PansonWorks - how cute can you get ?

Getter

Boss Robot

Grandizer

 PansonWorks made a serie of adorable figurines of some of my favorite Shoguns. Made by Banpresto (China) in the 2010's... These were originally not sold but could be won as prizes in Japan.

Robocon and Princess

Black and White and regular Mazinger

Build it yourself !

Wooden robot kit, Wu & Wu entertainment, China, 2010's

A nice box for this "repro" old robot model kit. Incredibly, there were a number of robots made as wooden kits in Japan in the 50ies. They even had moving mechanisms. This one here, well, .... just some wooden blocks to glue together and paint (paint, glue and brush included). But the idea is nice though, and the box spectacular !

Car transporter of the future ?

When French toymaker Majorette made this thing, they really watched Blade Runner the night before...
Other color versions exist of this truck, as well as a "Spiderman" version.

Strangely, it is the set of back wheels that steer the truck - they do rotate.

Majorette Auto transport ref. 5001, China, 2000

Let's go to the movies, bot !

New Space Explorer, Horikawa, Japan, 1970's

OK, it's not technically a bot, since he/it has an astronaut face... but hey ! He walks, stops, litho panel on his chest goes down and... Hollywoods' best. 

Now, where is the popcorn ? 

Go Go Go... Goldorak !

From all the heroes of French TV in the 70ies, this was number one. Go Nagai's Grendizer may have been a hit in a lot of other countries, but nowhere did it get the success it got in France. We (read: kids from the 70ies) are "la génération Goldorak". And what a generation !

Grendizer (front)

Japan, 1976-77 ?

(and back), Bandai

 This is the 8 inch vinyl version made by Bandai at the time of the first TV broadcasts of the cartoon in Japan.

Strange header-card... no time enough to draw a correct one ?
Or were they just using "old stock" ?

Going on a trip ?

Vintage postcard reproduction, Froydind, Belgium,
2010 

I just love the space-suit for the dog ! check www.froydind.be.

Bootlegs... China's best !

Power-Man, ?, China, 2000's

I know some collectors only do collect these... I just love them because : 1) they are cheap (yes, we do have a financial crisis over here in Portugal) and 2) they are much more naive than most of the "licensed" toys that try to get up to the latest detail of the particular movie / cartoon or serie.

Then also, they are stupidly fragile. Give these to any kid and they will last 2 or 3 hours max without loosing an arm or head, catch fire or give a lead-paint or other nasty chemical reaction to your cherished ones... So, from the collectors point of view - really fragile is really hard to find in good condition in 20-30 years, right ? Fisher Price toys are not that hard to find because they can withstand an Elephant playing with them... These? Not even an ant...

Harlock Belt... Asteroid Belt

Cintura con Borsello, ?, Italy, 1978

It screams holidays to me... this was the type of little wallet we kids got during summer holidays to put our francs and pesetas and liras so we could go to the supermarket of the camping and buy some potato chips or an icecream...

These little things...

Space. The Final Frontier. If you don't want to loose your keys in orbit you better use one of these... They were easily found on the fleamarkets in Belgium about 10-15 years ago.

Astronaut keyholder, France ?, 1970's

Brazilian Hawk / WWF superhero ?

 Straight from the ring, this is Falcão (=Hawk). One of the less known superheroes... at least over here.

Falcão, Gulliver, Brazil, 1978

Cool pendant ! 

More robots and stars !

Robomaru and his star-friend... Popy, Japan, 1970'ies

Cute factor : maximum

Weird factor : not very far either....

Antwerp convention - 27-04-2014

If you are in Belgium on the 27th... you may go and put your cosplay on and show it off over at the 4th Sci-Fi Fantasy and Horror convention. Geeks of Belgium, unite !

Aquaman...

Aquaman, Mego, Hong Kong, 1971

Always seen a little bit as the outcast of the Superhero world, Aquaman nevertheless had his 10 minutes of fame in the 70ies, with a cartoon made on his behalf.

Talkin' about smelling fishy...

E.T. Windups

Yes, there have been "some" licensed toys made for the ET movies in 1982. Here are two carded specimens. It seems that the old portuguese colony of Macao was the center of cheap plastic toy production at that time...

ET spaceship, LJN, Macao, 1982

ET & ELLIOTT, LJN, Macao, 1982

Robocon and friends !

I love the smell of unopened blisters in the morning !

Robocon, Getter Robot and Kamen Masked Rider,
Bandai, Japan, 1970's

Flying car - old idea - modern technology

Super Exciter, ?, China, 2010's

Pull the cord beneath and zoom ! wheels spin faster than any grip this toy can take... Chinese cheapest at its best... but to my knowledge the only model (=toy) of the real thing at this point. The real one ? Check it here. It's called the Terrafugia Transition roadable airplane.

Seems we're finally getting there...

  

50 years ago, NYC... Cool haircuts and Rock and Roll !

The Beatles, Emirober. Spain, 1960's

In the news yesterday: it has been 50 years ago that John Lennon, Ringo Star, Paul McCartney and George Harrison went to the U.S.for the first time. The press did not give them a warm wellcome... the fans, on the other hand, elevetad the band to heaven. Beatlemania was born !