I've been wanting to review this one for a long time and after years of searching for an upgrade, I finally get to share it with you all.

The world of bootleg Jumbos is one of my favorite things to delve into. I've always taken great pleasure in finding, and hopefully even acquiring, some of the strange toys that few others would be interested in, those toys that would offend the sensibilities of the collecting purist. This Mexican offering might be one of the strangest out there, perhaps rivaled only by the Mazinger Z: Paladin de la Justicia and the Ring Toss Mazinga for just plain blow your mind craziness. Or perhaps ugliness, depending on your point of view.

I've known about this toy for a long time, nearly as long as I've been collecting in fact. It was featured in an article on the old Cool Japanese Toys website. Unfortunately, the toy is extremely rare and it's been a real challenge to get my hands on one. I did manage it several years back, but the specimen I got was nowhere near complete and I chose not to review it for that reason. But I've recently been able to upgrade so I'm glad to finally be able to do it now.

This version of Mazinger stands 21" tall and actually uses a modified version of the body from the Reideen Jumbo Machinder. Some of the changes made include using a mirror image of the right hand for the left, both fists minus the shield. Also, the missile launching mechanism in the stomach has been removed and simply filled in, although you can still see the outline of it. And of course, a new sculpt of the head of Mazinger now rests on it's shoulders. And it's a, shall we say, "interesting" take on the subject.

As you can see, the colors of the face are painted right on to the polyethylene. Since paint doesn't stick to polyethylene as well as to something like vinyl, it's not uncommon to see it in poor condition. The paint of my last specimen was no where near as nice as this one. It should also be noted that the white of the stomach is painted right on.

Now, the best part of the head is the cockpit. It's very crudely made and all the more charming for that. The red upper part is shaped much like the bottom of a cup, with a clear dome in the center. What appears to be an action figure that has been cut in half is screwed into the bottom.

Mazinger's chest plate is a simple flat piece of plastic that has been screwed directly into the chest, despite the fact that there are two small holes in the chest that appear to be there to allow two pegs to connect. This is the way the wings on the back connect. And, oh man, those wings! BAT WINGS!!!

The thing I love about those bat wings is how small they are in relation to the rest of the toy. You would think that by choosing bat wings you would want it to have a sinister appearance, but by being so small, it ends up being somewhat cute, like a fairy.

Even though this toy is very rare (I only know of 4 as of this writing), not all are the same. Some have white hands, while some have black. And even amongst the limbs that should be all the same color, there seems to come in varying shades. Some pitch black, some dark grey, etc.. At least one that I've seen has the head piece cast in white.

A comparison of both specimens I've owned. Note the white fist and lighter colored legs on the left.

This toy is probably the rarest known Jumbo to originate in Mexico. It's very, very difficult to find, but due to it's crude sculpt and inaccurate portrayal of such a popular collector, it's not one that I think too many people desperately want. Like many of these bootleg toys, it's a curiosity and desirable more as a historical artifact than as a toy. I believe this toy is rumored to have been sold in a bag with a header card. If there are indeed two others in the series as the old CJT article suggests, they have yet to surface. But if and when they do, you know I gotta get'em!

A highly desirable toy for the rare monster collectors who don't know how to build models...

My dad was born in the late 1940s and although he grew up loving the classic monster movies, eventually helping pass that love on to me, by the time the real monster craze of the 1960s hit, he was already out of school and working, later in the army and starting to raise our family. Suffice to say, building monster model kits was not how he ever spent his spare time.

For myself, I hit the scene in 1975 and although I do vaguely remember seeing monster models in stores and even had some of the plaster casting kits, by the time I was old enough to actively want my own toys, Star Wars had been released and action figures were the new thing. So I never learned how to assemble and paint models, either on my own or as a hobby passed down from my dad. And the more I get into monster collecting, the more it becomes apparent how ingrained this activity is into the lives of the "Monster Kids".

But, what does that have to do with the toy reviewed here? Well, in late 1964 the famous model company Aurora released one of the all time classic monster kits, the Gigantic Frankenstein. Unfortunately, the kit didn't sell well (I've read that it was due to it's whopping $4.98 price tag) and unlike many of the other kits in the line, was never re-released, therefore making it a holy grail of monster collecting. Last time I saw an unbuilt Gigantic Frankenstein kit on Ebay, it sold for well over $3000.

Fortunately, if you can't get an original and/or don't know how to build models, an unknown Japanese company made this soft vinyl recast several years ago. I'm not sure of the exact release date, but I think it was late 90s/early 2000s.

At 18" tall, Big Frankie stands slightly smaller than the original completed kit and is a significant piece for your monster collection. He is articulated at the shoulders only, allowing you to raise and lower the arms.

Big Frankie also includes replicas of the chain and stone that came with the original kit. Perhaps the only way it does not live up to it's predecessor is in the paint application, which is a little bit dull here compared to some of the truly beautiful paint jobs I've seen on vintage build-ups. Naturally how nice a built up Gigantic Frankenstein looks depends on the skill of the painter and I suppose if you were so inclined, you could also repaint this vinyl to your liking, too.

The Big Frankie pictured here came in a brown cardboard box with the image of Frankenstein from the original kit's box printed on the front in black. I've heard that it was also sold in another box with a die-cut window, but I have not seen that one. I've also heard that some were sold with no box at all. So if you get a loose one, it doesn't necessarily mean it's "incomplete", although naturally for me, I preferred waiting until I could find a boxed version.

The Japanese Big Frankie toy is a great alternative for collectors like me not interested in traditional plastic model kits. But if model building is your thing, fear not. At long last, the original Aurora Gigantic Frankenstein model kit is set to be re-released this summer from Moebius Models (at a significant markup from $4.98 though..). So now there is no reason for you not to own a Big Frankie!

I was really excited to open the box which contained my new GX-41 Reideen the Brave. I kept telling myself, “At long last, I’ve got it! Now, if only Daimos is already available.” However, my attention was immediately diverted to the tiny item that fell from the box when I did open it. Had I not noticed that it was there, it would have been lost altogether; thrown away with the delivery box, for sure. Apparently, the toy was included in my order, free of charge and I’m not even sure if it was sent as a bonus item, or just the store owner making fun of me. But guess what, instead of opening my GX-41 box immediately, I opted to play around with this small, tiny plastic toy robot.

I was really excited to open the box which contained my new GX-41 Reideen the Brave. I kept telling myself, “At long last, I’ve got it! Now, if only Daimos is already available.” However, my attention was immediately diverted to the tiny item that fell from the box when I did open it. Had I not noticed that it was there, it would have been lost altogether; thrown away with the delivery box, for sure. Apparently, the toy was included in my order, free of charge and I’m not even sure if it was sent as a bonus item, or just the store owner making fun of me. But guess what, instead of opening my GX-41 box immediately, I opted to play around with this small, tiny plastic toy robot. The next thing I knew is that I have become fascinated with it, and it actually grew on me. I sometimes catch myself staring at it for hours at a time, until I’ve realized that I didn’t even know its name.

And so, off to research I went and found out that this toy is a tiny representation of Jet Icarus. It’s actually a combination of 5 jet machines (Jet Hawk, Jet Condor, Jet Owl, Jet Swan and Jet Swallow) or into a giant space ship called Icarus Haken. According to data available, Jet Icarus, the robot, is about 52.8 meters tall, weighs 94 tons and has maximum flight speed of Mach 1 (not that fast for a fighting robot, right?). Weapons include:

1. Birdnic Sabre
2. Shot Puncher
3. Icarus Axe
4. Icarus Puncher
5. Icarus Magna
6. Jet Lancer
7. Jet Dagger
8. Wing Shield

And when combined with another mecha called Jet Garuda (or Bird Garuda, whichever you prefer) brought to our planet by an alien species who call themselves the “Dimensians”, our friend over here becomes the “Great Icarus”.

It does not stop there and if you’re not yet confused so far, try this: when Icarus Haken (Jet Icarus in space shipe mode) combines with Jet Garuda (or Bird Garuda), it becomes another large jet machine called the “Hyper Haken”.

I haven’t got much time to research into the story of this robot, but I sure am interested now.

And now, for the toy, our Jet Icarus is basically made of hard plastic and measures about 8 cm (3+ inches) tall and 5 cm (2 inches) wide. It comes on a clear plastic bag with a header that says “Toys”, as if it’s not that obvious. Except for both arms, which are the only parts of the toy that are articulated, all others are fix-posed. The arms are being hold by the two halves (front and rear portions) which are kept in place by screws that can be seen at the back of the toy. No markings, or even a hint of who made this, can be seen anywhere on it.

If not for the color, I could have sworn that its head resembles that of Optimus Prime, while its eyes, that of Megatron. But who knows what its manufacturer was thinking when they made this toy. Portions of its face, its stomach and legs are crudely spray-painted with silver. Its manufacturer must have been on cost-cutting mode when they made this, since only the front portion of the toy is painted. Its chest emblem shows an eagle (or it could be any other bird, who knows?) is quite prominent in its golden glory.

On the other hand, putting its painting aside, the toy has its share of fine details. Looking at its face, one can see that facial contours are quite exact and well-proportioned. Details on its arms, lower legs and even on the golden eagle would give one an idea that somehow its makers actually spent some time coming up with a credible and playable toy. Heck, only if they’d spent the same amount of time (and probably money) to have it properly painted as it should have been, such things would have made a world of difference for this toy. For those who are into hard-core collecting, this could be a fine addition to your collection; otherwise, you might want to pass up and include it in your next batch of donations to some charity groups out there.

Honestly, though, I’m not sure why I even love it. In terms of aesthetics, it’s a gazillion miles away from my SOCs, but, then again; I can’t stop looking at it, hence, it stays… beside my new GX-41.

At least it has legs.

Although ugly in it's own right, this representation of Mazinger Z may actually look nicer than the previously discovered toy from Argentina, the Paladin de la Justicia. At least it has legs. And I have pictures to prove it.

The toy is about 15" tall, though maybe just a bit more if you measure all the way to the tip of the horn on the head. That horn is interesting, too. I wonder why it was added?

The body of the toy was cast in blue polyethylene with painted red and silver highlights, but the fists and head were cast in silver, with just the eyes painted red. There is limited articulation as usual. You can rotate the head, arms, fists and I think even the legs. I'm not digging this guy out again to check. No one cares anyway. ;)

I've also seen this toy with a yellow head with black highlights.

Not long ago, I commented that I'll occasionally publish a review for no other reason than to show the world "this exists". This has been one of those times.

Although most Japanese toys from the 60’s and 70’s generally still hold up well over the years Japanese model kits from the same era generally have not faired too well.

Although most Japanese toys from the 60’s and 70’s generally still hold up well over the years Japanese model kits from the same era generally have not faired too well.

Before Bandai started to produce their famous Mobile Suit Gundam Model kits most Japanese Model kits were seen as unassembled toys that one puts together and when through, still have the same play value as toys. Usually the kits had the same gimmicks as their toy counterpoints: wind up engines, shooting missiles, slot car conversions, bonus figures, collector cards just to name a few examples.

Being an avid fan of 60’s and 70’s Anime and Japanese live-action programs and an avid model kit builder things can get a bit shady when purchasing my favorite model kits representing subjects from the 60’s and 70’s. For example most the model kits from this era never pictured the actual model kit on the box. Usually it was beautiful oil or watercolor rendition of said subject on the box art. Also the kits were just as expensive as the toys. When I arrived home and opened up the box I would be disappointed to find that the model kit that I just purchased was nothing but a simplified representation of said subject with the likenesses horribly out of scale. Model kit manufacturing techniques and what modelers expect from a Model manufactures have improved signifiently since the 1960’s when many of these model kits were originally produced.

What I plan to do is review some of these older model kits and see which ones still hold up over the years and which ones should be treated like garage kits that one has to scratch build parts for or be built out of the box as historical model kit representations of our favorite subjects.

I purchased my Great Mazinger from the model kit aisle of the local drug store roughly in the early 90’s for what I remember $10.00. I believe this model kit is a Korean bootleg as it is from a company that I have never heard of before. It also looks like it was originally manufactured as a toy that was back engineered into a model kit. Also this model is called Great Maginger as opposed to Great Mazinger. A mistranslation or a licensing avoidance, perhaps a little of both. I would have to believe it’s a box scale somewhere between 1/100 scale and 1/144 scale.

Box art includes somewhat decent airbrush picture of Great Mazinger on top of and around the sides of the box and some small photos of three built, but unpainted, versions of the kit inside. It appears it was modeled in at least four different colors of white, blue, red and silver. My version came molded in dark blue and dark red with the sword molded in silver. Modelers definitely prefer kits modeled in white or light grey, as bright and dark colors are difficult to hide under lighter colors. Again going back to the toy theme most likely in was molded in so many colors so kids did not have to paint the model kit.

The kit comes with three sprue (1x red 1x blue 1x silver) 1x one sided instruction sheet and one sticker sheet.

One item I first noticed was that the kit was modeled with screw holes in Great Mazinger back inner legs and behind the arms. This is where I believe it was a toy at one time as the model kit does not include any screws and the instructions do not refer to the holes in anyway. One of the most time consuming aspect in building this kit was filling in all those holes with sheet styrene.

The kit went very well together although I wish there was some more details inside the head area, especially with Mazinger’s spaceship. The kit comes with no clear part. I would suggest scratch building some clear parts into the spaceship window, as it’s an open gap. A modified Lite Bright peg would go great here. The Mazinger face likeness looks great and modeled in crisp details and captures the Go Nagai’s design quite nice.

Many robot kits from this era had very basic movement and this model kit is no exception with movement limited to circular movement in the head, arms, wrists and very limited movement of the elbows, knees and feet. Because of this lack of movement I decided to build this kit in a static position of Great Mazinger ready to fire his rocket punch missiles. Because of the lack of internet resources back in the 90’s I did not scratch build blades coming from the forearm because simply I did not know what they looked like, although these days I would have added those blades. With its lack of movement I was still able to get a decent stance from the kit.

I scratch build the head in a looking up position with some sheet steryne. I also modified some of the enclosures on the jet pack and added nozzles to the jet back wing. I also filled in the holes in the hands, as I was not going to use the sword. The jet pack wings were curved around the leading and trailing edge with sandpaper because it looked a bit flat.

The kit was painted using Model Master flat non specular dark sea blue, Testers aluminum metalizer, Testers flat yellow and Testers flat red with a Badger 350 airbrush. I did not spray a flat or gloss sealer although looking back a flat coat would look good. The weathering ideas came from an old 1986 issue of Hobby Japan that had some pictures of a well built resin Great Mazinger model kit.

The model kit comes with a sheet of stickers for the wings and belt area. Again a very charming aspect of the kit but something that better represents the toy appeal of this model kit.

Although this model kit had some issues with the inner head details and the numerous unneeded screw holes and being modeled in some really awful colors, generally speaking this model kit is holds up quite well and with a little work could be converted into an ace looking model kit. I build this kit about at least 10 years ago and if another came my way most likely I would like to have another attempt at it and I would purchase another one. It could also be built into a nice looking toy model with the stickers and sword, perhaps best painted in glossy colors for that Popy look. Either way I think one would be satisfied and impressed with the results.

Made in Hong Kong, released in Italy, this Junior Machinder is based on Combattler V and Robo Kress, with just a dash of Great Mazinger. No, not that "dash".

Space Hero is another "Junior Machinder" based off the body of Robo Kress, but featuring the head of Combattler V. In my opinion, the two do not combine well and the toy ends up being a rather ugly mishmash.

It stands about 14.5 inches tall and comes with a variety of weapons, including a sword, a sheild, a missile launcher in the waist and disc launcher just above that. These last two pieces of artillery are obscured by behind a removable belt and the opening chest compartment.

I'm not really even sure what the point of the chest piece is. It doesn't close all the way and seems prone to breakage, though mine is luckily still intact. Each door has a red piece that when closed is seems to be suggestive of Great Mazinger's chest V. In my opinion, this toy would look better if they did away with it entirely and just had one shooting mechanism in the waist. Less is more sometimes. Although to be honest, there are so many different variations of these toys it wouldn't surprise me if there is one out there like that.

You can store two missiles on either side of his belt and two more, along with 4 discs, on the hooks on the side of the legs. Both fists launch as well. This one came packaged in a box that really doesn't even show the toy inside. Instead, it has artwork showing the more common toy that features the head of Atoranger and the body of Jeeg.

Perhaps the only thing that makes this toy notable is that head. Until recently, it was believed to only be on Junior Machinders. But awhile back, a full sized Robot Factory style bootleg Jumbo turned up with this head on it. Maybe there are other Jumbos out there featuring parts previously only seen on Juniors. There's still so much to be discovered...

A cheap toy, but a worthy placeholder for the real thing.

Popy released a Daitetsujin 17 Jumbo Machinder in 1977, but your average collector is much more likely to own this Taiwanese bootleg than the much more expensive original and you can count me among them. I'd love to have the real deal, but for the time being, this guy will have to do. This toy has affectionately become known as the "Disco Daitetsujin 17" (or just D17, for short) due to the hilariously loud stickers on it. And since the same company made a bootleg Giant Gorg Jumbo, that toy has assumed the same nickname, deserved or not.

Now, as I said, I have no original D17 to compare this to, but just by looking at this and knowing the high quality one expects from Popy, I think I can confidently say that this one is lacking refinement. The plastic feels cheaper and has all sorts of bumps all over it it. The paint on the head is not very good either.

One problem that is very common on these is that the springs used in the firing fists are too strong and crack the tab on the fists, which then fire off on their own. Fortunately, it's pretty easy to just unscrew the arms and remove the springs entirely. The fists will stay on ok and it'll still display well, without it attacking you unexpectedly. I kid you not, I literally got hit in the head with a random flying fist just walking by this thing one time.

Even though the quality is not up to par, the toy itself did come with the same features as the original, including the aforementioned launching fists. Additionally, the toy can transform into a ride-on fortress. It's a bit of a silly gimmick (like most "transforming" Jumbos) in that you just bend the ankles back and the legs forward and add the tower to his back and an extra set of wheels between it's legs.

I guess it's neat that they maintained this feature, but on my specimen at least the toy has a tendency to lean backwards a bit because of the joint at the ankles. And the seam at the hips where the legs bend doesn't match up quite right, which makes it look a bit awkward from the side. Personally, I'd rather have a more stable toy than a gimmick I'll never really use. But maybe the kids in Taiwan liked it. The artwork on the header card sure seems to suggest that they would have.

And yes, this is one of the very few Jumbos to have been packaged in a huge bag with a header card. At 23" tall, I can't imagine there are bigger toys out there sold bagged.

This toy was released twice. Although neither version has a manufacturer name or date on it, the general consensus was the the first release was in the 1980s, with the second in the 90s. In fact, I think this version was being cranked out even into the new millennium, causing it to be the far more common of the two. Later releases came with just the robot/wheels and not the wings and tower. If I remember right, the factory had a bunch of the robots made, but stopped production without ever finishing all the accessories and the overstock was sold off anyway. I got mine during this time so that's why mine is incomplete. (JoshB has pics of his old complete one that he contributed to this review.) Most that you see on Ebay these days are like that.

This release featured red wings, while the other had green. Furthermore, and this may be hard to believe, but the green wings version actually came with stickers that looked even uglier than those shown here. Unfortunately, it's been years since I've seen one of those for sale, I don't have a picture saved and I can't even remember what it looked like. But I remember thinking it was hideous. Just awful. (And of course now I really want it!)

Fortunately, for you collectors who are more discriminating than I am, you'll sometimes see sticker sheets for sale on Ebay that reproduce the stickers from the original Popy version, so that you can make it look much nicer. Tempting, but for me, I like to keep all my toys in their original condition, regardless of how much of an eyesore they may be.

Another cheap, ugly knockoff that me and like 3 other people care about...

Unfortunately, no official full sized Jumbo Machinders were made of the Machine Blaster robots (Robo Kress, Blue Caesar, Sandaio and Boss Palder). Mattel Italy released their "Astro Robot" Jumbos that were based on the characters, but those toys used primarily parts from existing Jumbos with new heads and weapons. Takemi did make a line of 16" toys called "Big Robo", though. These were repeatedly copied and released in Italy and both the originals and the subsequent knockoffs have become commonly known as "Junior Machinders". All sorts of robots combinations were made, many of which used the body of the Takemi Robo Kress. The arms in particular are often used on various Junior Machinders, such as Dangard Ace and Pegas, to name just two. There is at least one toy that is nearly identical to the Takemi version and then there is this.

This toy uses the same mold as the Takemi toy, but is greatly simplified. As you can see, it's cast entirely in cheap, squishy blue polyethylene with just some stickers slapped onto it for "detail", if you can call it that. All firing fists and missiles have been removed.

Robo Kress stands 14" tall and is articulated at only the shoulders. It came packaged in a clear plastic bag, but with no header card. It was just tied off with a twisty tie. There are no manufacturer markings on it, but it does share some stickers (the "UFO" and black dots) with a very cheap and VERY ugly Combattler toy that I have. That toy did come with a header card and appears to have been made by a company called "Galba", so I think it's a good bet that this one was, too.

Ok. You may be thinking that this toy, and by extension this review, is not worthy of attention. But just be glad I didn't show you the Combattler! UGH....

A surprisingly well done bootleg of Giant Robo.

Some years back, Marmit released a series of jumbo sized vinyls based on the robots from the original 1967-68 "Giant Robo" (aka "Johnny Sokko And His Flying Robot") tv show. Giant Robo, Calamity and GR2 were all made. Now, to be truthful, I never paid too much attention to the whole line. I do know that I've seen some released in a bag with a header card and some released in a box. Some have arms pointing straight down and others with the arms raised above the head. The toy we are looking at now is a bootleg based on the Giant Robo version with arms at it's side. It came with no packaging.

For a bootleg, the quality on this is remarkable. I think most people would be hard pressed to differentiate it from the original without a close inspection. Other than that the copyright information has been removed from the bottom of the feet, I'm not sure if there are even any differences at all. This it the reason I don't know all the details of the original Marmit releases. This one is so well done, I never had the desire to get any of the Giant Robo originals.

This guy stands 21" tall and although it does have several points of articulation (neck, shoulders, wrists, waist, hips and ankles), it really isn't very poseable at all. In all likelihood, the only places you'd adjust the limbs might be at the ankles, and only then to make sure the the toy has a firm grip on whatever surfacing it's standing on. It has a tendency to lean forward so you'll want to make sure it doesn't topple over. I sometimes even place a few old hockey cards beneath the front of it's feet to straighten it up a bit.

Giant Robo is cast in blue vinyl with painted highlights. As I said before, the paint job is surprisingly good for a bootleg. There is a small blue jewel sort of thing embedded in the waist and he has rockets on his back. You can wiggle the bottom of these rockets, but like most of the rest of the toy, just because it can move, doesn't mean it's worth the effort to do it. Consider this just a display piece. Also, be careful with those rockets. One of mine has broken off a couple of times and I've had to glue it back in place.

When I first started collecting, these things were all over Ebay, and while you can still find them, they seem a little less common now. In fact, the official Marmit seems to be just as prevalent and the price about the same in general. Recently, a bootleg of Calamity has shown up, but GR2 has only the original release, which I'll review next.

Though usually not considered a true Machinder, this Jumbo Aphrodai A toy makes a nice companion piece to your Mazinger Z jumbo.

So, now we enter into that strange and confusing world of the "not quite a Jumbo Machinder". The term Jumbo Machinder is often thrown around when describing any large sized robot toy but it's not always accurate. Being a Jumbo Machinder means more than just being large. The size is important, but so is the material used and perhaps most importantly the visual aesthetic. It's hard to explain but you just know a Jumbo when you see it. But even among hardcore collectors there can be some disagreement about what toys should and should not fall into this category. Especially since many toys that might not be considered Jumbos are often collected mostly by Jumbo collectors! One such toy is this vinyl bootleg of Aphrodai A, the famous feminine robot from the Mazinger Z show.

I think in general, most collectors do not consider jumbo-sized vinyls to be true Machinders, even though the villains were made out of vinyl. Stuff like this, the High Dream Grendizer, FLOSRs and jumbo sized kaiju are not included. Sometimes even toys that advertise themselves as Jumbo Machinders, such as these bootleg robots, are not real Machinders. But even though I don't think of this as a true Machinder, it's still a nice compliment to a JM collection.

There are 14 points of articulation on this one. The ankles, knees, wrists, elbows, waist and neck all turn, while the shoulders have two joints each. The paint is really nice on the head, but a little crude elsewhere.

With no marks anywhere on the toy and no packaging, it's pretty obvious that this toy is a bootleg. The initial thinking was that the toy originated in Hong Kong, but since that time a second version of the toy has been seen. This new one is much smaller (about 8.5" tall), comes in a box and is sold in Spain. I've never purchased that one so I have no idea if it says where it was made or by whom.

Lastly, you shouldn't confuse this toy with the Aphrodai A toy that was released by Emanium Enterprises right around the same time.