1983

The year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) predates the launch of the Transformers brand by one year.

For further information, see: Transformers timeline

Events

Non-Fiction

• The Family Computer, commonly abbreviated as the Famicom, a video game console and the Japanese equivalent of the Nintendo Entertainment System is released in Japan by Nintendo.
• Saban Entertainment is formed.
• Hasbro approaches Sunbow Productions about a television series based on their toyline of G.I. Joe action figures.
• The Japanese video game developer Altron is published.
• Fall 1983 — Richard Marcej graduates from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and begins working for Hasbro.
• Robin Riggs begins working for the UK Marvel Comics department.
• Don Hudson begins working for Marvel Comics.
• The Microman story is told exclusively through text and manga pages in the toys' pack-in catalogues, with no tie-in fiction.
• GiG acquires the license for selling imported Diaclone and Micro Change toys on the Italian market from Takara.
• Trailbreaker's original toy the Diaclone "4WD Hi-Lux" (as the Diakron "DK-3" Car/Robot), the red Diaclone version of Sunstreaker (as Diakron "DK-1" Car/Robot) and the black Diaclone version of Ironhide (as the Diakron "DK-2" Car/Robot) are sold by Takara in North America, seemingly just a few months before the toys would be rebranded as Transformers.
• The mold that would become Autobot is released in the 1983 Microman Micro Change line as MC-06 Watch Robo, available in four different colors.
• The mold that would become Wheeljack is released under the Diaclone line.
• A new "Micro Change" theme in the Microman toyline is introduced, under which all but a few of the robots and vehicles made to interact with the figures will have the ability to disguise themselves as ordinary household objects.
• June – The 1983 Tokyo Toy Show takes place in Japan, at which Diaclone and Micro Change toys are displayed by Takara. Hasbro representatives visiting the show get their first look at Takara's latest transforming robot figures, including a prototype for the forthcoming Battle Convoy toy.
• August – The toy that would ultimately end up as the original Optimus Prime toy is originally released as No.17 Battle Convoy from Takara's Diaclone Car Robo toyline in Japan.
• Henry Orenstein convinces George Dunsay, Hasbro's Vice President of R&D, to acquire a license for releasing Takara's Diaclone and Micro Change toys on the North American market
• Late 1983 – Hasbro first approaches Griffin Bacal and asks them to adapt two Japanese toy lines, Diaclone and Micro Change, for the American market. Hasbro later approaches Marvel Comics to create a storyline around a series of transforming toy robots they had licensed from Takara.
• October 15 — The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk (alt mode of Predator Falcon, Shadow Jet, Skyjack, G1 Air Raid), and others) starts being used by the United States Military.
• November 1 — Hasbro's licensing agreement with Takara is formalized.
• November 22 and November 23 - Bob Budiansky writes full character profiles for the 1984 range of Transformers toys. The shortened versions that would appear on the toy packaging would follow on December 6.
• Lion, who would perform a modified version of the Transformers theme song for The Transformers: The Movie, is formed.

Births

•  ???? — Gregory Bonsignore

January

• January 4 — Sergio Aliaga
• January 20 — Mami Nishikaku
• January 28 — Angel Manuel Soto

February

• February 5 — Pamela Cruz
• February 9 — Maxime Donnay

March

• March 12 — Do-hyeong Nam
• March 13 — Jesús Nunes
• March 14 — Ferso Velázquez
• March 17 — Shingo Fujimori

April

• April 5 — Andrew Elder
• April 23 — Aaron Hill

May

• May 2 — Florian Clyde
• May 20 — Josh Perez

May

• June 4 — Fernanda Paes Leme
• June 23 — Kathreen Khavari

July

• July 4 — Mario Klischies
• July 15 — Gauthier de Fauconval
• July 16 — Tobias Schmitz
• July 27 — Stefano Pozzi
• July 29 — Tania Gunadi, Karla Falcon

August

• August 11 — Chris Hemsworth
• August 20 — Arturo Acosta

September

• September 3 — Eko Fresh
• September 5 — Chikahiro Kobayashi
• September 14 — Ana Sani

October

• October 26 — Ilona Molnár
• October 31 — Angela Galuppo

November

• November 2 — Konrad Bösherz
• November 11 — Tatsuhisa Suzuki
• November 18 — Laurence Dauphinais
• November 24 — Karine Vanasse

December

• December 1 — Michelle Rodríguez
• December 18 — Arnaud Laurent
• December 22 — Yui Kano
• December 26 — Omar Soto
• December 30 — Kaitlyn Robrock

Fiction

2007 Movie

• Sector Seven is at least partially aware of the events of their universe's Beast Wars as early as 1983, as they are mentioned in the Takara Agreement.
• March 15 — To control the previous year's leaks about the Transformers to the public, S7 Industries collaborated with Japanese toymaker Takara to produce a movie based on the 'video game' about giant robots they were developing, allowing them to dismiss any claims relating to the Transformers or their world as fictional characters- hiding them in plain sight. This operation is codenamed Hungry Dragon.

Knights of Unicron

After the failure of the Purple Energon album and tour, the Knights of Unicron break up. Optimus Prime and Arcee promote the incredibly successful Concert to Heal Iacon. Optimus releases a successful solo album, Ride the Energon. Behind the Music pack-in booklet