• ColeSloth
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    29 days ago

    US animation existed for the sole purpose of merchandising and advertisements. Back in the 80s when transformers were all the rage (the cartoon existed for the almost sole purpose of selling the action figures) they released a movie that killed off most of the transformers (children cried) and they did this so they could bring in all new transformers to carry on the battle, so that kids would have to go out and buy more new toys.

    • Zahille7@lemmy.world
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      28 days ago

      Hot Rod is still one of my favorites.

      It’s a shame we never got to see him in the live action movies.

    • Maven (famous)@lemmy.zip
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      28 days ago

      Fun fact to add onto this. Before Reagan repealed the law, it was illegal to make a show purely to advertise to kids. Once it was repealed we got the transformers and GI Joe and so on but before Reagan every single one of those would’ve been illegal to show.