Bob Forward
A visual effects pioneer who built a company providing explosive stock footage for Hollywood blockbusters and wrote for beloved animated series.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American writer, director and producer·Birthday: March 5·Baby Boomers
Biography
Bob Forward carved a unique path at the intersection of animation and practical special effects. Beginning his career as a writer for 1980s cartoons like 'He-Man and the Masters of the Universe,' he developed a knack for sci-fi and action storytelling. His true entrepreneurial spark ignited with the founding of Detonation Films, an independent outfit that became a go-to source for high-quality, licensable footage of real explosions, fires, and other mayhem. This stock footage library found its way into countless major films and TV shows, providing a safer, more cost-effective solution for pyrotechnics. Alongside running this business, Forward continued writing and directing, notably co-creating the cult-favorite animated series 'Beast Wars: Transformers,' where he helped reinvent the franchise with complex character arcs. He also authored and later adapted his novel 'The Owl' into a film, showcasing a persistent drive to bring his own visions to screen.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Bob was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-created and wrote for the influential 'Beast Wars: Transformers' animated series.
- Founded Detonation Films, a major provider of licensed practical effects footage for the film industry.
- Wrote the novel and subsequent film adaptation 'The Owl.'
- Served as a writer on numerous 1980s animated series, including 'He-Man' and 'The Real Ghostbusters.'
Did You Know?
Detonation Films' explosion footage has been used in movies like 'The Dark Knight' and 'Star Trek.'
He voiced the character of Claw on the animated series 'He-Man.'
His company's effects footage is also used in training simulations for military and emergency services.
“Give me a puppet and I'll show you a character.”
