Hi everyone, so my plan to collect only mini Bullmarks went out the window in Japan (sadly home now), picked up this beast below, just wanted to get any opinions on it, I think after some searching through the forum it is by a short lived late 1970s company called Orange but please correct me if I'm wrong.
No idea, but the maroon and gold paint on that blue vinyl is very interesting and I like the sculpt. Nice purchase!
Grania from Space Giants. More information here: http://skullbrain.org/bb/index.php?threads/burning-vintage-questions.27557/
@akum6n thanks that's great, it seems to have a very interesting/confusing history. I was initially thinking it may be a Bandai Bullmark reissue as I didn't recognise the stamp but glad to see it has some history, either way I brought it because I loved the colours and sculpt.
After reading all that, only thing I can add is Bullmark was from 1969 to 1977 and Ark started 1978 and ended in 1983. Unsure of Orange, but to my understanding it started late 1977 or early 1978.
I see, so i assume there is a Bullmark, Orange and Ark version of this figure? All using the same mould? And a Marusan version or not?
No, there are only Bullmark and Orange versions of Grania. It seems like Ark, Orange and EP each only received the license to produce certain lines that were previously handled by Bullmark. Orange was Zone Fighter and Space Giants.
Recently got the Orange version Grania to complete the マグマ大使, Maguma Taishi Space Giants standard vinyls. I like the Orange versions better. The minis are Bullmark for @djkemp
^ Always nice when a set comes together, especially when all of the denizens of the row are comparatively ancient. Solid dedication there, Mark!
@Mark K - Great set of Space Giants standard vinyls, i also prefer the Orange versions, I currently have a Sasogiras in the post, then just need to find Jigira! Love the minis, didn’t realise there was a red version of Grania, another one to add to the want list. On a related note do you or anyone have any of the Orange Space Giants minis, I think I saw one in Japan, brown version of Mogunese, had a huge price tag as far as I remember.
This is what I saw in Japan, I translated the text with the image and ‘orange’ was in the title so I’m assuming they also made minis. Plus I think if you look closely the bright light blue patches look like the same colour used on the back of the Orange Sasogiras.
I just came across this, thank you for posting it! I have just the two standard vinyls on the right, now I need to get the rest.
This page seems to say that Orange sold these vinyls in 1980. Could that be right? http://charaminicarbase.blog102.fc2.com/blog-entry-302.html
Here's a lost nugget from 2004, courtesy of @Chad Hensley and the Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/2004061...anesetoys.com/clubcjt/03_00/000302/orange.cfm
@Roger you already gave us part of the answer last year: http://www.skullbrain.org/bb/index.php?threads/burning-vintage-questions.27557/page-2 From what I know, Ark, Orange and Tsuburaya Enterprise (EP) were all around at the same time.
Oh wow, thanks! It's funny, in my head I have this image of 23cm vinyl kaiju all going extinct around the mid-70s, but it seems that wasn't the case!
For reference, here is the list of Ark/Orange standard size vinyls from the old Mononofu website (don't quote me on the spelling): Ryuusei Ningen Zone (Zone Fighter) Warugilga Dragonking Geldera Balgaras Zandora Gandagiras Magma Taishi (Space Giants) [distributed by Orange] Magma Taishi Moguness Sangiras Grania Jigira Captain Ultra Banderu Seijin Bandera* Garuban Metalinome* *I have yet to see a photo of these figures 'in the wild,' and the author of the website did not have photos either. Iron King Kaprigon Toragiras Dojira Fundo Akurion Wairi
I did find a print reference that had the original Bullmark and Orange Magma Taishi vinyls documented, it was Yuji Nishimura's book. The original Bullmarks are so dull looking compared to the Orange second issues. Same goes for the later New Bullmark reissues, they're just so drab, with the exception of this one: View this post on Instagram
Awesome, I want to grab a couple of those Zone Fighter characters, Warugi-awooga-boogie-woogie is at the top of my list. He's sort of a seahorse-crab, I guess? There's someone on one of the Facebook groups who found one in a Goodwill for FOUR FUCKING DOLLARS. This still makes my head explode. Stolen pics:
@Roger what a deal! I wish I could find some charity shop kaiju, being in the UK I think that is virtually impossible. I did find a Bandai Baltan in an antiques shop once which I thought was super random.