October 1999 | Ramble Index | August 1999

9/29/99: Heart of Tarkness!

I suck. In the last few months I've fallen prey to one of the prime evils of collecting: GREED. In an effort to increase my chances of locating a MIB specimen, I've held back on publicly proclaiming my love for one of the homeliest, sexiest lovable gokin of all time. That's right, I'm talking about my buddy TARK!

I despise small-mindedness. There's nothing sadder then sucking down a good shot of enthusiasm just because you're worried someone else will horn in on the action. In the last few months -- ever since the arrival of my hideously ugly Juniormachinder Pegas -- I've fallen for the Italians.

The complete freedom with which they've, um, "improved" on the designs of some of these toys is astonishing. The groovy face of Tark strikes in fear the hearts of, well... nobody. But the googly eyes give him an emotional gravity that the original Nakajima Tekkaman can't touch. And check out the illustration on this box!!! The character's actually rendered as a toy!

Anyway, I've faltered in my ToyboxDX mission, but am back on my feet. Look for more bizarre stuff from our Euro-buds to be popping up shortly.

Alexchecks in on the Kaiyodo EVAs "Well, let's be honest folks, the Evangelion series has NOT been privy to many great figures. I mean yeah, you can buy some kits (e.g. the Perfect Grade EVA-01, the Kotobukiya resins, and some others), but not ready made figures. The best so far has been the Tsukada Hobby 17" resin figures, but not everybody is ready to shell out that kind of money. And moreover, you can't really play with them. The first stab of quality figures were the Gainax/Sega line. Not to be TOO harsh, but the figures are very plastic and NOT very detailed -- but at least they came out! To my knowledge, up until the new Kaiyodo Evangelion figures, there hasn't been any competition in this market "The new Kaiyodo figures beat anything to date when it comes to Evangelion figures. I just love them. They have EVERYTHING you want at of a figure: articulation, detail, and accessories. Both the EVA-01 and EVA-02 come with different assortments of hands and weapons (including the mighty vibrating knife). The detail is INCREDIBLE with these figures. They just seem to come alive. You have to appreciate the fact that there isn't a whole lot out there in terms of Eva figures and Kaiyodo spent a lot of time making sure that these figures were of high quality. Note here, I believe that all of the Evangelions atleast was designed by the original creator of the series, Yamaguchi. I mean what more can you ask for if your an Evangelion fanatic like myself! "Lastly, to make the figures appeal more to collectors (okay to make more profit!), Kaiyodo has come out with special version of all of their Evangelion figures. The EVA-01 has two additions, the clear purple version and the bloody version. If you have to buy one, get the bloody version. But be warned the special versions are limited to 3000 a pop! The EVA-02 has a crystal version and one of my sources say that there is a special black version that can be attained by sending in the green points (hmmm, we'll see, mine is on order). Next month, EVA-00 comes out with the blue (regular), special crytsal, and yellow version. And if your a Rei fan, Kaiyodo has a whole line of Ayanami's for all the fanatics. 'Now where is that Chogokin Hi-Metal EVA-01 Test Type with the removable entry plug and vibrating knife?....(one can dream!) "Final word: Go buy ALL of them, okay, at least one of them!" -- Alex

Matt Alt with The News GUN-DAAAAMN! "Now you can 'enjoy' Syd Mead's horrendous new Gundam design in luscious 3-D: Turn-A Gundam is the first of Bandai's new 'Chogokin Nano' series. Although the original samples displayed were finished pieces, Bandai has apparently decided to let buyers paint the damn things themselves. "Hey, at least it's articulated metal (even if it is only 55mm high.) Release date: end of September. Retail price: 1,980 yen (around $18). "Also up in late September: a Chogokin Nano RX-78. Same retail price, same unfinished metal." HOBER BINDER! "Bandai has announced a few details regarding the upcoming 'Soul of Popinika' Hover Pilder: it will be 1/32 scale (in scale with the small metal figures that come with the Black Mazinger diecasts), and it will feature a removable pilot figure. Still no hard info as to a release date yet, though." HAVE A BON-BON! Comic Bon-Bon, a popular manga magazine in Japan, has announced yet another Microman give-away promotion. This time it's 'Incandescent Microman,' with details to be announced in the October issue of the magazine." -- Matt

Tom the Greek gets a Lightan "I recently got this piece at the Chicago Comicon and thought I would share it with everyone. This is the Popy GB-41 from the Gold Lightan series, but I know nothing of the show nor this characters name (Matt, can you read the box?) Now the details about the piece: "First, the piece is 100% diecast and is extremely heavy. His natural state is in box form. His head, arms and legs flip out of the box on hinges. But wait, he does even more. The top part of the box opens, and inside is a working compass and magnifying glass. If that wasn't enough, I then find a compartment that folds out of his stomach, and inside are small removable maps on little plastic cards. Like small floppy disks. The maps even come out of the compartment. This is just way too cool. "The other thing I find cool is the level of engineering. The legs and such dont just pop out. They are built on retractable hinges. For example, the legs fold outward at a 45 degree angle first, then fold out straight the rest of the way. This prevents the legs from hitting the box body. Also very cool. "Lastly, one odd thing that came with the toy is the cardboard cutout stand. It looks like you erect this stand and display the piece under it. If anyone knows more about the story behind this guy, please email me. Let me just add one last thing. I typically wind up paying way too much for this kind of stuff. I always hear stories of people finding stuff dirt cheap. Well, it happens. In this case, I didn't pay a whole lot for this piece. The toy gods were kind to me today. Thanks" -- Tom the Greek

Shiloh on the Large and Pointy! "It was early Saturday morning when retro-sleek, posterior-kickingly cool, shampoo-bottle-plastic perfection showed up on my doorstep. The large oblong box was labeled 'Noda-Ya,' which, like the popular herbal supplement Gingko Biloba, sounds like a minor Star Wars character. With an almost Steve Irwin-esque enthusiasm, I tore into the box to find the Cadillac of Jumbo Machinders: the Uni-Five Gaiking! Thanks to the selfless efforts of our ToyboxDX colleague, the Amazing Matthew Z, the Great Horned One now has a place of honor in my collection. And speaking as a certified, straitjacketed member of JumbAnon ("Jumboholics Anonymous), I can attest that Info Minister Matt Alt was not exaggerating in his earlier praise of this new machinder. "Gaijin like myself should especially appreciate it because of its improvement over the Mattel version. Don't get me wrong -- I still love my stripped-down, no-bells-and-whistles Shogun Gaiking, as it was my most desired toy as a kid. But as much affection as I may have for my battle-worn Mattel, the Uni-Five version is its superior. Regard the following: UniFive Mattel Big ol' wing attachment! Aerodynamic as a 500-ton manatee. Golden horns of death! Banana-horns. Flip-up-able dragon chestplate, revealing hidden missile cache! Chestplate only flip-up-able with the aid of power tools and personal ingenuity. Removable kneecap swords for brandishing in a threatening manner! Leg stickers. Sure, try fighting monsters by waving your leg stickers at them. (Unless you happen to be fighting the Uni-Five Garada, who is equally handicapped by the inability to hold his own scythes.) Transforms into big dragon head! All together now: "He's a Samurai! He's a Robot-Skull!" Transforms into the dragon head only if observed while on codeine. "Just so I won't sound like a slobbering fanatic, I'll admit the toy does have a couple of minor defects: the arm-locking mechanisms. While the arms do stay on securely, observation of the sockets reveals they are held in place by little more than a thin ring of plastic and the owner's wishful thinking. Any serious playwear could probably snap the arm sockets, and then you'd be, as the old saying goes, 'up a creek without a two-foot plastic robot.' But that's nit picking, considering Jumboholics aren't likely to go slamming the big guys into each other anyway. "In short, for the jumbo connoisseur, the new Gaiking is 24 inches of robot coolness that sends out the unmistakable message: 'Don't mess with me, for I am large and pointy.'" -- Shiloh

9/19/99: P.T.W. In The House!

Warren's site is working! ToyboxDX Superpatron and giant of collecting Warren Schwartz shows off a smidgen scooped from his insane robot mask collection. (If you tried hitting his site before and couldn't get in, try it again!)

Phantom Toy Widow Steph presents: The "Sure-Fire" Way Back to Your Chogo-Lover's Heart "Hello fellow toy widows. Welcome to the first edition of the Phantom Toy Widow's Survival Guyd. If you feel like your previously normal-seeming guy has been replaced by a drooling toy pervert, this Guyd is for you. These easy steps will help you to turn even the most tarnished robot fondler into the MIB variety (for those of you who are unfamiliar with the terminology, that means Mint in Box...hang in there for the glossary)." "So, the first step is, of course:" 1) Educate Yourself! "The following is a glossary of terms and toys which are key to developing a basic toy repertoire. Now I know this may seem tedious and boring, but whatever you do DON'T LET ON! Showing disdain is the sure-fire way to send your guy running into the waiting arms of another toy pervert!" "And boy, are they hard to get back when THAT happens! So while you're memorizing these important bits of information, it's a good idea to practice a really winning fake smile and a perpetual mask of fascination." Chogokin - A mythical metal that toy perverts get hot for. Gaiking - It's easy to understand why toy pervs like this one, since it's pronounced 'Guy King.' It's a harmless delusion. Anyhow, the main thing about this robot is that is has REALLY BIG yellow horns and a really pissed -off looking face on it's tummy. Grandizer - This robot looks a lot like Sam the American Eagle from the Muppet Show. Please don't mention this to your man. He will NOT be amused. Gundam - This is a fun one to say: 'Gun DAMN!' Say it with me! 'Gun DAMN!!!' See, isn't that a blast? Your guy is sure to love it. Mazinga -This one confuses even me. Just look at the picture. Mint in Box (M.I.B.) - This means that the toy collector attaches a great deal of sentiment to a particular toy, and has also spent way too much money on it, and is consequently too much of a LOSER to actually PLAY WITH the damn thing!! (did I say that?) Let's keep this part just between the girls, OK? Tetsujin - A blue thing with a Romanesque hat. Comes in a 5 inch as well as an 8 inch size (my personal fav!) This robot also comes in a 'pot-bellied' variety (you know how guys like to let themselves go...) This particular one is quite svelte though, if I do say so myself... Toy Summit - I've never been to these, but from what my guy tells me (and I trust him implicitly), it's a male bonding workshop with a focus on expanding their natural male hunter/provider instinct, and on getting in touch with their 'feminine-side.' Now that you've learned the lingo, you need to: 2) Know how to talk "Robo-Speak". "This little guy is called 'Robocon.' Now I know your first instinct is to call it 'cute' and 'adorable,' but proper robot etiquette dictates that you must express your feelings by saying something more along the lines of 'Dude! this piece is f@#%ing awesome! The curves are so f*&$ing expressive! And have you seen the fists?! My God, the FISTS!' "The last, and perhaps most critical step is:" 3) Get yourself one of these masks. "You and your man will thank me later. If your guy is like most toy pervs, the last time you saw him truly aroused was when he was playing with that King Kong die-cast figure with the shooting nipples. Bring this mask into the bedroom, and I guarantee, your chogo-lover will stray no more!" -- P.T.W. Steph

Darren Pierce on the SD Valk "ToyCom Valkyries, Transformer Valkyries, original Valkyries. Bah. "The best is Bandai's Super Deformed Valk. You wanna know why? Because in the early 80's, it was the only one I could afford with my allowance money! Hey, it fully transforms, and even comes with armor! Most of my snobbish big-Valkyrie-possessing friends didn't have armor for THEIR Valks! "PLUS, it fit in my pocket for those long car trips. "I wish I had kept the box, but it was probably left on the seat of an Odakyu-line train along with the Ito Yokado shopping bag. "Retractable landing gear, hand cannon, retractable cockpit shield, body armor, jet boosters, fold-away tail pod, well-jointed arms & legs, and swiveling head turrent. It transforms just like the big boy, only smaller. Who could ask for more? Maybe an SD Macross?" -- Darren

Yesterday was Matt Alt's birthday, and he was too stupid to drop hints in advance. Send "Japan-boy" an email and let him know you care. Better yet, send him some Jumbo Love and watch him swell like a juicy boil! (Left: quality comparison between the butt-ugly Italian Juniormachinder Pegas, and an actual quality American product.)

The trip to Cape Cod and Tom V's groovy toy room was bracketed by some cool Bostonian chilling: Phantom Toy Widow Steph was stoicly amused by the beer-buzzed, toy-fondling cloud that hung over my pad.

The hilight of the hanging occured Sunday morning during our Chinatown Dim Sum. Superpatron Warren Schwartz had passed out masks, and we were making the register boy nervous. Suddenly, Alt was claiming that he "looks just like [he's] Japanese" when wearingsunglasses. A moment of silent disbelief occured.

Then, like Dairugger, each collector around the table rallied around Raley's "YOU WISH!!!" to collectively dis on the white-boy Nipponphile from Bethesda. Great fun!

For a more professional account, read "Japan-boy's" report in the Gallery of Love's World Collector Gallery. Thanks to Tom for organizing an exellent time! (Above RIGHT, a C1 Bullmark diecast I scored from Ted T. Trashed and awesome!)

The Ranma report on Collecticon "This is a styro store window display of Voltes V at a local video shop here, taken a few weeks ago. Sorry, this is the best photo I could come up with. The window isn't taking too kindly to the flourescent lighting from my camera's point of view. "They had this as a display because they are currently releasing the episodes of Voltes V on VHS and VCD. They're up to volume 8 now, with 2 episodes each. The kid in front isn't included in the auction... he is just for scale. I repeat, he is not... err.. umm... ooops, wrong site." "The 3rd Collectibles Convention aka Collecticon was held here last August 28. Unfortunately, it just gets crummier and crummier. The premier 'gokin booth I was looking for wasn't there, and whatever was left were those selling Voltes DXs and Daimos DXs. Some Gundam kits were also there. What was dominating the convention however were Star Wars collectibles (it figgers), and Collectible Card Games (of which I fortunately quit a few years ago). I would've gone home empty handed (SW aside), if not for a Valk I spotted. It's a VF-17s Stealth Valkyrie, 1/65 scale, around 9 1/2" in battloid mode. "Okay, okay.. it's not a Tak nor a Bandai, but for around $10, I can't complain. No gokin present on the toy though. I asked the seller if it was previously owned, and he said it was new. He even showed me the unapplied sticker sheet. "I'm really not sure what company made this nor how recently it was released, so if anyone's familiar with it, please tell me. Hope the next convention improves though." -- Ranma

Even MORE Matt Alt on the Toy News "For those of you who just can't get enough of the Machinder you love to hate, ASS-tro Megazord was recently spotted on the Uni-Five webpage: 'NEW! Astro Megazord Jumbo! Price: 5,000 yen The giant robot from Power Rangers that's become a huge hit in America, the Astro Megazord features the same incredible charm as the rest of the Jumbo Machine lineup! Now you can own the robot that caused a sensation in America!' -- UNIFIVE "Must...resist...Uni-Five hyperbolic marketing-speak...must inform...Japanese...of the crappiness of this toy...no...will fading........." "Meanwhile, good news for those of you cursed with missile-less Shoguns: the U5 six-missile-shooter accessory set is out, and it comes with a whompin' TWENTY extra shogun missiles. It's a shame they don't fit in old Shogun launchers, but hey, but you can still put 'em in the holders and PRETEND your JM is mint. 5,000 yen ($45.)" "Xebec / Kaiyodo's GETTA III is on the shelves, and it's (in my humble opinion) the best of the three. And at under 3000 yen a pop, they're a bargain-basement substitute for multi-thousand-dollar chogokin and jumbos." "Although it's being billed as a 'chogokin,' the actual amount of diecast in the upcoming Bandai Daitetsujin 17 'self-transforming' toy has finally been announced. It's the feet. That's it, kids. "The rest is completely plastic, unless you count the gear-shafts and screws. It's unclear who Bandai thinks they're fooling here, but anyone buying this toy in the hope of satisfying any sort of diecast-fix will find themselves sorely disappointed. Hey, at least it LOOKS good -- and it's a good several inches taller than the old Popy version, as well." -- Matt

9/06/99: Open for Labor Day!

I know I know: it's been too long since I've updated the Gallery of Love. So quit your grumblings and check out some new shelf shots in the Digital Shelf section!

Roger's Mechaman Makeover Contest challenges the ToyboxDX reader [duh, that's you] to mix and match the best of robot love. If you haven't experienced them yet, you need to meet these bastard lovechildren of Coop, C.W. Louis, Marc Raley, Ted Terranova, and Yappy.

(At right, 70's cheek collides with 80's chic in Coop's breathtaking Mecharobocon!)

While you're Mechamanning: don't forget to click around to find Robert Duban's startling and moving rendition of Ghetto Robo G. "It was better than Cats!"

As always, send in your pics and contributions and let's fill these suckers in!

Mark Nagata shows off his Huge Bust "I had to send you a pic of my latest purchase from the MAN, himself, Masato Shono "Just above me in the photo is THE pride of my Ultraman collection: a huge, and I mean huge Ultraman Jack bust made out of fiberglass. "This sucker is more than 42" inches tall with a chest measurement of 60" plus inches around !!! It was used in the 1970's on a child's vending machine -- like a Banpresto type of vending machine . "It arrived in a huge wooden crate weighing 150 pounds!!! Damn figure almost didn't fit thru my doorway!!! If this guy had legs, he'd stand over 7 foot tall...so, it's a good thing he never did have 'em ! "I sit here, still shell-shocked at not only the amount I paid for him, but also at the incredible workmanship involved in this vintage piece. The sculpting perfectly captures that toy-like quality, even at this humongous size. In fact, my sense of proportions is all screwy now: my biggest Ultraman figures now look puny compared to this monstrousity. I don't know why Ultra Jack has one hand clenched and the other open...maybe he's gonna sucker punch somebody in the gut...like me ?!! "Anyways, I have to thank not only Masato Shono, but Jim Cirronella at Club Daikaiju, for his help in shipping this incredible item to me...Thanks Dudes!!! Look for more pics of this bust on my site soon! Thanks!" -- Mark

Alt-san gets Tokyo Hitched!!! MATT ALT GETS HITCHED! "Secret Press Agent Hiroko and I tied the knot in Tokyo last week, opting, of course, for a traditional Japanese ceremony. As you can see from the shot, the pastor was pure Evil." IGARASHI'S NEW BOOK! "Koji Igarashi, the author of Green Arrow Graffiti: Chogokin and Popinika, has come out with a new book: GUNPLA GENERATION. It's a history of the Gundam plastic-model craze -- and while it mainly focuses on the kits, there's also a full-color section highlighting all of Clover's diecast Gundam offerings. Especially interesting are a full-page shot of the prototype of the Clover DX Combination toy and a three-page expose on 'Gundam MS-X,' a proposed (and abandoned) 1980's sequel to the Bandai MSV series of model kits. "Although the text is all in Japanese, there are plenty of black-and-white and color photos. And the book contains quite a few interesting revelations, such as the fact that most of Clover's toys were actually produced in subcontracted Takara factories. Check it out if you get a chance. The ISBN is 4-06-330074, and the retail price is 1600 yen." UNIFIVE! "The Uni-Five 'shin-go-kin' DX Yatta-Wan toy is on the shelves, and word is that customers are none too happy. Complaints seen on the Kong Tong BBS system included 'the paint is runny,' 'the fit-and-finish is rough,' and 'the price was a real surprise -- why is it so high?' With a 9,800 yen (nearly $100) retail price tag, it's easy to see why customers are getting bent out of shape over production quality..." MARMIT MADNESS! "Finally, Marmit has announced that they are releasing both black and white versions of their 'Fierce Legends' Jeeg vinyls. The black piece features gold highlights, and the white features blue. Yeah, I know, there's a tradition of both white and black Jeeg toys. It remains to be seen if anyone will care, however. Look for 'em in late October, Jeeg-maniacs..." -- Matt

October 1999 | Ramble Index | August 1999