Bot a Day: Daily Drawings

Bundled in a bag with Springer , Huffer was a 2007 BotCon convention exclusives Though under the Classics banner, he is a redeco of Cybertron Armorhide done in G1 Huffer colors . He turns into a Volvo FH Globetrotter semi tractor-trailer cab with a crane attachment. 

With its back-to-basics approach,  Classics  was a hit with  Transformers  fans so the Botcon 2007 Exclusives carried the theme, though some of the toys were redecos from earlier lines. Case in point, Springer is actually a redeco of Cybertron Defense Hotspot, from the  Cybertron  line. The armored aesthetic of his M1117 Guardian security vehicle works well with Springer's auto mode, but this version of the character is not a triple changer. Springer was available in a two-pack with Huffer at the show.

The second Jetfire in the Classics line (the first being a s caled down Legends of Cybertron redeco ), this deluxe version does a successful job of evoking the original toy without stepping into the branding issue of repurposing a Macross design. Jetfire turns into a Cybertronic jet that evokes his old animated design, has add-on armor, and a cool helmet design that looks like his classic toy head but can removed to reveal a head that resembles his classic animated design. Jetfire was available in 2006.

The Classics line had a new incarnation of the classic Autobot leader, updated to turn into a streamlined cab-over-engine style truck. His weapons are integrated into his vehicle design, becoming his smokestacks and roof-mounted wind vane. He was available in 2006.

As noted when I posted Bumblebee, the introduction of Bumblebee into a toyline can often be a harbinger that a red-deco'ed Cliffjumper won't be far behind. In late 2006, this version of Cliffjumper was available in the Classics line. It too came with a "Wave Crusher" trailer-pulled Jetski accessory that turns into a backpack for the robot.  

The classic character of Mirage gets a 21st century upgrade as a very poseable figure in the Classics line. He still turns into a Formula 1 racer. His livery is still white and blue, and his number is still 26 , but his sponsor labels based on a French cigarette brand has understandably been removed. He now promotes "Witwicky Sparkplugs." Mirage was released in 2006.

One of the designs featured in the Classics series is Grimlock, the Dinobot commander reimagined at a slightly smaller price-point, with a more compact robot form with a sleek build who turns into a swift-footed mechanical Tyrannosaurus rex. Grimlock was available in 2006. 

Another great new design debuting in the Classics line is this rendition of Rodimus. He turns into a flame-deco'ed and modified Dome Zero prototype sports car. He was available in 2006.

One of my favorite Bumblebee toy designs came out of the Classics line. Unlike the Classic Legends incarnation that was a redeco of Hot Shot, this version is all-new and has less superheroic styling and more of the tubby "sidekick" Bumblebee character that dates back to his '84 original . In the years since his original release, branding and trademark concerns had changed enough that Hasbro and Takara could not comfortably leverage the Volkswagen Beetle design without a formal partnership with the car manufacturer, who had no interest in such. So Bumblebee instead turns into a generic compact hatchback sports car. This Bumblebee came with an accessory of a Jetski-like "Wave Crusher" molded onto a tow trailer that could also transform into a winged jetpack accessory for the robot. Bumblebee was available in 2006.

Rounding out the Clear Skies Team is Thunderwing, who turns into an F-14 Tomcat jet. The set also includes Nightscream and Steel Wind .  This iteration of Thunderwing, unrelated to past Decepticon versions, is an Autobot Mini-Con. His blue and gold livery makes him look like one of the Blue Angels. He was released in 2007.

Another member of the Autobot Clear Skies Team, Steel Wind turns into an A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack plane. He's got a pretty sophisticated transformation scheme for a toy as small as a Mini-Con. He was part of a three-pack released in 2007 as part of the Classics line.

Starting a new set of Mini-Cons -- the three-pack Clear Skies Team, released in 2007. While two from the trio turn into planes, Nightscream is a different type of flying Autobot. He turns into a mechanical dragon. 

The last of the Night Rescue Team trio is Strongarm, an Autobot Mini-Con who turns into a police car. This design would also serve as Radrogue and Detectas in the Micron Booster line in Japan, Strongarm was available in a three-pack with Divebomb and Firebot in 2006. 

Next in the Night Rescue Team Mini-Cons is Firebot, a name that's been kicking around for a few years as a different Mini-Con. This Firebot is a more elaborate design who turns into a Rozenbauer Oshkosk Striker 1500 fire truck. He was released in 2006 as part of the Classics line.

Another Autobot Mini-Con trio released in the Classics line in 2006 is the Night Rescue Team. Among their members is Divebomb, who turns into an AH-64D Longbow Apache helicopter. 

The last of the Dinobot Mini-Con three-pack is Swoop, who turns into a mechanical pteranodon. This set was released in 2006. The following year, this same design was used as the Micron Booster Reptix in Japan. 

Also part of the Dinobot trio of Mini-Cons, Terrorsaur turns into a mechanical Tyrannosaurus rex. This design was also redecoed for the Japanese-exclusive Micron Boosters Gnashteeth and Chromebite . The Dinobot trio was released in 2006. 

The Classics line also included a subset of Mini-Con three-packs consisting of new designs. A trio of Dinobot Mini-Cons included this mechanical triceratops named Knockdown in 2006. That same year, this same toy was packed in with a Cybertron Walmart-exclusive release of Primus . A 2007 redeco of this design released as a Micron Booster named Ironlunge was previously posted. 

This tribute to G1 Whirl is not the cyclopean claw-handed warrior from 1985 , but has similar hues and is a redeco of Legends of Cybertron Evac . He turns into a Eurcopter Dauphin rescue helicopter, and was available at retail in 2007.

A white and red redeco of the Legends of Cybertron Thundercracker figure , this is one of two G1-tribute Jetfire toys in the Classics line. This Jetfire turns into a Sukhoi Su-7 fighter jet. He was available in 2006.

In the mid 2000s, Bumblebee began moving away from his " chubby little brother" persona of Generation One and more into the young athletic hero persona that he'd stick to for the next few decades. This toy is a redeco of Legends of Cybertron Hot Shot , but in yellow and black. He was released in the Classics line in 2007. He turns into a Chrysler ME Four Twelve concept car.

This incarnation of Perceptor is a far cry from a humble microscope. Rendered in colors meant to evoke his classic 1985 edition , this Perceptor is a redeco of Legends of Cybertron Red Alert . He turns into a BTR-90 armored personnel carrier with a huge honker of a cannon. Perceptor was available at retail in 2006. 

Leo Prime is the Americanized name of Japan's Lio Convoy , and was incorporated into the Classics Legends line with a redeco of Legends of Cybertron Leobreaker . Prime's color scheme more closely matches his Lio Convoy hues. He turns into a mechanic lion and was available in 2007.

Starting off a chronicle of the toyline that will close out 2025's Bot-a-Day exercise: the Transformers Classics series. The line was an interim one, that sprang into existence when the live-action movie slipped from a 2006 release into 2007. So the product is a mix of redecos and a handful of new designs, thematically celebrating the G1 toyline. There isn't much narrative support for the line, save for the fan club comic making the characters the focus of storytelling. Aside from that, there was no full-press multimedia push behind the line. So first up is the Classics Legends subset which are redecos of the Legends of Cybertron series but as classic characters. Here is Fireflight, removed from the rest of his Aerialbot brothers to be a standalone aerial warrior. He is a redeco of Legends of Cybertron Jet fire . He turns into a cargo plane and was available in 2006.

From the Galaxy Force series comes the Noisemaze Ryōsan Gata Version, also known as the Noisemaze Mass Production Type Version. These are troops based on Noisemaze, the Japanese incarnation of the Cybertron character Sideways . This soldier turn into an alien spacecraft, and was available in Japan in 2006, and came packed with a DVD of Galaxy Force episodes.

Somehow in my flood of Mini-Con illustrations -- particularly the slew of redecos of the original   Armada   Sparkplug -- I missed Rán. Also known as Prime Super Mode, Rán was a magazine pack-in, included in the August 2003 issue of   TK-kun . The magazine explained that it's Sparkplug / Prime, turned green when powered up by other Microns. Later lore in 2015 named this incarnation Rán and established her as female.

Dark Nitro Convoy is an evil clone of the Velocitron Autobot Override  from the Cybertron series. He was exclusive to the Japanese incarnation of the line, Galaxy Force, and only available via a mail-in offer through TV Magazine. In Japan, Override was a male character (in the US, she was female) so his clone is also male. A redeco of Override, Dark Nitro Convoy turns into a sleek Velocitron race car. He was available in 2005.

A redeco of Armada Unicron is Hikari no Unicron, AKA The Unicron of Light. Extremely rare -- only 10 were ever made -- this toy was a contest prize in the Legends of the Microns line in Japan in 2004. Unicron of Light, in storytelling, is formed by the aggregation of many Mini-Cons into a glowing green giant. He turns into a planet-gobbling planet and is packed with the Mini-Con Bug .

Having wrapped up Robotmasters , before moving onto the next line, I'm circling back to the Japanese version of the Unicron Trilogy for a handful of toys I skipped / wasn't aware of. Thanks to Bluesky user jenny-alexis for identifying these. First up is Chromia, a Galaxy Force toy that is a redeco of Thunderblast  from Cybertron, turns into a speedboat, and came bundled with a Galaxy Force DVD. She was available in Japan in early 2005.

This two-pack did away with the Robotmasters numbering, but it is part of that series. Skywarp and Thundercracker are redecos of the Starscream figure released as RM-12 . These classic characters turn into F-15 Eagle jets. They were available in 2005.