1984's Transformers Are Forty!

[Philip Ayres]

The wiki has a decent summary of what this toy is tfwiki.net/wiki/Bumper_(G1)#Toys

Sold in the first year of the Hasbro The Transformers line, the toy that has come to be known as "Bumper" transforms into a "penny racer"-proportioned Mazda Familia 1500XG. It is one of the rarest toys in the original line and commands a pretty decent sum on the secondary market, due to its very unusual release.

This toy did not come on its own card, having only been found packed on Hasbro Cliffjumper cards in 1984 (it's not impossible that he was also available on Bumblebee cards, but to this day, no packaged example has surfaced). It is unknown just how many cases had a "Bumper" in them; presumably not many. In fact, this toy has never had an "official" Transformers release as its own character from Hasbro or Takara. The full story of this toy's inexplicable release is still unknown, and it's highly likely the mystery may never be solved, although a few factors point to this toy having been originally intended for a Transformers release by Hasbro early on.

The mold is originally from Takara's Microman Micro Change line, sold as the "MC-04 Mini CAR Robo 02 Familia 1500XG", available in both yellow and blue.

For years, the toy was referred to as "Bumblejumper" by fans, a portmanteau of "Bumblebee" and "Cliffjumper", since he was believed to have been packaged on the cards for both of those Minicars. In the early 1990s, the shortened and more Transformers-like name "Bumper" began to propagate through the fandom. The name was made "official" for the toy when it was used in the first issue of Dreamwave's ongoing Transformers comic in 2004.

One small error: Like Bumblebee & Cliffjumper there was a red version in Microchange www.micromanforever.com/MC04MiniCAR.htm & www.tf-1.com/articles/pretf/redbumper_template.html

[Philip Ayres]

That annoyed me: now fixed at source :-)


Who here has a Bumper?

[The Doctor]

BUMBLEJUMPER.

-Ralph

[Benn]

God, I wish I owned one, I don't think I've ever even seen one.

[Philip Ayres]

Sept 16, 2024 8:44:33 GMT The Doctor said:

BUMBLEJUMPER.

-Ralph

I always hated that name, far too silly. Which is probably why Burns likes it....

Bumper took some while adjusting too but it's far more sensible, the cliffjUMPER part of the name gets more emphasis, reflecting that it's only been proved to exist on Cliffjumper cards, while the Bumblebee, whose intended colour he uses, is still reflected in the initial letter.

If I were doing him in Transformers he'd have been pale blue, the third Microchange Minirobo colour.

I don't think I've ever see one in the plastic, and I'm pretty sure there was never any sign of them being sold in the UK, unlike Red Bumblebee and Yellow Cliffjumper

[Benn]

Yeah, we had more yellow Cliffjumpers around when I were a lad. Wish I still had them. I think they annoyed me for being 'wrong' as a little 'un, so less care was taken with them. Oh, foolish, foolish me!

I think I like the aesthetic of the Penny Racer Minibots the best, and I really would like to pick up those variants if they weren't silly money.

[The Doctor]

Bumblejumper is the proper name. I do not prefer it to the made-up Bumper nonsense. It is just...his name.

I think Bumper sounds sillier anyway. Makes me think of dodgem cars!

-Ralph

[The Huff]

Sept 16, 2024 8:39:34 GMT Philip Ayres said:

That annoyed me: now fixed at source :-)


Who here has a Bumper?

I do!

It was actually the first Transformer toy in my household. My brother bought it (and I later bought Rumble & Ravage).

Surprisingly a better proportioned robot midevtgan either Bumblebee and Cliffjumper, but a way less interesting car.

Bumper is a much better name (and the official one) as it is still a mix of Bumblebee and Cliffjumper but actually means something.

[Benn]

Oh, and despite what Phil may claim, it's an equal split in the name BUM from Bumblebee and PER from Cliffjumper. Split right down the middle!

[Philip Ayres]

Sept 16, 2024 12:26:53 GMT The Doctor said:

Bumblejumper is the proper name. I do not prefer it to the made-up Bumper nonsense. It is just...his name.

I think Bumper sounds sillier anyway. Makes me think of dodgem cars!

-Ralph

You're aware Bumblejumper is made up by fans?

[Jim]

I like to think it's pure coincidence and he's just a bot whose name was always Bumper

[Grand Moff Muffin]

I'm with Ralph on this one. Dreamwave has no authority in my eyes to retrospectively decide (outside of its own comics) what the name was of a toy released in 1984.

Bumblejumper is also 50% from Bumblebee and 50% from Cliffjumper. It does mean something, it means 'chap who looks quite like Cliffjumper but is coloured like Bumblebee'. Admittedly the name Bumblejumper would be equally suitable for Hubcap and yellow Cliffjumper.

Why was Hasbro incapable of using any colours other than yellow and red for the four very similar Bumblebee/Cliffjumper/Bum(blejum)per/Hubcap moulds? They should have been four different colours. But even in G2 they gave us red Hubcap rather than blue Hubcap or green Hubcap! Why???

And then why not a red Bum(blejum)per to complete the set of eight red/yellow variants?

Martin

[Jim]

Sept 16, 2024 15:47:13 GMT Philip Ayres said:

Sept 16, 2024 12:26:53 GMT The Doctor said:

Bumblejumper is the proper name. I do not prefer it to the made-up Bumper nonsense. It is just...his name.

I think Bumper sounds sillier anyway. Makes me think of dodgem cars!

-Ralph

You're aware Bumblejumper is made up by fans?

Bumper was also made up by fans. It just happens to be the one that was eventually made official. In a comic written by fans.

[The Huff]

Sept 16, 2024 14:14:35 GMT Benn said:

Oh, and despite what Phil may claim, it's an equal split in the name BUM from Bumblebee and PER from Cliffjumper. Split right down the middle!

Hehe Bum.

[The Huff]

There should be no Bumble or Bum about him anyway, as I'm sure he only came on Cliffjumper cards.
I've never seen a picture of him on a Bumblebee card. But would certainly be intrigued to be proved wrong.

[Grand Moff Muffin]

I think the Bumble comes from him being Bumblebee's official (box art etc.) colour, which is yellow, rather than Cliffjumper's, which is red.

Martin

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Sept 16, 2024 16:00:06 GMT The Huff said:

There should be no Bumble or Bum about him anyway, as I'm sure he only came on Cliffjumper cards.
I've never seen a picture of him on a Bumblebee card. But would certainly be intrigued to be proved wrong.

If he only ever came on Cliffjumper cards, then if anything, his official name is Cliffjumper, and perhaps we should be viewing it as a variant body Cliffjumper had at one time or another, rather than as a different character.

Bumblebee had several similar-but-different incarnations, why shouldn't Cliffjumper? Maybe Cliffjumper is the first TF to officially have a new body in toy form, beating Megatron, Hot Rod, Bumblebee and Optimus Prime to it.

Martin

[The Doctor]

Sept 16, 2024 15:47:13 GMT Philip Ayres said:

Sept 16, 2024 12:26:53 GMT The Doctor said:

Bumblejumper is the proper name. I do not prefer it to the made-up Bumper nonsense. It is just...his name.

I think Bumper sounds sillier anyway. Makes me think of dodgem cars!

-Ralph

You're aware Bumblejumper is made up by fans?

So is Bumper. You have just nullified your own point.

-Ralph

[The Huff]

I was going to ask why his entry in this thread wasn't accompanied by his/Cliffjumper's tech specs as that's what they were at the time of release.

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Sept 16, 2024 16:46:10 GMT The Huff said:

I was going to ask why his entry in this thread wasn't accompanied by his/Cliffjumper's tech specs as that's what they were at the time of release.

Or why he hasn't just been lumped in with the other (red and yellow) Cliffjumper variants in 'Cliffjumper' week.

Edit: Why do fans assume that red Bumblebee is still Bumblebee, and yellow Cliffjumper is still Cliffjumper, but this guy on the Cliffjumper card is not Cliffjumper?

Martin

[The Huff]

Alternatively, why aren't Red Bumblebee and Yellow Cliffjumper considered their own characters like Bumper, Black and white Thundercrackers, Red Ratchet, red Buzzsaw and white Bluestreak?
I did do a story when I was young about how Red Bumblebee Came to be. I still have it and it is definitely canon.

[Philip Ayres]

The Bumper name does have advantages over Bumblejumper: It's simpler, a real thing and a real thing to do with cars.

Interesting point about Red Bumblebee and Yellow Cliffjumper never having got their own identities....

[that_bluestreak]

Sept 15, 2024 23:04:57 GMT Philip Ayres said:

1984's Transformers Are Forty: Week 25|Bumper
Function: Autobot
Japan:
tfwiki.net/wiki/Bumper_(G1)#Toys
www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Bumper/bumper.htm

He'll always be Bumblejumper to me

I didn't know about Bumper until I started my second collection and researching TFs on the internet. I remember seeing one go for about 90 quid on ebay and being shocked at the price (of course you could get boxed diaclone cars for 100 quid back then :eek:)

I do have a Bumblejumper, but its a KO. It was still pretty WOW! to get it in hand. But without any emotional / nostalgic attachment to it, there is just the aquirement/rarity/dragon's treasure hoard aspect to ownership. Never seen a real one in real life.

@the Huff, were you based in the UK? Was it definitely a TF and not a Micro Change?

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Sept 16, 2024 17:34:19 GMT Philip Ayres said:

The Bumper name does have advantages over Bumblejumper: It's simpler, a real thing and a real thing to do with cars.

The names Bumblebee and Cliffjumper have nothing whatsoever to do with cars. There's no such thing as a thundercracker or a sunstreaker or a laserbeak.

Martin

[Shockprowl]

Sept 16, 2024 8:39:34 GMT Philip Ayres said:

Who here has a Bumper?

I have a bumpersticker. It says, "I support chess and I vote!"

[Grand Moff Muffin]

So, should we have a Transformer called Bumblesticker or Bumsticker?

Martin

[Benn]

Bumker.

[The Huff]

Bumbumper sounds good.

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Who put the Bum in the Bumperbumperbum?

Martin

[The Huff]

Sept 16, 2024 17:37:45 GMT that_bluestreak said:

Sept 15, 2024 23:04:57 GMT Philip Ayres said:

1984's Transformers Are Forty: Week 25|Bumper
Function: Autobot
Japan:
tfwiki.net/wiki/Bumper_(G1)#Toys
www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Bumper/bumper.htm

He'll always be Bumblejumper to me

@the Huff, were you based in the UK? Was it definitely a TF and not a Micro Change?

Yes, bought from a little toyshop, long gone, called Zodiac toys in 1984.
Definitely Transformers.