Max Toy Co. and Dream Rocket team up to bring you the latest foe of Captain Maxx.... Kaiju Drazoran!

Poor Captain Maxx can't get a moment's rest. Almost immediately after being menaced by Kaiju Tripus, a new monster has hit the scene. Kaiju Drazoran is a collaboration between Max Toy Co. and Dream Rocket, who had previously worked together on a glow Balbagon.

Based on concept art by Mark Nagata and sculpted by Dream Rocket, Kaiju Drazoran was made in Japan and painted by Goto-san, who has been painting Japanese toys for over 50 years for companies such as Bullmark. To commemorate this historic collaboration, the toy comes with a special card honoring Goto-san. The card has some text about the man and the toy, but also has some neat pictures, including one of Goto-san signing the very first Drazoran he painted. For more on the making of this toy, I'll let Mark tell the story. Check out his blog entry with the concept art, prototypes, test shots, etc... here

Although I think it's great that Mark got such a legend to paint his toy, I must say that the result is not perfect. The silver on the fangs and horns is obviously hand-painted and shows some brush strokes and streaks. Some might consider it sloppy, but I find it kind of charming considering I know who painted it. I almost suspect the man still has a "it's just a toy" mentality, although I don't know that. Either way, I think it just adds to it's vintage look, but I may just be saying that to justify it since I like it. We collectors have a way of doing that, don't we?

If you clicked that link to Mark's blog and read it, you now know that Kaiju Drazoran debuted in Japan and the remaining stock was offered first to Max Toy Club Members. Fortunately, I happen to be a member and was able to score one of these since they sold out before becoming available to the general public!

This toy stands 10" tall with 6 points of articulation (hips, shoulder, neck and tail). Honestly, I'm not even 100% sure what color you would say it is cast in. The closest thing I can find to it online might be a variation of midnight blue? Either way, it's got a very simple, vintage style color scheme that is highlighted by silver spray and a long streak of sharp blue down the back.

This is the first Max Toy kaiju that is based on the classic "dinosaur" style and as such it's really the most old school toy Mark has done yet. So while it may not exactly be his most original work to date, it would fit in perfectly on a shelf full of Bullmarks.

As usual, the toy comes in a bag with a header card. Now, here is where my only complaints lie. First, just for fun, take a look at the card front and back and see if you can guess what I don't like.

Yep, that's right. There's NO hole punched in the card! I've made my feelings about this known in the past and yet for some reason, Mark fails to follow my commands! Tsk.. tsk..

Furthermore, look at that small print! "Please dispose of all packaging properly." What?? Are you kidding me? Dispose of packaging???? NEVER! Oh well, at least it doesn't say "Please immediately get AFA graded".

Ok, so obviously, I don't have any real complaints about it. It's a simple vinyl kaiju in the old school style and if that's your thing, you'll like this. Of course, if you didn't already get one, you'll have to go to the aftermarket for it. Or if you want to join the Max Toy Club, memberships will be available again soon and a new version of Drazoran will be offered at that time, with a new color scheme that as of this writing is still top secret.

In my opinion, the BEST MaxToyCo release to date, the long-anticipated Tripus has finally reached the shore!

Mark Nagata makes some good stuff. DAMN good stuff.

In a vinyl hobby full of pretentious, hyper-limited releases, he continues to put out great product that's affordable, accessible, and genuinely fun, regardless of your age. Beware: these are actual toys. You have been warned!!

Mark's Captain Maxx line has been rocking heads for a few years now, and his latest kaiju menace to society, Tripus, has finally come ashore!

And you know I had to pick up the glowie colorway! ;)

First of all, I have a long-standing love of sea creatures. I dunno--maybe it was the Kraken in Clash of the Titans, but whatever started the obsession, as long as I can remember, I've always had a soft spot for giant, mysterious creatures from the murky depths. Mark has recently released three colorways of this beast: red, glow, and green (the red and glow colorways aren't up on his site yet).

This vinyl does NOT disappoint, folks!

Let's start with the packaging.

Like most standard scale vinyl kaiju, this 10" beast comes in a polybag with a stapled cardboard header. The header artwork is killer, and included with the figure in the bag is an actual backer card featuring more artwork of the creature in action by Mark!

The back of the card depicts the whole Maxx lineup thus far. It's really fantastic that Mark put such creativity into the packaging. My only beef with the packaging is the bag, itself. It's a really thick polybag that's not 100% transparent. It has a sort of murkiness to it. Yeah, I guess that's kinda fitting for an underwater creature, but I wanna be able to see those vivid colors clearly! Also, this is a huge figure...and with the bag the size it is, the backing card got a little bent in the shuffle.

Still...it's not like you're gonna be keeping this guy in the bag for very long!

As we were just talking about on the Chaos Darkness thread, when it comes to vinyl kaiju, the pictures do most of the talking.

The colors are absolutely amazing on this piece. Mark really came up with a killer colorway here. There's actually very little exposed glow vinyl on this figure. It has yellow, pink/red, blue, and green sprays...all interwoven in a completely insane scheme that makes total sense at the same time! This guy's good!

The articulation on the figure is about as much as can be expected for a vinyl. The figure is jointed at the shoulders, but swinging the arms up, they'll run into the mouth tentacles...so you'll have to swing them backwards if you want 'em pointed up. The neck is jointed, but ol' calamari-face can't turn his head because of those bulky tentacles. The three main tentacle legs swivel, too, of course. They're interesting because you can make him lean backwards or forwards by swinging the two front tentacles either way while the figure pivots on the back tentacle! Very weird and very original for a vinyl kaiju!

The glow power on this particular guy is just below average. Of course, there are close to 200 glowies on my shelves, so that's not much of a problem...but it IS noticeable. The main culprit is simply that the figure is almost entirely covered in paint. Most glowies have large areas completely unpainted to let the maximum glow light through. Not Tripus. This toy looks SO stunning under normal light because of all those great paint apps, just like Mark's Balbagon exclusive.

Another possible reason the glow power may not be as high as other glowies out there is because the vinyl is Chinese.

...

Okay, you done crying now?

Yes, the vinyl isn't Japanese. Now, before you go commit seppuku, listen up: this toy is HOT. The surface texture of the Chinese glow vinyl used in this figure is super-glossy and flawless. The vinyl is thick and sturdy. The casting and joints are tight and smooth. The only potential problem with the vinyl is that I've read that Chinese glow vinyl hasn't quite reached the brightness of Japanese glow vinyl.

Oh well. You're getting a chunky 10" glow vinyl kaiju with *SUPERB* paint for only $70. I shudder to think what prices we vinyl collectors pay for a fraction of the toy!

Our pal, Mason, summed up the whole feel of the toy quite well: "it makes you realize you have a toy in your hands and not some art project with a lot of pomp attached...Mark is definitely an "artist", but he set out to make TOYS and it shows".

For my money, this is the best of the Max Toy Co. Alien Xam colorways and a worthy addition to any kaiju collector's shelf.

Alien Xam is an enemy of Captain Maxx and, like all vinyls, has been released in a variety of colors. I have to admit that when Xam and his partner in crime, Kaiju Eyezon were released, I wasn't blown away by the colors of either one. So I decided to hold off on buying them. Fortunately, last summer both were released in exclusive versions for the San Diego Comic Con in colors I liked MUCH more than before. One of the benefits of being a Max Toy Club member is that you often get first crack at exclusives like this so even though I was unable to attend SDCC, I had these bad boys pre-ordered and set aside for me even before the show started!

I really think these two vinyls go together beautifully, with the way the red of Xam contrasts with the yellow of Eyezon. Plus this was a good opportunity to get one that glows and one that doesn't. Unlike some collectors who shall remain nameless, I like to mix and match my vinyls. Some glow, some regular, some clear, etc.. I think it makes for a better display to have that variety.

Anyway, enough about my collecting habits, how is this Xam? Well, first off, it's bigger than you'd think at nearly 11" tall. It's articulated at the neck, hips, shoulders ankles and claws. Most of the joints are very tight, with the exception of the claws which have a tendency to flop open a bit. But that's only if they are not fully closed. Otherwise, they stay in position fine. And the claws are a really neat feature that I don't recall seeing on any other kaiju toy. Mark really knows how to design a toy that pays homage to the old school aesthetic while still offering something unique for the modern collector.

The paint job on Xam is really good, but not quite perfect. There's a bit of scuffing on the left claw of mine, but everything else is of very high quality. I probably just got a bit of a lemon. Something like this might add fuel to the argument that these toys should be made in Japan instead of China, but it doesn't bother me enough to overcome the fact that these toys are so affordable. You're still getting a great product for roughly half of what other companies charge. But you're mileage, as they say, may vary...

Alien Xam comes in a bag with header card and backing board, all featuring art by Mark Nagata himself. Mark's a great artist and his love for this subject matter always shines through on his projects.

Backing board front

Backing board back

Complementing the Purple Guts Edition of Eyezon, comes Mark Nagata's glowie version of the potato-kaiju!

More giant mutant potato action!

How awesome is this!?

After reading Josh's review of the translucent purple "guts" edition of Eyezon, I knew I had to throw down and rep for the glowies! And here it is!

Mark Nagata, owner of Max Toy Company and all-around helluva guy, is putting out some gorgeous original and exclusive/collaborative vinyls. Eyezon is an all-new evil kaiju creation based on the "Captain Maxx" universe, a home-grown cast of characters centered around the hero, Captain Maxx, a tokusatsu-style protagonist inspired by Mark's son, Max!

So is this an "urban" or "designer" vinyl? It is a non-character toy--an original creation, not based on any pre-existing media. Well, I'm not one for splitting hairs. It's pretty clear where the inspiration for this toy comes from. If you check Mark's collecting habits, you can tell that Eyezon, Captain Maxx, and the rest of the gang actually do have a pretty impressive pedigree.

In this reviewer's mind, it doesn't matter that this is an all-new toy envisioned in a contemporary artist's mind, as opposed to a representation of some long-standing character that has existed in numerous forms in numerous media for decades. This is pure toy, folks. Its roots--the very soul of such urban/designer vinyl kaiju--lie in Japan, as Mark tells us. They're sculpted with a sincere reverence to the Japanese kaiju character toys of yesteryear. This sincerity shows in Mark's work.

Attack of the Killer Potatoes!

Attack of the Killer Potatoes!

Eyezon is a mutant potato and enemy of Captain Maxx. He is the second enemy Kaiju rolled out by Max Toy Company.

Eyezon is cast in soft vinyl and is HUGE. He was originally cast in Yellow but what you see here is another edition – CLEAR PURPLE with GUTS. That’s right, inside of Eyezon are multiple pieces of kaiju innards. Each arm and leg also has a solid plastic insert inside it, giving Eyezon an X-Ray appearance.

Created by Mark Nagata, Eyezon is a fantastic Homage to Japanese monsters. Although it is manufactured in China, it feels like a Japanese toy. At 10.5 inches tall, it is a monster in every sense of the word.

Comes bagged with header card and backing card artwork by Mark Nagata.

Suprisingly, I found this toy at a local Newbury Comics store, no doubt due to Max Toy Company’s distribution deal with StrangeCo.

http://www.maxtoyco.com/Shop_item.php?id=147&cat=2&sub=0

Alien Xam Finger Puppet hand painted by Mark Nagata!

When I was out in San Francisco a few months ago, I had the pleasure of visiting Mark Nagata, creator of Captain Max and owner of Max Toy Company. It was really great to meet Mark in person, and to see where all the magic happens. Mark’s ultraman collection is truly insane.

As we were leaving, Mark gave us these hand-painted Alien Xam finger puppets as a gift. You could get the regular version through the Max Toy Company store, but this version is only available from Mark himself.

Alien Xam is made out of vinyl and comes bagged with a header card featuring Mark’s original artwork. The Xam finger puppet is hollow on the inside, so yes, you can actually put him on your finger.

Thanks Mark! It was good to meet you, and to get a chance to sign the giant Mirrorman!

Who is Captain Maxx? We review the new vinyl figure from Max Toy Company.

Captain Maxx is a new vinyl figure from Max Toy Company. For those of you who don't know, Max Toy Co is really Mark Nagata, one of the founders of Super7 magazine. Mark left Super7 a while back, and started Max Toy Co, named after his son, Max.

I know Mark is an insane Ultraman collector. He has probably the biggest Ultraman collection in the world. I can understand his passion for toys. As a collector, the ultimate dream is eventually to be able to create your own toy, and Mark has fulfilled that dream with Captain Maxx. It's the ultimate tribute to Ultraman and other characters in the Tokusatsu genre.

The toy comes bagged with a header card and insert card. All of the artwork is done by Mark, and is done in a very retro style that is very appropriate for the character. I carefully removed the staples on the header card, so to not damage the art. The bag is actually sealed together beneath the card, a departure from vintage vinyl. I had to cut the bag open to free the figure, but that's no big deal for me. Captain Maxx came packed with him holding his helmet AND with his helmet on. The assortment is random, and one version is not rarer than the other.

Captain Maxx is 9.75 inches tall and made out of soft vinyl. It's articulated at the head, shoulders, waist and hips. The toy is molded in BEAUTIFUL red vinyl, with the details painted on. I was surprised to learn that this toy was actually made in China, due to the high quality. I am not generally a vinyl collector, but I was impressed. The paint details are nice and clean '“ this is high quality work. The only thing I'm not sure I like is the paint on the head. The paint on the head is done in flat colors, where the rest of the toy is glossy. I think I would have preferred the whole toy to have the same finish. Another concern with the head is the fit of the helmet. It takes a LOT of work to get the helmet on and off. Heating the helmet helps a lot, but I am afraid of paint damage if you remove the helmet often enough. This can probably be remedied by increasing the slit on the back of the helmet.

What really sells Captain Maxx for me is the style in which it was done. It is such a great homage to the classic Japanese hero vinyl. Mark clearly loves this genre, and it shows with the attention to detail in Captain Maxx. What is also really impressive is the fact that he can put out such a quality toy for under $40. Most limited run vinyl toys from Japan are much more expensive.

This red version of Captain Maxx is limited to 150 pieces, but there appears to be a black version and a white or glow version in the works, according to an image on some of the promotional material that was sent with my order.

Max Toy Company is releasing a licensed Kikaida toy soon. Based on Captain Maxx, I am definitely going to check it out.