Not trying to be an ass, but genuinely curious. I read a lot of comments about how fight figures were supposed to be different in some way from standard releases. Can someone explain what sets them apart, exactly? Did a group of sofubi makers get together and decide to make them? Is there something else that distinguishes them? Thanks in advance for any info.
i forgot what issue it was, but one of the S7 mags goes over the whole fight fig history. i don't have it on hand, otherwise i would write some of the main highlights from the article.
Super7 issue 13, June 2006. Don't have time to recap the story at the moment, but as a quick digest, in 1999 Cocobat bass player Take.shit released the first fight figure, Fink.shit, which echoed Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's famous Rat Fink character (which in turn partially parodied Disney's Mickey Mouse, sort of an anti-Mickey.) Aspects of that first figure such as the height, body style, grimace-grin and pugilistic fists (often with boxing gloves) have appeared on numerous fight figures (as well as others which aren't necessarily conventional fight figures such as RxH's Shintosan) since then. In 2002 Secret Base with the help of sculptor Cosmo Liquid and in collaboration with Take.shit released their first fight figure, the Skull Bee. Several other SB figures followed released in numerous color and vinyl schemes. Some of their fighters have been released in collaboration with the band Balzac, e.g. Bagman aka Paper Bag Man. In late 2003 Gargamel received approval from SB's Hiddy and Take.shit to create their first fight figure, Gargamess (so named because the face is similar to that of venerable Ultra monster Gomess.) Numerous figures followed ... at one point Gargamel even released a fighting ring bank toy for the figures to battle in. The company abandoned their fight figure line a few years back allegedly due to diminishing interest. If I recall correctly the last figure released was the SDCC bright orange Bullmask, originally named in tribute to classic toy company Bullmark. (Or was it the GID yellow Cumberlain? Can't remember, sorry.) The tributaries of tribute in the fight figure world are complex. Many of their paint schemes are tributes to the manner in which vintage vinyl monster toys were painted. According to the Super7 article, other fight figures that followed included Real x Head's original figures, the original Blobpus sculpt, Sinbad Toy's Chicken Fever, Maverasu by Cronic, Pharos, Pharon and Damnedron by Rumble Monsters. Super7 collaborated with Secret Base on figures including Frankenghost and Ghostfighter. The article includes a stylish "Fighting Family Tree" that looks like it was designed by Brian Flynn. The issue is well worth seeking out. Although I didn't get this from Brian or the S7 staff, to my mind S7's own "Snakes of Infinity" line includes fight figures such as the Hood Zombie and Stomp. I don't know if Lamour considers his Mongolion to be a fight figure, but it certainly fits in with the general style and spirit. This summary doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the fight figure legacy, but there's a quick capsule for starters. Other excellent resources include Super7 Magazine Issue 7 which features a good inventory of a large number of Secret Base figures, Issue 10 which does the same for Gargamel's, and Super7 Mook #1 which does the same for Real x Head up to the point of publication. Fight figures are fierce and ready to rumble. I hope interest in them re-ignites at some point, but even if that doesn't happen, they've made their mark on vinyl collector toys and have influenced styles of new monsters introduced in the last several years.
Holy shit. Thanks for the awesome reply, Dean! LOTS of great info in there. I read and re-read that and am going to try and hunt down some of those S7 issues now. If you ever need a favor don't be shy about asking.
It doesn't indeed, thanks for placing the question in the first place and for all the info in response!
The toys also don't get enough love. Gargamel had some really great fight figs (I wonder if they've officially stopped) and Secret Base has slowed down (which is kind of a good thing cause then people aren't having to buy a ton a year).
Thanks for this! I was trying to Google this last week, but couldn't find a good answer. Of course the spirit of the fight scene totally reminds me of, and probably includes, the M.U.S.C.L.E. toys from the 80's.
I've fumbled into kaiju starting with my first accidental purchase of a Chicken Fever. I feel a special connection to that figure and now thanks to Dean, and Onion, I've got some additional schooling on how and why it is. Great to have you guys around. On a follow up note, no pun intended, I am now curious about the musical background of Take Shit, Balsac. I take it they were formed by artists traveling in many different styles of expressions, such as drawing, sculpting and music. I'll be searching for their stuff now. It's like Connections, kaiju style.. Perhaps showcased in the next iteration of Toy Punks, huh? Finally, would it be too insulting to expect to see the Super 7 magazines presented online, in digital format? Is that diminishing the value of the printed issues?
