IGN published this video item, entitled “The Infinite Evolution of Buzz Lightyear” – below is their description.
Buzz Lightyear has made multiple metatextual leaps since his groundbreaking debut in 1995, from fictional toy to actual toy to cultural icon, and now, to honest-to-God action hero. And now, with Lightyear adding yet another layer of existential complexity to the character, it’s time to take a look at what makes that little laser light his blink. Where did Buzz come from? How did he change as Pixar’s genre-defining technology progressed? And how does Lightyear pull off a Pinocchio to turn this toy into a human being? Let’s dive into the infinite evolution of Buzz Lightyear!
The first seeds of Toy Story were planted in 1988 with the short “Tin Toy,” featuring a self-aware tin soldier being terrorized by a truly horrific-looking baby. The success of the short attracted Disney’s attention, and they approached Pixar about the possibility of making movies entirely out of computer animation. After toying with the idea of a TV Christmas special, they decided to go full steam ahead on a feature film instead.
The original drafts involved “Tinny” as a beloved new toy who bickers with the bitter former favorite, a ventriloquist’s dummy named Woody. But even way back in 1995, it was hard to imagine a little kid getting super excited about a windup tin soldier, so they transformed Tinny into a spaceman named “Lunar Larry,” bearing little resemblance to the Lightyear we know. Instead, he was a dark-red Raygun Gothic retro 1930s throwback, more Flash Gordon than G.I. Joe.
After a few more iterations, they came to the obvious conclusion: Andy needed the most awesome action figure imaginable. Throw in a spacesuit straight out of NASA with some neon accents and a name inspired by the second man on the moon, and boom: Buzz Lightyear was born.
Watch the full video to witness the evolution of Pixar’s Buzz Lightyear!
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