Bot a Day: Daily Drawings

From the Japanese exclusive Liner Team is D-Go, who turns into an extremely outdated (but culturally beloved) D-51 steam locomotive. This Autobot Micromaster was available in a giftset with his teammates in Japan in 1991. This drawing is from 2019.

In 1991, the trains kept coming, with Leaf, a Micromaster Autobot who turns into a Series 100 bullet train locomotive. He was available in Japan in a boxed set with his fellow team members who combined to form Sixliner. This drawing is from 2019.

Kicking off a run of Liner Team Micromasters - six figures featured in a giftset available in Japan - is Spark. The Japanese celebrate their terrific rail system by turning them into robots often. In this case, Spark turns into a Tokaido bullet train locomotive. His toy was available in Japan in 1991. 

In addition to yesterday's  Metrobomb  and the earlier  Metrotitan , here's the rest of the Metrosquad -- the smaller vehicles bundled with the Decepticon city playset. This trio consists of repaints of similar figures that came in 1986's Metroplex playset. The little tank is Metrotank, a recolor of  Slammer ; the medium figure is Metrodash, a recolor of  Scamper ; the last figure with the gun arms is Metroshot, a recolor of  Six Gun . These were available in 1990 in Japan.

Packed in with  yesterday's Metrotitan  is his sidekick, Metrobomb. He is a Decepticon Micromaster that turns into a Porsche 959 sports car. Was released in Japan in 1990. This illustration is from 2019.

 From Japan's  Transformers Zone  collection comes Metrotitan, a repaint  of Metroplex , but now as a Decepticon. Like Metroplex, Metrotitan turns into a massive city playset and rolling battle station, and comes packed with a number of secondary characters. He was released in 1990.

From Japan's  Transformers Zone  collection of 1990 comes Dai Atlas, Supreme Commander of the Autobots. Dai Atlas is a large toy, with battery operated motors that move him in drill tank and walk him in robot mode. He also has an airborne mode that can be added to with  Sonic Bomber  and  Roadfire  to turn him into a large space cruiser called Big Powered. Dai Atlas also has a base mode, scaled for Micromaster interaction, and came bundled with Speeder, his son, who turns into a concept car. 

In the chronicling of the Japanese  Transformers Zone  toys, today's drawing is Sonic Bomber. He turns into a massive SR-71-ish jet/spacecraft and can combine with two other big Autobot toys from 1990 to form a space cruiser, as well as a base that's scaled to interact with Micromaster figures. Sonic Bomber comes bundled with Sonic, a Micromaster partner. She turns into a Porsche 928S sports car.  

From Japan comes Roadfire, a giant Autobot who transforms into a massive Cybertronic tank. His toy is designed to interact with Micromaster-scaled toys, and he came packaged with Drillbuster, a cone-headed drill-tank companion. He was one of three large Autobots released in Japan in 1990 who had the power to combine into an expansive starship called Big Powered. 

Gunrunner is an Autobot Micromaster part of the  Transformers Zone  line in Japan. The name Gunrunner also appears in the US line, but this is evidently a different character. He turns into a Pontiac Firebird and came bundled with the Landshaker ATV, which turns into a battle station. He was available in Japan in 1990. 

From Japan's  Transformers Zone  series in 1990 is Deadwheeler. He's a Micromaster Autobot who turns into a Lamborghini Countach, and flies around in the Sky Hyper assault helicopter which turns into a combat base. This drawing is from 2019.

Rabbicrater is a Japanese only release from 1990's  Transformers Zone  toyline. By that time, the animated series was reduced to a single straight-to-video release - a videocassette that came packaged with Rabbicrater, an Autobot Micromaster who turns into a Porsche 959 sports car. 

 Here's the second half of the Battle Patrol Team of Autobot Micromasters released in 1990 as part of the  Transformers Zone  series in Japan. On the left is Sunrunner, who turns into E-2C Hawkeye recon plane, and Powerbomb, a TOS-1 Buratino anti-aircraft tank. 

From the 1990 Transformers Zone series in Japan comes the Battle Patrol Team, a four-pack of Autobot Micromaster military vehicles. Here's half that team: Gunlift (left) turns into a Denel G-6 self-propelled gun, while Sidetrack (right) turns into a Marder IFV tank with a Roland anti-aircraft missile turret. This drawing is from 2019. 

Here's the second half of the Super Car Patrol Team  I started posting yesterday . It's a Japanese exclusive of four Micromaster Autobot cars. Road Hugger (right) turns into a Ferrari and Gingham (left) turns into a Mitsubishi X2S concept car. In the US toyline, there's a Road Hugger of the same design but different color who's a Decepticon, making things all the more confusing. This set was available in Japan in 1990.

My collection of 2019 drawings chronicling the Japanese specific line moves onto 1990, with the  Transformers Zone  storyline. Here is half of the Super Car Patrol Team, a quartet of Autobot Micromasters. Here are Black Heat (who turns into a 1988 Ford Probe GT) and Deadhour, who turns into a Chevy Corvette Indy concept car. These designs were released as Decepticons in the States, so these Japanese releases are considered to be separate characters. 

Yesterday I posted  Deathsaurus . Here are his BreastForce companions -- Tigerbreast and Eaglebreast -- who turn into his robotic chestplate. They also turn into handheld weapons, or armor for Deathsaurus' kaiju mode. They were released in Japan in 1989. 

The Transformers Victory characters continue with Deathsaurus, a major Decepticon villain from this mythos and a large toy available only in Japan.  Deathsaurus (whose name has been Anglicized to Death Czarus, Deszarus, and other permutations, is a BreastForce Decepticon -- his breastplate turns into not one, but two beast companions. He transformers into a kaiju-style winged reptilian monster. He was available in Japan in 1989.   In my rush to get to DinoKing at the start of the month, I inadvertently forgot to post this drawing of Gairyu. Sorry, Gairyu. You deserve much more. He's part of the Decepticon DinoForce, whose monstrous alt-mode fits into a rubbery Pretender shell of an extra-armored ankylosaur. He was available in Japan in 1989. 

Liokaiser is the combined form of the six Decepticon Breastforce team-members. His name is sometimes rendered as Liocaesar. He could be assembled by collecting all six toys at Japanese retail in 1989, or by getting a boxed gift-set of the whole team.  

The last of the Decepticon Breastforce warriors rounds out that team; here's Leozak, the team leader. The feline styling on his helmet hints at his alternate mode - he's a Tomcat F-14 fighter. But the jungle cat really comes out in his chestplate, which detaches to become his beast companion, Lionbreast. Leozak was available in Japan in 1989.    

Here is Jallguar (sometimes rendered as Jarugar or Jaruga), the next in the Decepticon Breastforce team. Jallguar turns into a  very  well armed missile launching dune buggy. His breastplate turns into his jaguar companion, Jaguarbreast, who also turns into a handheld laser cannon. He was released in Japan in 1989.

The next Decepticon in the BreastForce team is Hellbat. He turns into a Dassault Rafale jet fighter; his breastplate detaches to become his winged companion, Komoribreast, who also turns into a laser cannon that Hellbat can hold. Hellbat was available in Japan in 1989.

This 2019 drawing is of another Decepticon Breastforce member, Guyhawk (sometimes rendered as Gaihawk), who turns into very brightly colored MiG 29 jet fighter. His chest plate turns into his animal companion, Hawkbreast, who can also turn into a laser cannon that Guyhawk holds. This toy was available in Japan in 1989.

Here comes another of the Decepticon Breastforce. This is Drillhorn, who turns into a treaded drill-tank. His chest armor in robot mode detaches to become his animal sidekick, Hornbreast, a mechanical rhino. Drillhorn was available in Japan in 1989, part of the  Transformers Victory  line.

 In Japan, the  Transformers Victory  line introduced another gimmick into an already gimmick-packed line, with the Breastforce (a monicker where something definitely gets lost in translation). The toy robots featured chest-plates that could transform into mechanical animal companions, not too disimilar to how Soundwave launched cassettes, except without the dated cassette technology. The Breastforce team consisted of six Decepticons. First up is Killbison, who turns into a West German Gepard anti-aircraft tank (Flakpanzer). His chestplate turns into a charging beast named Bisonbreast. This toy was available in Japan in 1989.

Blue Bacchus is another of the crime lord Decepticon Crossformers from the  Transformers Victory  mythos. As a Pretender, his inner robot turns into a sleek dragster, while his outer Pretender shell also transforms into a high-tech helicopter. He was available in Japan in 1989. 

Here is Black Shadow, a Decepticon "Crossformer" -- Japan's answer to the US Mega Pretenders. In the fiction of  Transformers Victory,  Black Shadow is less a Decepticon than he is an unscrupulous gangster. As a Pretender, Black Shadow has a smaller inner robot that transforms into a sleek jet, and his outer shell also transforms into a space ship. He was available in Japan in 1989. This drawing is from 2019. 

We cap off the DinoForce line with their combined form of DinoKing. Don't let the imposing name or lumbering pose in this 2019 drawing fool you: the toy is actually pretty short. DinoKing could be formed by buying the six DinoForce toys separately or as a giftset in Japan in 1989. 

 The Japanese DinoForce continues to be chronicled in these drawings from 2017. This is Doryu, a particularly dimwitted Decepticon thug. He turns into some sort of mechanical monster which can be encased in a rubbery Pretender shell depicting an armored stegosaur. Doryu was available in Japan in 1989 as part of the  Transformers Victory  line.

From Japan, the Decepticon DinoForce team continues with Yokuryu. His robot mode turns into a mechanical gargoyle, which can the be encased in a rubbery Pteranadon outer Pretender shell. Part of the  Transformers Victory  line, he was available at Japanese retail in 1989.