So I got home late Sunday night (my birthday!), went and picked up my box of goodies I sent via FedEx and began the process of laying it allllll out on my living room. I got about 5 shirts, I usually get one or two, got a busload of books and prints and then came the toys. Looking over my lot I came across something amiss. Every year I go to the SDCC and come back with some traditional kaiju toys. I did not get one this year. I don't recall any vendor at all selling a new release. When I think kaiju I think Gorosaurus getting his ass stomped by Kong, Baragon eating a horse, or Gyaos trying to drink blood out of a giant fountain and looking like his jaw is about to fall off. I guess the point to this is not to rant but it seems so long ago that Super 7 has a Marmit Parababies Hedorah set and then a Bear Model Godzilla, and there were 3 or 4 vendors that carried newer marmit/marusan/bear model/M1 releases at nonover inflated prices. It just seems odd, will the pendulum swing back and go tradtional in the next year or so? Will Super 7 put out that Orange and Black Gyaos I dreamed about? Thoughts on whats next (besides pug worship) Side note: It was nice meeting all who I met there and by no way is this post anything against Super 7 , you guys were great as always. Just noting the trend and speculating whats next
Does Butanohana stuff count? Dinos? Monsters? I know they are after the Bullmark minis....but classic flavor?
I hope we'll see a lot more traditional kaiju monsters again soon. I know I've been snapping up US toys stuff when I can. Kanegon and Booska are still tops with me!
Definitely oldskool flavor, great stuff. My comment wasn't very articulate. I was just musing on redhanded's lament, and was referring more to collectors stateside, not what's going on in Japan with the toy companies. My guess is that it has to do with the age of the genre as much as the evolution of the vinyl scene. Prior to SDCC, I asked some locals if any J-vinyl companies besides Gargamel were going to be there, and the general consensus was "no because there's not enough interest for it to be worthwhile for them."
I wonder if it has to do with size. A lot of the 'old stuff' or 'stuff paying tribute to the old stuff' is standard size, which seems to be harder to sell.
A few years ago Marusan was there but they only had 3 Godzilla toys marking his anniversary and the new line of Tederos toys. Either the president of the division/company, a rep or the sculptor was there and signed my header for all 3 toys and each were 50 bucks. You can still get them even cheaper now. I know a lot of collectors really don't like large pieces but there are a lot of compies that do minis of traditional kaiju. I do owe Marusan a lot actually, the USA edition of the 10 inch Flying Gamera started me as a collector in 2002.
In my experience it seems like a lot of the more "traditional" kaiju companies just overlook the foreign market. Obviously Marusan is an exception here, but whenever I hear companies over on this side of the pond talking about selling overseas or overseas events it seems to be the "new breed". Can't say for sure why that is, but it seems to be the case with a lot of them. With so much foreign interest in Japanese vinyl, I wonder if they will change their tune in the next few years or not?
It's unfortunate the guy who owns the Marusan USA label couldn't put out more stuff. He had just the few Godzillas and Gameras, the Tederos stuff, and tin cars (which to my understanding is why he created the subsidiary...to repro the tin stuff).
I was commenting about this with someone. Isn't the scene moving into this western take of "kaiju" ? Pushead Kozik's customs All of the resin stuff S7's Gorilla Biscuits RxH meets KISS All of the other customs SDCC Supposedly it is this great East meets West fusion thing. I just don't see it as a great thing myself. But each to his own. Waiting for someone to release Godzilla with a spraycan or sneakers...
Please god no...it can't go that far. Actually it probably will, because I'm sure there are some who think that's SO COOL...ughhh
The final figure will come with a pink hoodie with a GID anarchy print pattern. I'll also have "adult" size hoodies and "Dope" caps available...now if I could only find a retailer that would sell this crap...uh, I mean quality merchandise.
If I'm not mistaken...there were rumors about Scotty's extra chase version that comes with SUPER-DUPER extra large shoes with fat laces for the old skool vibe.
