.css" /> ToyboxDX: Datafiles: Robin
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[Robin]

Robin: Toy Wonder

text: Matt Alt & Robert Duban, graphics: Robert Duban

April 2007

Updated: 04.28.07


Details about Robin's exact founding remain unclear, but it's almost certain that the company was yet another Bandai / Popy subsidiary used to sell low-end toys. We've taken the liberty of grouping their toys into five groups based on the various logos employed on the packages. With only a few exceptions, most of the toys fit neatly into one of these periods. Oh, and before the mail from die-hard Robin lovers starts pouring in, keep in mind that the years listed below refer to the original airdates of the shows , not the exact release dates of the toys (at present, said information remains shrouded in the secrecy and mystery it so richly deserves.)

[logo ver. 1] Hang on, because now it's time to go to school ToyboxDX style. The first �Robin� logo, used circa 1974 to 1977, simply featured the word �Robin� in a rounded font. Robin boasted several toy lines during this period (including the thrilling �Go Go Series�). The toys listed below in this section are grouped by toy line / series.

[logo ver. 2] Get ready for round two. From roughly 1985 to 1988, the Robin logo began appearing in conjunction with the hallowed �P� (Popy) logo found on other Bandai-related products. (For more about these "friends of P," see Victora, Grip Toy, Marukoshi and Big Bear). The font for the logo in this period became harder and more squared off, mirroring changes in society... Or perhaps simply because of the whim of whoever was in charge at the time.

Robin seems to have had an as-yet- unexplained hiatus between the 1977 and these mid-80s releases. Intriguingly (or perhaps not so much), the majority of toys made by Bandai subsidiary �Victora� appeared during the years of 1979 - 1985, neatly overlapping the gap. Toy-playaz including (and perhaps limited to) the authors of this Datafile conjecture that Bandai may have shifted their cheap-toy branding to Victora during this period.

[logo ver. 3] In Robin�s third incarnation, from 1986 -1989, the storied �Robin� logo disappeared from the packages altogether, the only sign of the company's involvement was a simple �Robin� in plain text alongside the �P� logo.

[logo ver. 4] During the 1988 -1990 period, a new company logo began appearing on Robin products: �Hearty Robin." The plain �Robin� text still appeared on many of these toys as well, and again, the �P� logo remained, mute and indomitable, a testament to the sheer power of this stalwart letter of the alphabet. There appears to be some overlap between the �Hearty Robin� and the �Robin� toys; not all of the "Hearty Robin" toys feature the word "Robin" on their packages.

[logo ver. 5] Robin / Hearty Robin entered its fifth transmutation in 1990, the same year as the formation of yet another Bandai subsidiary, Yutaka. The Hearty Robin toys from 1990 through the end of the decade featured a �Y� logo in place of the �P�, the �Robin� text dropped from the boxes altogether, discarded along the roadside like a kleenex or a dead hooker. Yutaka is perhaps best known for the series of �Getta Robo Go� toys produced in 1990, but the Yutaka logo also appeared on literally hundreds of �cheapie� toys from 1990 onward. These numerous toys will be cataloged at a later date, depending on the interest and blood-alcohol level of the authors.

Before your face hits the keyboard in a sudden-onset case of narcolepsy, consider this fascinating nugget about �Hearty Robin.� The company also produced video games, including a large number of titles for the Sony Playstation in the early �90�s. In November of 1994, Hearty Robin merged with another Bandai Subsidiary, the Happinet Corporation. Per Happinet�s corporate website, the company, �[took] over full ownership of Hearty Robin Corporation, (a Taito-ku, Tokyo-based consolidated subsidiary specializing in the manufacture and sale of toys and playthings)� in 1994. The company's final demise took place when all former Robin employees were lined up in an Asakusa alley and executed with a single shot to the back of the head. No, we're just kidding. Hearty Robin's end was far less dramatic - it just took the form of a "corporate re-org" when in September of 2002 the company name was officially changed to �Happinet Robin Corporation.�


[image] Robocon Friends Set 1974
[image] Robocon Everyone Together - No. 1 Set 1974
[image] Robocon Everyone Together - No. 2 Set 1974
[image] Robocon Everyone Together - No. 3 Set 1974
[image] Robocon Everyone Together - No. 4 Set 1974
[image] Robocon Everyone Together - No. 6 Set 1974
[image] Kite Hang-Glider Robocon 1974
[image] Goranger - Kite Hang-Glider Akaranger 1975
[image] Robocon - Go Go Series: Wind Up Go Go Plane 1974
[image] Robocon - Go Go Series: Wind Up Go Go Through [note] 1974
[image] Grandizer - Go Go Series: Spacer 1975
[image] Kyodain - Go Go Series: Here They Come wind up 1975
[image] Combattra - Go Go Series: Combine!! Battle Jet 1976
[image] Paul's Miraculous Battle - Doppe Go Go Plane 1976
[image] Noko Noko Figure Robocon wind up 1974
[image] Robocon - Noko Noko Figure Gansu Sensei wind up 1974
[image] Noko Noko Figure Grandizer wind up 1975
[image] Noko Noko Figure Grandizer wind up - alternate package 1975
[image] Getta Robo G - Shin Getta Robo G Scramble Set (Dragun vehicle) 1975
[image] Getta Robo G - Shin Getta Robo G Scramble Set (Ryger vehicle) 1975
[image] Getta Robo G - Shin Getta Robo G Scramble Set (Poseidon vehicle) 1975
[image] Shin Getta Robo G Scramble Set (Lady Command vehicle) 1975
[image] Shin Getta Robo G Scramble Set -
(4 vehicles)
1975
[image] Getta Robo G - Getta Dragun Wind Up Tricycle 1975
[image] Goranger - Akaranger Wind Up Tricycle 1975
[image] Goranger - Aoranger Wind Up Tricycle 1975
[image] Goranger - Kiranger Wind Up Tricycle 1975
[image] Goranger - Momoranger Wind up Tricycle 1975
[image] Goranger - Midoranger Wind up Tricycle 1975
[image] Grandizer Wind Up Tricycle 1975
[image] Raideen Wind Up Tricycle 1975
[image] Goranger - Red Machine High Technical Action cycle 1975
[image] Dynamic Action Grandizer Stand Cycle 1975
[image] Kamen Rider Stronger - Kabutoro High Technical Action cycle 1975
[image] Getta Robo G Vs. Pigudoron Wind Up Big Battle 1975
[image] Grandizer Highway Bus 1975
[image] Grandizer Watering Can 1975
[image] Grandizer - Spacer Watering Can 1975
[image] Danguard A - Secret Ring Toss 1977
[image] Chogokin Badges 1975
[image] painted badges 1976
[image] Robot Hacchan Tricycle 1981
[image] Changeman - Change Attack set 1985
[image] Changeman - Change Hero set 1985
[image] Changeman - drum of vinyl toys 1985
[image] Flashman - Shin Robo Flash King vinyl 1986
[image] Flashman - Red Flash vinyl 1986
[image] Flashman - Red Flash & Pink Flash vinyl set 1986
[image] Flashman - Tank Command - 1 1986
[image] Flashman - Jet Delta - 2 1986
[image] Flashman - Jet Seeker - 3 1986
[image] Flashman - Flash Hero set 1986
[image] Flashman - Hero Belt 1986
[image] Machine Robo vinyl set (Rom Stole & Baikanfu) 1986
[image] Action Gokin Robotan 1986
[image] Spielban vinyl 1986
[image] Spielban Spark Meka 1986
[image] Spielban Variation Set 1986
[image] Spielban Tricycle 1986
[image] Spielban - drum of vinyl toys 1986
[image] Gegege no Kitaro - Yokai Variety Set 1988
[image] Daiya Gokin Moonlight Mask cycle 1981
[image] Kinnikuman - Ramenman Nunchuck Set 1986
[image] Morimori Bokkun vinyl 1986
[image] Saint Seiya - Metal Hero set 1987
[image] Dragonar 1 1987
[image] Kamen Rider Black vinyl 1987
[image] Maskman - Great Five Kyara Gokin 1987
[image] Red Maskman Kyara Gokin 1987
[image] Maskman - Galaxy Robo Big - vinyl 1987
[image] Maskman - Great Five Big - vinyl 1987
[image] Spark Meka Red Maskman 1987
[image] Maskman Hero Set - vinyls 1987
[image] Maskman Coin Game 1987
[image] Maskman Hero Belt 1987
[image] Big Kyara Jiraiya vinyl 1988
[image] Jiraiya plastic toy 1988
[image] Jiraya - Rainin Wild vinyl 1988
[image] Jiraya - Jyonin Fukuro Danshaku vinyl 1988
[image] Jiraiya Duel Set - Rainin Wild & Jiraiya vinyls 1988
[image] Jiraiya Battle Set Part 2 1988
[image] Jiraiya Air Shot set 1988
[image] Liveman Gokin Liverobo 1988
[image] Liveman Gokin Blue Dolphin 1988
[image] Liveman - Live Boxer 1988
[image] Liveman - Big Kyara Red Falcon vinyl 1988
[image] Big Soft Liverobo vinyl 1988
[image] Liveman Duel Set - Red Falcon & Koron vinyls 1988
[image] Liveman Duel Set - Red Falcon & Gadonoido Gasshu vinyls 1988
[image] Liveman Duel Set - Yellow Lion & Blue Dolphin vinyls 1988
[image] Liveman - Attack Box 1988
[image] Liveman - Live Hero vinyl set 1988
[image] Liveman Shooting set 1988
[image] Big Kyara Jiban vinyl 1989
[image] Jiban Duel Set - Jiban & Mask vinyls 1989
[image] Patlabor - Ingram 1988
[image] Akuma-kun Soft Combination 1989
[image] Akuma-kun - Little Shooter Set 1989
[image] Dragonball Z - Son Goku 1989
[image] Jiban - Variety Box 1989
[image] Sally the Witch 2 - Compact Set 1989
[image] Ranger Gokin Red Turboranger 1989
[image] Ranger Gokin Blue Turboranger 1989
[image] Turboranger DX Gokin set - Red Turboranger & Turborobo 1989
[image] Turboranger - Dash Turbo Robo 1989
[image] Turborobo High Speed Sentai 1 1989
[image] Big Kyara Red Turboranger vinyl 1989
[image] Turboranger - Turboraga vinyl 1989
[image] Turboraga Set - Turboraga & Red Turboranger vinyls 1989
[image] Turboranger Hero Set - Black Turboranger & Red Turboranger vinyls 1989
[image] Turboranger Duel Set - Pink Turboranger & Red Turboranger vinyls 1989
[image] Turboranger Duel Set - Blue Turboranger & Black Turboranger vinyls 1989
[image] Winspector Duel Set - Fire & Biker vinyls 1990
[image] Winspector Duel Set - Fire & Walter vinyls 1990
[image] Fiveman - DX Gokin Five Red 1990
[image] Fiveman Duel Set - Five Red & Five Yellow vinyls 1990
[image] Fiveman Duel Set - Five Red & Five Pink vinyls 1990
[image] Fiveman Duel Set - Five Black & Five Blue vinyls 1990

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