Bot a Day: Daily Drawings

A pencil sketch of Autobot scientist Perceptor. This talkative genius turns from a robot into an actual working microscope as well as an intermediary artillery piece.  He was part of the second series of Transformers toys starting in 1985, and was showcased in   a commercial starring Alex Karras!

A  pencil sketch of Roadbuster, the second of two deluxe Autobots derived from toy designs licensed from Takutoku Toys. Roadbuster turns into an armored military vehicle.  

A pencil sketch of Autobot warrior Whirl. Whirl kicks off the 1985 line of Transformers. The toyline was such a hit, that Hasbro was running out of preexisting Takara designs to fill out their toyline, so they went to other toy companies. Whirl, one of two deluxe Autobots, traces his origins to a Takatoku Toys design from a competing property in Japan. This kept Whirl from appearing in the Japanese toyline, and quite probably also from appearing in the animated series. He turns into a Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopter. 

This drawing that caps off the original 1984 toyline - the big bad of the bunch, Decepticon leader, Megatron. Megatron turned into a Walther P-38 chromed handgun with add-on stock, silencer, and scope. It was very much a different cultural landscape that a convincingly detailed toy gun was part of the line.  

Buzzsaw, Decepticon spy. Buzzsaw was packed in with Soundwave in the 1984 release. He is the same design as Laserbeak, but with a yellow finish as opposed to Laserbeak's orange. Buzzsaw turns from a microcassette to a mechanical condor.     

A pencil sketch of everybody's favorite toy from the 1984 launch of the toyline, Decepticon communicator Soundwave. He turns into a 1:1 scale tape recorder, and had the great interactive toy gimmick of being able to hold a microcassette sidekick in his chest. Soundwave was made all the more memorable with his synth-voice given to him in the animated series. Although his toy is extremely dated -- tape players have yet to make a comeback like vinyl did -- the affinity this character holds in the hearts of fans and collectors means Hasbro has constantly been updating him to keep him part of the series.   

A sketch of Thundercracker, one of the three Decepticon F-15 Eagle jets available in the initial 1984 toyline. He had a blue and black finish.   

An early rough drawing of Starscream, Decepticon air commander. Arrogant and scheming, Starscream is extremely memorable due to the performance of Chris Latta in the original   Transformers  animated show. Starscream turns into an F-15 Eagle jet with a white and red paint scheme. He was one of the original Decepticons available in the 1984 assortment.     

Decepticon jets released in the original Transformers lineup from 1984. He turns into an F-15 Eagle. The jets were identical in shape, but had unique colors (Skywarp was black and purple) and a unique set of decals. The details in the shoulder "scoops" and inside of the feet are a way to identify which is which in a black and white illustration like this.  

Here is Laserbeak, Decepticon interrogator. Arguably Soundwave's most loyal cassette minion, Laserbeak turns from a condor into a microcassette. He was available in 1984 bundled with Frenzy. 

Here's a sketch of Frenzy, Decepticon warrior. Part of the team of micro-cassettes, he turned into a blue robot. In the animated series, he was colored red and did not appear as often as his "brother," Rumble. 

From 1984 (the pencil drawing's from 2017) is Ravage, Decepticon saboteur. Transforms from a micro-cassette to a jaguar. Woe be to the mid-80s kid who identified Ravage as a dog. He was sold in a two-pack with Rumble.

This pencil drawing is of Rumble, Decepticon demolitions. He transforms from a robot to a 1:1 scaled microcassette, the kind used in dictation machines. I'll sidestep the whole debate whether or not Rumble is red (like the toy) or blue (like the cartoon) by never coloring this drawing. 

From 2017 is my drawing of the original Optimus Prime, in his 1984 form. 

From the 1984 collection is Prowl, of the original Autobot cars. The logic-minded strategist turns into a Datsun police car, part of a highway patrol with pretty recognizable Japanese livery.    

Here's Bluestreak, Autobot gunner, part of the initial 1984 line of toys. He turns into a Datsun 280ZX Turbo.

From my first batch of sketches in 2017 is Sideswipe, Autobot warrior, in his 1984 look, when he was a red Lamborghini Countach.  

Here's Autobot Special Ops agent, Jazz, in his original 1984 livery, complete with Martini logos on his doors. Jazz turns into a Porsche 935 Turbo. He was famously voiced by Scatman Crothers in the old cartoon.

Sunstreaker, Autobot warrior. He was one of the initial assortment of Autobot cars in 1984. He turns into a yellow Super Tuning customized Lamborghini Countach LP500, and the story has it that he is Sideswipe's twin brother.  Sunstreaker's design is said to be the first ever car-to-robot transforming toy ever created. 

As pencil sketch of Mirage, Autobot spy. He turns into a Ligier JS11 Formula One racer with specific real-world livery of a car driven by Jacques Laffite -- blue and white and a 26, and branding inspired from a line of French cigarettes! Toys were different back in 1984.

This pencil sketch is of Hound, Autobot scout. Turns into a Mitsubishi J59 keep with army livery. His gimmick in the cartoon and in his toy's bio is all about projecting holographic decoys.

Ratchet, Autobot medic. Turns into an ambulance, using the same mold as Ironhide, based on a Nissan Cherry Vanette SGL Coach. His animation model is a big departure from his toy version, though the cartoon at least once depicted the battle station required to fill out his scant robot mode in order to make the van shape. Part of the original 1984 collection, he has been reissued and reformatted in different incarnations many times over the decades. 

This loose sketch is of Autobot security specialist, Ironhide. He was the cantankerous old-timer in the original 1984 cartoon, voiced by Peter Cullen with a drawl. His animated incarnation did not much resemble his toy form, which this drawing is more based on (with some concessions to his cartoon look, in his head especially). Turns into a red Nissan Sunny-Vanette Coach SG.  

This pencil sketch is of Trailbreaker, Autobot defensive strategist. He turns into a black Toyota 4WD Hi-Lux camper truck. Memorable in the original cartoon for projecting a force field. Part of the original assortment of Autobot cars released in 1984.  

Here begins a run of Autobot cars, the heart of the original 1984 toy assortment. First up is Wheeljack, the Autobot engineer, characterized as a bit of a mad scientist by his friends and foes alike. Turns into a Lancia Stratos Turbo race car, with a specific real world-based livery touting an Italian airline.   

 Here's the sixth and last of the 1984 Autobot mini-cars, the recon and transport specialist and eternal grump, Gears. He turns into a red and blue pick up truck. 

I only sketched this out in pencil: it's Windcharger, Autobot warrior. He's part of the 1984 mini-car assortment. Turns into a red Pontiac Fire Bird Trans Am.

Cliffjumper. Released as part of the 1984 Autobot mini-car assortment, Cliffjumper turns into a red Porsche 924 Turbo. An unknown number of Cliffjumpers were released in yellow plastic rather than red, creating a common confusion in mistaking "yellow Cliffjumper" for Bumblebee or Bumper. He was famously voiced in the original animated series by Casey Kasem.

Huffer. Autobot construction engineer. Part of the original 1984 mini-car assortment. Turns into an orange-cabbed heavy duty truck, one that resembles a Volvo F88.  

Bumblebee, as he first appeared in the 1984 mini-car assortment. Autobot espionage expert, and arguably the most famous Transformer to come from the series.

In 2017, just as an exercise, to give me something to draw regularly and a subject matter that would hold my interest, I took to drawing a Bot-a-Day -- a Transformers character based specifically on the original toyline. Here's Brawn. From the original 1984 assortment of Autobot mini-cars. Autobot demolitions expert. Despite his small toy size, is said to be one of the strongest. Turns into an off-road jeep -- some contend it's a Landrover 4x4, but consensus now is it's a Suzuki Jimny SJ20.