In the 70’s, a few things made you ‘cool.’ Smoking cigarettes, knowing kung fu, owning Rush and Led Zeppelin albums, wearing a jean jacket cut at the sleeves, reading Marvel Horror magazines and if you had to own a toy… it must be a Shogun Warrior.
Originally a vast Japanese plot to control the minds of young boys, the Shogun Warriors were not part of any single franchise. Cobbled together from numerous cartoons, the robot warriors came in the gigantic 24 inch plastic version (with wheeled feet and many pieces that flew off into the basement only to be vacuumed up twenty years later), the 3.5 inch diecast metal variety and the slightly taller but much more detailed and articulated 5″ diecast style.
Vintage TV AD
Of course, we Americans got these cartoons ages after they had seen their hey day in their native Japan. Check out this original Japanese TV ad showcasing many of their programs including a few from what I know as ‘Force Five.’
I got mine from the local shop in Waltham, Mr. Big’s Toyland. In one of those depressed mill towns that litter Massachusetts like jimmies on a waffle cone, the place was choking on plastic men, metal robots and most of all, expensive imported toys. Sure, you could stock up at ChildWorld or Zares, but if you really wanted a Mazinger, you had to see Mr. Big.
Seeing a grand opportunity, Marvel Comics decided to create a monthly series written by sometime Batman scribe Doug Moench, and drawn by Herb ‘Hulk’ Trimpe. In the comics the robots could exist as a kind of anti-Godzilla strike force.
While the comic was a lukewarm success, the robots did appear in the Avengers, giving the character of Ronan an opportunity to be drawn by the great George Perez!
While all good things must come to an end, it took a number of parents suddenly noticing their kids shooting tiny missiles into their mouths for the toys to be pulled from shelves.
But it was a glorious time. A toyline with no story, no enemies, no thought at all put into it, aside from the visual of kickass robots as tall as skyscrapers duking it out.
Genius.
To revel in the afterglow of this onetime killer toy line, witness this vintage ad below from PlaidStallions!
