toyboxdx toy blog brog: is graceful art of daily expressing japanese toy  

Being far away of having a focus in collecting japanese toys, my only “kind of focus”
is Rockbat & Blazer. Not a focus, more a obsession I would say.
I even bought some Bullmark Rockbat eraser-figures some weeks ago…please don’t tell my parents ;-)
There are lots of Rockbat toys I don’t have, but this is no problem. I’m always very excited when
I find something “new” on Yahoo, or see things like Uncle Warren’s Bullmark Rockbat Playset. Great!

The Bullmark Blazer Zenmai isn’t such a mysterious super scarce toy,  like the Single MFV Blazer
or the Playset. But he doesn’t pop up too often. I bought MY Blazer in 2 steps.

Step 1 was the Box.
Last year I bought the emty box. Some of you may remember the auctions of this seller on Yahoo around December.
Popy Jumbo machinder villain boxes, Bullmark Zenmai boxes, etc

Step 2 Blazer himself. Luckily a few weeks later a loose Blazer pops up. Perfect timing (karma?)
Super blurry auction fotos, very high starting price…perfect auction, argh.
Whats-a-reasonable-price-question-PM to Mr.Fraser…instant answer (thanks again Josh).
I was the only bidder and won him. Baaaang, fast job ;-)

I was a bit nervous about how the Blazer will look like. Because of the very bad auction fotos,
it was very difficult to judge how the condition will be. The seller didn’t answer my questions.
But no risk no fun … also I had a “good feeling”.

I had luck. Under a coat of dirt was a real nice Blazer. Sometimes dirt
could preserve the condition of a toy…like a bog body ;-)

Great little toy. I also love the box-art.
A very nice addition to my Blazer family and I believe not the last tin walker I would like to have.
I feel the Zenmai love!

More fotos in the BBS.
If you want to see the Bullmark Rockbat eraser-figures, tell me ;-)

Time for a little Bullmark Ufo Diapolon Standard Size foto review.
I call him “blocky eye” variant of the ST vinyl Diapolon.

“Blocky eye”, “big eye” Diapolon…I don’t know if there’s a “official” name for this guy?

He’s not really a variant, with his body mold he’s a complete different & new,
compared to his “standard” brother.

This version of Diapolon is a bit more rarely I think,
compared to the “normal” standard size vinyl.
No, “high end” vinyl, but a nice addition to every Diapolon collection.
Here are the foot markings of this guy.

Finally a little group shot with the usual suspects.
Second Diapolon from left (in bag) is the “normal” ST size version.

I personally like the sculpture of him, all in all a nice piece of vinyl.

More fotos etc in the BBS.

Takara Tetsuwan Atom Mechablock DX

This is really a deluxe toy. You get a Plastic Atom Boy with a diecast endo-skeleton
in a beautiful box. Lots of  fantastic features. I’m totally flashed by this toy!
You all know this toy, but I thought it is time for some extra love…

Had to buy 2 to get one perfect specimen.  I don’t regret it, because now I could display one
and play with the other ;-)

Dismantle Atom Boy in order to put the endo-skeleton inside his body.
Some of the skeleton parts (arms, tank tracks) are made out of heavy diecast.

You could assemble the skeleton parts to a robot etc…Ark-style-play-feature.

Now you know where the guys from Pixar got the idea for the design of WALL•E.
A few detail shot of the endo-skeleton parts.

The greatest detail of Atom is his “chest part” with the moving gears under
a window. You really could “move ” these gears with one of the 2 “screwdrivers”.
Atom Box also comes with a very nice illustrated instruction sheet and a few stickers.

Thats it for today. More pictures in the BBS.

Bought my first Nakajima Tiger Mask Standard Size Vinyls:
Great Zebra & Mr Question

I always had an eye on these crazy looking Wrestlng guys,
but didn’t dare to start collecting them. I know why!
These japanese Luchas are pure funk and you want them all ;-)

After cleaning them with all kinds of plasic & car paint cleaners
they look very good again. I also tried a Ultra sonic Cleaner
the first time for cleaning the face, boots, hands etc.
Worked very good! Only water with a bit soap, leaving
them a few minutes in the Ultra Sonic Bath and the dirt has
gone without destroying the paint.

I already won a few other of these psychadelic wrestling guys Yahoo.
The good thing is that they pop up quiet often. Only getting them
complete with all “accessories” (sash, cape, boots etc) is a bit tricky
and pushes up the price for them. The Tiger Mask Bug bite me !

More stuff etc in the BBS.

cheers all

Nakajima Tekkaman Mini Size versus Eidai Grip Tekkaman.
Which Tekkaman is the better toy? I’m trying to find an answer today.
I know that any serious robot collector asked himself that question ;-)

Lets start with the Box.

The Nakajima Small Size version comes with a very beautiful box, same artwork style as
his bigger “standard” size brother. Ok, same artwork style as all Nakajima gokin boxes.
Nice combination of illustration-style on the front and foto elements on the other sides.

The Grip Tekkaman comes in the usual Grip “plastic-dome” box, with “instruction sheet art”
on the back and a nice colorful illustration inside.

Two different styles of packaging.

I really like the Grip “you-see-what-you-get” style, but the Nakajima box is a bit more “practical”
and the artwork is very nice…with “practical” I refer to the very small size of the box. Thats an
advantage when your display is cramped with robots ;-)
So I would say 1:0 for Nakajima.

Quality & Details

Both Tekkamans  are made nearly enirely out of metal. Only the heads and
the forearms of the Grip version are plastic. The build quality of them is
very good. Also they are both very movable, with all the joints they have.

Detailing is very nice too.

So, in this category there is no real winner. 1 point for both.
Nakajima still in front with 2:1.

Now Accessories & Action Features

The Nakajima Tekkaman comes with a yellow whip and a stylish golden stand.
Grip’s Tekkaman only with his silver spear and 2 plastic fists/forearms.

The stand is a nice feature for displaying Tekkaman…but the fists of the Grip
are worth one point! You could shoot them.

2:2, we have a tie.
Sounds like a happy end? Yes, why not.

So the question which one is the better toy is answered. If you like Tekkaman,
you have to buy them both. If you have another opinion, let me hear it  in the BBS.

First time I got in contact with Condorman was 1981, the Disney movie.
Loved that movie as the kid, specially the black Porsche’s of the villians.
But that movie had nothing to do with the Condorman…

…of the japanese tokuatsu series from 1975. Created by Kohan Kawauchi (aka Yasunori Kawauchi),
who also created the  first japanese superhero television show in 1958 , Moonlight Mask (Gekko Kamen).

Lets start with the little Grip Condorman!

Condorman comes in the typical Grip stype packaging. The one I bought
only came with a small Grip catalog. There are 2 more Condorman toys
made by Grip. The Mach Condor (Condorman’s cool Datsun) and the
Condorman Base.

He’s made out of diecast and his head is soft vinyl. The quality of this little
toy is great. Arms & legs are movable and he has many nice details.

That’s it for the little Condorman.
You still could get him for small money…go and get one!

More fotos in the BBS.

2010 starts good!
Here’s the first toy I got this year. Ok I bought a few more, but these are all still in Japan and wait to be
packed and send to me. As always…it’s a never-ending story, all the time new stuff pops up on Yahoo.
But this Bullmark Missile Firing Zaboga found his way to germany. I won him on ebay and he came
from australia. First time I got a robot from down under.
The ebay item description said: “Mint condition includes the 2 rockets which were originally taped on the
inner tray  and the catalog…”
The description was mistaken. The condition is mint and he came with his 4 orginal rockets.
I love such mistakes ;-)

Box design is…well, you see it. Great!
I think I’ve been the first person who opened up the box. Found the “missing” 2 rockets
behind the little “pamphlet” inside the box. Yeah!

Zaboga has the same size as the Rockbat MFV’s, he’s about 9” (24cm) high.

You could store his rockets in 2 movable yellow holsters.
Remove his hands and Zaboga is ready to fire.

Here are some detail shots.

This is the little “pamphlet” that was inside the box. I add a few scans in the BBS section.

I wish that I bought him for this price ;-)

Hope you like it.
More pictures, scans etc in the BBS section.

Zabogaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

uups

Happy New Year everybody!

This is my last Rockbat & Blazer Brog for this year…I swear!

2009 was a good year for Bullmark Missile Firing Vinyls and Meka Machines for me.
Well, not only for me. Jim M got his Bullmark MG2, Erik got a Godam MFV and a few others
I think. If I forgot someone… feel free to post your Meka Machine & MFV hauls of 2009 in the BBS.
Ok, lets start with Rockbat and his buddy Blazer!

The box design is similar to their big brothers, the Meka Machines.

To be honest. Rockbat’s arms look a bit “unproportional ” with his golden gloves on.
But nobody is perfect ;-)
Blazer is coming with 4 rockets, 2 yellow rocket-launcher-hand-attachments an
his usual claw-hand-attachments. Rockbat only comes with his removable golden glowes
and 4 rockets.

Together they have lots of firepower and it’s easy for them to kick even the Terminator’s ass.

Here you could see the size of the two Missile Shooters compared to a few other family members.

Thats it guys. A few more fotos in the BBS…and again, I would love to see your
2009 MFV’s & Meka Machines hauls of ’09.

I wake up this morning and everything is white.
No, didn’t take drugs…only the first snow had fallen here.
Time for a sofubi-winter-foto.

Mr.Condorman freeze his balls off.

Post your japanese-toys-in-snow-fotos in the BBS.