Fulguropoing !

Shooting fist, Atlantic, Italy,
1970's

When your hero is a Shogun Warrior robot with sickles and laser beams shooting from the torso and horns and Pulvonium beams from the fingers and so on, you need to have these in the playground also.

The Italian kids had it, once again thanks to a great and now defunct company called Atlantic.

Shooting fist, Atlantic, Italy,
1970's

They made the fist ! For the other "goldorak" weapons of choice - check this list from a French website: http://www.ledman.ch/humour/armes_goldorak.html

Read the newspaper, read !

Truck, Corgi Juniors, Gt.Britain,
1978

Especially if it is the Daily Planet and if you want to have some news of Superman before anyone else... The funny side of this toy ? It is a model of a Leyland Terrier. Very popular in the UK in the 70's ? Yes. In USA Metropolis ? Hmmm. maybe not.

So, unless we are talking about some foreign branch of the Daily Planet in London or Leeds (yes, why not... they read papers in Leeds) this is not really the truck one would expect on the American roads.

Black shark-fin

Ray Gun, Park Plastics, USA,
1950's

Another raygun from the 50's - very similar to the Reliable version but without the compas.

Original rubber from Italy

Albator, Fabianplastica,
Italy, 1978

Docteur Zero, Fabianplastica ,
Italy, 1978

Nausicaa, Fabianplastica,
Italy, 1978

Captain Harlock was an instant success with the bambinos and bambinas in Italy ... Fabianplastica, already known for their other rubber figurines of series like Barbapapa and Goldrake, just went on and issued the heroes of the serie. I particular like the doctor, who has all the characteristics of the typical Matsumoto anti-hero. (Miaoow-Miaoow included !)

Sylvidra, Fabianplastica,
Italy, 1978

Ramis Valente, Fabianplastica,
Italy, 1978

Capitan Futuro...

A lot of toys were made specifically for some markets, like Italy or Germany. Mattel used their Big Jim doll as a base - but did not forget to give our hero its blasters !

Capitan Futuro Doll, Mattel, Italy,
1980

Capitan Futuro Doll (detail), Mattel, Italy,
1980

And for the German market ? No problemo ! Just take the plastic version of the Japanese Popy figurines and give them another box...

3 Heroes Captain future set, Mattel, Germany
1980

3 Heroes Captain future set (back), Mattel, Germany
1980 

Hmmm - let's take the pink one tonight to fly-drive through space, Honey !

Another one of my FDL-finds (Feira da Ladra - big Lisbon flea market): this futuristic finned car obviously was part of some kind of launch mechanism (it is all tin and has a spring in the back "reactor"). I found a similar one called "SHOO-TA rocket" racer toy car on the web. They say it was made in  1947 by the C.Rushton and Co., Melbourne, Australia - but it had black rubber wheels... (mine are more greenish) I have doubts that any Australian toy made it to Lisbon in the late 40ies or 50ies, so maybe once again just a swap of molds from one toymaker to another. So maybe English - or Portuguese ?  If you have more information on this please contact me.

Futuristic car, ?, ?,
1940's-50's

And this is the Melbourne newspaper add:

(photo Steven Baker)

Thunderbirds made in England...

Thunderbird 2, Dinky Toys, England,
1970's

This one has been the toy of lots of kids. Sturdy diecast with little plastic Thunderbird 4 vehicle. The first releases were green, just like on the show - don't know why Dinky changed for metallic blue afterwards. 5,4,3,2,1 Thunderbirds are GO !

... but the Tracy boys went to Spain too !

Hmmm. Maybe on holidays. This one is from Spanish toy maker MOLTO. They basically did the same spacecraft as Century 21 in the U.K.

There is a rare version of a gift box with T1, T2 and T3...

Thunderbird 3, Molto, Spain,
1960's-70's

Eastern Europe (Bulgarian ?) robotsky

I don't have a maker's name on this one, but it was one of the few robots made in Eastern Europe for export.

It boasts Soviet design - and has definitely some remaining cold war coldness into his face !

Robot, ?, Bulgaria,
1960's 

Robot, ?, Bulgaria,
1960's 

First man in space...

Yuri Gagarin's Vostok spacecraft, ?,
Russia, 1961

12 of April 1961 marks the start of manned flights into space, when Gagarin completed one orbit in his Vostok spacecraft. He would soon become the symbol of Soviet propaganda and courage. Science fiction, from that day on, would be much more science and much less imaginative, especially in spacecraft design...

I'm seeing green !

Hulk in Buldozer, fast food toy (McD?), China,
1990's

Hulk Trike, Corgi toys, Singapore,
1980's

For all of us who are in desperate need of Anger Management classes ! Don't become a Bruce Banner and please try to avoid exposure to G-Bombs ! Stan Lee (yes, mister superhero in person) said the Hulk's creation was inspired by a combination of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Frankenstein. When Lou Ferrigno played the Hulk on TV starting in 1977 - the character gained worldwide success ! (and kids allove the playgrounds started ripping their shirts just like him !)

Hulk Jeep (detail), Buddy L, Japan,
1986

Hulk Jeep, Buddy L, Japan,
1986

One God Phenix - two God Phenixes.... ?

Gatchaman God Phenix, Popy, Japan,
1980's

A lot of the toys that I played with when I was a kid are still in my hands today, and the other ones are being hunted down relentlessly !  These space ships are from the Battle of the Planets (Gatchaman UK) - (La Bataille des Planètes FR). The first (blue) one is the one all of us saw on TV. The OAV's for the second one only showed much later - but France and Belgium had the toys months if not years before....

Gatchaman II God Pheinx, POPY, Singapore,
1980's

Gatchaman II God Pheinx (plastic), ?, Korea
1980's

Plastic but well armed !

Plastic robots, unknown.

From time to time, during my weekly routine to the Feira da Ladra here in Lisbon (= read : the Thieve's market) I sometimes come up with toys I have no clue where they came from, or when they were produced, or who produced them.

This is a group of plastic robots. A little too big to be from Kinder eggs. But nice unusual design. (mixture of Gundam with insects with Shogun Warriors ?)

Fireball XL5 Steve Zodiac and Venus

Space car with Steve Zodiac and Venus, MPC, USA,
1960's

This space / moon car is from one of the earlier Gerry Anderson SUPERMARIONATION series called Fireball XL5. Very popular serie even in the USA, there has been quite a large number of items produced for that market, from lunch boxes to really flying rockets.

The toy of a generation...

Grandizer and Spazer, POPY, Japan,
1975

If there is one toy that any kid would want on his wishlist for Christmas in the late 70'ies, that would be it. It really marked a generation. (= the "génération GOLDORAK" like the French kids from my age are called - yes, I am 40 !).

Mine has been played with, retouched (the paint on the torso tends to go away after so many ejections of the spazer / saucer) but I still managed not to loose any of the accessories on my school's playground. (I should have been 8 or 9 at the time). There are slightly different versions of this toy - and there is even one where the robot is sold separately, in the Shogun Warriors line. I really am glad I kept mine all these years - because buying it back today would cost o fortune. The robot is heavy diecast with plastic accessories, the spazer is plastic with foldable wings.

Oh yes, I forgot ... the missiles fire - as well as the fists of the robot. AND NO, I did not loose an eye playing with that thing.... other times, really !

Kitchen Robot - Master Cheff tonight honey !

Kitchen robot, Cragstan, Japan,
1960's

Fork on one hand and spoon in the other... belly is a cheese grater and head a funnel. What better choice to help you in your kitchen than this one ? No, it is not a Bimby - but really - it has more style than one...

Different colours !

Midgetoy Futuristic Car

Futuristic Car, Midgetoy, USA,
1950's

Midgetoy was a quite popular diecast maker in the 50's and 60's. Based in Rockford, Illinois - they made nice vehicles from cars with trailer sets to jet airplanes.

Here a futuristic saloon. Note the fins ! Quite similar to some Chrysler New Yorker from that period !

Oldie but deadly... soaky !

Space / Raygun (water-), Banner Plastics, USA,
1950's

Gundam Astray Blue

Gundam Astray Blue Frame second L, Bandai, Japan,
2004

Nice colors.... and a gattling gun hidden in the middle of his sword. Pure robotic mayhem !

Museu do Oriente is talking toys and mascots !

There is a fabulous museum about Asian culture in Lisbon: the Museu do Oriente. And right now they have 2 very nice exhibitions: one about Japanese Characters (I am kind of an Otaku with special interests for Japanese toys - I fit right in) and another one about toys from Asia. Some very nice items shown, and a very professional layout. If you are in Lisbon it is definitely something not to miss. Please check http://www.museudooriente.pt/

Astroboy phone (detail),
Toys from Asia Exhibit

Gundam statue,
Japanese Characters Exhibit