Robo Force | Source: The Nacelle Co./The Toy Book

Another crew of robotic warriors from the ’80s is powering up for a new generation.

The Nacelle Co. — producers of Netflix’s The Toys That Made UsThe Movies That Made Us, and the multiplatform A Toy Store Near You — are relaunching Robo Force, a transmedia property that originally debuted in 1984. The Ideal Toy Co. produced Robo Force toys that had a companion animated special — Robo Force: The Revenge of Nazgar — from Ruby-Spears productions that aired on CBS. The Nacelle Co. acquired the rights to Robo Force from Toyfinity, which had been producing collector-focused toys based on the property since 2013.

“Acquiring Robo Force is a significant step forward for our company and we want to be respectful of its past while making sure the characters and storylines are exciting to people who aren’t old, like me,” says Brian Volk-Weiss, founder and CEO of The Nacelle Co.

Related: The Nacelle Co. Names Michael Goodman VP Management and Development

In the mid-’80s, Robo Force, led by Maxx Steele, spawned a short-lived licensing boom that included trading cards from Topps, recorded stories from Disney’s Buena Vista Records, books from Random House, and more. The Nacelle Co. says that the brand took “a page out of the Star Wars game plan” plastering “the Robo Force logo on everything from lunchboxes and books, to pillowcases and bedsheets.”

The franchise relaunch plans include a new TV series, publishing, and, of course, toys. Look for the rollout to begin later this year.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

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