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Eidai's Gripping Tale

text: Matt Alt, graphics: Robert Duban

September 2000

12.31.04

Special thanks to Todd Stadtman
Addtional thanks: Tom Franck, Marzia Gherzo, Michael Grifka, H-Man, Yutaka Ishida / Kaikodo, Dennis Nicholson, Masato Shono, Alen Yen, Scott Zuieback

---

rip. The mere mention of the name sends shivers down any true toy-completist's spine. Not only are there literally hundreds of the little bastards, but they're small -- real small. Small enough to give even the most die-hard collector pause when reaching for their wallet. Japanese diecast toy fetishists are used to laying down big bucks for tiny chunks of robot-shaped metal, but the Eidai corporation's legendary Grip series of toys is LITERALLY grip-sized. Like "Hot Wheels" cars, the vast majority of them can fit on the palm of a hand with ample room to spare.

But then again, that's their charm. Near as anyone can tell, the Grip Character Series of toys, as they're officially known, were created by Eidai in the wake of the success of the Popinika series of small diecast sci-fi vehicles. But the Grip toys take the concept to an extreme by miniaturizing the designs even further. Does size matter? Maybe. But the sting of being physically puny sure is reduced when you're provided with rocket punches, spring-loaded missiles, and insane combination mechanisms. Unlike MOST mini-sized toys, these little guys are packed full of juicy gimmicks.

Eidai's real genius, however, was their "bottom-feeding" license-buying scheme. By making their toys smaller and cheaper than anyone else's, they were able to secure the rights to all sorts of characters that'd already been scooped up by bigger companies. Companies like Popy, Bullmark, and Takatoku made most of their toys within two standardized scales, "standard" and "deluxe." Eidai focused most of their energies on souped-up mini-sized diecasts, a market share all but ignored by the big boys, and as such they managed to work without much direct competition at all. In fact, their concept of miniaturizing without losing attention to detail makes their toys total stand-outs even today.

Starting with plastic models based on vehicles from the Gatchaman and Thunderbirds shows and then branching out into diecast toys, Eidai slowly but surely built one of the largest single character toy-catalogs of the 1970's. Unfortunately for modern-day collectors, what they DIDN'T build is much of a standardized numbering system. Some pieces feature a unique numbering system based on the given series they're in. Some simply make use of a number derived from the overall Grip Character numbering scheme. And some, amusingly enough, make use of BOTH. Good luck trying to figure it out.

Adding to the confusion is the fact that Eidai didn't limit themselves to character toys. Not only did they produce a huge number of "normal" diecast cars, but also a series of miniature tractors and other industrial equipment dubbed the "Grip Zecchin Series." ("Zecchin" seems to be a mis-romanization of the word "zekken," which means "racing number.") And who could forget the misleadingly named "Jumbo Grip" toys? Clocking in at roughly five inches in height, they aren't actually "jumbo" except in relationship to the original Grip pieces themselves.

And finally, the icing on the cake: not only did Grip produce an entire universe of oddly-numbered and thematically disparate toys, they sold many of the same pieces in a variety of different colors and box-variations. Whether this was done to stoke the flames of collector enthusiasm or just because they'd run out of paint and printing supplies, we'll never know. But it adds yet more flavor to the never-ending, masochistic collecting nightmare that is known as Grip Character Diecast. Bring the pain!

Update 05.09.01: Additional notes regarding Eidai's box numbering and box variations:

It has come to my attention that there were multiple issues of a number of Eidai's Grip Character toys, notably in the Gatchaman series. These toys were issued in boxes bearing the "Eidai Corporation" logo, as well as in boxes with the more commonly seen "G" Grip logo. These boxes feature two distinct numbering sequences. Conventional wisdom seems to be that the "Eidai Corp" boxed Gatchaman toys are from an earlier run. However, as the numbering sequence found on those boxes is in fact higher than that of the "G" logo boxes, if these were produced earlier, this is somewhat logic-defying. Unfortunately, it has yet to be determined which sequence came first. In the interest of thoroughness, both numbering sequences have been added to the lists contained in this article. Back to planet earth now. - RD

							AKUMAIZER 3
			65				Gari Bird - No.1
			66				Zabitan - No.2
			67				Evil - No.3
			68				Gabura - No.4
			69				Gariba A - No.5
			70				Gariba B - No.6
			72				Zaidabek - No.7
							BANKID
			79				Pegasus - No.1
			80				Dragon - No.2
			81				Ox - No.3
			82				Swan - No.4
			83				Bankid Mother - No.5
			84				Bankid Baby - No.6
							BATMAN
			40				Batcycle
			46				Batmobile
			--				Batman-Boat
			--				Batman-Boat - red version
							BIBYUN
			85				Beni-Shark - No.1
							CASSHAN
			23				Friender Motorcycle - No.1
			24				Friender Sidecar - No.2
			26				Warugada Hotrod - No.3
			J5				Friender Motorcycle - Jumbo
							Friender Sidecar - Jumbo
							CONDORMAN
			49				Condorman Base - No.1
			54				Mach Condor - No.2
			52				Condorman - No.3 note: 51 in catalog
							DENJIN ZABOGA
			32				Denjin Zaboga
			48				Strong Zaboga - No.2
			--				Denjin Zaboga - Jumbo
							DIAPOLON
			72				Apolon Kichi ("Base") - No.1
			73				Diapolon - No.2
			76				Apolon Header - No.3
			75				Apolon Legger - No.4
			74				Space Clear - No.5
			77				Apolon Trang - No.6
							GAISLUGGER
			100				Solon - No.1
							GANBARON
			91				Daibaron - No.1
			92				Hiraida - No.2
			93				Bakshin - No.3
							GATCHAMAN
							Eidai Corp. logo boxes:
			102				G1
			106				G2 - red version
			106				G2 - blue version
			104				G3
			103				G4
							G5
							G logo boxes:
			11				G1
			12				G2 - red version
			12				G2 - blue version
			13				G3
			14				G4
			15				G5
			31				Red Impulse - No.7
			27				Super Sneider
			J1				G1 - jumbo
			J3				G4 - jumbo
			J2				G5 - jumbo
							HURRICANE POLIMAR
			39				Polimar Roller - No.1
			39				Polimar Roller - No.1 - blue version
			40				Polimar Drill - No.2
			41				Polimar Machine - No.3
			41				Polimar Machine - No.3 - alternate colors
			42				Polimar Hawk - No.4
			43				Hurricane Polimar - No.5
			44				Polimar Base - No.6
			J9				Hurricane Polimar - jumbo
							IRUKA FAMILY
			59				Irutan
							MAHA GO GO GO
			16				Maha Go Go - G-logo box
							Maha Go Go - Eidai Corp. logo box
			47				Maha Go Base
			J8				Maha Go Go - jumbo
							Maha Go Go - jumbo color ver 2
							Maha Go Go - jumbo- black version
							MEKANDA ROBO
			94				Tri F1 - No.1
			95				Tri GT2 - No.2
			96				Tri B3 - No.3
			96				Tri B3 - No.3 - alternate colors
			97				Mekanda Robo - No.4
98			Mekanda Max - No.5
			ROCKBAT
	49		Rockbat
	54		Blazer
			STINGRAY
			Stingray - blue version
	G400		Stingray - grey version
			SUPERMAN
	--		Superman - version 1
	--		Superman - version 2

							TEKKAMAN
			55				Tekkaman - No.1
			57				Blue Earth - No.2
			58				Pegas Robot - No.3
			56				Pegas Robo Tank - No.4
							THUNDERBIRDS
			1				Thunderbird 1 - No.1 grey version
			1				Thunderbird 1 - No.1 copper version Eidai box
			1				Thunderbird 1 - No.1 copper version G-logo box
			2				Thunderbird 2 - No.2 green version
			2				Thunderbird 2 - No.2 blue version Eidai box
			2				Thunderbird 2 - No.2 blue version G-logo box
			3				Spectrum Persuit Vehicle - No.3 grey version
			3				Spectrum Persuit Vehicle - No.3 blue version
			5				Jet Mole 1 - No.4
			4				Thunderbird 4 - No.5 - red version
			4				Thunderbird 4 - No.5 - gold version
			4				Thunderbird 4 - No.5 - orange version Eidai box
			4				Thunderbird 4 - No.5 - orange version G-logo box
			6				Thunderbird 3 - No.6
			7				Skydiver - No.7
			8				Joe 90 Max Car - No.8 - blue version
			8				Joe 90 Max Car - No.8 - green version
			8				Joe 90 Max Car - No.8 - red version
			9				Shadowmobile - No.9
			10				Penelope Car/FAB 1 - No.10
			28				Captain Scarlet Patrol Car
							Straker's Car
			G400				Thunderbird 1 repackage - No.1
			G400				Thunderbird 2 repackage - No.2
							Thunderbird 4 repackage - No.3
			G400				Jet Mole 1 repackage - No.4
			G400				Spectrum Persuit Vehicle repackage - No.5
			G400				Joe 90 Max Car repackage - No.6
			J10				Tunderbird 1 - jumbo
							TIME BOKAN
			60				Mekabuton - No.1
			61				Tentoki - No.2
			62				Chorobo - No.3
			63				Yago-Marine - No.4
			64				Meka-Gorilla - No.5
			78				Dotabattan - No.6

							ULTRAMAN LEO
			32				Mac Base - No.1
			33				Mac-Ki 1 - No.2
			35				Mac-Ki 3 - No.3
			34				Mac-Ki 2 - No.4
			37				Mac-Roadie - No.5
			38				Mac Mole - No.6
			--				Ultraman Leo - jumbo
							ULTRAMAN TARO
			17				Condor 1 - No.1 - G logo box
			107				Condor 1 - No.1 - Eidai Corp logo box
			108				Belmida the Second - No.2
			109				Andromeda - No.3 note: numbered as No.2 on some boxes
			110				Super Swallow - No.3
			111				Wolf 777 - No.5
			112				Rabbit Panda - No.6
			22				Space Station - No.7
			25				Dragon - No.8
			29				Sky Whale - No.9
							YATTAMAN
			86				Yattawan - No.1
			87				Kabbacho Car - No.2 ("Hippo-Bird Car")
			88				Pawani Car - No.3 (Crocodile Car)
			89				Ga-Sukanku Car - No.4 (Skunk Car)
			90				Yatta Pelican - No.5
			102				Yatta Ankou - No.6
							ZUBAT
			101				Zuba-Car - No.1

				AKUMAIZER 3
				10/7/75 - 6/29/76 "Akumaizer 3," yet another live-action series created by Ishimori Shotaro (who also created Kamen Rider, Robocon, and Goranger, among many others), was a sort of tokusatsu retelling of "The Three Musketeers." The three main characters, Zabitan, Evil, and Gabura, wielded fencing foils and could transform into various creatures and vehicles. Zabitan transformed into the spaceship-like Zaidabeck, Gabura into a big bird called the "Gaburacho," and Evil into....a bucket. No joke. Try and figure that one out, because we sure can't.
				BANKID
				10/3/76 - 3/27/77 The full title of this show is actually "Flying Saucer Battle Bankid," and it's basically a sentai show that features kids and teens as the heroes -- kind of like a tokusatsu version of "Menudo."
				BATMAN
				May 1939 - present Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27, in 1939. Eidai's toys are apparently based on the designs of the campy 1960's live-action TV show, which featured the paunchy yet lovable Adam West.
				BIBYUN
				7/6/76 - 3/29/77 The full title of this show is "Bibyun, the Super God," and it was a continuation of the story laid out in "Akumaizer 3." Just as with its predecessor, it was created by the unstoppable Ishimori Shotaro.
				CASSHAN
				2/10/73 - 6/25/74 A very popular series that was created by the same team as "Gatchaman" ("Battle of the Planets"). Casshan's robotic canine sidekick, Friender, is one of the more memorable designs from the series.
				CONDORMAN
				3/31/75 - 9/22/75 Not to be confused with the live-action Disney kiddie-flick of the same name. Killed in the line of duty in the Nevada desert, Mitsuya Isshin is ressurected as Condorman, a superhero with the ability to transform into the airborne Golden Condor or the land-based Dragon Condor.
				DENJIN ZABOGA
				4/6/74 - 6/29/75 A live-action series most notable for the fact that the human-sized Zaboga was a mindless machine controlled by the main character, the perpetually jeans-jacket-clad Yutaka Daimon. In spite of being a live-action creation, Zaboga featured a complex series of gimmicks (including the ability to transform into a motorcycle.) The latter half of the series featured a powered-up version of Zaboga called "Strong Zaboga."
				UFO SENSHI DIAPOLON
				4/6/76 - 9/28/76 This animated series ran for a paltry 26 episodes in mid-1976. Takeshi, a friendly, human-looking visitor from the planet Apolon, helps Earthlings fight against the evil alien "Dazan Army." Everything from the costumes of the five-member team to the Apolon robots themselves featured an oddly-concieved football theme. (In that respect, it's kind of an answer to the live-action Mach Baron, which featured zombie football players as enemies.) The show was later re-edited and re-recorded -- without any new animation -- to make a show called "Diapolon II: Action Series." It tanked.
				GAISLUGGER
				4/12/77 - 8/30/77 Animated.
				GANBARON
				4/3/77 - 9/25/77 Yet another "one season wonder," Ganbaron was a live-action show about a young boy who could "henshin" (transform) into the robotic superhero Ganbaron. It was indended as a sort of lighthearted sequel to the Red and Mach Baron shows, but actually shared almost nothing in common with them (the previous two had focused on the exploits of piloted giant robots rather than individual transforming heroes.) Ganbaron had three mechanical vehicles at his disposal which could be combined into the undisputed king of the show (from a toy standpoint, anyway) -- the multi-purpose super big-ass kung-fu battle robot Daibaron.
				GATCHAMAN
				10/1/72 - 9/29/74 The spirit of high-tech teamwork in this smash-hit animated series laid the groundwork for the entire Sentai ("Power Rangers") series of televison shows. A brutally edited version entitled "Battle of the Planets" became a hit in America as well, despite being a sanitized shadow of the original Japanese show.
				HURRICANE POLIMAR
				10/4/74 - 3/28/75 "Hurricane Polimar" was created by Tatsunoko Productions, who were also responsible for "Gatchaman" ("Battle of the Planets") and "Tekkaman, the Space Night." It's a fairly generic superhero show, and was also the subject of an early-1990's animated remake by the same name. The show is mainly notable for the numerous variations in the translation of the name: "Polymer," "Polimar," "Polymar," "Polimer," etc., etc......
				IRUKA FAMILY
		1975 A bizarrely anthropomorphic dolphin wearing cowboy boots and jeans, Irutan was the mascot of the 1975 Okinawa Oceanic Expo. It's a total mystery as to why Eidai decided to produce a diecast rendition of the character.
		MAHA GO GO GO
		4/2/67 - 3/31/68 The Japanese smash-hit "Mach Go Go Go" became an instant sensation and pop-culture fixture when it was translated and broadcast in the US as "Speed Racer."
		MEKANDA ROBO
		3/3/77 - 12/29/77 The insanely colorful Mekanda Robo character is one of most underrated giant-robot designs of all time, and the star of an animated series featuring the strugle of a five-member team against the alien (of course) Hedoran empire. Although the transforming and combining Mekanda Robo is often thought of as an archetypal "hero robot" character, there's actually more here than meets the eye (pun intended). This show introduced several conventions -- such as the use of mass-production robots and a limit to the amount of time that Mekanda Robo could be used before running out of energy -- that make it a sort of bridge to the more "realistic" giant-robot shows of the early 1980s.
		BOHKEN ROCKBAT
		3/31/75 - 9/27/75 A bizarre action-comedy series about "Animal Country," a doppelganger of Earth populated by humanoid animals (actors in suits), Bohken Rockbat didn't feature a single human character. When the town of "Animal Forest" is threatened by the evil Doradanuki, Professor Zuku gets mad -- and builds the robotic duo of Rockbat and Blazer to kick ass and take names. In spite of his name, the silly and careless Rockbat looks like a rotund, masked housecat; his purely mechanical bro Blazer backs him up when things hit the fan. (Okay, I'm exaggerating. This was a kids' series, not COPS.) The relatively organic-looking Rockbat features a chest full of buttons that can be pressed to engage "super powers"; Blazer is one helluva cool-looking mechanical man that can fly through the air and transform into a car.
		STINGRAY
		1962 - 1964 A British live-action pupppet series from Gerry Anderson (who would later create the smash-hit Thunderbirds series). A cult classic among British college students and Japanese sci-fi fans, Stingray featured the adventures of a super-submarine and crew in the year 2064.
		SUPERMAN
		1938 - present In an odd twist, Grip created several diecast portrayals of the legendary American superhero character.
			TEKKAMAN
			("Tekkaman the Space Knight") 7/2/75 - 12/24/75 This mid-seventies animated series was created by Tatsunoko productions, the same guys responsible for "Gatchaman" and "Casshan." The eponymous main character is a human who suits up to battle the evil "Walderstar" organization. Tekkaman is only mildly popular as a toy character, but his huge robotic sidekick Pegas is a perennial collector favorite.
			THUNDERBIRDS
			1964 - 1966 This long-running British "supermarionation" series, another creation of Gerry Anderson, caused a sensation when it aired in Japan. Similar to a "sentai" show, the Thunderbirds were a high-tech international rescue team. The mechanical designs in particular seemed to deeply resonate with Japanese fans, and influenced science fiction there for years afterwards. An entire array of Japanese companies produced toys and models for the series, including Popy, Bandai, and Imai, among others. Toys from several other Gerry Anderson shows, such as 'Joe 90,' and 'UFO,' were also incorporated into Eidai's 'Thunderbirds Series' as well.
			TIME BOKAN
			10/4/75 - 12/25/76 "Time Bokan" was an incredibly popular comedy that featured a time-travel theme. The real strength of the show was its incredible cross-over appeal to both boys and girls. It spawned a whole series of sequels that lasted until the early 80's. The "Mekabuton" design in particular is one of the most popular in the world of Japanese toys.
			ULTRAMAN LEO
			4/12/74 - 3/28/75 The sixth installment in the insanely popular Ultraman series. Ultraman Leo followed the adventures of the straightforwardly-named MAC ("Monster Attacking Crew"), and their battles against those giant monsters that so regularly ravage the Tokyo metropolitan area. The MAC was headed up by Moroboshi Dan, previously of of Ultraseven and temporarily bereft of his Ultra-powers. The Monster Attacking Crew, which oughtta be a band name if it isn't already, featured some of the grooviest, craziest costumes of the 1970s. World-famous toy companies Takatoku and Bullmark also produced toys for Ultraman Leo.
			ULTRAMAN TARO
			4/6/73 - 4/5/74 Resurrected by the Ultra Mother as Ultraman Taro, Higashi Koutaro battled those pesky Ultra-Kaiju that meanaced Japan on an all-too-frequent basis in the 1970's. Ultraman Taro was the fifth installment in the Ultraman series.
			YATTAMAN
			("Time Bokan Series Yattaman") 1/1/77 - 1/27/79 Yattaman was a sequel to the insanely popular Time Bokan series, and was almost as big a hit as Time Bokan itself. Although the characters were different, the story was roughly similar (more time-travelling wackiness), and the toys were bright, playful, and heavy. Uni-Five, a toy company subsidiary of Bandai, recently released an updated, re-done version of the "Yatta-Wan" toy and several sets of all-plastic enemy figures from this show. The name, which is often mistranslated as "Yatterman" even by the Japanese, translates roughly into "I-did-it!-man."
			ZUBAT
			2/2/77 - 9/28/77 A bizarre, highly individualistic live-action series produced by the legendary Ishimori Shotaro, "Zubat" took the paradigm of the transforming superhero to new heights. When groovy hero Hayakawa Ken straps on his special pleather outfit, he transforms into the superhero Zubat -- but the suit is so poweful that he's got to take it off after five minutes unless he wants it to grind his human body into a chewy, pulpy mess. Zubat's enemies took the form of ninjas, tennis pros, french chefs, and maniac trumpet players, among many others.