Page 1 of 1

NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 11:14 pm
by GetRightRobot
Seibertron's inexhaustible camera shifts it's focus to the little known "My First Transformers". A short lived toy line that originated in 1986. This series was focused on children ages 2 and up long before the Go-Bot or 1-2-3 Transformers lines.

An interesting note is that these toys had their own faction symbol, which resembles a very cute, rounded Autobot symbol but is neither Autobot nor Decepticon. Neither the characters nor the symbol have ever appeared in any fiction.

These three adorable Cybertronians were actually manufactured under the Playskool flag and were named Dump-Kun, Jet-Kun, and Racer-Kun in Japan. Click any image below to view the full gallery!

Dump-Kun (Playskool Transformers)
First Transformers

Image


Racer-Kun (Playskool Transformers)
First Transformers

Image


Jet-Kun (Playskool Transformers)
First Transformers

Image

Image

Image

Re: Seibertron Galleries Present: Playschool My First Transformers

PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 11:22 pm
by Sabrblade
Their insignia looks much cooler when it's flipped upside-down. ;)

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:36 am
by agentk9
Sabrblade wrote:Their insignia looks much cooler when it's flipped upside-down. ;)


hhmm... indeed it does.

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:57 am
by RhA
Racer-Kun has some epic piping going on there.

These are very cool, IMO. I've seen Jet-Kun boxed online once... Sort of a shame I passed it up. Ah, maybe one day.

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:12 am
by Mkall
HEY! I had Jet-kun! I never knew his name, or that he was an actual Transformer before today! Thanks Seibs for reviving some old memories.

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:25 am
by New Omen
Racer-kun has some sagging ball bearings. I bet he's jealous of rotf Devastator. :lol:

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:43 am
by Megatron Wolf
i always wondered where that symbol came from

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 5:18 am
by NebulanFree
I have the US versions of these... somewhere...

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 6:56 am
by TheForgottenTaxi
These were literally my first Transformers, purchased for me by my parents when I was a tiny toddler. These three simple toys were what sparked my lifelong obsession with this whole darn franchise. Kind of staggering now that I look at them in the cold light of Seibertron gallery.

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 8:35 pm
by TulioDude
Those are epic!

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 8:45 pm
by Noideaforaname
New Omen wrote:Racer-kun has some sagging ball bearings. I bet he's jealous of rotf Devastator. :lol:

:lol: I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed that.

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 10:23 pm
by Rated X
I like these because they were history in the making.

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Fri May 04, 2012 11:29 am
by Primus_Maximus
My little bro had these back in 1986 when they came out 1 year after he was born. The regular Transformers came out a year before these in 1985. I met Peter Cullen at Botcon 2011 and he was a really great guy and was really impressed that I was a fan of Transformers since the beginning in 1985. I would not bother comparing these to ROTF Transformers because they were created for little kids in the 1980s and have nothing to do with more modern toys geared towards older kids and adults.

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Fri May 04, 2012 12:05 pm
by Vicalliose
I now wish to see a custom Dump-Kun made from Animated Wreck-Gar. Do this now.

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Fri May 04, 2012 12:12 pm
by GuyIncognito
Anyone know the meaning of the "-Kun" suffix in Japanese?

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Fri May 04, 2012 12:15 pm
by Sabrblade
GuyIncognito wrote:Anyone know the meaning of the "-Kun" suffix in Japanese?
It's an honorific used to express a form of affection/respect between good friends/family members/colleagues/pals and such, like how "-chan" is.

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Fri May 04, 2012 12:20 pm
by Jelze Bunnycat
GuyIncognito wrote:Anyone know the meaning of the "-Kun" suffix in Japanese?


It has no meaning. Rather, it's a suffix used for addressing a certain person, in this case a little boy. Similar suffixes are:

-san: the most famous one. Neutral and sometimes used with family names, it's roughly analogous to the English "Mr." or "Mrs."
-sama: used for when you address someone you look up highly to.
-kun: used to address boys
-chan: used to address girls, or used as a sign of endearment.

*EDIT* Bah, ninja'd by Sabrblade.

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Fri May 04, 2012 1:48 pm
by GuyIncognito
So you could say their names are Dump-boy, Jet-boy, and Racer-boy?

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Fri May 04, 2012 1:52 pm
by Sabrblade
GuyIncognito wrote:So you could say their names are Dump-boy, Jet-boy, and Racer-boy?
Not exactly. Like Jelze said, "-kun" has no real meaning in English. It's an honorific that shows affection. An appropriate way to say these names in English would be just "Dump", "Jet", and "Racer" spoken with endearment and/or respect.

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Fri May 04, 2012 1:56 pm
by Jelze Bunnycat
Sabrblade wrote:
GuyIncognito wrote:So you could say their names are Dump-boy, Jet-boy, and Racer-boy?
Not exactly. Like Jelze said, "-kun" has no real meaning in English. It's an honorific that shows affection. An appropriate way to say these names in English would be just "Dump", "Jet", and "Racer" spoken with endearment and/or respect.


Or you could look at it this way. Honorifics can also be used for personification, turning an unliving object into a fictional character. What kind of character depends on the honorific.

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Fri May 04, 2012 5:42 pm
by Optimum Supreme
Sabrblade wrote:
GuyIncognito wrote:So you could say their names are Dump-boy, Jet-boy, and Racer-boy?
Not exactly. Like Jelze said, "-kun" has no real meaning in English. It's an honorific that shows affection. An appropriate way to say these names in English would be just "Dump", "Jet", and "Racer" spoken with endearment and/or respect.


If it's an honorific, then wouldn't the closest thing be something like Mr. Dump?

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Fri May 04, 2012 10:26 pm
by Sabrblade
Optimum Supreme wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
GuyIncognito wrote:So you could say their names are Dump-boy, Jet-boy, and Racer-boy?
Not exactly. Like Jelze said, "-kun" has no real meaning in English. It's an honorific that shows affection. An appropriate way to say these names in English would be just "Dump", "Jet", and "Racer" spoken with endearment and/or respect.


If it's an honorific, then wouldn't the closest thing be something like Mr. Dump?
It would, if it were "Dump-san" instead of "Dump-kun". "-san" is used with one's superiors like how "Mr." is, while "-kun" is more of an equal level between friends.

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Sun May 06, 2012 3:26 pm
by Galvatron X
Hmmmm, this discussion about the meaning of "kun" is interesting.

I work with a SMC product called a "Monosashi-kun". I was always under the impression that this translated to "Mr. Measure" or "Mr. Ruler", but it seems that's not quite the case! It's a more diminutive term than "Mr.", I see!


You learn something every day...

Re: NEW TOY GALLERIES: PLAYSKOOL "FIRST TRANSFORMERS" DUMP-KUN, JET-KUN, AND RACER-KUN

PostPosted: Sun May 06, 2012 9:41 pm
by Sabrblade
Galvatron X wrote:Hmmmm, this discussion about the meaning of "kun" is interesting.

I work with a SMC product called a "Monosashi-kun". I was always under the impression that this translated to "Mr. Measure" or "Mr. Ruler", but it seems that's not quite the case! It's a more diminutive term than "Mr.", I see!


You learn something every day...
Yes. "-san", or even the literal "misutaa", would be "Mr." or "Mister", while "-kun" is term used between good close friends, usually of similar ages. :-B