The Creator of TRANSFORMERS, Henry Orenstein, Has Passed Away at 98 Years Old
Henry Orenstein, the man who created the beloved Transformers action figure franchise, has passed away. He was 98 years old, and he reportedly died at his home in New Jersey.
Orenstein was a Polish immigrant and Holocaust survivor. Orenstein and his two brothers, Fred and Sam, "endured the horror of their parents' being murdered in the Holocaust before he and his brothers were transferred to a Nazi concentration camp in Germany."
He ended up in the United States after World War II and started working for Hasbro. While there, he helped in the creation of the Johnny Lightning racing cars and the 1950s doll Betty the Beautiful Bride.
He eventually ended up pitching his Transformers idea to Hasbro, and they loved it. The CEO of Hasbro at the time, Alan Hassenfeld, said back in 2016, "Henry basically had a sense that Transformers were going to be something that would be transformational for the toy industry." To be able to take a car and, with a little bit of dexterity, change it into another toy, that was something magical. "
Yeah, it was! I loved playing with Transformers when I was a kid! Those action figures and animated series were a huge part of my childhood! I still love those Transformers toys. They are so damn cool, and they ended up being a massive hit!
Orenstein is also the guy who changed the way that people were able to watch professional poker. He’s the person who introduced a glass tabletop compartment that allowed TV networks to broadcast games so that viewers could see the player's cards.
He created and executive produced the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament on Fox Sports Network. He also produced the TV show High Stakes Poker, which debuted in 2006 and ran until 2011.
Orenstein was also known for his philanthropic efforts, and in 2017, he and his wife, Susie Orenstein, founded the Orenstein Project in Israel, which works to provide "meals and extra-curricular activities for children and teens, the elderly, Holocaust survivors, and unique population groups."
During his lifetime, Orenstein held more than 100 patents, including for the Transformers toy line. He was inducted into the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame.
Source: Newsweek
