Bot a Day: Daily Drawings

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. 

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. 

Following yesterday's Ironhide, the next of the Autobot Power Masters is Meanstreak, easily one of the ugliest Transformers toys ever produced in the run. I tried to make him a bit more presentable in this drawing, but it is an unappealing hunk of plastic. He's the Autobot street fighter, and turns into a funny car drag racer. He was available in Europe, Australia and New Zealand in 1995. 

The previously posted "Hero" editions of Optimus Prime and Megatron were released in Europe in 1994, but the labels that identified them by name were stripped from the toys, and the on-package bios and names identified them as Sureshot (for Prime) and Archforce (for Megatron). These designs were otherwise not released in Europe. Why exactly they were kept from being Prime and Megs is unknown, but they technically count as unique characters. I combined them in this drawing here.    

Here is Sparkstalker, a Decepticon Firecon Saboteur. Like yesterday's Flamefeather, Sparkstalker was a 1994 re-release of a 1988 design, released exclusively in the European market. He turns into a fire-breathing monster with friction-activated spark effects, made more visible in this incarnation thanks to a body that included translucent plastic parts. 

New for this year is this drawing of Flamefeather, Decepticon raid-planner. This 1994 toy is a re-issue of a 1988 Firecon, part of a team of robots that turn into 'fire-breathing' monsters with spark-shooting action. His '94 release was a European exclusive and finished in bright translucent plastic.  

Following up on yesterday's Blaze, here's Sizzle, a reissue of his 1988 toy brought back to market in Europe in a very 1994-looking translucent plastic style. As a Sparkabot, he has a pullback motor gimmick that drives him forward and also shoots harmless sparks from his body. He turns into a nitro-burning funny car.

Here's Blaze, a Generation Two release only available in Europe and Australasia in 1994. He's a redeco of Fizzle, a Sparkabot from the Generation One line released in 1988. The Sparkabots were a series of inexpensive toys with pullback motors and spark-firing action. Blaze turns into a Baja buggy and his G2 incarnation is distinct for having a very 90s translucent plastic finish. 

Clench was the last Decepticon leader released in Generation One, available at first only in Europe. He is of the Obliterator subgroup - which only consists of Autobot leader Pyro and Clench. For once, the Decepticon and Autobot leaders have parity in vehicle forms, in that they both turn into trucks. Clench is a long-nosed truck with a trailer that becomes a weapons emplacement. Released in 1993, Clench was then reissued for Generation Two the following year in Europe with the more fitting name of Colossus.  This drawing is from 2019, when I set out to do a bot-a-day drawing based on the international releases from Generation One (my 2017 run was all domestic G1). Clench marks the last one I set out to draw. I considered starting up Beast Wars or Generation Two to make up the rest of the year, but I didn't want to stop in a weird break at the end of December. So this marks the last 2019 drawing. 

Snipe is a Decepticon Skyscorcher released in Europe at the tail end of Generation One, in 1993, when the US had already shifted to Generation Two branding. He turns into a Lockheed F-104G Starfighter jet. When he was released in the US in 1993, he was renamed Afterburner. A drawing of that version - identical in every way but name -   is here . 

From the Skyscorcher ranks is Tornado, a Decepticon who turns into an F-16 Fighting Falcon. He was released in the late Generation One series in 1993 in Europe, but in the US he was part of the Generation Two line and  named Windrazor . 

Kicking off a line of Skyscorchers, Decepticon jets from late in the Generation One line, this is Hawk, Decepticon infiltrator. He turns into a Eurofighter Typhoon jet. He was available in Europe in 1993 as part of the original toyline, but in the US he was   renamed Eagle Eye , and released as a Generation Two character that same year. 

Calcar is the second of two Decepticon Trakkons, toys with oversized turrets that act as roleplay viewfinders for kids with optics that superimpose laser beams onto target imagery. Calcar turns into an offroad buggy. He's a battle-analyst with a very stormtrooper-like mask. He was available in Europe and Australasian markets in 1993.

From Europe starts a very brief run of "Trakkons," a pair of Decepticons who are the counterparts to the Autobot " Lightformers ," toys with the principal gimmick being the inclusion of an artillery piece that kids could look through, with built-in optics that make it appear as if the guns are firing laser bolts. Fearswoop turns into a Lockheed Martin YF-22 jet fighter. He was available in Europe in 1993 as one of the last Generation One toys before the line transitioned to Generation Two.

The European-exclusive Stormtroopers (water-squirting, color-changing cars) continues with Drench, a Decepticon who turns into a Chevrolet Corvette Indy concept car. Making things rather confusing is that the name Drench was reused that very same year States-side as a color-changing  Autobot . He was available in Europe in 1993. 

Rage is a Decepticon stormtrooper, the leader of a water-shooting color-changing assortment of cars available in Europe in 1993. He turns into a Jaguar XJ220 sports car. 

Aquablast is another Decepticon Stormtrooper - a color-changing, water-squirting car warrior - who turns into Mitsubishi HSR race car. He was available in Europe in 1993. 

Hydradread kicks off a run of Decepticon Stormtroopers -- the evil equivalent of the heroic Autobot Aquaspeeders available in Europe in 1993. These toys have water-squirting weapons and color-changing plastic play features. They would make their way to the US Generation Two line. Hydradread turns into a 1990 Pontiac Sunfire concept car. 

  Next in the series of Autobot Axelerators is Zap, who turns into a Chevrolet Camaro Z28, with a chromed engine block that becomes his weapon. Zap was released in Europe as part of that transitional year, 1993, when Generation One toys had ended elsewhere, but Europe had yet to make the leap into Generation Two. Zap would make it to the US as part of Generation Two, renamed with the unfortunate moniker " Windbreaker ." 

This drawing of Rapido represents his European release, which was part of the transitional year where Generation One toys continued to be produced overseas while North America shifted to Generation Two branding. Rapido shows up on both sides of the generational divide and ocean. He was released in Europe in 1993, and his Generation Two incarnation   warranted a new drawing here , even though the differences between the toys is minimal. He turns into a Peugot concept car. This drawing is from 2019.