Showing posts with label microman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label microman. Show all posts
Sunday, October 15, 2023
Thursday, August 13, 2020
Saturday, August 1, 2020
VINTAGE KNOCK-OFF MICROMAN / HENSHIN CYBORG / DIACLONE / ULTRAMAN & GODZILLA!
It's a Japanese knock-off extravaganza!
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Sunday, May 3, 2020
TOKYO OUTDOOR ADVENTURE #2 (ONI PARK)
Made another video of a local spot, but this time I brought a micro-sized friend.
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Thursday, July 25, 2019
Saturday, July 20, 2019
Monday, November 5, 2018
HUNTING @ TOY CATS w/ MAD HUNTER
Last month I had the honor of meeting and toy hunting with the legendary toy hunter, Rodrigo "Mad Hunter" de Orduna. After following his videos for several years and doing some on and off correspondence, we eventually ended up meeting in Tokyo during his first trip to Japan, and going on a toy hunt at my favorite spot, Toy Cats.
There I introduced him to my good friend, and owner of Toy Cats Showcase, Ishii-san. Together, Ishii-san and I further educated Mad Hunter about the world of vintage Japanese toys from the 70's-90', such as Henshin Cyborg, Microman, Dragon Ball... and even some obscure Japanese Star Wars items!!
Check out the video of our experience together below (and don't worry, although the title is in Spanish, 99% of the video is in English!) Enjoy!!
#hunterlove
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Wednesday, September 7, 2016
MICROMANDALORIANS : SOLD OUT!
Thanks to everyone who grabbed a set of these!!
Your support is highly appreciated and I have plans for some new toy releases early next year, so keep your eyes peeled :)
I will resume posting new articles in late November.
Cheers! -TTB
. . .Tuesday, June 28, 2016
FOR THE LOVE OF MICROMAN
If you are not familiar with either Microman or the Micronauts, you probably didn't grow up in the 70's. I sure didn't. It wasn't until my second time living in Japan, at the age of 31, that I finally caught onto the awesomeness that makes up these micro-sized action figures.
Fortunately for those of you too young to have caught the original wave of these guys, IDW has recently resurrected the Micronauts comic book series and Hasbro is joining in on the fun by releasing a new set of vintage style Micronauts action figures exclusive to this summer's San Diego Comic-Con. However most die-hard MicroFans will tell you that there have been a few minor changes made to these new figures... oh well :)
Back in the mid 70's through the mid 80's Microman and the Micronauts were the shit. For those of you who want a quick overview of the history of Microman and the Micronauts please check out my article from last year, it'll catch you up on all of the basics.
As I mentioned before, it wasn't up until a few of years ago during my return to life in Tokyo that I actually discovered the phenomenon that was known as Microman. It was essentially the first 3 3/4" action figure ever produced. Not only that, it also had the articulation of a G.I. Joe and came in awesome sci-fi inspired cyborg characters. Too bad I was born right as the US version, the Micronauts, were being phased out of toy stores :(
Anyway, one day after moving back to Tokyo, I was on a toy hunt, looking for Godzilla sofubi (soft vinyl) and vintage Star Wars toys on the Western side of Tokyo in a town called Kichijoji. I eventually came across a toy shop called TOY CATS SHOWCASE. It was down in the basement level within a cluster of shops so I couldn't really see what was inside without going in to have a look around. The sign outside said "OLD & NEW TOYS", so that was a good sign.
That was the moment that my eyes were opened to Microman in all of it's chrome headed glory.
Earlier this year the owner of TOY CATS, whom is now my good friend, let me borrow an old and somewhat rare CD-R that was absolutely full of vintage Japanese action figure commercials. Specifically it contains TV ads for action figures that were produced by the toy company Takara, whom created Microman. He gave me permission to copy the disc and upload any of it's content to my Youtube channel. Of course I wasted no time going through the entire disc and the first thing I decided to upload was a complete collection of the vintage Microman commercials. Now I would like to share them with you . . .
. . . so sit back with a hot coffee or cold beer and enjoy these mega awesome TV ads.
MEEE-KUUU-ROOO MAAAAAAAN!!
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Thursday, February 18, 2016
BASEBALL ROBOT vs KITTEN
In 1975, Takara released a fun little 'gyro-sphere' vehicle to go with their new line of Microman action figures called the Mecha-Cosmo Escargot. It featured a battery powered motor, a first for the toy line, which allowed it to roll along on the ground. It also included 5mm ports in it's design to enable various attachments like machine guns and 'arms'. When the arms were attached , the overall appearance of the toy looked very much like a snail of sorts, which I assume is why the toy is called 'Escargot' - French for snail.
| (Photo by Microforever.com) |
Just take a look at the morbid TV advertisement for these freaks...
SERIOUSLY?!
* * *
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
MICROMAN WAS F*CKING BADASS
| (1974 Microman catalog cover) |
Forty years ago, Microman was one of the most incredibly badass toy lines a kid could own in Japan. It completely dominated the Japanese toy market for a few years after
its release... at least until Star Wars action figures came along. They were some of the very first 3 3/4" scale action figures (if not the very first), extremely well articulated and came with a variety of awesome vehicles and playsets.
Originally intended as a smaller version of Takara's Henshin Cyborg toy line, Microman featured a chrome head with a variety of colors and sculpts. The original Microman lineup, also known as 'Microman Zone' or later on, 'the founders', were released in four different translucent colors in 1974, all with the same sculpt and unique chest module.
Many new types of Microman came out over the years that followed, including die-cast versions, armored versions, magnetic versions, large robots, intergalactic villains and female commanders. Along with all of the playsets and vehicles, the possibilities were endless...
(Check out this short vintage Microman TV commercial)
Since these toys were not based on any existing TV show, movie or comic book, Takara created an original story to go along with them. The premise was that cyborgs from a planet called "Micro Earth" disguised themselves as toys after being exiled to our Earth.
| (Original Microman store display / provided by Tom Vigneau) |
Many new types of Microman came out over the years that followed, including die-cast versions, armored versions, magnetic versions, large robots, intergalactic villains and female commanders. Along with all of the playsets and vehicles, the possibilities were endless...
(Check out this short vintage Microman TV commercial)
Since these toys were not based on any existing TV show, movie or comic book, Takara created an original story to go along with them. The premise was that cyborgs from a planet called "Micro Earth" disguised themselves as toys after being exiled to our Earth.
In 1976, Microman became an international success after being released by MEGO in the USA and Europe as the 'Micronauts'.
MEGO also added several new figures to the Micronaut's line which did not exist in Takara's original series of Microman figures. Utilizing MEGO's new line-up,The Micronauts even got their own comic book series, which was published by Marvel from 1979-1986.
| (This particular 'Micronauts' cover art features three characters from the original Japanese Microman toy line, Robotman, M21X & Acroyear II) |
It featured a brand new story that was slightly different from the original story line given to Microman. Originating in the "Microverse", the Micronauts fled to Earth during war with a ruthless dictator named Baron Karza... who ironically was a completely different Japanese toy from an unrelated manga and anime called Kotetsu Jeeg, which had been repainted and re-purposed for use in MEGO's Micronauts toy line.
| (Force Commander (left), Kotetsu Jeeg (center) & Baron Karza (right) - Photo by Dave Waugh) |
Eventually the Microman and Micronauts lines were phased out due to a lack of sales after a long run in Japan and increased interest in Takara's 'Microchange' figures, part of the Microman toy line, which later, along with Takara's Diaclone toy line, evolved into the ever popular Transformers toys...
...but f*ck the Transformers 🤓
. . .
*CLICK HERE for more info about Takara's Microman line.
Thursday, June 18, 2015
TOY CATS SHOWCASE IS THE PLACE
One of my favorite places to visit in Tokyo is a little hidden gem of a toy shop called TOY CATS SHOWCASE. Located conveniently near Kichijoji Station right behind Yodobashi Camera, TOY CATS is easily the 'holy grail' of toy shops for collectors of Henshin Cyborg and Microman. They also specialize in Star Wars toys, 'gashapon' (vending machine toys) and various dealer showcases.
A collector himself, Yuichi Ishii the shop's owner, is one of the most genuinely friendly toy shop owners you will find in Tokyo. His passion for his own toy collection is extremely evident, beaming from his smiling face into your very soul. It was this passion that converted me from a strictly 'sofubi' and Star Wars collector, into a Microman and Henshin Cyborg fanatic.
Thanks Ishii-san ;D
Recently I visited TOY CATS and interviewed Ishii-san about his shop. I also asked him to show off some of his prized possessions. Many of the toys that he presents in the video are most likely unknown to the layman... but you can bet your ass that they are not easy to find ...or cheap.
For more info visit the OFFICIAL TOY CATS FACEBOOK PAGE.
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Monday, June 15, 2015
HENSHIN CYBORG (1972-1974)
Henshin Cyborgs (Changing Cyborgs) were an extremely badass 12-inch action figure line produced between 1972 and 1974 by the Takara toy company in Japan. Instead of designing the entire toy from scratch, Takara used their recently acquired licence to sell G.I. Joe figures in Japan and cast a clear version of the 12-inch G.I. Joe, while adding a chrome internal 'chest engine' and cyborg skull.
| (GI JOE & HENSHIN CYBORG) |
The cyborg's internal parts came in four colors; silver, blue, gold and flat grey. You could also buy accessories for them, including costumes of popular Japanese TV show characters like Kamen Rider and Ultraman (see video below)... but who would want to cover up these awesome toys with goofy clothes and masks?! If you want to play with Ultraman, go buy a fucking Ultraman toy, not a Henshin Cyborg.
During the initial release of Henshin Cyborg, their retail value was around $10 (¥1,000) per figure, but now due to the fact that they were only sold in Japan and only for a couple of years - they can go for anywhere between $200 to $600 each, depending on the condition.
Henshin Cyborg also had several villains to face off with, the leader being King Waruda. There were several incarnations of King Waruda that came in different colors and original armored disguises. There was even a miniature version of him that was only sold in the UK called MUTON. Later the miniature version was released in Japan in different color variations. I will go into detail about King Waruda in a later article.
| (My mini King Waruda aka King Waruda Jr. with a proton pack that I gave him) |
Living in Tokyo and frequenting shops like TOY CATS, I come across these bad boys fairly often. However, upon discovering them for the first time, I wondered why I had never heard of them before. They were just too cool not to have seen or heard about. You too may be wondering why you've never heard of these guys... but they are just the tip of the cybernetic iceberg...
Stay tuned tuned for more about the Henshin Cyborg action figure line and click here to learn about Henshin Cyborg's little brother, Microman.
. . .
Thursday, June 11, 2015
ROBOTMAN vs BIOTRON
Robotman, was an extremely revolutionary item in the toy industry of the 1970's. Created by Takara in 1975 and marketed in Japan as part of the Microman line, it was one of the first 'transforming' robot toys. A cockpit in his chest allowed a single Microman figure to ride inside while the 14" motorized giant marched toward it's enemies. Robotman could also be taken apart and turned into various vehicles and modes.
In 1976, the American toy company Mego acquired the license to sell the Microman toy line under their own brand name, the Micronauts. Robotman was one of the figures included in the 1976 Micronauts line-up, however his name was changed to Biotron, which in my opinion sounds a hell of a lot better than the ultra generic Japanese name, Robotman.
Since both Takara and Mego were advertising their own versions of the toy at roughly the same time, it's interesting to see the original television commercials and compare how differently they advertised the exact same thing.
Which one makes your inner child burst with excitement?
1976 Mego (USA)
1975 Takara (JAPAN)
. . .
"ROBOTOMAAAN!!"
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