The Transformers: new information on CBS network pitch

Originally appearing in an article about Marvel Productions, in the pages of Comics Feature magazine for January1985, artwork for a Saturday morning network pitch titled Car And Cable showed a transforming Volkswagen in a comedic setting with three kids and a dog.  Long assumed to be Marvel's attempt at producing a knockoff to their own success story in The Transformers.

That was until March 2020, when Instagram user consumercollectibles contacted this archive and others to show the original pitch artwork, revealing a previously unseen piece that shows this was in fact an early pitch for Transformers.

Subsequent to this discovery, in late 2024 and early 2025, Jeffrey Scott sold off all paperwork relating to his involvement with developing a Transformers series for Saturday morning broadcast on CBS.

In February 1984, the Transformers toyline had racked up retail orders at New York Toy Fair that would eventually total $100 million,  Hasbro sought to capitalise on this sudden success and before Toy Fair had concluded, had commissioned Jeffrey Scott to work with Marvel Productions' Hank Saroyan on a development bible and pilot script.  While George Arthur Bloom was concurrently writing his pilot miniseries for syndication (Act I of Bloom's script was sent to Scott as part of his reference material).

Notes show that Hasbro, Tom Griffin, Joe Bacal, Hank Saroyan and CBS executives were all in communication, providing feedback on the series' development.  

Set five years after the events of 'More Than Meets The Eye', the series would follow the Autobots and their human allies - trucker Matt Conroy and his dog Burt, driver of Optimus Prime, along with teenagers Eddie and Wendy Fairchild, owners of clumsy VW Beetle Muffler a.k.a Muffy - as they wage guerilla warfare on a Decepticon-dominated Earth.  Choosing one of 13 stock plots included with the development bible, Jeffrey Scott finished the pilot episode script "A Robot's Best Friend Is His Dog", at the end of March 1984.

Evidently CBS chose not to pick up the series for its 1984 season lineup.  Undeterred, Hasbro and Griffin-Bacal (via Sunbow Productions and Claster Television) sold 13 additional episodes into syndication for that year, with Marvel assigning Bryce Malek and Dick Robbins to act as story editors.

The Archive will bring more information as it becomes available in the future.

Transformers: 1986 Character Binder

Thanks to Autoclot@tfw2005, the Archive now hosts the 1986 character binder for Transformers, formerly owned by Paul Davids.

This 186 page document covers profiles and model sheets for nearly all of the incoming 1986 toyline (excluding the new minibots Swerve, Pipes, Tailgate, Hubcap and Outback), as well as returning 1984 and 1985 characters.

View the document in gallery form at 1986 Character Binder

(YOUTUBE) Storyboard video playlists

In order to grow the Archive's YouTube channel, I have been creating videos showcasing the various storyboard sets available.  Either full half-hour, full quarter-hour or a single Act.  Playlists are available below

Transformers

My Little Pony N Friends

More videos will be added in future, so please consider subscribing to the Archive YouTube channel

The Transformers: The Movie: storyboard files reduced

As part of space-saving and general housekeeping, storyboards for all 31 final sequences of The Transformers: The Movie, as well as Peter Chung's early sequences, have been put through OCR and greatly reduced in file size.  Additionally, the 1600+ page full storyboard book is available to download at 175mb (down from over 1gb).

To view all of the storyboards, head to The Transformers: The Movie

An appeal for help

If you've enjoyed the production material my website has brought to you over the past 5+ years, please consider helping me with clearing my rent arrears via my gofundme

Other Companies: He-Man scripts and She-Ra storyboards

Couple of quick additions to the Archive over the last month.  Two scripts from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Paul Dini's Quest For He-Man and David Wise' The Search.  As well as the storyboard set for Bob Forward's classic She-Ra episode Sweet Bee's Home.

Check them out at Other Companies

Robocop - The Series: Show bible

The Archive now hosts the show bible for Marvel Productions' controversial 12-episode animated Robocop series.  Written by Rich Fogel and Mark Seidenberg, this 31-page document profiles Robocop himself, Officer Anne Lewis, Lt. Hedgecock, Sgt. Reed, Dr. Tyler, The OCP Chairman ("The Old Man"), as well as Robocop's nemesis at OCP Dr. McNamara and his creation ED-290.

Read on at Marvel's New World 1988-1996