He's the Autobots' embodiment of youthful optimism and persistence: Bumblebee! Without being annoying or tiresome, Bumblebee's depiction in the original cartoon was one to which all the youthful viewers could relate: a little guy, dwarfed by his fellow Autobots, but appreciated for his exuberance and skill.

Special attention was obviously paid to Bumblebee during the creation of his character. He's the only original Autobot with a vintage vehicle mode, the famous Volkswagon Beetle (also called the "Bug"), which obviously influenced his name. I don't know whether his yellow and black color scheme was fixed before or after his christening, but it certainly completes the package. His status as the weakest Autobot is offset by his many other quiet but invaluable talents: of all the Autobots, he's the most energy-efficient, has the best eyesight, and can even function underwater. And, of course, he makes an excellent spy.

In 1987, Bumblebee "graduated" to a new toy, name and function: Goldbug, Espionage Director. A classic coming-of-age transformation that naturally befalls this archetype -- via the tried and true method of being blown up and rebuilt -- this inevitable maturation transitioned the character from "eager to please" to "confident and assertive".

The current IDW comic book continuity has taken a different turn, though. When Optimus Prime abandons the Autobots, Bumblebee is nominated as their new interim leader based on his trustworthiness and dedication. A self-titled four-issue miniseries depicts his election, his struggle with leadership, and his acceptance of the role. In this instance, however, I didn't really see the Bumblebee-as-leader storyline as an in-fiction opportunity for character growth, since Bumblebee had figured very little in the IDW series to date; rather, it seemed a comment on his historical status as a character with over 25 years of stories behind him. It wasn't the IDW Bumblebee that was chosen to lead, it was the Bumblebee of our childhood.

Of course, he still needed to be blown up and up rebuilt.

Bumblebee's improved artwork comes from another Smythe transparency scan, cleaned up by JP White and myself. Thanks!