Snazzy Chevy, or robotic alien warrior on a secret mission? You decide…
Photo: Chevrolet
If you’re a fan of the long-running Transformers franchise, the heroic Bumblebee needs no introduction. This awesome — and let’s face it, kind of adorable — Autobot has been a beloved staple of the Transformers brand for 37 years. If you’ve ever had the itch to get up close and personal with this robot in disguise, you’re in luck; there’s a giant Bumblebee statue in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
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The Bumblebee statue in Stillwater
The town of Stillwater, Oklahoma, is home to the G&M Body Shop. The shop operates both an east-side and a west-side location, and as it turns out, both are home to giant robots. G&M’s east-side facility features a massive statue of another beloved Transformer: Autobot leader Optimus Prime. A few years after acquiring their first robot, G&M decided that their west-side location needed one, too.
In September of 2015, G&M installed a 20-foot-tall Bumblebee in front of their 5104 West 6th Avenue location. The statue originated in Thailand, but once it found its way to America, it underwent a massive overhaul. The current version has been reconstructed, repainted, and strengthened by the team at G&M, ensuring that it lasts for many years to come.
Adding Bumblebee to their growing robot army was a smart move for G&M. After debuting in the classic 1984 cartoon that spawned the franchise, the character would find pop-culture immortality thanks to the live-action film series that began in 2007. Today, people can’t seem to get enough of the big yellow guy. If G&M was looking for a great way to attract people to their business, they certainly found it.
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If you happen to be cruising through Oklahoma in the near future, be sure to add a visit to the Bumblebee statue in Stillwater to your itinerary. Photos are encouraged, and the statue can be visited 24/7. And if you’d like to show Optimus some love, his statue can be found at G&M’s 2207 East 6th Avenue location.
Daniel DiManna hails from little Sylvania, Ohio. A graduate of Lourdes University with a degree in Fine Arts (which has thus far proven about as useful as a wet paper towel), Daniel’s hobbies/passions include film history, reading, fiction/non-fiction writing, sculpting, gaining weight, and adding more toys, posters, books, model kits, DVD’s, screen-used props, and other ephemera to his already shamefully monumental collection of Godzilla/movie monster memorabilia. His life goals include a return trip to Japan, getting a podcast off the ground, finishing his novel, and yes, buying even more monster toys. See more articles by Daniel.
