Toy-Ventures: Popy World Heroes

This week's episode is all about the greatest toys you never had as a kid, unless you grew up in Japan that is. The Popy World Heroes are an amalgamation of the Kenner Star Wars figures with the greatest TV Superheroes Japan had to offer. I'm talking Power Rangers! I'm talking Ultra-Man and his many, many brothers and my personal favourite Kamen Rider and his arch enemies. Popy World Heroes are the kind of crazy the world needs. Discuss this with us at the Pod Stallions Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/podstallions/

Toy-Ventures 26: Infra-Man

This week we look at the merchandise made for the incredible 1975 Shaw Brothers masterpiece "Infra-Man" and talk about how we deserve way more than what is out there.

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Popy World Heroes Catalog 1980

I recently acquired the 1980 Popy Catalog and it's a "Treasury Edition" sized book that hates scanners, it's also delightful.

While I don't have the time to scan the whole thing, I thought it important to showcase one of my favourite toy lines the Popy World Heroes.

I honestly wonder if that middle carrying case exists...

Check out our Popy World Hero Gallery!

Grip Character Diecast Catalog

Click on the image to Enlarge.

Eidai Grip diecast vehicles were produced in Japan during the 1970s and featured many popular TV licences not unlike Dinky and Corgi did in the United Kingdom.

In fact, they shared many licenses like Gerry Anderson's UFO (a personal favourite), Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet. They also (understandably) covered Japanese favourites like Ultraman, Speed Racer and Battle of the Planets.

Above is a beautiful catalog I found, you can view it in larger scale by clicking on it. I've also broken it down after the jump including shots from my own collection of these. 

Toy Hunting in Japan

A couple pals of mine went to Japan this week and while I was unable to join them, they did the next best thing and took photos of everything they could while toy hunting. Here are just a few samples...


Japanese live action Spider-Man had a car and a killer robot, which seems to be a pricey item.


There was more Ultraman than you could shake a stick at, which is fine by because I LOVE Ultraman.


Wind up robots are a place I dare not go...

Keyop!

 
This whacky Thor is actually an American Toy


If Jack Kirby was replaced by Robert Crumb.

A whole store dedicated to American pop culture.


This store was all vintage Star Wars, I'd love to see this in person.

Check out (and please like) the PlaidStallions Facebook page for dozens more.

Popy World Hero Update!

When I first launched the Popy World Hero gallery, I had a few mysteries to solve like who certain characters were and the like. I'm happy to announce that the gallery attracted like minded folks who joined in and helped out, filling in a pile of gaps, like who was mystery figure 17?

I now know it was Pink Denjiman and I also discovered who figures 19-21 are.

This is what it's all about, people coming together in the spirit of cooperation and just sharing information to benefit others, right on.

Check out the rest of the new revelations at the revised Popy World Heroes Gallery.

Popy World Hero Figure Archive

The World Hero series was released in Japan in 1980, toy maker Popy had been distributing the 3 3/4" Kenner Star Wars figure in cool display boxes as opposed to the cards the rest of the world received.

Image Borrowed from Rebel Scum, they have a great article on Japanese Star Wars toys here.

With the success of this figure format, Popy sought to expand the 3 3/4" offering to more licenses, particularly the TV heroes of Japan.

What resulted is one of those wonderful bits of foreign toy magic, as a litany of popular Japanese heroes were released as if they were made and sold by Kenner. 

I have fallen completely in love with this line and wish I'd discovered them ten years ago.

Visit the Popy World Heroes Archive here.

This one is a work in progress and as always, I'd welcome help and information.

More Action Figure Archives at PlaidStallions

  

  

 

Podstallions 19: Japanese toys

Episode 19 sees Jason and Brian explain their deep affection for toys from the land of the rising sun.

Even though we both grew up in North America, our childhoods were made happier by the imports that did manage to hop across the Pacific leaving us with a thirst for more.

Japanese Toys tries to cover all the bases (but we're going need to do a part 2 sometime) including topics such as Shogun Warriors, Kamen Rider, Microman, Ultraman, Star Blazers, Mecha Kong, Japanese Spider-Man, Eidai Grip, Gerry Anderson, Jason's Tokyo mishaps and Brian's current addiction to Japanese auctions.

Episode 19 will have you finding a proxy bidding service.

PS don't buy us things.

Download the Show Here

Listen here

Show Links:

• The Japanese Spider-Man figure by Popy we discussed.
• The very first episode of Kamen Rider V3 sees his whole family murdered by a villain called Scissors Jaguar.
• The Ark diecast ad we discuss on the show that features Jason's beloved Baltan toy.
• How Star Wars figures were sold in Japan.
• The Captain Scarlet model kits Jason mention.
• Denys Fisher Cyborg toys based on Henshin Cyborg.
• A website devoted to the Shinsei UFO Commander toys.
• The Kamen Rider Henshin suit that keeps Brian up at night.
• Drool over the amazing Jumbo Machinders!

Plenty more content on the PodStallions Facebook page!



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Esquadron Ultra

This piece may be my favourite bit of Ultra-man merchandise ever, this particular rack toy doesn't come from Japan but Peru, where I guess Ultra Seven got played at one point.

What's amazing about this item is a) I'm not even sure it's licensed, b) I'm surprised something this fragile survived and c) it's so darn wonderful and show accurate.

I keep trying to quit collecting these things but they keep getting prettier.....

Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is a limited edition 144 page book from the creator of Plaid Stallions. Order from us and get three free promotional post cards.

Those Other World's Greatest Superheroes

 

 There was a time in my younger days where I was absolutely obsessed with these guys. Made by Japanese toy maker Popy, these 8" figures were meant to fit in with Mego Superheroes (which Popy also supplied in Japan). That 8" Mark from "Battle of the Planets" is the toy we deserved as kids.

Speaking of Mego, tomorrow kicks off Mego Meet 10 in Wheeling, WV, I'll be there selling many different goodies. Please say hi if you make it.

Ultraman hits the mall

Yet another Japanese Mall Appearance photo, this time it's Ultraman Joe (the animated version) visiting a toy store. This was done in conjunction with Popy toys, to no doubt promote their awesome line of toys including these Mego-esque figures.

Send me your mall appearance photos!

Ultra Seven crashes into a toy store

Oh my goodness, where to begin? One, this is not only a mall appearance of one of my favourite characters but it's in a 70s toy store setting. 

On top of that it's in a 70s JAPANESE toy store. Adding to this frenzy is one of my holy grails just sitting on a shelf, the Popy Godzilla.

Come to Brian, you look so lonely....

I need to go lie down.

Send me your mall appearance photos!

Japanese Punch

In North America, we get clowns and Fred Flinstone. In Japan, they get kick ass TV Superheroes like Ultra-Man and Mirror Man. Advantage Japan....

Toys that fight back

Leave it to the Japanese to improve upon a standard north American toy, the bop bag. Unlike our defenseless versions which teach children nothing, Japanese children threw punches with the knowledge that Ultra-Man might give them five across the eyes for doing so.

Well done land of the rising sun!

Ultra-Men and Monster Maker

Leave it to the Japanese to make a fun toy more "funner" (it's a word), here we see what I can only imagine is the original version of we here in North America know as "The Mighty Men and Monster Maker" easily one of the coolest toys from my youth.

In Japan however, their version was licensed and it allowed you to create scenes from Ultra-Man and some animated series I'm not familiar with (Is that Captain Future? Help me out anime guys).

I shouldn't be jealous but I slightly am...

Costume of the Week: Ultra-Man

As much as I'd like to say I own this killer Collegeville Ultraman suit, I don't. Fortunately for me, Corey volunteered some shots of his collection to the blog including the two variations of this classic suit, more after the jump.

Ultraman Goes Bowling

From the other side of the world comes this wonderful and slightly strange piece of merchandise which gives you a peak into Ultraman's personal life. He's a regular Joe just like me!