Bot a Day: Daily Drawings

This is the end result of combining Optimus Prime, Jetfire and Overload into a massive super robot. Optimus Prime forms the upper body; Jetfire the legs, and Overload fits over Prime's shoulders as heavy weapon pods. Their vehicle forms interact as well, with the Prime truck being able to pull the Overload trailer which can carry the Jetfire space shuttle.

The Armada Optimus Prime could integrate with his auto-transforming trailer to create a super robot. By turning the basic Optimus Prime figure into its torso / upper body configuration, it would send an infrared signal to the trailer which would then auto-transform into a tall pair of legs to fit the upper body to. In turn, this version of Optimus Prime could be outfitted with massive shoulder cannons made of Overload . 

The larger of the two Optimus Prime toys released in the initial launch of Armada, this Prime comes with a trailer that "auto-transforms" into a Mini-Con battle station when triggered by an infrared signal from the Optimus truck. The trailer also can combine with the Prime figure to make a super-warrior, who will be covered in a future drawing. This Prime came packed with a Mini-Con companion, Sparkplug, who turns into a lemon yellow Lamborghini Diablo. 

Jetfire has a long and storied name in Transformers lore, being the first sizeable Autobot jet available in 1985. The 2003 Armada Jetfire lives up to the legend, turning into a large, futuristically styled space shuttle. He is loaded with Mini-Con activated gimmicks, and came with the Mini-Con Comettor packed in, who turns into a lunar buggy. Comettor also turns into a landing gear assembly for Jetfire's nose section. Jetfire is the second in command of the Autobots, and interacts with the Optimus Prime toy in unique ways.

 Overload is a peculiar design that breaks the established pattern of Mini-Con interaction set by Armada. For most of the line, the Autobots or Decepticons are fully separate characters who are enhanced / powered up by affixing Mini-Cons onto parts of their body (via "Powerlinx" ports). The Mini-Cons are separate characters, thus I've been drawing them paired together in a single drawing. Rollout is unusual in that he is essential to making Overload's robot mode, as he fills an otherwise gaping chest cavity. For that reason, I've drawn Rollout as an inset, since he's also in the middle of Overload's chest. In some fiction, Rollout and Overload are the same character; just one is a powered up version of the other. In other stories, they are distinct entities. Rollout turns into the semi cab tractor while Overload turns into a massive artillery-laden trailer.  Overload also turns into a weapons harness that can be worn by larger 'bots, such as the super-...

Scavenger was a real brute of the Autobot Armada army, transforming into a large, motorized front-end loader with a rotating rear drum. His working caterpillar treads become his massive arms in robot mode. His coloration matches that of the original Constructicons (as does his name), but he is definitely an Autobot. His robot mode is an odd construction in that his legs are really an illusion - the rotating drum becomes his base that moves him forward as it spins, articulating illusory legs made up of pieces of his front end scoop. This drawing takes a bit of artistic license, splitting his trunk into proper legs. Scavenger's Mini-Con partner is Rollbar, who turns into a dune buggy.

One of the most well known of the Armada toys, Red Alert is an Autobot medic and a major character in the animated series. He turns into a Nissan SUV in Rescue Patrol colors, and as a toy is loaded with gimmicks including lights-and-sound, spring-loaded missile and disc launchers, and Powerlinx connection points for Mini-Cons. He came bundled with the Mini-Con Longarm, who turns into a crane truck.

After a run of Beast Wars redecos, we return to Armada originals with Hoist. Though Hoist is an all new design, in fiction he's an upgrade of the earlier release, Smokescreen. He turns into a big treaded power shovel excavator. His pack-in Mini-Con partner is Refute, who turns into a Cybertronic pincer vehicle of some sort, which gives him big horns in robot mode that makes him kind of resemble Shrapnel from the old Insecticons. Hoist and Refute were available in 2003.

 Next in the line of Beast Wars Transmetal redecos is Cheetor, a body form that has been brought to market several times before . In addition to the redeco work, he has been slightly retooled with peg mounts to fit the Mini-Cons that made the Armada line unique. He was packed with Cliffjumper, his Mini-Con partner. She turns into a pick-up truck with working winch. These were available in 2003.

Another Beast Wars TransMetal ported into the Armada line is Airazor, here as an Autobot. Rather than center her, I tucked her in the background because I drew this design earlier here . Her Mini-Con companion in the foreground here is Nightscream, an all-black Saleen S7 sports car. 

Though Armada introduced many new character and molds, Hasbro did fill out the line with redecos from previous series. Rhinox from the Transmetals waves of Beast Wars returned to shelves, but with his metallic pieces done in non-shiny plastic, and since the  Armada mythology did not have Maximals, he is now an Autobot. He turns into a mechanical/organic hybrid rhinoceros. His Mini-Con partner is Armorhide, who turns into a tracked snow plow.   

In the Armada story continuity, Optimus Prime is Autobot leader. In the first year of this new toyline, he got two toy incarnations -- the one depicted here is the smaller, more affordable of the two. Though not as large as one would think would better befit a leader, this version of Prime is very poseable. It turns into a truck of futuristic / Cybertronic / original design. His Mini-Con partner is Over-Run, who turns into a Cybertronic jet / starfighter. Over-Run can also turn into a hand-held laser gun for Prime.

Side Swipe from Armada is a new incarnation of a classic name, turning into a Nissan Sedan of indeterminate model. His Mini-Con partner is Nightbeat, a motorcycle. Nightbeat can turn into a rocket booster of sorts for a dragster pursuit mode that Side Swipe can turn into. 

The classic name Blurr resurfaces, this time as a more cut-and-dry warrior than a fast-talking courier. Blurr turns into a futuristic Cybertronic race car, and comes bundled with a Mini-Con companion named Incinerator, who turns into a drag racer. In Japan, Blurr was released as "Silverbolt."   

 Sideways is a nefarious agent with the ability to pose as both Autobot and Decepticon, depending on which of his two Mini-Con companions he interacts with. Sideways turns into a racing motorcycle, and his Mini-Con partners can combine to form a humanoid driver that is scaled perfectly to ride it. Otherwise, these Mini-Cons are too small. Their other function is they turn into a Headmaster-styled head that replaces Sideways' normal noggin, altering his allegiance by triggering a badge reveal on his chest. Making things confusing is that when the toy was first released, Crosswise was the Autobot head, and Rook was the Decepticon head. But the animated series had it the other way around, so a running change to the toy switched the heads' allegiances. 

This big foreshortened bruiser of an Autobot is Smokescreen. He turns into a hefty crane trunk of futuristic or otherwordly design. His toy is loaded with crane related gimmicks, including a retractable cable and a large, articulated boom arm with a winch. Smokescreen came bundled with Liftor, a Mini-con that turns into a sci-fi inspired snow plow or bulldozer.

Now begins Transformers: Armada!  This was a major new initiative for 2003, a collaboration between Hasbro and Takara that not only saw a new toyline, but a whole new mythology that would be detailed in a new animated series and comic books. The classic idea of Autobots versus Decepticons returned, but a new third faction of Mini-Cons added extra play features and collectibility to the line. Mini-Cons were small vehicles that could be affixed on the larger robots, powering them up. Most large toys in the series came with at least one Mini-Con, and Mini-Cons can be swapped from figure to figure thanks to standardized pegs and slots. First up from the Armada line is Hot Shot, an energetic young Autobot who turns into a bright yellow Audi TT. He came bundled with Jolt, a Mini-Con who turns into a bright red helicopter. 

Rook is the third of the redeco'ed mini-car keychains released as a convention exclusives in 2002. His design is the same as Windcharger from the very first 1984 line. He was available at BotCon Europe. 

Tap-Out, like Glyph , was a 2002 BotCon convention exclusive that uses a keychain mini-car design as a basis. In this case, Cliffjumper has been redone in blue and gray. He still turns into a 'super-deformed' Porsche.

If this drawing was in color, you'd see it's not the original Bumblebee but rather a blue redeco made available as a BotCon exclusive in 2002. She's made from the same mold as the Bumblebee keychain, hence the ring on her bumper/shoulder - though she was not released as a keychain. 

Another "Expanded Universe" convention exclusive, available at the 2002 BotCon event, is CatSCAN, a redeco of Night Slash Cheetor from Beast Machines. Among his gimmicks, this Autobot has transluscent plastic parts, glow-in-the-dark paint, and spring loaded knives that pop from his shoulders into his hands. He turns into a big predatory mechanical cat.

Switching back to a very different design aesthetic from the Playskool Go-Bots in this version of Cyclonus, itself a redeco of a Beast Machines design ( the Ultra edition of Jetstorm ). The toy was part of the short-lived "Expanded Universe" series of convention exclusives in 2002. 

Finishing off this run of Playskool Go-Bots with -- who else? -- another version of Speed-Bot. This unique one turns into a Le Mans-style race car, and like previous "racer" styled cars comes with a pilot robot figure and a Gas-Bot figure. This design was intended to be part of the 2004 line, but it was cancelled in the US before it ever made to market. It did appear in UK retail in 2005, however. 

So many of these Playskool Go-Bot Invisibility Force toys are basic redecos of existing designs that I didn't want to spent too many days on them, so here's a group shot of four reissues with transluscent plastic designs. From left to right is Reptron , the dinosaur; Racer-Bot ALPHA (a redeco of the Speed-Bot muscle car ); Strong-Bot in his ATV version ; and finally another Speed-Bot in his original car mode . 

Strong-Bot is back in an all new design that sees him turn into a cement mixing truck. Because this was released as part of the Invisibility Force line of Go-Bots, he has translucent plastic parts. One of the few all-new designs released in a line that consisted mostly of redecos. 

Blazing through some more Playskool Go-Bots redecos with group shots. Here, Fire-Bot has been recast in translucent plastic, making him part of the Invisibility Force. So has Racer-Bot BETA.  

Preditron is a noteworthy addition late in the Go-Bots line. It's not particularly for his design, which is just a redeco of the Big Adventure Cheetor toy with a remolded head. It's not for his finish, which is done with parts in translucent plastic because he's part of the Invisibility Force line. No, it's because he's the only villain character included in the otherwise friendly Go-Bots line. According to his minimal on-box bio, Preditron is a new incarnation of Beast-Bot turned bad. 

Another Speed-Bot! He just keeps coming back in new shapes and forms. This time, this Playskool Go-Bot turns into a red and black muscle car. This incarnation came out particularly late in the line, in 2005.

These last few waves of Playskool Go-Bots released up till 2005 include many redecos/repaints, re-releasing established characters in molds first introduced as other characters. So in this case, Strong-Bot appears again but now as a pick-up truck first seen as Flash-Bot  and then as Truck-Bot . In the background of this drawing are Cop-Bot, who is now a police motorcycle who was previously Buzzer-Bot. And then there's Gorilla-Bot who, after a stint of being the purple Beast-Bot , has returned to his gorilla form and now is in black and kind of resembles Optimus Primal. 

Another popular character to fill out the Playskool Go-Bot shelves is Strong-Bot, now reformatted to an all-new design.This version of the character turns into an all-terrain jeep-like vehicle. He does not have hands.