Bowdog

Bowdog is a Beastformer from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Mr. Peabody 2099

A scientist and theorist, Bowdog (ボードッグ Bōdoggu) puts his all into every project. Much like his best friend Violethorn, he's a go-getter ready to tackle hard problems, but unlike Violethorn, he's a lot less confident in his skills once he gets out of his normal fields of expertise. Combined with his perfectionist streak that makes him chafe when things aren't done right the first try, he has a real problem with learning new tricks.

But he's top dog (sorry) in his field, and can craft a mean weapon. In fact, he designed his own MVP Weapon, the Dog Fighter (ドッグファイター Doggu Faitā). This massive axe can track targets by smell, and will fly around obstacles when thrown, homing in on them and cutting them down. The weapon is keyed to Bowdog himself, making him the only one that can use it properly.

Following the Great War, he was granted the title of King of Bowdonia, with Violethorn serving as his subordinate Emperor. The two make a very effective pair, with Bowdog directing the burly bison so his brute force is applied at just the right points.

Fiction

Beastformers comic

Bowdog traveled to underneath the dried up Lake Sagan to search for the Three Wise Ones' Water Gem of Stillness together with White Leo, Badshark, Bluehorse and Deaspider. The mission had several possible outcomes and the Beastformers may have either succeeded or been forced to retreat by a giant scorpion or the mysterious enemy Sur, who would battle them for the gem if they found it. In one outcome Bowdog defeated the scorpion with his MVP Weapon, while in another he tried and failed to use it to tear down a wall between the party and the gem. If he attempted to destroy the wall with his bare hands, he caused too much noise and attracted the scorpion, causing the mission to fail. The Water Gem of Stillness

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

Bowdog was among the many Beastformers squabbling on their home planet when Megatron arrived to fetch the Predacons. Welcome to the Jungle

Toys

Beastformers

• Bowdog (Beastformer, 1988)

• ID number: 21
• Pack: G
• Accessories: "Dog Fighter" MVP Weapon

Released only in the post-Transformers "RPG"-themed Beastformers sequel series, Bowdog is an anthropomorphic dog of indeterminate breed in pale green robotic armor. The Battle Emblem on his stomach reveals one of three symbols when warmed up; Fire, Water or Wood.

The Hasbro Battle Beasts release of the figure can vary in the tone of the green paint used on its armor, with some samples being a more desaturated and matte olive; it's uncertain if the Takara version has similar (minor) paint variation.

As part of the first assortment of individually-boxed Beastformers in the "RPG" line, there was a chance his normal pack-in bio card would be replaced with a rare "Burstsun" holo card featuring White Leo on the front, with a Burstsun Battle Emblem sticker in a little baggie affixed to the back, for you to attach to whichever Beastformer you chose.

Merchandise

Candy toys

• Bowdog (Gashapon/candy-toy Beastformer, 1988)
  • ID number: 5
  • Accessories: "Bomb Scissors" weapon

A 1-inch-tall, super-deformed, articulation-free version of Bowdog that could come in red, blue or green plastic, representing the Fire, Water and Wood elements (even though he still had a rubsign). All of the SD Beastformers come with a different Beastformer's weapon attached to their left shoulder by a snippable sprue: Bowdog came with Bombsheep's "Bomb Scissors" weapon, while Zebra Ball came with Bowdog's "Dog Hunter".

This toy was sold in three different ways. First it was available as a gashapon capsule prize by Takara. Then it was sold as a candy toy from Takara, randomly-packed in a box of three with a packet of ramune-flavored candy tablets. Then again as a candy toy, this time through candy/snack company Meiji, in randomized packs of two with a packet of "chocoballs" (chocolate covered malted milk balls). The Meiji release also has much more elaborate packaging, with newly-painted box art (which sometimes shows characters not made in this assortment), and the entire interior of the box printed with game rules, character bios, chunks of lore, etc.

• Ramune Beastformers Battle Card (1988)
  • ID number: 5

A gold-foil "Battle Card" of Bowdog, featuring painted character art of the kind found on early Transformers: Beastformers bio cards (seen at the top of this page), was available in randomly-packed sets of cards that came with ramune-flavored candy tablets. The back of the card features a severely truncated bio, with data for the game from the Meiji chocoball SD figures' packaging.

Notes

• Bowdog is one of 22 figures that were advertised on multiple Transformers-era materials but not actually released in that iteration of the line.
• It's unclear what breed of dog Bowdog is based on. His two bio cards simply call him a "dog" (いぬ inu), nothing more specific. The toy appears vaguely pit bull-like, while the painted character art used on his Meiji card (and likely intended for a Transformers-era release that never happened) gives him more of a boxer look. Good luck figuring out what the comic-style art used on the cast poster and "RPG" card is meant to look like, outside of "a nightmare".
• Speaking of the comic art, the 1988 edited version of it (seen at right) shortens the handle-shaft of his weapon to fit the art better into the card.
• His 1988 bio card gives him the nickname "Bowg" (ボーグ Bōgu), and notes he was born in Dog City.

Foreign names

• English: Danger Dog