Bagged with a header card, this figure set doesn’t have an official name, but it’s essentially the ‘Y-MSF Godzilla 67’ with infant Minya, clear spine Guranma store exclusive.’ A perfectly jumbled name for figures of the, hands-down, most repugnant Godzilla suits ever made.

Y-MSF came onto the Godzilla vinyl scene in 2004, becoming notable for releasing relatively unpopular characters such as Varan, Minya and Gabara. Most notable of their initial releases was a 6-inch scale Hedorah, released right at the beginning of the still strong Hedorah vinyl craze. While Y-MSF themselves only released unpainted figures, the Japanese toy store Guranma, through an exclusive deal, released painted versions that were also sold exclusively by the U.S. web-site Temptingtoys.net. Before closing in 2007, Guranma released a lot of variants: Glow-in-the-dark and clear vinyl, metallic paintjobs (Which proved unpopular) and standard figures with clear components, the latter of which I’m reviewing today.

Bagged with a header card, this figure set doesn’t have an official name, but it’s essentially the ‘Y-MSF Godzilla 67’ with infant Minya, clear spine Guranma store exclusive.’ A perfectly jumbled name for figures of the, hands-down, most repugnant Godzilla suits ever made.

Godzilla and Minya both hail from the 1967 feature film, ‘Son of Godzilla’ If you hadn’t already guessed, Minya is Godzilla’s bratty, pug-ugly son, who’s regularly showered with malice by fans. It’s a fairly solid entry in the series and, despite the child-friendly tone, has some rather eerie moments, especially the ending, which is uncharacteristically melancholy. Minya has 2 forms in the film as an infant; a bulbous wire-controlled puppet, and as a toddler; portrayed by a suitmation actor.

Visually, these figures look pretty great. The infant Minya, 3” tall and 2.5” long, looks just as roly-poly and bizarre as he did in the film and is perfectly in scale with his dad. The texture of the skin, the vacant expression and the, obviously supported by wire, arms are dead-on. The open mouth is a nice touch as well and makes it look like Minya’s in the midst of making one of his bizarre, “Wah-waaahn” sounds. It features no articulation, but doesn’t need any as it can stand solidly on its legs, arms reaching out in front, or crawling on all fours. Also, Minya can steadily rest ‘gripping’ onto Godzilla’s tail, as well as on Godzilla’s shoulders, like a piggyback ride. The interaction between the figures was definitely thought out and works well.

The main drawbacks are the paintjob and the trademarks. Infant Minya’s cast in dark, forest-green, hard vinyl with gray eyes. The green seems to consume the sculpting detail as well as the paint of the eyes, and makes it look muddy. I have to mention that the standard releases features Minya in a more movie-accurate lighter gray and tan, which probably benefits the sculpt. The trademarks are typical and sculpted into the figure, but there’s a lot of text and it covers the entire belly.

Though Minya’s an enjoyable figure to have, Godzilla’s the obvious star of the show. The costume design is very rare in toy form and looks completely movie-accurate here, down to the last hilariously ugly detail. What’s distinctive about the design is the huge head, high angled brow line, heavy eyelids and almost pig-like nostrils. The strange thing is that the face really does look parental to me…

…Don’t know what kind of Freudian land mine I just stepped on, but moving on!

Standing just under 7” tall and 6” long, its cast in soft green vinyl with gray highlights, with painted details for the mouth and eyes. The inside of the mouth is a little too rose colored for my tastes, but works fine. The eyes catch light well, which adds a sense of life. The exclusive aspect of the figure is the translucent blue spines. This is actually a separately cast piece which fits flush into Godzilla’s back and creates a look as if Godzilla’s charging up for a blast of atomic fire. The section won’t come loose but it can be easily removed. The curves at the edges of the spines lack the rocky detail of their centers, which makes them look soft and jelly-like, which is strange and due to the translucent blue vinyl. All in all though, it’s a very nice effect and immediately adds a distinctive quality to the figure. Godzilla’s articulated at the tail, arms and le-

Uh…

Hmm…

Fail.

Welp. You can’t move the legs. You WOULD’VE been able to move the legs had there been the appropriate amount of vinyl to set it within the joint, but tragically and hilariously there isn’t. The legs will pop out when you move them more than 45 degrees. It really doesn’t ruin the toy for me, but maybe you’re part of the subculture that poses all of their figures delivering flying kicks and this is a deal breaker (I really hope that subculture exists.)

This is the first Y-MSF figure I’ve owned and I’m not disappointed. The infant Minya looks perfect, though I wish it was lighter colored, and the Godzilla 67’ is a wonderful representation, even better than the Bandai 50th Anniversary Memorial Box version in my opinion. Sure you can’t move Godzilla’s legs, but the main play value lies in the interaction between Godzilla and Minya, which is a definite success. I’m not sure how much this originally sold for but I was able to get it for $18 before shipping from Kaiju-Taro.com, which I think is a great if not perfect price. Temptingtoys.net still sells the standard version of the sculpts for $50 after shipping from both their site and eBay. Although Y-MSF’s figures are made in limited runs ranging from 30-500 pieces, unless you’re dying for Godzilla 67’ and Minya, I wouldn’t say they’re worth the retail price. The quality is about on par with 6-inch Bandai kaiju and I think the price should reflect that. That being said, this is a good set, especially sculpt-wise, and I’ve heard Y-MSF improves their figures with each subsequent release. Even though there are rumors of them quitting Godzilla toy production, they’ve announced on their site many new figures, including Gorosaurus and Biollante!

If you’re interested in getting the Y-MSF Godzilla 67’ with infant Minya, clear spine Guranma store exclusive, they may show up again at Kaiju-Taro.com, otherwise I would check eBay or Yahoo Japan. To check out the standard release, along with other Y-MSF Godzilla kaiju, go to Temptingtoys.net.

Another unique sculpt for the US market, MechaGodzilla is a bargain for the kaiju collector.

The second of Bandai Creation's 12" Classic Godzilla vinyls is MechaGodzilla and this time, he stands a legitimate 12" tall. At first glance, it's a more impressive looking toy than the Godzilla, but I think that after owning both for a few days I've come to like the Godzilla just a bit better. Most of that may have to do with the fact that I have about 10 other Bandai Godzillas of various sizes and styles and am now displaying them all as a group, which looks pretty cool. But it is also because MechaGodzilla is molded with his left foot placed out in front of his right. It looks sort of awkward to me and there is no joint at the hip you can use to correct it.

I think if it weren't for that, it would definitely be the better looking toy, especially if you happen to like this version of the character, which hails from the 2002 film "Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla".

This soft vinyl toy has 5 points of articulation, at the waist, neck, shoulders and tail. It looks like there is a second joint in the tail, but mine does not move at all.

I wish I had more to tell you about this one, but it's just a big, vinyl MechaGodzilla. The pictures tell the whole story really. Like the Final Wars Godzilla, this is on clearance at Toys R Us now for $15.99 and at that price, any kaiju fan should grab it.

Not as big as advertised, but this large size Godzilla figure from Bandai Creation is a real bargain.

Bandai Creation has released quite a few 6.5" figures from the Godzilla universe in the last couple of years, but 2008 marks their first foray in 12" kaiju. This Godzilla comes from "Godzilla: Final Wars", a film from 2004. I guess in the grand scheme of things it might be a bit weird that you should see merchandising four years after the fact for a movie that really didn't get a wide release in the first place, but you won't find me complaining.

Other than it's increased size, this toy is not really any different from the previous offerings by Bandai Creation. It's a unique sculpt for the US market and is made entirely of soft vinyl. Good old soft, squishy vinyl.

"Final Goji" here has 8 points of articulation, with 3 of those coming in the tail. The neck, hips and shoulders also turn. The paint job is simple but effective, with the best effect being the blending of the black and yellow on the claws.

Although advertised as a 12" figure, this toy actually only reaches about 10.5" in height. I don't wanna hear anyone complaining though. This is a substantial Godzilla figure that you can pick up for very cheap money. Although I tried to list as accurately as possible it's original release price (only thing I could find online was $26.95 from Amazon), I got mine on clearance at Toys R Us for just $15.99. I recommend that you hurry out and get one before they are all gone. Look for the 12" MechaGodzilla while you are there, too.

As she was ready to leave, she pulled a tattered VHS tape out of her purse and handed it to me. It was a well-worn copy of the original black and white Rodan movie...

Rodan occupies a special place in my heart. This Rodan is not the Rodan of my childhood, but I guess I will talk about it here.

I haven't seen my Mother in years. She's around, somewhere, but we travel in very different circles. Every once in a blue moon we connect, but the occasions are few and far between. The circumstances of our situation I will keep to myself, but let’s just say it affects me to this day.

On one such meeting a few years ago, I had my mother over to see my new baby. It was the first time I had seen her in a while. It was an emotional time, but this wasn’t about us, it was about the baby. As she was ready to leave, she pulled a tattered VHS tape out of her purse and handed it to me. It was a well-worn copy of the original black and white Rodan movie. She said “I saw this at a flea market and thought you might like it. I remember you watched it on Creature Double Feature when you were little”.

And then she left. We’ve crossed paths at funerals and such over the years, but that was the last time we ever had a moment. That stupid Rodan tape. I don’t really even remember watching Rodan as a kid. Each time I see that tape, or anything with Rodan it in, I remember that moment.

For better or worse.

This Rodan, from Godzilla Final Wars, is my first Rodan toy. I like to think that buying this toy means that I have been able to let go, to move on, but I am not sure. It means SOMETHING, but what that something means I don’t know.

I gave this rodan toy to my kids, and they play with it often – it resides on the shelves that are OK to play with. My hope is that my kids will have a much different connection with Rodan than I did.

Looking for an original large size Bullmark Kaiju that won’t put you in the poor house? Good luck – Original Bullmark kaiju from the 60s and 70s will run you a small fortune.Fortunately for fans with a modest budget, B-Club reissued those giant sized Bullmarks for a fraction of the price of a vintage piece.

Looking for an original large size Bullmark Kaiju that won’t put you in the poor house? Good luck – Original Bullmark kaiju from the 60s and 70s will run you a small fortune.

Fortunately for fans with a modest budget, B-Club reissued those giant sized Bullmarks for a fraction of the price of a vintage piece.

In 2001 B-Club released this reissue of the 1970 Large Size Godzilla, using the original molds. One foot has the Bullmark stamp and the other the B-club info. The toy was originally sold bagged with a header card.

B-Club, a subsidiary of Bandai, released four different color variations of this toy. The one shown here is the first version. The first three versions are different paint sprays, but the last version is a Glow version that was a mail order exclusive from Hyper Hobby.

This toy has a really great shelf presence – He just towers over most of my other kaiju. One of the great things about this toy is the fact that I can just hand it to my kids to play with and I don’t have to worry about it. It’s sturdy and solid and more importantly a kick ass representation of the classic Godzilla design.

Special thanks to Club Tokyo.

The first major release from Far East Monsters, Ltd. and the first in an exciting new light-n-sound statue series from the 1968 film, Destroy All Monsters...it's Godzilla!!

Okay, whipped up into a righteous Godzilla frenzy? Perfect!

Folks, it's my pleasure to bring you some exciting news for all the Godzilla fans out there! Yes, there's new product out there to sate your kaiju lust...and it's not the same old thing. But before I get too ahead of myself, I want to talk about Far East Monsters, Ltd. This hot new kaiju collectibles company is based in Cleveland, OH. That's right: in the US...not Japan. How big is this news?

Well, let's see. Bandai America seems to be releasing new Godzilla figures right now. That's cool...but they're not even mentioned on their website. Who knows how long BA will support these toys. And as for the toys, themselves, does the market really need more small-scale $10 Godzilla figures? And what does the near future have in store for the fantastically bloated "vinyl scene"? Will Marusan, M1, and Marmit continue to release quality vintage-style kaiju toys when the bottom falls out of the designer toy market?

I certainly hope so. But with no new Godzilla films planned for production, these may prove trying times for the Godzilla nut! But that's where Bill Kerner and Tom Tvrdik of Far East Monsters step in! With seemingly no regard to the state of the "market", these intrepid designers are presenting us with their vision of what fun, high-quality kaiju collectibles are possible!

I first learned of these guys spending valuable hours at work searching for Godzilla stuff on eBay(!). I ran across their Mecha King Ghidorah floor puzzle. Click that link...I'll wait. Yes, it's a ginormous Mecha King Ghidorah puzzle...complete with the future jerks' flying saucer/time machine. Are you kidding me!? Who has the hutzpah make a product like this??? Like I said, these guys are bold!

I went on to learn more about this company...and fate (and Josh) put me in touch with the man, himself: Bill Kerner. Bill and Tom met at a company they worked for designing Godzilla-related merchandise. When the company decided they didn't want to pursue the license anymore, they got the idea to start their own company and pool their passion for radioactive lizards (not to mention their 20+ combined years of product development, design, and production experience!). They put together their pitch to Toho...and the license was granted!

The first high-end item from Far East Monsters is this first entry into the "Destroy All Monsters Battlezone Series": Godzilla! As the name implies, this is Soshingeki-Goji, Godzilla 1968 from Destroy All Monsters.

Brilliant box graphics!

The figure of Godzilla stands just about 5-1/2" from the "ground"...plus another almost 2" with the base. There's no articulation in this piece, but what you get is a stunning paint job with brilliantly rendered weathering. The dry-brushing used in the paint application adds the perfect contrast to pull out Tom's sculpt. Just check out the texture on the skin:

The detail paint apps on the head are pretty much flawless as well. Nothing to complain about here. Even the base is nicely done in a very natural looking scene--great for stomping 3-headed dragons! When taken as a whole, the look of the piece is beautifully faithful to the film that inspired its creation.

Okay, so I've talked about the quality of this Godzilla statue a bit. Words, of course, don't do it nearly as much justice as pictures. But there's much more to this item than a pretty paint job. First of all, Bill and Tom have set out to make unique collectibles--stuff we haven't seen before. This statue doesn't just look gorgeous...it comes to life! At the touch of a discreet button, a crystal-clear roar-n-stomp sound clip lifted directly from the movie cranks out of the base. And if that wasn't enough, a blue glow emits from inside his mouth and from the fins on his back! (the three required LR44 batteries are included, ya hobos!)

Again, a picture's worth a thousand words...but I'm thinking a little video couldn't hurt either! ;)

And if that wasn't enough, check out Far East's own YouTube promo vid of this item!

Lastly, as I mentioned before, this piece is part of a "Series". That's right: there will be more. A total of eight of these statues will be produced, comprising all eleven kaiju from the film. The bases of each statue will fit together to produce a complete diorama of the apocalyptic final battle in Destroy All Monsters! Yup, it's gonna be hot!

And the next monster in the series? None other than King Ghidorah! Watch for it in '08!

Finally, I would like to take a moment to mention something that goes beyond this passion for Japanese robots and monsters we all share. Bill and Tom obviously started Far East Monsters because of their love for this hobby...but they are also working to provide for Tom's son, Tommy, who is autistic. Among their goals is to raise awareness about this disorder that affects so many children. Please check out Tommy's Page for more information. Thanks!

Here's a surprise. Unlike most other Bandai Creation vinyl kaiju, this Hedorah is a significantly different toy the the regular Japanese Bandai release.

Normally I don't bother with these Bandai Creation Godzilla vinyls. Don't get me wrong, they're a great value and it's awesome to see Japanese soft vinyl kaiju available cheaply here on US shores. But the fact is that I happen to live in an area where some stores carry the original Japanese versions for not much more money. The US and Japanese releases are quite similar, but the Japanese ones tend to be better quality, in my opinion. But when I stopped at a KB Toys last weekend and saw Hedorah on their shelves, I could immediately tell that the Bandai Creation version was VASTLY different from it's Japanese counterpart.

At first, my impression of it was that it was much, much worse than the other, but I gotta tell you, I've really warmed up to it since. It's got a more massive frame that makes it stand out more than the Japanese version, and it's significantly taller too. I like how the arms point straight down too. Somehow it reminds me more of the old school vinyl style, while still retaining a movie accurate sculpt.

Another minor advantage that it has is that the tail curls back around to the front. This would make it easier to display in a group since it's less likely that another vinyl behind it will have to stand on it's tail.

It does, however, have one really bad flaw. The seam that connects the top and bottom parts of the toy is really unsightly. And it's really quite pointless too, because the toy has exactly ZERO points of articulation. So there's a big ugly seam and you can't even turn it there anyway.

Still, this is a great deal. A decent Hedorah vinyl for about $10 and easy to get. Besides KB Toys, I've also seen this line of toys sold at Toys R Us and even CVS. Maybe soon you won't be able to go anywhere without feeding your habit!! HAHA!

This is a nice vinyl if you can get it cheap, but if you want a really nice King Ghidorah for your collection, there are better options out there..

This Marmit Vinyl Paradise King Ghidorah (キングギドラ) is another vinyl I picked up in a bulk purchase. I was on sort of a vinyl kaiju binge at the time and wanted a Ghidorah that was predominentaly upright. At the time, the only other vinyl of the character I had was the realistic looking Bandai Big Size version. That's a very nice toy, but at 40cm long, the tail takes up a lot of space on the shelf. This one can stand in a group nicely without being a hindrance. It's only about 5" deep, in addition to being nearly a foot tall.

Unlike alot of my other vinyls, I think I like this one more when I actually pick it up and hold it, rather than lumped into a group or in pictures. I like the red and gold colors, but I could do without the silver and blue on the wings. They remind me of those old red, white and blue popsicles you could get from the ice cream truck back in the day (and maybe still can for all I know).

This version of King Ghidorah does have an interesting way of posing the heads. There are actually 4 points of articulation in the necks. Each individual head can be turned, but they all connect to one part which can also turn them all as a group. This is a nice idea, but it was takes away from the overall look of the torso, which now had a somewhat unsightly separation at this point. Besides the neck joints, you can also position the legs to your liking. The wings are separately molded pieces of vinyl, but don't move. The tail is also stationary.

This came bagged with a header card and was sold exclusively at the 2001 Chiller Theatre convention. The vinyl is solid and while the paint job isn't bad, it doesn't really blow me away either. I can't complain much as I only paid $20 for this one. It's certainly a nice buy for that price, but if you have room for only one Ghidorah in your life, get the M1 Bullmark re-issue or the aforementioned Big Size Bandai if realism is more your thing.

Of all the different styles of Godzilla over the years, this one is by far my favorite. This is the Godzilla I grew up with, which made it a must-buy for me.

Of all the different styles of Godzilla over the years, this one is by far my favorite. This is the Godzilla I grew up with, which made it a must-buy for me.

ムービーモンスターシリーズ-STANDARD- ゴジラ1968

Godzilla 1968 comes from the classic Godzilla flick, Destroy All Monsters. It is a silly monster movie, but I think that is why I like it so much. Tis style of godzilla is named "Soshingeki-Goji"

This toy is a repaint of a vinyl Godzilla that originally came packaged with the Godzilla 50th Anniversary box set. The paint scheme is much darker this time around.

Godzilla 1968 stands 160mm (about 6" tall) is articulated at the arms and legs. This is such a nice toy and it is very inexpensive. In japan this toy retails for about 735 yen. Here in the states, you can get it for around 11 bucks.

M1 re-issue of a vintage Bullmark classic...

1973s "Godzilla vs. Megalon" was the one and only appearance for this partcicular kaiju, but that is no reason not to have an abundance of toys made. This release from M1-go was based on a vintage Bullmark mold and still features the Bullmark logo on the bottom of the right foot. Megalon (or "Megaro" メガロ) is a pretty cool looking monster and I've yet to see a vinyl sculpt of it that I didn't like. The trick for me has been getting the color scheme to my liking. I've never really been able to find one that I truly like, but I wanted to have a vinyl of the character so when I saw this at Mandarake Shibuya for 2,000 yen, I figured I'd grab it, even though it didn't have it's packaging and was covered in dust. There's still dust resting in the nooks and crannies of the skin. I need to powerwash this thing or something.

This standard size Megalon is about 8.5" tall with articulation at the neck, shoulders and hips. The sculpt on the head is pretty cool, but I think my favorite part of it is the wings. It's molded entirely in green vinyl with red and silver spray, along with gold paint for the eyes. It's not the best vinyl Megalon out there, but it will hold me over until I find one that really appeals to me.