Via our long time friend and former Hasbro Transformers team leader, Aaron Archer, we have learned that Takara-Tomy’s Hideaki Yoke has embarked on a well-earned retirement.
I recently referred to Bob Budiansky as one of the fathers of Transformers, and Hideaki Yoke is someone whom I hold in a similar high level of respect. As a toy designer for Takara in the 1980s, he worked on several of the company’s lines, including Diaclone and Microman. Here he designed several toys, including most important of all, the original Diaclone Convoy, better known as Optimus Prime. He is the man who we have to thank for giving us that most iconic of designs, which has defined Optimus Prime and become the face of Transformers for more than three decades.
This alone would be worth of celebration, but Yoke-san was also Takara’s main liaison with Hasbro during the early years of the Transformers brand, helping to build the partnership between the companies and according to Aaron Archer, had a hand in every toy and every piece of media for the Transformers brand since the very beginning.
He is one of the unsung heroes who has contributed much to the development and the successes of the Transformers brand from its early beginnings in the 1980s through to its current status as a worldwide multimedia brand.
All of us here at TFW2005 wish Yoke-sama many long, happy, and restful years of retirement, and we offer all of our thanks for his hard work in shaping Transformers into the phenomenon that it is today.
RXnewtype93
It's seldom that one person can have an impact on millions of people around the world. Hope he has a great retirement.
RoadPigJohn
LionPrime1984
I couldn't agree with you more.
RoadPigJohn
A great contributor for the Transformer history.
LionPrime1984
There ain't No Transformers G1 Sets without Hideaki Yoke, his Transformers toy designs are 1,984% awesome.
Aernaroth
What a great career he's had. I wish him a wonderful retirement, but hopefully not one that's TOO quiet.
CaptainSlowbro
We should send him some kind of e-card or something.
primalxconvoy
Yes. My current employer gives full time teachers 7 days a year paid holiday, plus national and some school designated holidays.
Also, The creator of Mario and Zelda, Shigeru Miyamoto himself, once said that if he worked for a foreign company, he'd have made much more money than if he had stayed at Nintendo.
Anyway, I hope our TF-spawning legend has racked-up the Yen to live a very comfortable life.
Don't blow it all on plastic crack like most of us here have, Yoke-Sama!
Enigma2K2
Thanks for giving me a lifelong hobby. Enjoy your retirement. You deserve it.
wheeljack01
I hope he enjoys his retirement, it is very well deserved. Is there a list of Transformers he specifically designed out there?
QLRformer
Thank you, Hideaki Yoke, for the great toys. Enjoy your retirement.
Yoketron was a great tribute to him.
jamarmiller
Thank you Yoke ! Many great memories from my child hood and even my boys
lets not be too quick to praise the Japanese for that, Its only because Most people are hired right out of college, and in Japan if your hired full time its VERY difficult to fire the people and if they are not hired straight out of University then they will probably join the, roughly now, 40 percent of people in Temp jobs their whole life. which basically means he probably ( or have an 75 percent chance of ) wouldn't get married, have kids, or ever buy a house and would most likely be living with his parents till they die. Most people wont quit their jobs even if they hate it because they know they will be likely doomed to that life. The company then now OWNS that person and makes their life ALL ABOUT the job. Gone are your vacations(unless you count taking only one day off at a time for them ) gone is family time and gone is your weekends. Basically your life is crap because your a slave of the company. Technically you get two weeks of vacation but your too scared to take more than one or two days at a time in fear your boss will doubt your commitment to the company. You come back from that two day vacation and have to apologize to every person you work with for taking the time away from work and making them cover you.
The Japanese deserve no praise for that.
exactly, sad as it is.
geekatron prime
Thank you sir, no others words can express all the joy you have given me and all the fans around the world. Enjoy your well deserved retirement. Thank you again Yoke-san!
samisham
I hope he enjoys his retirement and all the money we gave him. He deserves it.
EightiesKid
Wow, a true legend. Many thanks to him for contributing so much to my childhood, and best wishes for a fulfilling retirement!
Megatron118
Congrats to him! His influence will remain for years to come.
Shin Densetsu
Doubt it, main designers have been Yuki, Hasui and Kobayashi these past years.
I hope Yoke enjoy his retirement. Such a legacy, who new a toyline would spawn 5 live action movies with audiences worldwide and a toy brand people have known for over 30 years? Those are freaking achievements.
[Wing_Saber-X]
On a technical level, I think you're right. However, when required, Takaratomy could always seek Yoke-san's wisdom as an adviser or go-to guy for referencing certain quirks/ gimmicks and traits for potential new MPs.
SpectrumBelle
It won't. At least, I doubt it will.