Henry Orenstein, the ‘Father’ of Transformers, Has Died
Henry Orenstein, the man credited with bringing the Transformers toy line to Hasbro, has died at the age of 98.
Orenstein passed on December 14 from unspecified causes.
In 1983, Orenstein convinced then-Hasbro CEO Alan Hassenfeld to bring the Diaclone and Micro Change toys sold in Japan to America and repackage them as a new line. Renamed “Transformers,” the “robots in disguise” became one of the most popular toy lines of all time.
While other Hasbro employees were responsible for naming the line and creating the backstory that “clicked” with kids, Orenstein’s suggestion was largely unknown until recent years. He did, however, create the definitive “rubsigns” used for the Generation 1 toys, sharing the patent with George Dunsay.
Born in Poland, Orenstein was born Poland, and during World War II, he and his family were able to survive five different Nazi concentration camps. After emigrating to America, he became president of Topper Toys, where he created toys like Johnny Lightning cars and the Johnny Seven OMA.
He eventually went to work for Hasbro, where he helped bring Transformers to America.
Orenstein would go on to develop an interest in poker, and invented the “hole card” camera, a camera built into poker tables which allowed TV viewers to see a player’s “hand” during televised tournaments. The invention revolutionized professional poker and made televised tournaments a ratings hit. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2008.
He was also very active in charitable causes.
Our sympathies to his family and friends.
Sources: Transformers Wiki, Poker News Daily
