Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Maetel, the eternal traveller...


Maetel, Aruze ? China, 2000's

It is cold in space... need to get dressed warm and cosy ! Now I just need to find my suitcase and triple nine...

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Höfler astronauts

Höffler Astronauts, Germany, 1970's
This group of Astronauts were sold together with PLONG Chewing-Gum... Making bubbles on the moon. Way to go ! And especially difficult in a helmet !





Sunday, January 4, 2015

Don Diego de la Vega

Zorro, Caramelle SPERLARI, Italy, 1960
how kitch can you get ? 





















Another of the great TV heroes of the 70ies... Every boy wanted to be Zorro... and no one wanted to play Sgt. Garcia...

Thursday, January 1, 2015

The Empire wishes you a Happy New Year...

My Lord... Stormtrooper... My Lord... Stormtrooper...

Stormtrooper, Jakks Pacific, USA, 2014

Bigger is better, right ? This one makes a 12 inch blush...

Monday, December 29, 2014

Bomber X

Bomber X, Takatoku Toys, 1980, Japan

With the success of the British supermarionation shows in Japan like Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet, Go Nagai (yes, the creator of Mazinger and Grandizer/Goldorak !) went for his own "puppet" show. This is how Bomber X came to the air - from 1980 to 1981 - with a total of 26 episodes. It was renamed Star Fleet for the English market.


Friday, December 26, 2014

Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future...





The original Dan Dare, complete with spacesuit


If the USA had Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, then this was their UK doppelganger. Dan Dare is a British science fiction comic hero, created in 1950 by illustrator Frank Hampson. Learn more here.



Dan Dare, Kentoys, Hong Kong, 1950's

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Davy, Davy Crockett...


Trapper, Herald, Hong Kong, 1970's

This one is for nostalgic purpose... since I used to watch the Disney series when I was a kid. In true life, this 19th century American folk hero was a congressman and a big opositor to president Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal Act. He took part in the Texas Revolution and died at the famous battle of the Alamo.

He could shoot at 40 yards of the target, and killed a bear with his bare hands... (according to legend)


Sunday, December 14, 2014

The fun of Picassa...


















Take a common object in the collection - a Raygun fo exemple (one of those with a big fin - I love fins...) and start messing up the colors ! Toys become art... Or maybe they were Art already, and no one noticed...

Rocket Jet gun, U.S. Plastics Co., USA, 1950's

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Ride me baby !

Astrotec / Baxinger Robot, Takatoku copy ?, Taiwan, 1982
This is another one of theses Super Robot shows that never made it to French TV. The concept is nice. A Robot Biker ! (see the handlebars coming out of his torso...).

The original toy was made by Takatoku in Japan and had diecast pieces. This one is full plastic.


Monday, December 8, 2014

Mint on the card... You go Goldo !

Not one of the hardest toys to find on Grandizer, but it is the one that shows the color of the saucer in the "correct" patterns. (I still don't know why the DX version was made in grey plastic...)

UFO Robot, Popy, Japan, 1970's
Two wheels on the bottom make this toy fly across the table - in search of Golgoths (=bad, bad robots), for sure !



And some more Atoms from the collection !

Tetsuwan Atom (9 inch), ?, China, 2010's
It's not polite pointing, Astro ...



If you open my chest...
...you'll see I am a robot !

 
Tetsuwan Atom, Billiken, Japan, 2000's

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Oh my goodness... this one is ugly !


One more for the f...ugly collection - but had to have it ! In Japan, they made beautifull cheap toys with vinyl. In Italy, ... well, blown plastic just does not give you the details, really.

Nice try Italy. In France, they would say : Oh mon dieu ! Albator a la jaunisse ! (jaundice)

Captain Harlock, Bootleg ?, Italy, 1970's

Too much drinking ?




Yesterday's toy fair

Here are some pics of yesterday's toy fair here at Hotel Roma in Lisbon :







Portuguese cake topper
Portuguese cake topper


(Hong Kong Version)


Portuguese cake topper

Sunday, November 16, 2014

El Dúo Dinámico

Straight from Mexico - big size (5" - 13cm) figurines... No idea who or when these were made. But they sure have all the charm and funkyness of the original TV series...

Batman and Robin, ?, Mexico, ?
El chico maravilla
El Murcielago

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Ovomaltine Goldrake ! Put some power in these arms !

There was a saucer too ? 
OK, you really had to live in Italy to get that one when you were a kid - but now, By the Powers of Castle... hmmmm sorry - by the powers of the internet.... voilá !

Lousy paintjob... is that lead-based ?
I'm seeing double !



Goldrake, Ovomaltine ?, Italy, 1970's
My back is blown plastic !