Monday, August 8, 2011

Battle of the Planets !

Mark nodder, Nakajima, Japan,
1970's
Mark nodder (detail - back with "flying wheel"), Nakajima, Japan,
1970's

Jason's racecar, Banso, Japan,
1970's

The G-Force is back ! Mark, Thierry, Princesse, Alumette + Kipo (French names) were fighting evil Zoltar every Wednesday afternoon on TV. They had a wonderfull spaceship, the Phenix, that could transform into a firebird, and they communicated through high-tech bracelets which would transform them into super-"birdmen and woman" in a blink of an eye.
Strangely, most of the toys that appeared in Europe were of the second serie, which showed other mecha (= spaceship and vehicle design). It seems the cartoon became a sudden and unexpected success in a number of countries: Spain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands,  the U.K.... and when toystores finally got into the game, they had to accept the toys related to the new (= in Japan) series.

5 figurines (Dutch packaging), CIVAS, Hong Kong
1980

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