The crew of History on the Fives works through five weeks of Transformers history spanning January 1st through February 7th, covering anniversaries from 1923 all the way to 2023. Along the way: the death of G1 composer Ichiro Mizuki, and the passing of voice actor Milt Jamin. The panel digs into the G2 Dreadwing and Smokejumper Japan exclusive, the UK Marvel Legacy of Unicron storyline, the Headmasters finale two-parter and the consultant who killed Ultra Magnus, and the first recorded fandom use of the term “G1.” On the comics side, the IDW license expiration gets its first airing and the Target: 2006 trade paperback sparks a discussion of how the UK Marvel comic kept the story moving between US issues. Toy releases covered include the Downtown comedy duo Cerebros set, the Encore Devastator anime color version, and a full slate of Takara Tomy January 2013 releases. The episode closes on Beast Wars and the February Headmasters entries.

Topics

January 1st The G2 Dreadwing and Smokejumper two-pack released as a Toys R Us Japan exclusive in 2003, originally G2 Dreadwing and Smokescreens repainted in olive/khaki. 2008: The UK Marvel Comics Legacy of Unicron storyline featuring Death’s Head tracking Cyclonus and Scourge above the Planet of Junk. 2018: Voice actor Milt Jamin passes away — voiced G1 Blast Off and three separate Nebulan characters in The Rebirth.

January 2nd Birthdays of Japanese voice actresses Megumi Toyoguchi (Professor Princess in Transformers Animated Japan dub) and Satomi Akesaka (Sundor and Stardust in Kiss Players Radio, Sari in Animated Japan). 2013: IDW Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots issue 2, and Robots in Disguise volume 2 trade paperback. 2018: Titans Return episode “Consumed” premieres on Go90 — panel discusses Jason David Frank’s appearance as the Emissary. Also: Transformers Prime: Orion Pax Saga film comic released.

January 3rd 1983: CITV (forerunner to ITV) begins broadcasting in the UK — eventually aired Beast Wars in Canada during bank holidays only. 1993: Headmasters episode “The Final Demise of the King of Destruction” airs in Malaysia — Galvatron reveals his plan to absorb Unicron and become Grand Galvatron. Panel notes the English dub incorrectly calls it “Unicorn.” 2018: Transformers vs. Visionaries issue 1 released by IDW — the controversial killing of Kup in the opening issue effectively ended reader interest. Panel also discusses Hasbro’s abandoned plans for a unified universe.

January 4th 2008: Beast Wars Sourcebook issue 3 released by IDW, covering Onyx Primal through Silverbolt.

January 5th 1923: Animation director Jeff Hale born — directed unknown episodes of G1 season one. 1978: Voice actress America Olivo born — “Frisbee girl” in Revenge of the Fallen. 2008: Transformers Animated “Home is Where the Spark Is” premieres (season 1, episode 4). Also: Transformers Animated “The Thrill of the Hunt” (season 1, episode 7) — the episode revealing what happened to Ratchet’s magnetic device and introducing Lockdown.

January 6th 1958: Japanese voice actor Yasuhiko Nemoto born — dubbed Patrick Dempsey’s character in Dark of the Moon.

January 7th 1948: Musician Ichiro Mizuki born — performed songs for Transformers Zone, founding member of Jam Project. Passed away from lung cancer approximately one month before this recording. 1998: Beast Wars Japan episode “Make a Dramatic Comeback! Destrons” airs (US equivalent: Victory).

January 15th 1948: Japanese voice actor Kazuo Oka born — played Fast Lane, Getaway, and Snapdragon in Headmasters. Panel notes the difficulty of finding biographical information on the Omni Productions dub voice cast.

January 16th 1973: Japanese singer Maki Miyamai born — voiced Navi (the evil fairy character) in Beast Wars Neo. 2008: IDW Devastation issue 4. 2013: IDW Spotlight: Thundercracker — Thundercracker searches for Metroplex and begins writing scripts.

January 17th 1913: Alfred Pagel born — writer of “Fire in the Sky” (the Jetfire episode), also wrote for G.I. Joe and MASK. Panel discusses the Jetfire animation discrepancy between early commercials and the broadcast version. 1993: Headmasters “The Miracle Warriors Part 1” airs in Malaysia — Targetmasters introduced. 2003: Legend of Microns episode 2 “Metamorphosis” premieres in Japan. Armada episode 18 “Trust” — Scavenger revealed as an Autobot double agent. 2018: IDW Optimus Prime issue 15 and Windblade: The Last City trade paperback — panel notes Windblade artist Sarah Stone went on to work on Castlevania for Netflix.

January 18th 1968: USSR nuclear test in Eastern Kazakhstan. 2008: IDW Optimus Prime issue 15 continued — the Falling chapter, Onyx Prime returns. Shockwave’s time-loop manipulation revealed; panel notes the “king of the furries” tag from the Shockwave-becomes-Onyx-Prime storyline. Also: IDW Windblade: The Last City trade paperback and Hachette Definitive G1 Collection volume 23.

January 19th 1968: Matt Hill born — voiced Carlos in Armada and Underprime (Ironhide) in various productions. Panel discusses the Cloud toyline Roadbuster figure (expensive Japanese exclusive). 2008: Transformers Animated “Total Meltdown” premieres (season 1, episode 5). Also: Fun Publications promotional video for the Collectors Club exclusive Nightbeat toy (based on Energon Hot Shot mold). Panel notes the budget paint issues on the Thrilling 30 Nightbeat release.

January 20th 1978: Omar Sy born — played Hot Rod in The Last Knight. Panel discusses the French and French-Canadian dubs of the film, where Hot Rod is given an Italian accent and a European French accent respectively to preserve the nationality joke.

January 21st 1998: Beast Wars Japan episode “Two Dinobots” airs.

January 22nd 1988: Headmasters episode “Ultra Magnus Dies” airs in Japan — Six Shot kills Ultra Magnus in all six of his alternate modes. Panel discusses the irony of Ultra Magnus, later the universe’s greatest bureaucrat, being killed by a consultant. 2003: Armada episode “Vacation” premieres in the US (episode 19).

January 23rd 1943: Gil Gerard born — played Buck Rogers, and also voiced Megatronus in Robots in Disguise. 1948: Toei Animation founded — panel discusses Toei’s role as the animation studio for the G1 cartoon under Sunbow’s production oversight, and Toei’s historical difficulty regarding licensing (Scramble City has never been released in the US with original audio). Panel notes Scramble City exists in two versions — a stop-motion toy version and an animated version — and that a commentary by Chris McFeely accompanies the version included as a hidden extra on the Rhino 20th anniversary Transformers: The Movie DVD. 2008: Four-page preview of Fun Publications “Transcendent Part 1” revealed. IDW Spotlight Blaster released. Transformers Animated volume 1 film comic. Target: 2006 trade paperback reprint — panel discusses the UK Marvel Comics format, fill-in stories during US comic pauses, and the dynamic art of Jeff Senior. Panel discusses the expired IDW comics license and speculates that an announcement may come at SDCC timed to Rise of the Beasts.

January 24th 1978: Mark Hildreth born — voiced Scowl in Robots in Disguise 2015, also the lead of Gundam Wing. Kristen Schaal shares the same birthday — voiced Chickadee in Rescue Bots. Panel discusses missed toy opportunities in the RID 2015 line. 1993: Headmasters “The Miracle Warriors Part 2” airs in Malaysia — Chrome Dome’s ally captured, bomb implanted. 2003: Armada episode “Decisive Battle” US premiere (episode 21). 2018: IDW Lost Light issue 13, Optimus Prime volume 2 trade paperback, and Hachette Definitive G1 Collection volume 72 “The Dying of the Light” — the end of the season two arc in More Than Meets the Eye and the destruction of the Decepticon Justice Division.

January 25th 1973: Japanese manga artist Nao Tsushima born — created pack-in comics for G2 sub-lines, extensive Transformers manga output in Kero Kero Ace. Panel discusses his artwork and the economics of Japanese weekly manga anthologies. 2003: Armada episode “Valhalla” UK premiere.

January 26th 2003: Armada episode “Rebellion” UK premiere — Sideways manipulates Starscream. 2008: Transformers Animated “Nanosec” US premiere (season 1, episode 7 — Bumblebee’s fastest-thing-on-wheels title threatened). Also: Kenji Yokoyama, producer of Transformers Headmasters and Transformers Zone, passes away. 2013: Takara Tomy releases Arms Micron Rumble, Frenzy, and Wild Rider; Fall of Cybertron Combat Ikon set; Encore Devastator anime color version. Also: Transformers All Spark Another Episode Part 1 serialized in Kero Kero Ace.

January 27th 1988: Actor Austin Lynn born — played a computer technician in Age of Extinction. 2003: Armada episode “Chase” UK premiere (episode 24 — the kids enter Sideways’s digital world). 2018: Takara Tomy reissues MP-22 Ultra Magnus, MP-36 Megatron, Legends clone bots Fast Lane and Cloudraker, Legends LG-59 Blitzwing, Legends LG-60 Overlord with Giga and Mega Headmasters, and Legends Metroplex reissue.

January 28th 1978: Jollibee (Philippine fast food chain) founded — has run multiple Transformers toy promotions including Beast Machines figures in 2009. 1983: Director Angel Manuel Soto born — rumored at time of recording to be attached to an unknown future Transformers film. 1988: Alexandra Krosney born — played Sierra in Transformers Prime. 1998: Beast Wars Japan episode “Inferno the Ant Warrior from Hell” airs (US equivalent: Spider’s Game). 2003: Armada episode “Tactician” UK premiere (episode 25 — Thrust introduced). Panel notes the Thrust toy’s poor quality and the rarity of the red Powerlinx Thrust variant.

January 29th 1988: Headmasters episode “The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg” — Galvatron’s plan revealed; the Headmasters defeat him through a Gatchaman-style combined energy beam. Panel notes the Japanese version does not mention Unicron, whereas the Malaysian dub explicitly (and incorrectly, spelling it “unicorn”) invokes him. 2003: Armada episode “Linkup” UK premiere (episode 26 — Jetfire leads while Optimus is repaired; Jetfire and Optimus combine). 2003: Dreamwave Transformers Armada issue 7 — Megatron attacks with the Star Saber, Land Military Team Mini-Cons arrive. 2003: First recorded fandom use of the term “G1.”

January 30th 2008: GI Joe vs. The Transformers Omnibus released by Devil’s Due Publishing (collecting all four crossover series). 2013: Transformers: The Complete Drift released by IDW — panel notes a second Drift mini-series was later published, rendering the “Complete” title inaccurate.

January 31st 1933: Japanese voice actor Toshio Ishii born — voiced Prowl, Scrapper, and Wreck-Gar in the Japanese G1 dub, and the Quintessons in the Japanese dub of Transformers: The Movie. 1968: Japanese voice actress Chico Atarashi born — played news reporter Kelly Baumgartner in Armada. 1988: Final day of the Beast Formers ceramic special Cobra-branded mail-away offer — a limited pearlescent Battle Beast snake figure cast in marble-gray plastic. 1993: Headmasters “Crisis on Planet Master” airs in Malaysia — Cerebros holds a giant floppy disk containing the secrets of the Master Sword; Decepticons introduce G Metal. 2003: Legend of Microns episode 4 “Comrade” premieres in Japan. 2018: Last day to mail away for the Downtown No Gaki no Tsukai Transformers Hamada Robo / Matsumoto Robo set — heavily redecorated Cerebros molds with heads modeled on Japanese comedy duo Downtown, featuring sound clips from their TV show. Panel notes it sold for approximately $200–$300 and wonders if it was the last Transformers toy to include a sound chip.

February 1st 1948: Rick James born — “Super Freak” used in Revenge of the Fallen (not on the album). 1958: Rio Horikawa born — voiced Moon Radar/Dead End in Transformers Zone OAV, also the long-running voice of Vegeta in Dragon Ball and Captain Falcon in Super Smash Brothers. 2003: Legend of Microns opening single “Transformer Dream Again” and ending single “Never-Ending Road” released in Japan by Columbia Music Entertainment, performed by Psychic Lover. 2003: Sidney McHale born — voices Robbie Malto in Transformers: EarthSpark.

February 2nd 1963: Voice actor Kirk Bailey born — played Brawn in the Bumblebee movie. Passed away in early 2022 at age 59 from lung cancer complications.

February 3rd 1938: Voice actor Marshall Efron born — voice of Beastbox in Beast Wars.

February 4th 1998: Beast Wars Japan episode “Revive! Beast Power” airs (US equivalent: The Probe — season 1, episode 19). Predacons steal the rectifier coil, causing Maximals to revert to feral beast modes.

February 5th–7th 1988: Headmasters “I Risked My Life for Earth” — Scorponok re-established as Decepticon leader; Chrome Dome must find his weak spot to save Spike and the Earth. Panel notes the “boys don’t cry” scene plays considerably less toxic in the Japanese version. 2008: IDW Devastation issue 5 — Reapers vs. Decepticons; Starscream makes his move. Also: Beast Wars Sourcebook issue 4 (Scourge through Wolfang). 2013: IDW Rage of the Dinobots issue 3 (Grimlock vs. Bruticus) — panel notes early staging challenges in Margaret Scott’s IDW debut work. Also: More Than Meets the Eye issue 13 — the Lost Light crew’s shore leave on Hedonia. Also: Spotlight Megatron — Megatron confronts Starscream after reclaiming leadership.

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