cars), but only six of them were sold as named characters (Bumblebee -- VW Bug, Cliffjumper -- Porsche 924 Turbo, Windcharger -- Pontiac Trans Am, Brawn -- off-road vehicle, Huffer -- cab-over-engine semi, and Gears -- 4x4 pickup truck). The seventh (modeled after a Choro Q version of the Mazda Familia 1500XG/Mazda 323) was sold on Bumblebee or Cliffjumper cards and thus uses one of 2 names created by the Transformers' fan community (Bumblejumper or Bumper).
- "Perceptor" - a (originall black) microscope that changes into a robot wielding a rifle and missile launcher, plus the microscope's own magnifying scope as a weapon. The Transformers version was recolored dark red and became the Autobot scientist, Perceptor.
- "Blaster" - the second microcassette-holding radio for MicroChange. However, this one is made to resemble a much larger boom box. Also unlike CassetteMan/Soundwave, this cassette player came with a special component resembling a Microcassette that allowed it to receive FM radio broadcasts. While the original version of this toy was molded in dark blue with a light blue cassette door/chest, a recolored version for Italian company GiG was also produced in red with a dark blue door. The Transformers version -- the Autobot Blaster -- is based on the Italian red version with all electronics removed from the toy. Its ability to open its cassette door (without excessive force) was also removed (as the Autobots did not have cassette/robots at the time Blaster was released).
References
- www.microforever.com
External Links
- [Action Figure Archive] - Microman action figure guide, message boards and online store.
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