hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???

Discussion in 'Japan Toys' started by alifeintoys, Mar 26, 2007.

  1. meary

    meary Addicted

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    That's the story I've heard. I dont believe these guys were ever in movies, the companies were just trying to cash in on the popularity of kaiju toys but didn't have any licenses and somehow created these amazing characters. I wish we had more info, sometimes I wonder if the guy who designed these things is sitting in his house somewhere in Japan with no idea that his toys have so many followers.
     
  2. jocappy

    jocappy Line of Credit

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    I agree I am dying to grab a full size smogun!
     
  3. WeKillYou

    WeKillYou Addicted

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    wow, gargamel really cleaned these up! the flying in this one looks kinda like a wet cat
     
  4. Count

    Count Post Pimp

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    It actually kind of reminds me of the Bemon sculpt in a way.
     
  5. meary

    meary Addicted

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    So the Mighti(n) comes out tomorrow at the Patchwork Summit, do we know if the smogun or Hedoran are coming out then too?
     
  6. Paulkaiju

    Paulkaiju Mini Boss

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    I can't wait for the Smoggun.

    The Zargora is a super fine figure. I really like it, it's so beefy.
     
  7. Roger

    Roger Vintage

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    After a conversation with a very happy Zagora reissue owner lsat night, my curiosity was piqued. Digging through the board I came across this from Onibaba's trade thread:

    [​IMG]

    The copyright notice on the header card makes it clear that someone owns Zagora as an intellectual property. What I'm wondering now is: does Gargamel have a business arrangement with them? If not, will this cause any potential IP issues for them?

    Also, can anyone confirm that the original price of the Zagora reissues was 6,000 yen?
     
  8. bluedino

    bluedino Fresh Meat

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    looks like they just put up pics of the new sumogon
    [​IMG][/img]
     
  9. meary

    meary Addicted

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    Hedoro too. The colors are way brighter than the vintage one's I've seen, I wonder if they looked like this when they were new?
    [​IMG]
    Wonder when the other colors are coming.
     
  10. Chuck

    Chuck Line of Credit

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  11. liquidsky

    liquidsky Vintage

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    Unfortunately, I think they all are killer: paint, size etc.
     
  12. justinvancouver

    justinvancouver Addicted

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    Will this guy be available at Super7? Anyone have one for sale?
     
  13. Roger

    Roger Vintage

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    I was talking with Matt Alt about Big Z tonight, and after a little Googling he was able to provide some much-needed information about the background of the character.

    In 1967 there was a book by an artist named Nakaoka called Sekaino Kaiju (世界の怪獣):

    [​IMG]

    Zagora is in there, in addition to many other original kaiju characters like Deathra:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Daikyo (大協) made the original Zagora toy, apparently without any sort of permission, and years later, Gargamel created their own version of Zagora, Deathra, and apparently other kaiju that appeared in the books or that Daikyo produced.

    Matt also found this interesting discussion on 2chan:

    http://hobby9.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/toy/1174271481/-100

    There are some comments in there like (this is a quote from the thread): "The Gargamel Zagoran was produced without Daikyo's permission so as far as I'm concerned it's pirated...."

    Matt adds that based on what he found in the web searches, "it seems that a lot of people are really irked that Gargamel took what was an obscure design, resculpted it, and put his own copyright on the foot. (There's apparently a ton of venom directed at Gargamel on 2ch over this.) Basically Gargamel's re-sculpt is 'cooler' and 'pop-ier' than the original, which is kind of dorky (in a good way), and 'real fans' have taken issue with their claiming it as their own (there are slight differences between the designs but they're obviously very similar.)"

    Matt said he was surprised by this reaction because he really digs Gargamel's stuff, as do I, especially their accomplishments in the field of cutaway toys. I plan on digging deeper into the 2chan discussion when I have the time and the resources available to me, but there you have it. Regardless of the language, toy geeks find something to argue about, point fingers, and label themselves 'real fans' in the process.

    ;p
     
  14. the_z

    the_z Side Dealer

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    Great info Roger!
     
  15. Roger

    Roger Vintage

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    Matt did all the legwork, he deserves the credit.
     
  16. bluedino

    bluedino Fresh Meat

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    thank goodness for google translation this is all so clear to me now

    :)
     
  17. Paulkaiju

    Paulkaiju Mini Boss

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    I wanna see more of that book. :shock:
     
  18. akum6n

    akum6n Vintage

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    Thanks to Roger and Matt for their research. I love that picture of the Deathra- and that book in general.
     
  19. tavaro

    tavaro S7 Royalty

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    I want that book.

    Thanks for the info, seriously interesting stuff.
     
  20. Roger

    Roger Vintage

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    It pleases me to no end that someone in Japan could be translating my messages with Google and it's telling them that I'm calling Corey "foppish."
     
  21. the_z

    the_z Side Dealer

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    Yow...it seems those books ain't cheap! Such cool art though...
     
  22. tavaro

    tavaro S7 Royalty

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    Far from cheap, Im guessing.. almost like the holy grail of ones book collection. :shock: :)
     
  23. meary

    meary Addicted

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    Awesome info, be sure to let us know if you translate any more juicy info. Is this mightin?
    [​IMG]
     
  24. hamamaiku

    hamamaiku Toy Prince

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    A couple of hundred for a book isn't too bad. Especially that one.
     
  25. efp3

    efp3 Side Dealer

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    hukkokudo zagora - smogun & hedoran next???
    Thanks guys! Very cool info!
     

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