A double dose of Dangard! Two new Jumbo discoveries from South America.

In a previous review, I had talked about my love of the Yellow Dangard Ace bootleg Jumbo. That toy was believed to have originated in Italy so imagine my surprise when one day I saw one for sale, but coming from Argentina. Was this the same toy that just happened to be owned by someone in that country or something produced there? Well, the toy itself would provide some clues. The picture clearly showed a lack of stickers as well as no paint on the face. Furthermore, there was no hole in the right hand in which to hold Dangard's weapon (which was also not included). Curious, I sent an email to the seller with a couple questions about it and, almost on a whim, added a last second cash offer for the specimen. The offer was accepted, the toy mailed and about two weeks later, I had my answers! This toy WAS different!

Besides the fact that this toy was in very bad condition, the first thing you notice when comparing it to the "original" is that it is about 1" smaller. Now the plastic on this was severely warped and it doesn't like to stand up straight, so I had to make a concerted effort to verify this, and the size difference is probably not as pronounced looking in pictures. But to hold the two side by side in your hands leaves no doubt.

Besides the size difference and lack of color details, a careful comparison shows that this mold on this is has been slightly changed as well. The lines are FAR less sharp than before. In fact, this thing makes the Italian version look almost like the beautiful piece of art that the original Popy version is! In addition to just being of poor quality, some subtle changes can be seen. The back of the wings on the head are flat as are the middle of the back of the legs, where ridges could be found on the original.

Now, I suppose a version of the Italian toy that was made and released in Argentina is worthy of note, but frankly, it's basically just a poorer version of the same toy and in bad condition to boot. So as glad as I was to have it, I wasn't exactly jumping for joy. It was more interesting for what it might represent than for what it is. And that is that it might signal a greater population of Jumbos in Argentina that had been previously known.

I would be jumping for joy roughly one week later when a second version of this toy came to my attention. This one was the same size and sculpt, but with widely different colors! Furthermore, it included stickers not seen on the previous Dangards. This immediately was a must have item. After sending payment, I began a very nervewracking wait for the mail to arrive. I had no reason to believe it wouldn't, but whenever I find something that I REALLY want, I just can't help but worry. But arrive it did and immediately became one of my most treasured possessions.

While most of the stickers on this toy appear to be variants of those seen on other Machinders, the flames on the arms are unique to this toy and I think they are really cool. The face is again unpainted and something about that just cries out to be customized. Far more than the yellow version for some reason. Maybe if I were ever lucky enough to find a second specimen, that would be an option but with this one I would prefer to keep it in it's original condition.

Both of these two toys are cast entirely in very cheap polyethylene and measure only 20.5" tall. While this is of course a very large toy in the grand scheme of things, next to normal sized Jumbos they really seem depressingly small. 3" doesn't sound like much, but it would be so much more impressive if they were full size.

These two Jumbos are very intriguing to me. Do they suggest a more prominent connection between bootleg toy makers in Italy and Argentina than previously realized? We'd already seen the Super Robot Junior Machinder from Argentina that was based on an Italian toy before these discoveries. There was a Yellow Daikengo toy from Italy similar to the Dangard. Maybe there is also one from Argentina? Time will tell....

This Yellow Dangard Ace Jumbo is cheap and ugly...and one of my all time favorite toys!!

Having always loved Danguard Ace as well as jumbos and bootlegs toys, it should come as no surprise that one of my most prized holy grails as a collector was this bootleg Jumbo Dangard. I was truly stunned to learn of the regular Popy Jumbo so hearing of the existence of this version with totally wrong colors was music to my ears. I had to have it. Friend and fellow collector Tom Franck owned one, but his had been partially chewed by rats and he needed to upgrade. When he did, he knew of my lust for this piece and offered me his damaged one. Around this time, I had also just acquired my first Cosmos 2000, a piece I knew Tom was really after, and I was terrified that he would insist on getting it in trade! Fortunately for me, he made no such demands and simply sold the toy to me. Another holy grail crossed off the list!

The first thing I noticed about the toy when I received it was how light it is. It's hollow and made of thin, cheap polyethylene so it has almost no weight to it. As a result, it has a tendency to tip forward if you pose the arms in an outstretched position. Secondly, unlike the original toy, there is almost no articulation. The arms raise and lower and the legs can be turned slightly, but that is it. The head does not move and the elbows are not jointed at all. The fists do not shoot, the chest does not open and the Gard Rancher cannot be removed. Even though the back still has a place to connect wings, none are included. And there are no double lancers on the legs. This is just a bare-bones reproduction of the original mold.

Although the double lancers are not attached to the legs, you do still get one that Dangard can hold in his right hand. It is one solid piece and the handle does not fold into the weapon like the Popy version.

The polyethylene is cast entirely in blue and yellow. The face details are painted on, but all others are from stickers. Strangely, the stickers on the legs, waist and head are from the Takatoku Jumbo Daikengo. This always seemed a very curious thing, until 2006 when it was discovered that there existed a bootleg Daikengo Jumbo that is very similar to this Dangard one and seemingly made by the same company. So that's one holy grail cross off the list, and another added to it. IT never ends!

This yellow Dangard Ace Jumbo stands approximately 22" tall. It's a really neat addition to any jumbo collection, but I think this is a toy that is more rare than desirable. I was also able to recently upgrade my specimen and got a mint version for a price ($300) that I consider to be very reasonable. It's always interesting to me how few people show a SERIOUS interest in bootlegs. It seems most simply remark that they are cool, but don't show an inkling to spend alot to get them. Well, more for me then!!

The second of two Dangard Ace Junior Machinders, I think this is definitely the more desirable of the two.

The second of two Danguard Ace Junior Machinders, this is the one that I have always wanted. But unfortunately, it almost never shows up for sale. In fact, the specimen pictured here is the first I have seen in my 5 years of collecting. I feel very fortunate to have acquired one in such great condition. It was made by a company called simply "GC", presumably sometime in the late 1970s and it stands 14.5" tall, or about 1.5" taller than the other Dangard Ace Junior Machinder. The box is about 8"x15" and features some excellent artwork of the robot. As with most Junior Machinders, this toy was made in Hong Kong for distribution in the Italian market.

Besides it's larger size, I prefer this Junior Machinder because it has two firing fists, instead of one fist and one rocket launcher. The white on the arms and torso looks much better than the light blue on the other version as well. It has a traditional soft vinyl head which looks identical to the smaller version at first glance, but that is slightly different in that the forehead juts out farther, in the area where it is painted blue.

Instead of having the chest details in the form of a sticker, here we have a black vinyl covering that is actually screwed into the waist and shoulders, with a red sticker over that. Additionally, there is a removable belt that featues a missile holder on each side. Three missiles are included in a small bag, each with a red shaft and white tip. With the belt removed, you can place one of these missiles into the launcher in the stomach and fire it by way of a launching mechanism on the back. Besides the launching missiles and fists, the toy also comes eqipped with a red hatchet that can be held in the left hand

For articulation, the arms raise and lower and the head can turn from side to side, but that's it. The red on the arms and legs, as well as the emblem on the belt, are all stickers.

Although this toy is officially called "Danguard" and is in fact licensed from Toei Animation, I still consider it a bootleg since the mold of the toy is taken from the Takemi Big Robo version of the Robo Kress character from Machine Blaster. This mold was used on many Junior Machinders.

There isn't really a heck of a lot more to say about this toy. It's not a great toy in and of itself, but if you're a Dangard or Machinder fan like myself, it's certainly one to get.

One of two Dangard Ace Junior Machinders.

Having achieved my goal of aquiring both the original Popy Dangard Ace Jumbo Machinder as well as the Yellow colored bootleg Jumbo, I now wanted to complete the set and get both of the known Junior Machinders. Both are very difficult to get, but the one reviewed here is probably the easier of the two. I've seen it for sale a few times, but always loose and often incomplete.

The toy is approximately 13" tall and is articulated at the neck, shoulders, elbows, knees and hips. This sounds like it would be alot more poseable than it really is though. All of these places simply turn and don't make much of a difference in how it would be displayed.

The toy seems to be a mix of polyethylene, soft vinyl and hard plastic. The missile firing hand is plastic while the torso appears to be made of vinyl. Everything else is polyethylene. Even the head, which is normally vinyl on Machinders, is polyethylene with painted details. The poly on the feet is rather thin and is a bit warped on mine. It has trouble standing up. Besides the paint on the head, all the other color detailing is stickers. You can store two missiles in the hips, but mine is missing these.

I'm unsure who made this toy or what sort of packaging it came in. But there exists two very similar toys of Mazinga Z and Goldrake (UFO Robo Grendizer) that were sold in a box with a window card on the front. These were made by Mattel. It's very possible that this toy is from the same series. In fact, this Dangard looks to share the same shoulders as the Goldrake toy, but there are no markings on it to specify a maker, so until I'm sure it was Mattel, I'll list this under bootlegs.

It's simply the best Machinder ever made!!

Wakusei Robo Dangard A (惑星ロボ・ダンガードＡ (エース), (aka Danguard, or Dangard, Ace) aired on TV Tokyo from March 6, 1977 until March, 26 1978 for a total of 56 episodes. But more importantly to me and others in the New England area, it was imported into the US by Jim Terry Productions as part of his "Force Five" cartoon, an anthology of edited and dubbed Japanese animation shows. Others in the group were UFO Robo Grendizer (called simply "Grandizer"), Gaiking, Getter Robo G (retitled "Starvengers") and Science Fiction Saiyuki Starzinger (retitled "The Spaceketeers".). This show was hugely popular with children in the area and is one of the biggest reasons many collectors of Japanese toys live here. For most, Danguad Ace, which was shown every Monday, was a distant fourth in terms of popularity among the group, but for me it was number one with a bullet. And as an adult just beginning to rediscover my interest in toys, it was the discovery of the existence of a Dangard Ace Jumbo Machinder that made me throw myself headlong back into the hobby.

I had had Jumbos as a kid in the form of Mattel's Shogun Warriors line of toys, but had always wanted ones of all the robots from the Force Five shows, especially Dangard. Finding out that one existed 20 years later, I made it my goal to get one, but at the time, it was considered a very rare toy and my hopes were low. About a year later, one did appear on Yahoo!Japan auctions, but it was missing one of the double lancers and the box was in poor condition. Regardless, I HAD to have it. I had thought it would be my only chance ever. So I bid and won and for awhile I was happy. Shortly afterwards, I was off to Japan for my second trip there and the first where I would be seeking out Jumbos. Well, I would manage to find a second Dangard Jumbo at the now gone Tokyo Robot in Koiwa but it did not have the parts I needed. It had less in fact. Still, I told a friend about it and he purchased it. Later that year, he would find another specimen online and this time it was PERFECT! Complete and in a beautiful box. It looked like it had never been played with. But the price was high and since mine was missing only one piece, I couldn't justify spending what it would take to get it. So it went to my friend and between the 2 of us, we suddenly had 3 Dangard Ace Jumbos!

But over time, I would become increasingly frustrated at my specimen's lack of perfection and my friend would grow further and further away from toy collecting. It was decided I would buy the perfect specimen from him. A price was agreed upon and the sale made. (Furthermore, this would be the beginning of an incredible run of Jumbo scores for me, as within a few weeks, I would manage to get my first two Jumbo villains, Hasami Jaguar and Green Ghost C3, as well as the very rare Ultraman Leo, Cosmos 2000 and a bootleg yellow Dangard Ace Jumbo!!)

Since I haven't seen the show since I was a child, I can't even remember why I used to like it so much. But the reason for my love of the Jumbo is obvious. It's simply the best Machinder ever made!! A beautiful sculpt with great colors and gimmicks from head to toe, it's a true masterpiece. 23.5" of toy majesty. Dangard has all the appeal of regular Jumbos but is more complex. Starting at the top, you can remove the Gard Rancher helmet to reveal the soft vinyl head beneath. The only complaint I have with this toy is that this is easier said than done. Ideally, it would simply slide off with no problems but it really needs a little coercion to make it happen. I don't like to even do it for fear of causing any damage and these pictures you see here mark the only time it's ever been done to this specimen.

The chest of the toy opens up to reveal two missile launchers hidden within. The same mechanism for this was re-used by Mattel on their Jumbo version of Gaiking.

Both sides of the interior here have stickers for detail. With the exception of the face and helmet, all other color details are from stickers. The arms are jointed not only at the shoulders, but also at the elbows on both sides, allowing for a greater range of motion than most Machinders. Both fists also shoot as well. The double lancers on the legs are detachable and have a rod that folds out allowing you to place them in it's hands!

Furthermore, the ends of each have openings that let you join the two together to form one mighty weapon.

If you like winged Jumbos, well, Dangard has you covered in this regard as well. Two separate wings are included and can be easily attached to the back for added play value. These are often missing though.

Dangard has two large wheels on the bottoms of each foot and comes with 5 short vaned Machinder missiles on the outside of either leg. But the fun doesn't stop there. It also comes with a full color poster!

The only other thing I should say can be a problem with this toy is that over time the silver stickers can start to become corroded.

There seems to be at least two different releases for this toy. Some come with the stickers pre-applied while others feature a separate sticker sheet. It seems some specimens come with the poster while others don't. Also, some versions have a yellow missile-firing mechanim in the back, while it is blue on others. I'm unsure which version, if either, is more commonplace.

What I am sure of is that this isn't as rare as it was believed to be 5 years ago. I've seen many more specimens of varying conditions come and go since my first foolhardy rush to get one back then. That doesn't mean it's an easy acquisition, just that if you want one, it can be had if you are willing to spend the money to do it. How much you will have to spend depends on condition (as it always does), but I would expect about $2000-3000 for a MIB one. But it's worth every penny if you are a Jumbo collector or Dangard fan!

Dangard Ace is from Popy, the Japanese toy company, and he represents another hundred foot tall, pilot operated robot from a Japanese animated serial. The figure is beautifully crafted from plastic and die-cast metal.

EDITORS NOTE

The following review is an excerpt from a work in progress. The larger project details the rather odd circumstances that led to the authors fascination with Japanese toys. The article is written from the perspective, and with the limited knowledge he had in 1978 when he was building the collection. Therefore, much of the information on the toys will be inaccurate, the toy stores listed non existent, and the prices ridiculously low.

Dangard Ace is from Popy, the Japanese toy company, and he represents another hundred foot tall, pilot operated robot from a Japanese animated serial. The figure is beautifully crafted from plastic and die-cast metal.

The toy is absolutely ingenious. After launching the robot's spring loaded fists, the forearms folds back into hidden compartments in the shoulders. Remove Dangard's helmet; push a button on his back, and the mechanical Samurai separates into two modules. More hidden compartments in the legs and chest open up to deploy landing gear. The feet swivel up to become missile launching tail fins. The modules now click together in a new configuration, and Dangard Ace becomes the space ship, Satelither.

I first saw the Dangard Ace at Toys International. It was sharing a display case with Star Wars figures and high-grade military miniatures. Nothing in any of the other toy lines comes close to the Dangard's quality, materials, or engineering. Like most of these Japanese imports, the Dangard Ace is full of small pieces, spring-loaded shooters, and fragile parts. It's really more appropriate for a display case than a toy box.

Given the current popularity of space-themed movies and toys, I predict that Dangard and his fellow Japanese imports will soon become a major fad. At $19.95 Dangard Ace is not cheap, but considering the ingenious quality of the figure, it is a good buy. You can find Dangard Ace and other Popy toys at Toys International, and Kunimatsuya*.

*The stores are no longer in business. Popy returned to its parent company, Bandai
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