Following the panel at Lucca Comics & Games 2019, Tom’s Hardware caught up with toy designer Emiliano Santalucia (Transformers, G.I. Joe) to ask some questions regarding his work at Hasbro.
The following is an extract of a longer interview that can be found at Tom’s Hardware official website *. Emiliano Santalucia is a freelance designer, opinions and observations expressed in the interview are solely his own and do not necessary reflect those of Hasbro or its employees, neither they constitute official statement about Hasbro’s plans or strategies.
A push towards the vintage has been going on for a long time, generally in cultural products: in practice, now that we can, we buy back the toys that our mom threw away. But how do you go about meeting new generations?
“I could not answer you with certainty because at the moment we are very focused on looking back. With new things, you clash with the old audience because there is a fairly strong wall. With Hasbro products we look at both audiences, but each company decides if and how to make this type of bet. Looking to the past is certainly a security.”
What kind of wall is it, you’re talking about?
“It is a wall between new and old generations. The fact that the younger ones are digital native is one of the characteristics: children play much less and for much less time with the toy. We played up to 11-12 years, now above 7 it is already difficult, and it is difficult to capture their attention and build loyalty to a brand as we could have had them as children when we followed the brand for years. Now, either you abandon it immediately, or it is difficult for a brand to live long before it innovates: the Transformers for example, for children, propose a new series every 3 years.”
Looking back, it is true. Transformers: Prime went on for 3 years, Transformers: Robots In Disguise went on for 3 years and now Transformers: Cyberverse is about to enter its 3rd year. But, will it be the last before another reboot? Only time will tell.
Shepard Prime
Thanx! Lovely work there.
Emiliano
You can find some of my work here:
Emiliano Santalucia
Rodimus Prime
@Black Convoy @Matty
Might want to update the article on the site with the full one.
That is a picture of a man who is wondering why you posted it for the tenth time.
That is awesome. Do you have any more that you can share?
Hanzkaz
Somebody tell me why we couldn't get this .
Emiliano
Thank you! I felt it was important to read the full thing, even through the weird google translation.
Unfortunately nope, that is not an upcoming Overlord, that's just the concepts I did for the Titans Return line. The copyright only refers to the time I posted it.
Shepard Prime
View attachment 28442911
Is this for a new upcoming Overlord?! The copyright is 2018 which would be after the release of Titans Returns Overlord.
Also: great interview. Reading the whole interview in context gives a clearer understanding of what you meant.
Emiliano
I re read the translated interview and I think further clarification is needed.
When I say:
"at the moment we are very focused on looking back. "
I'm not specifically talking about Hasbro or toys. I'm making an observation on pop culture in general.
Dinobot Snarl
unfortunately yes since it seems like they don't ever want to make a normal quality show anymore I don't know what's wrong with them we we need something like Voltron
Rodimus Prime
…are you referring to the show being made by the clowns at rooster teeth?
Shepard Prime
For the click adverse among you, here's the interview in full via Google translate from Culturapop. I'm on my phone so I can't format it better, sorry. When I get to my PC I'll fix it.
Interview with Emiliano Santalucia, Transformer toy designer for Hasbro
by Anna BenedettoTuesday 5 November 2019 17:00
More information on
If toys are food for the mind , and we are what we eat, then we must choose well! At Lucca Comics and Games, Hasbro has presented all the news of his basket of action figures , toys like Transformers or figures of Marvel and Star Wars worlds. In the excellent panel that met the enthusiastic audience there was also Emiliano Santalucia , a freelance toy designer born in 1975 who works for Hasbro on the Transformers and Star Wars brands, but who started his career working on series like “Masters of the Universe "And" GI Joe ".
Hasbro presents the latest news at Lucca Comics and Games 2019. On the right, Emiliano Santalucia
We met him on this occasion and asked him a bit at point blank:
"But toy designer, what job is it?"
It's a very strange job. I don't know what to compare it to and we are very few at it. It means staying at home drawing like a cartoonist, but with work that changes from day to day.
"Is there anything you are inspired by for your work?"
Creativity is channeled. It means that I cannot freely inspire myself in things: what I try to do is to understand the characters I work with thoroughly and try to give them back an aspect or aspects that are consistent with themselves.
"Do the toys you draw embrace all kinds of audiences?"
Yes, depending on the type of toy. I can work on more products for collectors or children, or both. Each of these types can have differences both in how it is conceived and realized.
Santalucia Transformer for Hasbro
"A push towards the vintage has been going on for a long time, generally in cultural products: in practice, now that we can, we buy back the toys that mum threw us away. But how do you go about meeting new generations?"
I could not answer you with certainty because at the moment we are very focused on looking back. With new things, you go to clash with the old audience because there is a fairly strong wall. With Hasbro products we look at both audiences, but each company decides if and how to make this type of bet. Looking to the past is certainly a security.
"What kind of wall is it, this you're talking about?"
It is a wall between new and old generations. The fact that the younger ones are digital natives is one of the characteristics: children play much less and for much less time with the toy. We played up to 11-12 years, now above 7 it is already difficult, and it is difficult to capture their attention and build loyalty to a brand as we could have had them as children when we followed the brand for years. Now, either you abandon it immediately, or it is difficult for a brand to live long before it innovates: the Transformers for example, for children, propose a new series every 3 years.
Emiliano Santalucia, toy designer
But I have the impression that there is another problem …
There are products, even entertainment, that are much more current but that find a cultural and ideological wall in people. Certain things that for those who are growing now are much more accepted, but for bigger consumers it doesn't happen. Examples are the questions about female protagonists or different ethnic groups in the Star Wars films. I see a wall there, supported by social media that give a lot of space to 'protests' of this type that hide, or rather do not hide, misogyny and racisms of various kinds.
"So the heroines the children accept, the adults don't."
It is so: up to a certain age there are no problems, while adults see it as an attack on an identity, even if it is not.
– Moment of silent, embarrassing but shared reflections on humanity –
"Do you feel … how to become a toy designer?"
I don't know – he answers jokingly but not too much -. The natural path of those who go to work in these companies is product design, industrial design, which provides training with respect to design and production. I don't come from that world: I was a cartoonist but fond of toys. And when I offered myself to specialized companies, they accepted my work. It was my desire to look at them, play with them, understand how they are designed and made, to make a difference. In eleven years of work, I learned everything I did not know. Drawing, I was already thinking three-dimensionally ”.
"But, in a liquid society like the one we live in, how does the role of the toy change?"
I'm trying to figure it out too. On the one hand, obviously all the big companies like Hasbro try to hybridize things, putting together new technologies and new ways of playing, so that there is physicality and virtuality, but that they communicate with each other. It is a process in progress and difficult to predict. What is certain, the window of use of the toy has shrunk and it is a pity. Not only because they are beautiful, but because I think you lose the interpretative space that a toy gives you.
"Explain better…"
Beyond the extent to which you can command a character in an already written story, with the possibility of following stages created before, there is a big difference between having a physical thing in hand and imagining what is around it to put it in a set and simulate a narrative situation. Having an action figure in your hand is the stimulus to create, guess, imagine, search and find play sets using everything from wooden pieces to product boxes … the concept of imagining, building the world and stories with your own mind, it is important in terms of growth and education. If everything is already established and preordained .. lots bad. I'd rather the child build his stories
Emiliano
Lol, sorry, I think they got my picture from my Facebook page
I'm sorry if you feel insulted, it was surely not my intention to insult anyone.
But I think I need to clarify this a bit:
First of all, this is just an extract of a longer interview that can be found here:
Intervista con Emiliano Santalucia, toy designer dei Transformer per Hasbro | Cultura Pop
Taken out of context, the meaning can be lost a bit. If you read it all, you will see it was part of a larger discourse the interviewer was going for.
Also, and very important, please keep in mind I'm a freelance designer, and this are solely my opinions and my observations. I am not a Hasbro employee and I am not expressing Hasbro's opinion or speaking on their behalf, neither I'm reporting on their plans or strategies, as I don't know them.
AutobotAvalanche
I have likes and dislikes as much as the next guy, but while I'm primarily a G1 fan myself I do enjoy a lot of other things as well. Beast Wars is my favorite show from the franchise and I love the movie toys. Even if G1 is someone's strong preference I think they're missing out on a lot by just stubbornly holding out for a reboot forever. There's a lot to love and I wish we could all get along.
AOEGalvatronRox
That’s a good question. Quite honestly, and I say this with all due respect, even though a majority of the Transformers brand has been catering to them for a good while, most G1 fans will never be happy or satisfied.
shamanking282
Have you watched Cyberverse? Honestly, if you can get past the first 6 or so kinda mediocre episodes, it does settle into being closer to a G1 reboot than any cartoon has before.
AutobotAvalanche
Isn't there enough G1 media for you? And I don't mean neo-G1 either. Between the cartoon, Japanese shows, hundreds US and UK comics, various other stories and continuities, there's plenty to keep you busy. What's lacking that's kept you sitting on your hands for two decades?
KTRBrickBot
Limited Transformer runs is perhaps one reason it's almost dead in Korea and Hello Carbot became an absolute juggernaut in their country. No story arcs, funny fun adventures, and marketable characters and songs all for preschoolers will probably keep the brand running for +20 years and 20 seasons with a single protagonist forever in elementary school. The evergreen preschool formula for "Transformers"!
AOEGalvatronRox
Well, a lot of people in this fandom have been waiting for a lot of things.
Honestly, I’m just nostalgic for something other than Geewun. I’m so sick of geewun, I would much rather have Beast Wars figures, and I’m not even a big fan of Beast Wars.
Rodimus Prime
What I find funny is the people who are always complaining about 'geewun' are usually just nostalgic for a different era.
Blam320
IMO, how you're watching a show is irrelevant, but the content of the show is not. Being able to watch your favorite show on a mobile device is more convenience-based than anything else, and has little to do with what you put into the show itself.
orangeitis
@Blam320 knows what they're talking about. Children aren't stupid(well, most of them anyway), and treating them like they are won't get you many views or toy sales. It's bad enough that Hasbro decided that every figure in the "kiddie lines" have transformation steps in the single digits(that's hyperbole, don't @ me). It has been getting ridiculous.