Let's Fail!: Anime Jason vs. Discovery Family - Chapter 3: Where Everything Comes Together: The History of The Hub! Part 1: Hasbro - Rise of the Toy Giant!

Hasbro's current logo since 2008

In 1996, Discovery Kids became the gold standard for children's programming (for the most part). But due to all the politics and backstabbing, everything fell apart. From their block removed from NBC due to contract disputes to being a bit more repetitive with their programming, just like other channels like USA (before removing cartoons due to their paranoia and fears of regulations from the FCC), and it was like that for 13 whole years. But by 2009, everything changed. Discovery ended up with an unlikely partnership with the most unlikely of companies. A toy company that rivals that of Mattel, known for Hot Wheels, Masters of the Universe and, of course, Barbie. And just like with their successes in the 80s, they decided to take another crack in television. And because of their partnership, by 2010, Discovery Kids became the very network that we all knew and loved. But before we talk about the very network itself, let us take the way back machine and talk about the history of the very toy company that brought everything together, Hasbro.

(MK3 Vs. Screen Fanfare)

Founded in 1923, in Providence, RI, formerly called Hassenfeld Brothers, the company was formed by the aforementioned brothers, Herman, Hillel and Henry Hassenfeld. Originally known for making pencils and pencil cases, they didn't become a toy company until 1942, when they produced modeling clay and doctor and nurse kits. It was not until 1952, when they created their first toy, Mr. Potato Head, back when they used actual fruits and vegetables as the faces when putting plastic eyes, ears, noses and mouths on them before using the plastic potato we use today. And then, by 1964, and as an answer to Mattel's Barbie, they gave us the first action figure for boys, G.I. Joe (more on that later). The name was shortened from Hassenfeld Brothers to Hasbro in 1968 and it's been like that ever since. Today, Hasbro is one of the biggest toy companies in the world. Not only with Power Rangers, Mr. Potato Head, Jem, M.A.S.K., the various Star Wars toys (originally from Kenner), and the various board games they got (which were originally owned by debunked companies like Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers), but also by their main three franchises that kept the company alive today, G.I. Joe, Transformers and My Little Pony.

Hasbro's Holy Trinity: Optimus Prime, representing Transformers, 1st Sgt. Conrad S. Hauser aka Duke, representing G.I. Joe, and Twilight Sparkle, representing My Little Pony.

G.I. Joe: Created in 1964, G.I. Joe was Hasbro's answer to Mattel's Barbie dolls. The first of many to be called action figures, just to avoid calling them dolls, just like Barbie. The name, G.I. Joe, was a form of slang for the military. That, or named after the movie, The Story of G.I. Joe. The first line were originally soldiers, each of them straight from the branches of the military, complete with camouflage, weapons and dog tags, among other things. The brand changed in the 70s, due to the unpopularity of the Vietnam War and G.I. Joe became an adventure team of sorts, just like Jonny Quest. Those figures included the now famous Kung-Fu Grip. Not even changing its brand didn't save this line. That is until 1982, when the G.I. Joe toys came back. Only this time, they weren't 13" action toys, they were shrunk to 3.75" figures, just to capitalize on the success of the Star Wars toys, among other things. Not only that, but the name G.I. Joe went from a name of a generic soldier into what Jackson Beck describes and I quote:

"G.I. Joe is the codename for America's daring highly-trained special mission force. Its purpose: to defend human freedom against Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world."

In other words, G.I. Joe is now a name of a team of soldiers fighting against the aforementioned terrorist organization, Cobra. And you can thank the likes of Larry Hama for giving us the comics from Marvel to give backstory to this relaunch, now officially dubbed as "A Real American Hero." It isn't just the comics, but it is also in the cartoon, as well, thanks to our friends from Sunbow and Marvel Productions. And to this day, although it is dormant, (along with other reinterpretations through more cartoons and movies), whenever evil terrorists strike, one day, they will hear the two little words that will take them down:

YO JOE!!

But G.I. Joe isn't the only one who got the comic/cartoon treatment.

Transformers: Originally two separate robot toys from the Japanese toy company Takara (later renamed Takara Tomy), namely Diaclone and Micro Change, Transformers came to our shores in 1984. Like with G.I. Joe, Transformers not only have a comic book series from Marvel, but also a cartoon, as well. Even though both continuities are different, the premise is the same. Far off in the universe, lies the planet Cybertron, where it is fallen apart due to a war between two factions, the heroic Autobots and the treacherous Decepticons. Their war raged so long, it drained Cybertron of all its energy. But it was not until they crash-landed on Earth, their battle began anew. For the toys in general, what a concept, two toys in one, transforming from a car, truck, radio, or dinosaur into a robot and back again. Since then, just like G.I. Joe and any other stuff from the 80s, Transformers has become one of the greatest franchises, not just in toys, but in all media. I am so glad that I have Optimus Prime as a father figure. His quote, "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings", couldn't be more true. Anyway, time for us to ROLL OUT...to the third and final franchise in Hasbro's long line of toys.

My Little Pony: Created by Bonnie Zacherle, this toyline, originally aimed for little girls was released in 1981, but it was called under its original name, My Pretty Pony.

The Rock (mocking Randy Orton as a kid): "OH NO! THIS IS MY PRETTY PONY! DON'T TOUCH MY PRETTY PONY!!"

It was not until 1982 it became the very toyline that we know today. Unlike G.I. Joe and Transformers, it didn't have a Marvel comic. However, it did have their first outing in animation in the mid 1980s, with three movies, Rescue at Midnight Castle, Escape from Catrina and My Little Pony: The Movie before having their weekly show, My Little Pony 'n Friends in 1986, which including segments with from other Hasbro franchises around that time, such as the Glo Friends, Moondreamers and the Potato Head Kids. For many decades, we got multiple universes, from those from My Little Pony Tales (Generation 2) to those from the Direct to Video specials (Generation 3).But it wasn't until 2010, that we got the most well known generation that defined MLP for years to come, Generation 4 aka Friendship is Magic (which we will talk about later in the chapter). Like Transformers, MLP continues on after Gen 4, but since I haven't seen it since 2014, I will leave it at that.

You see, Hasbro's endeavors weren't just into toys alone, as I mentioned before with G.I. Joe, Transformers and MLP, they also had a hand in television. And you can thank the very person who at the time, was the Queen of Children's Television, who defined a generation not once, but multiple times. And we wouldn't know the existence of such a vast universe, if it wasn't, for Margaret Loesch.

To Be Continued...

Next Time - Part 2: Margaret Loesch: The Queen of Children's Television!