I'm not sure how this vintage US Jumbo eluded me when I was a kid, but I'm glad I have it now. It's a great toy and an affordable alternative to the expensive Popy version. It's always on Ebay and should be in every Voltron and Jumbo fans collection!

Voltron ruled the airways for me and my friends when I was about 10 years old. It was far and away our favorite show at the time and I had nearly all of the toys. But one that I never even heard of until I started collecting as an adult was this motorized version of the Popy Golion Jumbo Machinder that LJN released in 1984. Most people that I talk to now all remember it, but somehow it completely escaped me back then. Like most of the other vintage Jumbos released in the US, it takes the original Popy version (released 3 years previous in 1981) and modified it for the US market. And like the others, it was made worse than the original.

But that doesn't mean to suggest that this toy is not worth having. In fact, this one is probably closest to it's model than any other US jumbo. The sculpt of the toy is nearly identical to the Popy version. The only differences seems to be that the copyright stamp was changed and the missile launching mechanism and missile holders were removed (they used to be on the hips). But this is a real shame since the original gimmick was really cool. On the Popy version, when you pushed the levers on the red and green hands to open the lion mouth, it would press a button on the bottom of the hand and launch a missile out of the mouth! A great idea that I'm sure kids here would have loved, but I suppose it was removed for safetly concerns. But LJN did something to make up for it. They included a "blazing sword" that Volron could hold in either hand. This is something that the Popy version did NOT have!

Not only did you it have the sword included, but this version also came with a motorized base that you could attach Voltron to and move him around the floor. You could place Voltron on top of the base and use 4 included screws to make the connection. The screws would have to go up through the holes in the bottom of the base and then screw into the holes in the bottom of Voltron's feet. Insert two C batteries into the "remote" control, flip the switch and Voltron would roll back and forth. Most collectors think this is pretty lame, but hey, maybe kids got a kick out of it back then. And really, any extra gimmick you get can't be bad, can it?. If you don't like it, you don't have to use it. Strangely, this is not the only jumbo to use a motorized base. The first version Famosa Great Mazinger also had one, though it's served a different purpose.

There is a downside to the base though, actually. I assume it is probably the reason why the weights were removed for this release. Usually the Popy jumbos have the feet weighted down giving them a very solid feel. This toy, while the quality of the plastic is fine, feels almost like a bootleg because it is so light.

One other thing that I don't like about this toy is the amount of stickers that need to be applied. I count over FIFTY stickers that had to be put on this thing. When I got mine, the adhesives on the back had all dried up, too, so I had to respray each one and then apply them. It seemed to take forever to get them all on. But the toy does look great when they are all in place.

Voltron has 9 points of articulation. The head turns, the arms raise and lower, the wings are adjustable and the red and green lion's mouth open. Also, the elbows are on a ball joint. The only problem there is that the levers of the lion's mouths can hinder the arms movement as they often bump into the waist.

One quick note about the wings. They are a very similar mold to the wings on the Popy Robot Factory God Sigma Jumbo. And the Giant Commander Voltron has two different versions of wing connections. One is like the God Sigma jumbo and they fit over a rounded peg on the back. The other version has a plastic covering that pushes through the wings and into the back. This version does not appear to come off like the first.

Voltron comes in a large box (25.5" tall by 14.75" long and 6.5" deep) with a cellophane window in the top half that allows you to see the robot inside.

I recently came across a very cool related item, a giant 5 foot tall standee used to promote the show and the toy at Spencers. One collector remembers only seeing this toy at that store. Since I never saw it at all when I was little, I have no idea if it was sold only there or in regular stores as well. If anyone has any info about that, please leave a comment.

The motorized Giant Commander Voltron is a pretty cool toy, one that I feel doesn't get the respect it deserves. If it only shot something, I'd say it's better than all the Shogun Warriors. It's certainly the nicest looking, in my opinion. Furthermore, it's a cheap grab for a vintage Jumbo. You can usually get this thing on ebay for about $100 give or take. I can see not getting one if you aren't into jumbos. But if you've even got a passing interest, there's really no good reason not to have this one.

LJN was not the only company to copy the Popy Golion Jumbo. In Korea, there was a bootleg version that was called "Super K". (Click the image for more information about that toy.)

Voltron combination sequence (I never noticed the "War Of The Worlds" sound effect!)

Mike Vosburg designed the Bionic Six? Who Knew?

The Bionic Six was a really cool show at the time. It had an anime type feel with American storytelling.

American toymaker LJN had the toy license for Bionic Six, and decided to do something unique with the line – each figure was to be made out of diecast metal. These were American Gokin.

The figures themselves were ok. They were about G.I. Joe-sized, and made out of metal, but in my opinion they suffered from poor sculpts, and looked nothing like the characters on the show. The standout toy of the line was their robot monkey F.L.U.F.F.I.

F.L.U.F.F.I. was a giant diecast robot ape. The entire body, legs and lower arms are all metal. The head and upper arms are plastic. The toy has small transparent plastic panels that allow you to see the circuitry underneath.

Apparently the F.L.U.F.F.I. toy was hard to find during the first release of the toys, but subsequently became more common during later releases.

While doing research for this toy, I found out some things about Bionic Six I didn’t know. One unusual fact is that all the character design was done by comic legend Mike Vosburg. Secondly, Bionic Six was very popular in Korea (Another similar American show, the Mighty Orbots, was also popular in Korea).

While this toy is common, it can be hard to find unbroken and nearly impossible to find mint on the card. This figure is often found with the legs or lower arms broken off.

This was a great quality diecast metal toy that really captured the spirit of Chogokin.

It seems there is no place I won’t go in my quest to get as many toys of Voltron 1 as I possibly can. Each time I make a purchase I am amazed at the depths to which I have sunk.

In this case, I managed to track down on of the few American exclusive Voltron 1 toys made by LJN. This one is called the Computer Control Vehicle Force Voltron. He stands about 11” tall, and is actually a pretty nice representation of the character. The arms move, but that’s about it. He comes with a sword, but I unfortunately do not have mine.

The Computer Control Voltron has a control panel on the back, on which you can program a series of moves. For example, if you press the up button 3 times and then press GO, Voltron will move ahead three cycles. He is battery operated, and the battery compartments are under the feet.

The toy comes in a giant window box that is almost never seen intact.

LJN also made a Lion Force version with the same Computer Controls.

I kind of dig this toy, largely because of the character. I’m sick, I know…..
:

Voltron ruled 1984. Toys were made by Matchbox, Panosh Place and LJN, and everyone was cashing in on the craze. As with any fad, you get quality toys, and you get an assortment of junk.

In the Junk category, LJN decided to release a set of rubber combining Voltron Lions called the Voltron Lion Force Assembler. The figure came on a card, disassembled, with a sword and shield. They also released one for Voltron 1. Once assembled, the toy is roughly the same size of the ST Voltron (about 6 inches). Despite it's rubber construction, it's actually a pretty cool sculpt.

I don't have proof yet, but I have reason to believe that this is based off of a Japanese toy. I have seen a Japanese version of the Voltron Vehicle Force Assembler on a popy card, so I assume one will turn up for the Lion Force eventually.