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/

Battle of the Planets Figures 2: Toy-Ventures

This time we look at the 8" Megolike Battle of the Planets action figures produced in France by Ceji Arbois. Figures that were cobbled together by using bodies from three different Hasbro toy lines. This video is for adult collectors aged 18+ because that's who watches my channel. All of our videos are on our Facebook page, please like it in case I close up shop on YouTube. https://www.facebook.com/Plaidstallionsdotcom/ Twitter: @plaidstallions

And now, a whole page of diecast Shogun Warriors

This page is from the 1980 Popy toys catalog and even though i wasn't born in Japan, it feels like childhood.

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Japanese versions of US toys

I thought it may be fun to look at a few (but not all) examples of how some American favourites looked like over in Japan, the land of amazing toys and cartoons.

We'll start with the Mickey Mouse Snowcone machine, a take on the Snoopy Sno-Cone machine. This one confuses me because SNOOPY IS REALLY POPULAR IN JAPAN! Not sure why they switched to Mickey here.

Much more after the jump!

Japanese Evel Knievel

I'm back from Mego Meet and I bring many virtual presents in the form of the sights I encountered there. Let's start with this, a Popy Evel Knievel stunt set or as they dubbed it "The Evel Knievel Challenge Machine".

I had to do some Guerilla photography on this one because it had just been sold! Fortunately the purchaser was a good egg and let me mess with it before he took it home. More after the (Snake Canyon) jump!

Battle of the Planets Helmet

I seriously was trying to swear off Battle of the Planets merchandise after finding this and more importantly this in the previous few months.

However, a well meaning friend of mine forwarded me an auction and it was a) Super Cool and b) TWENTY MINUTES FROM MY FREAKING HOUSE. I'm not made of stone, more after the jump.

Space:1999 Space Eagle by Popy Japan

It's no secret that I love Space:1999 toys although I don't own many these days. An opportunity came up to own an item I have never even held before, I couldn't pass it up.

This wonderful diecast Space Eagle was made by Japanese toymaker Popy and as we'll explore they've wonderfully left some cultural fingerprints.

Thunderbirds are Going Japanese

Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds was easily his most toyetic series and that was not lost on the Japanese.

Even though the show was 14 years old in 1980, it didn't stop Popy from creating some incredible diecast toys.

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!

Pod Stallions 37 : Godilla

Episode 37 is our first "lost episode" as we had to re-record half of it after a computer glitch (sorry), so we know it's not October. This one has J & B discussing all things Godzilla and his Toho pals, something we're both fans of.

Subjects include our highlights (and lowlights) of his film series, the Hanna Barbera cartoon series, the Marvel comic and of course the many, many awesome toys that take money from (mostly Brian's) our wallets. Sidetrack conversations include Majin monster of Terror, Rack Toys, Johnny Yuma, Ultraman, Rodan,  Psychotronic magazine and the Big Bopper.....

We also want to keep the conversation going on the Pod Stallions Facebook page, please drop a line as to your favourite Godzilla movie and toys. We anxiously await your thoughts.

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Show notes

• The HG ToysGodzilla vs the Tricephalon playset
• That Ultramanplayset Brian mentioned
• Knickerbocker Godzilla store display
• Combat JoeGodzilla set by Takara
• The amazingGLJ Toys Godzilla rack toy
• The ImperialToys Godzilla assortment from the 1980s
• The original commercial for Mattel Shogun Warriors Godzilla
• Popy Godzilla
• The MattelGodzilla game
• Godzilla'sgang toys
• The theme toJohnny Yuma
• The awesome new Shogun Warriors Godzilla by Toynami
• Jason's FlashGordon celebration at BAFTA still has a few seats left, click here to get tickets. 

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Popy Godzilla!

This year I managed to cross a toy off my want list that has been there since I first saw it in 1995. The Popy "Jumbosaurus" is the Japanese equivalent to the Mattel Shogun Warriors Godzilla. Mattel kept a few of the trademark items (like the firing fist and the wheels on the feet) but the differences outweigh the similarities as I'll detail below.

First off, I didn't get this guy in the box, I don't have that kind of money. Here is a shot of the box back in 1978. From a toy store appearance of Ultra-Seven.

As you can see, he's more "Godzilla-y" than our version.

The flicking toungue action that the US version has isn't here, instead he has a talk box in his stomach.

You can see the talk box here, wanna know what he sounds like? Thanks to some help from my daughter, I've created a little video that answers that.

And of course, it's inevitable that I'd see a "side by side" comparison with the two (expect another series of pictures when the Toynami version comes out)

The US G has is slightly taller and more rounded in general.

This looks like the greatest sandbox fight ever.

More Shogun Warriors

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.

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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!

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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!

1978 Popy Toys Catalog

Oh Japan, how i love thee.  The Popy Toy Corporation is not terribly well known to North Americans but their influence definitely had an impact on us.

In 1978, they had a tremendouse amount of cool licenses such as Gatchaman (Known to us as Battle of the Planets), Starzinger (which we called Spaceketeers) and your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, who suddenly had a cool car and giant robot.

There is a lot of goodness in here from the crew of the Bacchus 3 to the whacky ships from "Message from Space" and some Shogun Warriors thrown in for good measure.

The 1978 Popy Toys Catalog will make you wish you were born in Tokyo, unless you were, then I guess then it would make you thankful. I don't know...

More Japanese Influenced Toy Lines: