Japanese Warriors: Robots from the Warren Schwartz Collection and Japanese Traditions

November 6, 2014 through February 15, 2015

Renowned Boston-based architect and rabid collector of toy Japanese robots, Warren Schwarz is one of five major collectors of toy robots in the country. He is sharing with the MMA a selection of his more then 1,000 robot toys that originated in Japan, showcasing these strange and legendary action figures whose golden age of popularity was from 1972 to 1982. Many toys from Schwartz’s collection are rare examples and often include their original packaging.

Japanese Warriors at Muskegon Museum of Art from Schwartz/Silver on Vimeo.

Legions of these Japanese exotic playthings were, in part, architecturally inspired and rooted in centuries of Japanese history and culture. Shiny and colorful, their characters were identified with their own story lines developed for Japanese TV shows and movies. The alluring robots, both fearsome and playful, are festooned with spikes and swords, spring-powered missiles and “rocket punches.” They invaded U.S. toy stores with an irresistible frenzy, beginning decades ago, and are still zealously collected today.

During the fertile decade of the early 1970s and 1980s, some of the most popular Japanese pop-culture characters were created including Godzilla, Red Baron, Jumbo Machinder, Ultra Man, Mazinger Z, and the Transformers. The toys from this period remain among the most unique and imaginative playthings ever created for children worldwide. Works from the Schwartz collection have been featured in Super #1 Robot (Chronicle Books, 2005), and in several other publications for Japanese animation enthusiasts.

Sponsored by Cinema Carousel

Thursday, November 6
Opening Reception and Program
5:30-7:00 pm Opening Reception
7:00 pm Lecture by W. Schwartz
Join us for refreshments; then learn about the world of Japanese robot toys by one of their most avid collectors. Free and open to the public.