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)

At the time it seems that everybody was manufacturing or bootlegging Fang of the Sun Dougram figures in 1985. Revell was releasing Dougram 1/48 and 1/72 scale under the Robotech Defenders monikers and Dougram action figures were available at big chain toy stores even though America didn’t even have the luxury of the cartoon series on TV. That’s just the way it was.

At the time it seems that everybody was manufacturing or bootlegging Fang of the Sun Dougram figures in 1985. Revell was releasing Dougram 1/48 and 1/72 scale under the Robotech Defenders monikers and Dougram action figures were available at big chain toy stores even though America didn’t even have the luxury of the cartoon series on TV. That’s just the way it was.

One of the more fun and affordable releases for the average 13 year old were a set of six multicolored one inch tall figures known as “Space Puzzle Fighters”. But if you have a sharp eye you will recognize three of the Puzzlers as Dougram, Roundfacer, & Crabgunner. These were available through local candy shops and mobile ice cream vendors for what I can remember 25¢ each.

Space Puzzle Fighters bagged packages includes: 1x paper header, 1x square one color sheets that shows the six assembled Space Puzzler Fighters, 1x colored sprue and 1x Smarties candy roll to be devoured by the kids. Space puzzle Fighters were manufactured in the five colors of pink, blue, purple, green and orange.

What was so great about these was simply the affordability of Space Puzzle Fighters. With just a few dollars you could assemble a huge army of these toys. Also, the fact that they easily came apart and reassembled, one could assemble custom figures in various colors and configurations.

Although three of the SPF were from Dougram the other three figures, to the best of my knowledge, were generic robots. My favorite release is the Chogokin style faceless pink robot with the footless Astro Boy legs and pirate sword and shield. I would love to have that one in DX garde!

Sure they are bootlegs but to this Chogokin collector the Space Puzzle Fighters still bring back many fond memories of the early days.

Leonardo Flores “Uplandmod”

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.

Bigfoot is larger than most of the other Mecha in the series at 3.5" tall. It is made almost entirely of metal, the exceptions being the chest, head and shoulder pads.

The Combat Armor Bigfoot HT-128 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.

Bigfoot comes packed with a gun, sticker sheet, 2 small figures and a catalog. The toy has limited articulation - only the legs, arms and waist move.

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.

I was ecstatic to learn that Kaiyodo was making another mech from the Dougram series, this time the Soltic H8 (Round Facer). I have been a huge Dougram fan since the Robotech model kits in the 80s, and this resurgence of Dougram toys is making me quite happy indeed.

Revoltech Series No. 15 Real Robo Type Round Facer H8
リボルテックシリーズNo.015 リアルロボタイプ ラウンドフェイサーH8

I was ecstatic to learn that Kaiyodo was making another mech from the Dougram series, this time the Soltic H8 (Round Facer). I have been a huge Dougram fan since the Robotech model kits in the 80s, and this resurgence of Dougram toys is making me quite happy indeed.

Kaiyodo does not disappoint with the new Revoltech Soltic H8. It features durable construction mixed in with the Revoltech joint system. This figure has Revoltech joints in the head, shoulders, waist, hands, knees and ankles. The rest of the joints are monoshaft type.

The Soltic has a much better neutral pose than the Revoltech Dougram.

The Soltic H8 comes with 5 extra hands (thumbs up, pointing, “V” symbol, and 2 gun holding hands) as well as a Hand Linear Gun with a moveable handle. Attached to the back of the shoulders is a 9-tube missile pod that can move up and down.

Following up the H8 will be a limited edition Revoltech H8 Korchima Special, a blue Roundfacer with different weapons. It will be an exclusive to Kaiyodo’s Revoltech friend shop, and other partner stores such as Hobby Link Japan

I only have a few small complaints about this figure

1. Most renditions of this toy have come with two weapons: the Hand Linear Gun and the stubbier Mag Launcher. Where is the Mag Launcher?
2. There is a small hole on the right arm armor of the figure that is not pictured on the box. What goes there? The upcoming Korchima special has an arm weapon placed there, is it possible they wanted to save some money, and just tool the part once for both robots?
3. Why is there no stand for this robot? The Revoltech series has been very inconsistent with inclusion of stands for their toys.

Note the mysterious hole in the Forearm armor.

If you are a Dougram fan, or a fan of “real robots”, the Round Facer H8 is a must-buy. With a character design by Kunio Ohkawara and sculpting by Katsuhisa Yamaguchi, you cannot go wrong.

You can get your own Revoltech Soltic H8 at Hobby Link Japan.

Soltic VS Dougram

Soltic Family

Revoltech Series No. 15 Real Robo Type Round Facer H8 is avaliable now at Hobby Link Japan

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.

This new Dougram is a sign of the times, it is a modern toy made with modern proportions. It is well built, reasonably priced and fun to play with.

Revoltech Series No. 002 Real Robo Type Dougram
リボルテックシリーズNo.002 リアルロボタイプ ダグラム

Combat Armor Dougram is part of the new Revoltech line by Kaiyodo, Distributed by Organic Hobby. The Dougram robot comes from the classic anime, Fang of the Sun Dougram ( 太陽の牙ダグラム). Since the original release of the model kits and the Takara Dual Models, there has been a drought of Dougram-related toys and merchandise. As one of the robots I remember fondly from my childhood, the arrival of a new Dougram toy was much anticipated.

Revoltech is Kaiyodo’s new line of action figures. Each figure in the Revoltech line features Revoltech joints – ball joints with detents that allow a greater range of flexibility and durability than previous Kaiyodo offerings. In the past, Kaiyodo’s monoshaft joint system was known to be especially fragile, and toys were often broken in the package. The Revoltech line is an effort to create an action figure that combines the dynamic looks of Kaiyodo’s sculpting with new, durable construction.

I’m happy to say that Kaiyodo seems to have succeded. Dougram is a great action figure. I put him through all kinds of poses, and never once did I feel as if the toy was going to break. Each Revoltech joint moves with a satisfying click and holds its position. Dougram is about 12 cm tall and has a total of 9 Revoltech joints in addition to the traditional shaft joints. These shaft joints seem to be pretty durable, and allow for a greater range of motion. Why didn’t they use Revoltech for these other joints? I think they wouldn’t have looked good on the character. While Kaiyodo did a good job at hiding most of the joints, having them at the elbows or hips would have stood out too much.

The Revoltech system allows Dougram to achieve a variety of poses, including the famous “resting”pose.

The robot features a chest joint, thigh joints, and even the head is articulated. The cockpit on the head opens.

In terms of accessories, Dougram has a few, but not a lot. Most obvious is the giant backpack and cannon. The backpack secures via pegs in the back, and the giant cannon is actually attached to the backpack with a Revoltech joint. Also included are 5 hands, a missile launcher for the side of the head, and an arm cannon. The hands pop on and off securely, and each has a specific function. You get two fists, one hand for holding the backpack, one hand for holding the cannon, and one hand out flat for the sitting pose. The arm cannon secures to either forearm armor via a peg.

One thing to keep in mind when you look at this new Dougram is that it is an action figure. It looks a lot different than the old Takara Dual Model. At first I was a bit disappointed that it did not have the old neutral pose. This new Dougram is a sign of the times, it is a modern toy made with modern proportions. It is well built, reasonably priced and fun to play with. I look forward to future Revoltech releases.

Kaiyodo Dougram on the left, Takara 1:72 Dual Model on the right