Is Hasbro one of the only Toy-toon Companies Left?

[Leave a Whisper]

Hopefully this is in the right spot.

Could it possibly be that Hasbro is one of the only toy-toon companies left from that era?

Naturally I'm referring to all their franchises whether they're with us today or not, but since this is a pony board and all.

[LadyMoondancer]

Wow . . . that's a really good question!  Does Pokemon count as a toy-toon company?  I guess it is more video game-toon in general . . .

[Leave a Whisper]

Wow . . . that's a really good question!  Does Pokemon count as a toy-toon company?  I guess it is more video game-toon in general . . .

Yeah The Pokemon Company could count. Though its more of an everything company.

[Mewtwofan1]

Gosh...this is a good question. I know animated shows do have merch, but it usually comes at fan demand, not as a toy line like hasbro. Hasbro makes toys then toons. These things make toons then toys.
     But this is a good question, and I think hasbro is one of the few, next to Mattel and LEGO. Both make toys then make shows/movies for the toys in order to sell more toys, like hasbro.

[Bewilderbeast]

Was Playmates ever a toy-toon company? Because I'm thinking of Voltron...

[Al-1701]

It's something that's definitely more common in Japan.  Japan was doing it long before Mattel and Hasbro started here in the states with series like Gundam and Super Sentai.  In fact, in Japan, the expense of animation is often covered by the sales of related merchandise.

Here in the U.S., the landscape is a bit different now.  Hasbro is still making media related to their brands on a regular basis.  However, even they seemed to have collapsed to just Transformers and My Little Pony for the moment.  Mattel and LEGO make media, but they seem to have left television behind.  Disney has several toy brands with shows, but the toys are more a way of cashing on brand recognition rather than using the show to create brand recognition.

[LadyMoondancer]

With Voltron, I feel like it's a "toon first, toys as an extra" show.  As far as I know Playmates doesn't actually 'own' Voltron, they are just licensed to make the toys.

Care Bears used to be a toy-toon thing, but I feel like Care Bears have become so well-known that the company who owns them (American Greetings I think) only occasionally bothers to make a cartoon.  They are more "mostly toy" now, like MLP was in the 80s.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Nope, Spinmaster is up and coming and pretty big if you are paying attention to children's brands.

[Leave a Whisper]

Hmm. I dont think I'm familiar with them Squirmy.

I forgot about Matel and Lego Mewtwo.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Hmm. I dont think I'm familiar with them Squirmy.

I forgot about Matel and Lego Mewtwo.

http://www.spinmaster.com/products.php

Responsible for:
Paw Patrol
Zhu Zhu Pets
Hatchimals

and more... basically the section of the toy shelves that isn't Hasbro/Mattel/LEGO

[Leave a Whisper]

 

Hmm. I dont think I'm familiar with them Squirmy.

I forgot about Matel and Lego Mewtwo.

http://www.spinmaster.com/products.php

Responsible for:
Paw Patrol
Zhu Zhu Pets
Hatchimals

and more... basically the section of the toy shelves that isn't Hasbro/Mattel/LEGO

Oh.  Yeah I'm familiar with em.  My daughter isn't into them so I had no idea who was making them.

[Bewilderbeast]

With Voltron, I feel like it's a "toon first, toys as an extra" show.  As far as I know Playmates doesn't actually 'own' Voltron, they are just licensed to make the toys.

That's very true. I confess while I know a lot about the plot of 80s Voltron, I know nothing about the actual stuff behind it except I know the States commissioned another 30 episodes from Japan because it was so popular. I'm more familiar with the Voltron they're making now, which is definitely a toy-pushing vehicle.

There are anime that push toys as well, like Bakugan and Beyblade and stuff.

[LadyMoondancer]

Oooo, good point about Beyblade!  That also reminds me of Yu-Gi-Oh--a cartoon show pushing a card game, heehee.

[Leave a Whisper]

Yes that's true! Its good to know there are quite a few still left.

[Bewilderbeast]

Oooo, good point about Beyblade!  That also reminds me of Yu-Gi-Oh--a cartoon show pushing a card game, heehee.

If you read the first chapters of the manga, they are NOTHING like the show. It wasn't even supposed to be about card games, it was supposed to be about a schoolboy possessed by an ancient demon who punished bullies and criminals through karmic challenges they were set up to lose. It was really dark. The mangaka started the card game arc and it became SUPER popular so that became its entire reason for existing.

The subsequent series are all about the cards, though. So now it's a toy-toon.