Activators (Toy Line & Comic) TORPEDO character design art by Mike Zeck (1988) - Hasbro / Marvel Books / Big Looker Storybook / Turnaround / Model Sheet
Artist: Mike Zeck (All)
3 Comments - 156 Views - 7 Likes
Additional Images:
Torpedo turnaround designs - Mike Zeck pencils/inks
Torpedo designs - Mike Zeck pencils
Torpedo designs - Mike Zeck pencils
Artwork Details
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DescriptionActivators (Toy Line & Comic) TORPEDO designArt by Mike Zeck Marvel Books 1988 In 1982 Marvel produced a comic book series featuring the toys for GI Joe. In 1984 they debuted the Transformers comics and US toys. A few years later they may have been looking for their next line of toys and comics with The Activators, but it never came to be. I'm excited to share this set of untold Mike Zeck and Marvel/Hasbro history. I picked up the cover pieces from a collector in France and the figure designs from a dealer in Italy. Here's what I've been able to piece together from other collectors and the little info I found online. In the late 1980's (Circa 1986-88 based on the 75cent price on the cover mockups) Mike Zeck was hired to design a new line of characters and covers for a new toyline/story called THE ACTIVATORS, which was never published. Based on these drawings the work was going to be published by Big Looker Storybooks, which Marvel Books published in the mid-to-late 80's under license from Hasbro. Marvel published some of their own licensed IP (Spider-Man) under Big Looker along side big properties like Transformers, GI Joe. The Activators felt like they may have been going for a mix of GI Joe and Transformers with soldiers wearing transformative tech. Even though these never saw the light of day, I couldn't help but pick them up as they are prime era Zeck! He was working on his iconic Punisher run and Kraven's Last Hunt story around the same time and had just come off his memorable work on Captain America and Secret Wars just a few years before. I love the logo designs and thought the character designs were super cool as well. Here is the set of designs for TORPEDO, the main bad guy in the Activators. There are four pieces showing pencil and inks by Mike Zeck for this baddie. Social/Sharing |
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Comments on this Artwork
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Kavi H 
Member Since 2018
1 - Posted on 2/20/2025
pretty cool vintage Zeck art and thanks for sharing all the background info/story on Activators and what it was meant to be.
Ruben DaCollector
Member Since 2008
1 - Posted on 2/20/2025
Never heard of this toy line, but it's cool to see Zeck concept art for it. The two pieces done in pencils, especially the head shots, are fabulous!
Tyler T
Member Since 2020
1 - Posted on 2/24/2025
These are really cool designs that would definitely make for a cool action figure to this day. I can't get behind calling this guy Torpedo though, "Ball Launcher" has a much nicer ring to it.
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