One of Ultraman's kaiju friends, Pygmon is one one of the more easily recognized of the classic monsters that appeared on Ultraman. But hey, with a leering face like Pygmon how could you forget!

Pygmon

One of Ultraman's kaiju friends, Pygmon is one one of the more easily recognized of the classic monsters that appeared on Ultraman. But hey, with a leering face like Pygmon how could you forget!

This is an 1980's produced soft vinyl figures that my friend found at a thrift store one afternoon and made its way to me through a trade. Like most soft vinyl figures a little goes a long way. The gritty sculpt is well executed and the articulation is limited to the hands and head having the ability to rotate around. You also have to love that face sculpt! I wish the colors were more gaudier but as is it still looks great in the case next to all the other soft vinyl. A must pick up!

©2009 article and pictures Leonardo Flores and CollectionDX

I first fell in love with the Mackerel design when I was a little kid. I remember building Robotech model kits from Revell in 1984 on my summer vacation up at Lake Winnepausaukee. While my parents would sit around the cabin and talk, I would be building model kits on the porch.

The Mackerel (マッケレル) comes from the series Fang of the Sun Dougram (太陽の牙ダグラム) which aired from 1981-1983.

I first fell in love with the Mackerel design when I was a little kid. I remember building Robotech model kits from Revell in 1984 on my summer vacation up at Lake Winnepausaukee. While my parents would sit around the cabin and talk, I would be building model kits on the porch. One of the best things about those Revell kits was the box art. Each model kit was built up, painted, and placed in a fantastic background setting. I had no knowledge of Dougram at the time, so these images were my only window into this mechanical world. Out of all the robots shown on the packaging, I have always had a soft spot for the Aqualo - the Robotech version of the Mackerel.

In 1985 DC comics came out with a 2-issue mini-series called Robotech Defenders. This book took the Dougram model kit designs and placed them into a new story. You can see some of the comic here. I was introduced to this story before I knew of Macross or the later Robotech series that used Macross as its base. As a 12 year old boy I was totally enthralled with the story - each world had its forgotten warrior lost somewhere on its planet, and it was up to "chosen" pilots to find them. Each robot had its own location and its own story. To this day, this comic is my story of these robots, not Dougram. I'm sure if Dougram is ever subtitled and released here that might change. But for now, as dumb as the comic was, to the 12 year old boy in me, it was a grand fantasy. Harmony Gold would later enter into an agreement with Revell to use the Robotech name with its new television series and merchandise.

It wasn't until recently that I got my hands on an actual toy of the Mackerel. There arent many different toys of this out there - Just a model kit and this diecast. I've prayed to Yamaguchi to make a Revoltech version of this figure, but it appears their Dougram fascination has passed.

The Mackerel is in 1/144 scale, making it proportionate to the other figures in the Dougram Collection Series. The body and legs are diecast metal, while the arms are plastic. Included with the toy is a back unit that resembles a scuba tank, a set of "open" fists, a small sled vehicle and a pilot. The sled vehicle requires paint and assembly (a painting guide is provided on the back of the box). Also included is a sticker sheet and catalog.

The Mackerel is somewhat of an oddity in the Dougram Collection Series. It has swappable hands and jointed elbows, something you don't see with other toys in the line.

The box is absolutely stunning. The box art for all these Dougram toys are just perfect, and among my favorite boxes ever.

For your further enjoyment, some related Dougram Mackerel links:

• CGI rendered Mackerel
• Mackerel 1/72 kit build up (Japanese)
• Custom 1/72 kit (Japanese)
• Weathered 1/72 kit (Japanese)

In contrast to the other toys in the line, the Dougram Collection Series Bushman is a really fragile, awkward toy.

The Combat Armor Bushman H-102 comes from the anime series Fang of the Sun Dougram (太陽の牙ダグラム Taiyō no Kiba Daguramu).

The story follows the action of the guerilla freedom fighters known as "The Fang of the Sun" who are in a war with the Earth Federation, who are ruling the colony Deployer with an iron fist. It’s kind of confusing.

In contrast to the other toys in the line, the Dougram Collection Series Bushman is a really fragile, awkward toy. The head looks much too small for the body, and the arms are very spindly. I remember building a kit of this from the Robotech model series by revell when I was a kid, and I don't recall it having such a small cranium. I just can't get past it.

The toy is tiny, even in comparison to others in the line, coming in at 2.75 inches tall. On the plus side, the figure is mostly metal, with the exception being the head and arms are plastic. There is no waist joint, but the head, arms and legs all move.

Included with the Bushman is a gun, sticker sheet, 2 small figures and a shoulder pad.

Takara had the initial rights to manufacture merchandise based on the show. They produced three main scales of mecha – 1/48, 1/72 and 1/44. There was only one 1/48 made (of the Combat Armor Dougram) and three 1/72 scale toys. It was only in the 1/144 line that most of the mecha made it into toy form. The 1/144 scale toys are only about  3 inches tall and made almost entirely out of diecast. Despite their small size, they have a suprising amount of detail and articulation. Each toy features various bits of removable armor and weapons as well as a sticker sheet and catalogue. Packed in Styrofoam and encased in some of the most beautiful boxes ever, these toys are just wonderful.

Each arm has a firing fist, but if you notice they are both red. Victora was so cheap they didn’t even bother to mold the second fist in another color.

Victora (ビクトラー) was a sub-company of the famous toy company Popy. Popy wanted to move into the cheap toy market, but they didn’t want to associate their brand name with crappy toys. Thus the sub company called Victora  (or sometimes Victorer) was born.

Victora toys could mostly be found at train station kiosks, and near cash registers at stores. They were an affordable quick fix for kids, and for parents they wouldn’t break the bank. They were nothing compared to their parent company, Popy, but for what they are worth they are pretty cool.

This Golion toy was part of Victora’s “Victora Gokin (ビクトラー合金)” line. Basically, it was just cheap toys that had a little metal in them.

Of course, we all know Golion as Voltron III or Lion Voltron. Does this little toy look familiar to you? It might, it was highly bootlegged in the 80s, and showed up in America as carnival prizes, at flea markets and discount stores.

The toy stands just a few inches tall, and has a solid metal body. Articulation (if you want to call it that) is limited to the head and shoulders. Each arm has a firing fist, but if you notice they are both red. Victora was so cheap they didn’t even bother to mold the second fist in another color.

Golion comes with a shield but no sword. Also included are two wings that need to be attached.

The toy is packaged in a Styrofoam tray that sits inside a nice window box. The box art is really nice.

Victora toys are not essential pieces unless you are a fan of a particular character. I love Golion, so I had to have this as part of my collection.

So why obsess over clear toys? What makes them interesting?

Japanese toy collecting is a funny hobby. Sometimes it is not enough that people like Japanese toys which are already an obscure subset of the toy colleting. Some people have to break their collections down even further.  To take control of their obsession, people place arbitrary limits on what they collect, such as certain sub lines or categories within the context of Japanese toys. It seems to make logical sense to concentrate on something like Transformers, Gundam, or Kaiju. But some collectors take it one step further; obsessing on not only what character or line the toy comes from, but of what material the toy has made.

Glow
Diecast
Soft Vinyl
Chrome
Clear.

I can think of many collectors who have this affliction. They will collect ANY toy, as long as it meets one arbitrary condition. In this case, CLEAR toys are the fetish of the day.

So why obsess over clear toys? What makes them interesting? Well, for one, they are a fresh take on subjects that may have grown tired. While a normal Gundam toy will make me yawn, show me a clear Gundam and I am all over it.  Secondly, I think that if you have been a vintage toy collector for any amount of time you have been conditioned to like them. The sides of vintage Popy Chogokin boxes sometimes had cutaway drawings that showed the inner mechanisms of the character. Japanese story books and magazines always had nice cutaway diagrams so you can see what made them tick. The drawings made them seem real.

It was only natural that Japanese toy companies like Popy took these illustrations and made them into toy form. They would often use the same molds and just pour a clear plastic into them – maximizing their profit from their investment.

While Popy made many different clear toys, there were only 2 entries (that I know of) in the Mechaclear line: Dairugger and God Marz. These toys both featured clear bodies that were filled with colored metal insides, meant to replicate the inner details of the robot. Each limb was attached to a peg, secured in place by a small rubber lining around the inside of the part.

The molds for the Mechaclear toys were also used to make the Mechagold series toys (also of Dairugger and GodMarz). There are even versions of Mechagold toys that have some Mechaclear parts mixed in with them. Mechagold toys were marketed under the Victora brand, a sub-brand of Popy.

The toys come packed in cheap black plastic trays in boxes with a hole for hanging on pegs, probably outside of train stations and convenience stores.

ENGRISH ALERT: check out the text on the back with the bar code. It reads “COMPUTER BAR CORD SYSTEM”

We will never approve independence from our federation!

The Combat Armor Soltic H8 (Roundfacer) comes from the anime series Fang of the Sun Dougram (太陽の牙ダグラム Taiyō no Kiba Daguramu).

The story follows the action of the guerilla freedom fighters known as "The Fang of the Sun" who are in a war with the Earth Federation, who are ruling the colony Deployer with an iron fist. It’s kind of confusing.

In regards to the Roundfacer, it was the primary war machine in the Federations’ battle against the rebels. Soltic is actually the company that manufactured the H8, and they would later go on to make variants to fight the rebels on different terrain. “Roundfacer” is actually a nickname given to this model.

To me, the Dougram robots have always been good guys. My first exposure to them was the Robotech models by Revell, and only later in life did I find out about their heritage. I was dismayed to find out that the Soltic H8 was a mass-production model, that there were meant to be hundreds of them.

1/144 and 1/72 Soltic H8

Takara had the initial rights to manufacture merchandise based on the show. They produced three main scales of mecha – 1/48, 1/72 and 1/44. There was only one 1/48 made (of the Combat Armor Dougram) and three 1/72 scale toys. It was only in the 1/144 line that most of the mecha made it into toy form. The 1/144 scale toys are only about  3 inches tall and made almost entirely out of diecast. Despite their small size, they have a suprising amount of detail and articulation. Each toy features various bits of removable armor and weapons as well as a sticker sheet and catalogue. Packed in Styrofoam and encased in some of the most beautiful boxes ever, these toys are just wonderful.

The Soltic H8 comes with a gun, rocket launcher, and shoulder and arm armor. The toy has a sticker sheet, but I think it looks fine without stickers. The toy was actually meant to be painted up and detailed as a real model (as was the trend at the time).

These little 1/144 Dougram toys are vintage crack at it’s finest. You have no excuse not to get some.

Sometimes Sun Vulcan seems almost like a forgotten Machinder.

Sometimes Sun Vulcan seems almost like a forgotten Machinder. It's liked well enough, but very few people openly long for it. Nor does anyone hate it though. It's rare enough that you don't see it too often, but not so rare that rarity alone creates intense competition when trying to acquire it. It doesn't come up in jumbo conversation too often. It sort of just "is", if you know what I mean.

Sun Vulcan Robo comes from the show Solar Squadron Sun Vulcan (太陽戦隊サンバルカン) which aired from 1981-1982. The show was a sequel to another sentai show, Electro Squadron Denjiman, apparently the only sentai show to act as a direct follow up to it's predecessor. Also the first sentai show to feature a combining robot and only 3 team members (Vul Eagle, Vul Panther and Vul Shark).

Though the Sun Vulcan jumbo naturally features no combining gimmick, I think this works in it's favor as that allows the toy to remain sleek and compact in it's proportions. With no complicated combination to worry about, the designers were able to just stick to worrying about making the toy look good.

Unfortunately, though the design of the toy is fantastic, the execution was surprisingly sloppy, especially by Popy's usually high standard. There is a very unattractive seal on the leg mold right on the front of the legs. I was quite surprised to see this when I received my toy, but in looking back at other reference photos, it is clear that it is not specific to mine. It can be overlooked from a few feet away, but we've come to expect better.

Despite this flaw, Sun Vulcan is still a fantastic jumbo. Fans of shooting mechanisms will be glad to know that it, like the New Tetsujin 28 before it, comes with a missile launcher and an adapter to shoot one of the fists. Both fists can be launched, but only one at a time.

The upper arms are hollowed out to allow the peg for the fist to go into it when not using the launcher.

Standing at 23 inches tall, the body is molded entirely in blue polyethylene and enhanced with pre-applied stickers. Although it looks very good right out of the box, there are also additional stickers included if you prefer to add more details to the toy. The head is made of vinyl.

ne thing that I like alot about this entry in the line is the box. While early Jumbo Machinder boxes often featured images either directly from the television show or from the toys themselves, Popy switched to using artwork on the boxes for many of the later releases. However Sun Vulcan is a return to form, as it seems to feature an image of the robot from the show.

I really like the Sun Vulcan Machinder. It may be a little plain looking for some tastes, but most fans will tell you that simplicity is part of the charm of jumbos. This toy is much easier to find loose than it is with a box and how much you'll pay for it will depend a lot on condition and LOCATION. With the show not being broadcast in the US, there just doesn't seem to be nearly as much interest in the toy or character as there may be in Japan.

This is the opening sequence to the show.

God Marz can be a nice catch if you want something different in your Jumbo collection without having to mortgage your future to get it.

The program "Rokushin Gattai God Marz" (aka Six Gods Combination God Mars or 六神合体ゴッドマーズ) debuted on the NTV network on October 2nd, 1981 and ran for 64 episodes until December 24, 1982. Not surprisingly, Popy wasted no time in releasing toys to coincide with the show and the Jumbo Machinder hit toy shelves before the close of 1981. Sadly, it would be the last upright Jumbo that Popy would release, as their next and final entry into the line would be the Dol dragon, released the following year.

Initially, I was not a big fan of the God Marz jumbo. I had seen a specimen in person that was missing the fists, the accessories and some stickers. It didn't impress me. But several years later I was able to get one MIB at a good price and started to warm up to it a bit. Not only was I probably a bit tired of seeing the same jumbos both online and in my own personal lineup, but I had also recently seen a few episodes of the show, so I was a little more open to the character. But perhaps more honestly, I'm a big fan of the Popy boxes and I think I was just excited to be able to add another one to my collection after about a two year drought. However, this is another one of Popy's "Super Jumbo Machinders" and this time they decided to compress the term "Jumbo Machinder" together underneath the word "Super", rather than have have it all split up like on the Tetsujin 28 box. I think this makes it look a little bit uglier.

The toy itself stands the traditional 23.5" tall and features a few interesting gimmicks. Both arms are jointed at the elbows and both fists can fire by pressing the button on the arm. One interesting note is that the lower arms of this toy were to be re-used on the Goggle V jumbo, which unfortunately never made it past the prototype stage. In fact, on the Goggle V specimen at the Bandai Museum in Japan (shown below), you can actually see the green from God Marz' left forearm beneath the chipped paint!

Another feature of the toy is that the chest panel can be removed by grabbing an indentation on the bottom. This reveals a sticker featuring "Gaia", the robot that the main character, Marz, on the show usually pilots before docking into the chest of God Marz.

Furthermore, the toy comes with a small rubber figure of Mars himself that can be stored in the chest. Unfortunately, it doesn't like to stay in there without the chest piece on. The hole in the chest is rounded in the back and it doesn't really allow the figure to lean back into it. You can delicately balance it in there, but it would have been nicer if there was some mechanism to actually attach it.

The last piece of weaponry in God Marz' arsenal is a sword which can be placed in the right hand of the toy. It's a nice inclusion and the blade and handle are two separately molded pieces. It is approximately 15" long.

One of the downsides to this jumbo is that there is very little articulation. Besides the elbows and the shoulders, nothing else moves. You can't even turn the head.

Nearly all of the detailing on this toy is from an enclosed sticker sheet. Unfortunately, my specimen came with the stickers already applied so I'm unable to offer a picture of this. An instruction sheet was also included. There is an offer of some kind at the bottom of it, but I'm unable to read the Japanese.

In closing, I'd have to say that I've changed my tune on God Marz. It's a nice toy and makes for a nice splash of variety in any jumbo lineup. Furthermore, it's probably one of the easier to get vintage Popy Jumbos. It may not show up as much as some of the more popular characters that were produced in higher numbers, but it generally doesn't carry that high a price tag either (at least in jumbo terms).

SHOW OPENING:

Released in 1981, Popy's Tetsujin 28 Jumbo Machinder is one of the more popular entries in the series.

Released in 1981, Popy's Tetsujin 28 Jumbo Machinder is one of the more popular entries in the series. It is based on the updated, slimmer version of the character from the anime series New Tetsujin 28-go (鉄人２８号) which ran for 51 episodes from October 3, 1980 until September 25, 1981 on the NTV network.

Although I personally feel the design of this character is a bit on the uninteresting side, I think there are several valid reasons for it's popularity. First, there is no jumbo of the original Tetsujin 28 (Gigantor) character so this is really the closest thing you can get. But perhaps more importantly, the character design is such that it really is able to lend itself to practically any form of toy. Jumbo, diecast and vinyl toys will all look very similar, which when grouped together would make for a nice looking display. Lastly, I'm sure the 16" Popy Chokinzoku diecast plays into it as well. That is the only vintage diecast in that size and is one of the most popular and sought after toys for diecast collectors. I think that adds to the popularity of the character overall, which may then extend to this toy in particular. For instance, I think if you were to ask most Jumbo Machinder collectors which jumbos were on their want list, you may not see T28 listed. But I've heard a number of NON-Jumbo Machinder collectors say "I'm not into jumbos, but I wouldn't mind having a T28".

As for the toy itself, it's cast entirely in blue poly with the eyes painted yellow and the mouth grating painted silver. Most of the silver on the toy is from pre-applied stickers, but an additional sticker sheet is also included for further detailing. The number 28 which is on the forearms is normally yellow, but have faded to white on the specimen shown here.

Unlike the earlier releases in the jumbo line, T28 has no wheels on his feet. However, he is one of only 2 jumbos (the other being Sunvulcan Robo) that actually comes with accessory fists INCLUDED! Yep, no having to go out and spend extra to buy some XX or ZZ attachments. You get both a rocket punch accessory as well as a missiles launcher, which can be used on either arm. In addition, two rocket blasters are included and can be slid on and off a runner on the back.

A very majestic looking drawing of the character adorns the front of the box, which is labelled as a "Super Jumbo Machinder" and is slightly larger than regular jumbo boxes, no doubt to accomodate the extra accessories. (Sunvulcan, Golion and Godmars are the 3 others labelled as "Super Jumbo Machinder").

The T28 jumbo shows up with a fair degree of regularity. Like most jumbos, it's not exactly easy to find, but they are out there. It probably shows up 4-5 times a year.

In 1981 Popy stared a new toy line that would consist of the largest and most complex die-cast toys they had produced up to that point. The Tetsujin 28 was the first, and unfortunately, the only piece to come out of this line, a victim of the waning toy market at the time.

Recently I had the opportunity to hang out with Josh at his home, for the trip I brought along a few pieces for us to look over, one of them being an SG-01 Tetsujin 28.

In 1981 Popy stared a new toy line that would consist of the largest and most complex die-cast toys they had produced up to that point. The Tetsujin 28 was the first, and unfortunately, the only piece to come out of this line, a victim of the waning toy market at the time. Standing at an impressive 16" its construction and features are like nothing found on any other pieces. On a quick glance it doesn't really appear to do much more than other die-cast pieces, with only 2 point of articulation in the shoulders, 2 missile launchers in the chest and the standard rocket punches. But then it keeps going.

The chest plate, upper arm sections and leg sections are removable and reveal a complete, and might I say quite lavishly detailed internal skeleton. In the stomach area there is normally a seat that a small figure of Shotaro can sit in, though I've never heard of Tetsujin ever being controlled by anything besides the remo-con. The right leg is fairly hollow; the ankle area has a small magnetic rotating platform that one of the mini robots can attach to and spin.

On the plus side there are several lithographed tin detail panels inside the leg, as well as chrome plastic mechanical parts. The left leg contains a screw operated lifting platform that goes the entire height of the leg, it is operated vie a crank on the back of the left foot, and works rather well. The panels on the upper arms open to reveal more chrome mechanical details.

The construction of T-28 is mostly plastic, with the back, chest, upper arms and front leg panels being constructed of steel with chrome plastic detail, an interesting move that gives Tetsujin a good amount of strength and a very "real" feel while not adding much weight (though it would have been nice if Popy had decided to smack this thing with huge hunk-o-gokin panels). By making the panels steel it was possible for them to attach via magnets attached to die-cast hinges. The rear jetpack also attaches this manner, and as I've been told, the small vehicle piloted by Shotaro can also attach in the same manner.

Well I think I've hit just about every detail aspect of this piece I can. Until I held it in my hands I was never all too keen on it to tell you the truth. This was purchased on yahoo Japan auctions as a back up plan after a sale of another item fell through. I'm glad I went for it though. The imposing size and mystique of the SG-01 can't be ignored when you're in its presence. Even though it's not all that hefty compared to other chogokin, and it might not be packed with missiles and multiple joints, it conquers all with its sheer "I'm large and in charge" factor.

It dwarfs ever other non-jumbo toy I have, including my Yamato 1/12 Scopedog. If you ever have the opportunity to pick this guy up, do it, the price is high, but in this author's eyes, it's worth every penny.

This specimen of the toy is obviously incomplete, and is missing the drivers, robots, a fist and a leg panel. The nose is a reproduction, and some parts have been touched up. If you have any spare parts for sale, contact the author.
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