Bot a Day: Daily Drawings

In the original GoBots line, Bad Boy (1984)turned into a Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthog" plane. This corresponds to the classic Transformers figure Powerglide (1985) who did the same. For the 2004 e-HOBBY set of GoBot tribute figures, Powerglide was redeco'ed to become this Decepticon. 

Returning to the e-HOBBY giftset of Go-Bot inspired classic Transformer redecos, we have Bug Bite. He's named after a yellow Volkswagen "Super Go-Bot" from the Tonka line, but is a redeco of Bumblebee, with a visible face rather than his original G1 mask. He's not yellow though, but a pale gray. He was released without a name, like the rest of his 2004 giftset mates.  

In 2003, e-HOBBY took the classic Decepticon jet design and cast it in a bright yellow and orange deco, creating the character Sunstorm as an exclusive. Around this time, Dreamwave Productions had a huge hit on their hands with their Transformers comics, and folded in the character of Sunstorm into one of their titles. The hook? Sunstorm was a powerhouse character who radiated energy, so much that he bordered on the supernatural. The toy turns into an F-15 Eagle.

Continuing a run of e-HOBBY exclusives, but switching to the Decepticon side of the things, here is Megaplex, a decoy or clone of Megatron first introduced in the Machine Wars line. What makes this Japanese Collector's Edition noteworthy is that it's a redeco of the classic 1984 Megatron in the colors of his original 1985 Japanese release. And like his old school Japanese release, he has a sword and firing projectiles in his Walther P-38 gun mode that would not pass safety inspection in the US. This version of Megaplex was available starting in 2002. 

GADEP was another of the e-HOBBY exclusives from Japan, this time from 2008. It is a redeco of Omega Supreme, but in the blue-and-white livery established as the look of the Guardian robots from the original cartoon. GADEP is the Japanese name for "Guardian droid." Like Omega Supreme, GADEP is battery-operated and can walk in robot mode, or turn into a motorized tank that drives along an oval track surrounding a rocket base.

Flip Sides is another e-HOBBY exclusive from Japan, dating from 2006 long after the idea of audiocassettes were an artifact. She is a redeco of the Eject / Rewind design from 1986, and came bundled with Twincast, the Japanese-exclusive version of Blaster from 1987 . I've drawn her carrying Twincast here. 

A less convincing redeco bundled with yesterday's Orion Pax release was his pal, Dion, who in the flashback episode that introduced him looked nothing at all like Wheelie (1986) . But that's the design that was used to represent him in this 2005 e-HOBBY exclusive from Japan.  

A clever e-HOBBY redeco released in Japan in 2005 is Orion Pax, an earlier incarnation of Optimus Prime as depicted in the original cartoon flashback episode, "War Dawn." Pax is a redeco of Targetmaster Kup from 1987 , and turns into a Cybertronian pickup truck and has a small transforming gun partner named Barrelroller.

The 2004 e-Hobby GoBots set consisted of six toys, three of them Autobots (Guardians?) and the other three Decepticons (Renegades?). Here's the third of the Autobots, Small Foot, who is a redeco of 1984 Gear s. She turns into a truck, just like her original GoBot incarnation did.

Another from the set of 2004 e-HOBBY GoBot-tribute figures is Road Ranger. A redeco of 1984 Huffer , Road Ranger... doesn't particularly look anything like the GoBot he is acknowledging. Not the same color at all. I guess he's a truck, though. That counts. 

Beginning a brief run of what was intended to be GoBots  tribute figures that were available from e-HOBBY in 2004. These are redecos of classic Transformers mini-vehicle but painted or named in such a way to evoke original GoBots toys. Somewhere along the lines, someone had second thoughts and the toys were released without individual names, though preview images with their names got out into the world. So here is Path Finder, a redeco of the classic Cosmos figure . Included in this drawing in pencil is the original Path Finder design for comparison. 

I've drawn this toy before -- in his original Japanese incarnation from 1987, Stepper. Stepper saw two re-releases in 2004, in Japan as part of Takara's Transformers Collection and in the US by Hasbro for their Commemorative Series. For his US debut, Stepper was rechristened with an American name -- Ricochet. He is still a redeco of the classic Jazz car, turning into a black Porsche 935 race car from 1976. Ricochet is a Targetmaster, and his rather generically named gun partner "Nebulon" was renamed Nightstick for this release. 

Before Transformers were Transformers, some were Diaclone toys, including the transforming Honda City R hatchback that would become Skids . One with a different deco - a silver and red - was revisited as the e-HOBBY exclusive, Crosscut, available online in 2002. Like his 1982 forebear, Crosscut came with a little Motocompo scooter, now named Clutch. The original Skids omitted this extra feature. 

Road Rage is a redeco of the classic Tracks design based on a red variant that predates its usage in the Transformers toyline. She turns into a Corvette Stingray. She was available via online retailer e-HOBBY in 2002.

A redeco of the classic Autobot architect Grapple , Road Hauler is finished in a yellow-green hue that resembles the Constructicon color. Road Hauler is a nod to "Hauler," an Autobot crane that appears in just one scene in the very first Transformers cartoon episode and is never seen again. Road Hauler turns into Mitsubishi Fuso hook-crane truck. He was available as an e-Hobby exclusive in 2003. 

Another reuse of the classic Sideswipe design is Tigertrack, who is done in a yellow deco (you'll have to take my word on it, what with the black and white art. You know, yellow. Like a tiger... ?) The color is a nod to a pre-Transformers Diaclone incarnation of the toy from 1982. Tigertrack was available as a mail-away via Figure O magazine in Japan in 2003.

Deep Cover, brother to Clampdown, is another e-HOBBY exclusive. He is a redeco'ed Lamborghini Countach LP500S in a black finish. The look is a nod to a pre-Transformers version of this transforming car first sold in 1982 as part of the Diaclone line. Deep Cover was available online (with Clampdown) in 2003.

In 2003, Takara, the Japanese originator of the original Transformers toys, dusted off a classic design to make an e-HOBBY collector's exclusive toy named Clampdown. A Lamborghini Countach LP500S police car, he is a redeco of classic Sideswipe (and Red Alert ) but done with a color scheme that recreates a pre-Transformers Diaclone toy. Did Japan really have Lamborghini police cars?

 Included with Commemorative Series Powermaster Optimus Prime was this add-on trailer component to his truck mode that would turn into a robot buddy as well as add-on armor. In his Japanese release, he was called God Bomber , a name that wouldn't translate well for an American release. So he instead became Apex Bomber, and would become Prime's Apex Armor. In fiction, he's basically a lifeless drone, which is a weird choice for a series of living robots. In some stories, he's an expression of the Roller drone that was included in the original 1984 Optimus Prime toy. The Commemorative Powermaster Optimus Prime was a Toys R Us exclusive in 2004.

Starting in 2002, Toys R Us began exclusively selling a "Commemorative Series" of Transformers re-releases in collector-grade bookshelf packaging. Most were reissues of favorites from yesteryear, but a few stand out as being as a first chance to buy certain figures Stateside. That included this special edition of Powermaster Prime, a toy first available in the US in 1988. In Japan, this toy was further powered up to become God Ginrai , by combining the Japanese edition of Powermaster Prime (Super Ginrai) with an extra robot named Godbomber. Well, this commemorative release renamed the whole combination as "Powermaster Prime with Apex Armor." Since this is the first time this design represented the classic Optimus Prime and not his Japanese successor, it is technically a new character release. This release came out in 2003.

Concluding this line of Walmart-exclusive Dinobots with Sludge. In this incarnation, Sludge turns into a sail-backed dimetrodon, which is technically not a dinosaur but we won't tell him that. He is a redeco of 1999 Japanese Beast Wars figure named Sling . Sludge was available in a two-pack with Snarl starting in 2003.

Another older design redeco'ed to be part of the 2003 Walmart-exclusive Dinobot two-packs, Snarl turns into an organic stegosaurus. This design dates back to Saberback , a 1999 Japanese-exclusive Predacon from Beast Wars Neo. It was later reissued as Striker in 2000 , a Maximal from Beast Machines, and then again in 2003 as Dinobot Striker as part of Universe. As part of the Dinobot line, he was packaged with Sludge.

I've drawn this design several times now: Guiledart , Triceradon ( Beast Machines ), Killer Punch , and Triceradon ( Universe) just earlier this year. It's a favorite of mine, what with the triceratops head for an arm. This Triceradon, part of the Dinobots Walmart line, was packed with Slapper in 2003.

Next in the line of Transformers: Dinobots exclusives from Walmart is Slapper, who turns into a well armored organic ankylosaur. Slapper is a redeco of the 1999 Japanese Beast Wars toy, Bazooka . This version of Slapper came out in 2003, bundled with Triceradon. 

Packed in with yesterday's Grimlock was a pteranodon Dinobot that was briefly named Swoop before a running change (presumably trademark-related) quickly changed his name to Terranotron. This Beast Wars -era design has been used many times over the years, debuting as Terrosaur before also being used for Lazorbeak , Fractyl  and Hydra . This latest incarnation from 2003 was a Walmart exclusive.

In 2003, a series of two-packs came out exclusive to Walmart stores with the branding Transformers: Dinobots. They didn't seem to be connected at all to the concurrent Armada or Universe series and just stood alone as their own sub-brand, with no storyline. They were all redecos of Beast Wars -era designs. First up is Grimlock, a redeco of the original Beast War s Dinobot toy that turns into a velociraptor.

This drawing wraps up the Universe line with one of the last redecos to be made available. It debuted at the Official Transformers Collectors Club convention in 2004. Megazarak -- a Japanese originated character from the Headmasters days -- gets a new figure through a redeco of Armada Megatron . He turns into a Cybertronic tank, though without the original electronic features. Stemming from the Armada series, Megazarak comes with a Mini-Con packing, called a Micromaster in this incarnation. It's Caliburn who turns into a moon buggy. He is a redeco of Leader-1.   

A redeco of a memorable Energon toy from 2004 , this Universe incarnation of Snow Cat hit KB Toys stores exclusively in 2005. As his name suggests, he turns into the classic G.I.Joe half-track vehicle of the same name, though he's a Decepticon. 

Prepare for extermination! Putting the previous six Constructicons together results in Devastator (it requires a few extra pieces too, which can combine to become a vehicle when the Constructicons are separated). This combiner is a redeco of the 1992  Japanese exclusive Sixbuilder . The Constructicons required were sold separately in 2004 as part of the Universe series, starting at KB Toys.

The last of the individual Micromaster Constructicons is Hightower -- a stand-in for the classic Hook character whose name presumably was not available for trademark reasons. Hightower turns into a crane truck. He is a redeco of a 1992 Japan exclusive toy, Iron Lift . Hightower was initially available in 2004 as a KB Toys exclusive.

The classic Constructicon Long Haul -- still a massive earth-moving dump truck -- is reimagined as a Micromaster for the 2004 Universe line by redeco'ing a 1992 Japanese character named Treader. Long Haul was initially available as a KB Toys exclusive.