Jumbo Machinder
Encyclopedia
Jumbo Machinder is the name of a series of large-scale plastic robots sold by Bandai
's character toy subsidiary, Popy
in the 1970s. Although a trademarked brand name, in common usage Jumbo Machinder is often applied to any large-size robot toy roto molded out of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a sturdy plastic also used for shampoo bottles. Jumbo Machinders are generally (but not always) 24" in height. After Popy's success with the Jumbo Machinder series, several other Japanese companies, including Takatoku, Nakajima
, and Clover
began producing large-size plastic robot toys as well. Several of the Jumbo Machinders were retooled for sale in the USA in the late 1970s as Shogun Warriors
.
The first Jumbo Machinder, released in 1973, was a portrayal of manga
artist Go Nagai's character Mazinger Z
, a fictional Super Robot
. Originally planned to stand a meter (roughly three feet) tall, the toy was scaled down out of safety concerns. The Jumbo Machinder Mazinger Z sold approximately 400,000 units in its first five months in stores. The second Jumbo Machinder was Kamen Rider V3, the third Ultraman Taro, the fourth Red Baron, and the fifth Kamen Rider X.
Giant Robot Factory branded characters include:
, but a combination of ABS and vinyl. Only one character is produced so far.
and Kamen Rider V3
. They were molded out of soft vinyl rather than PET plastic and stand only 20" in height, giving them a very different sort of aesthetic from the Jumbo Machinder toys. A total of ten Kikaiju toys were released in three waves of products. The first wave were simply large-sized soft vinyl figures. The second wave incorporated a simple pinball-style ball launcher feature. The third wave featured more complex gimmicks such as shooting discs, spears, and heads.
acquired the rights to release several Jumbo Machinder toys in North America and Europe under the Shogun Warriors
banner. With the exception of "Dragun," the early versions of which were near identical to the original Japanese version, Mattel significantly modified the Jumbo Machinder toys that they released. Several, including Gaiking and Daimos, were completely re-designed from the ground up and differ significantly from their original Japanese counterparts. Jumbo Machinders re-branded as Shogun Warriors include:
In 2010, Toynami
revived the Shogun Warriors name with a new toy line, which consists of 24 inches (609.6 mm) Jumbo Machinder
toys. The first two robots in this line are GoLion and Dairugger XV (both of which were adapted in the Western world as Voltron
).
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
's character toy subsidiary, Popy
Popy
Popy Popy Popy (ポピー）was a Japanese toy manufacturer of the 1970s and early 1980s. The company was owned by Bandai. It was founded in 1971, and merged back into the parent company in 1983...
in the 1970s. Although a trademarked brand name, in common usage Jumbo Machinder is often applied to any large-size robot toy roto molded out of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a sturdy plastic also used for shampoo bottles. Jumbo Machinders are generally (but not always) 24" in height. After Popy's success with the Jumbo Machinder series, several other Japanese companies, including Takatoku, Nakajima
Nakajima
is a Japanese name. It is also sometimes romanized as Nakashima and sometimes written as . It may refer to:Places* Nakajima, Ehime, former town in Japan* Nakajima, Fukushima, a village in Japan* Nakajima, Ishikawa, former town in JapanPeople...
, and Clover
Clover
Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...
began producing large-size plastic robot toys as well. Several of the Jumbo Machinders were retooled for sale in the USA in the late 1970s as Shogun Warriors
Shogun Warriors
The Shogun Warriors were the central characters of a line of toys licensed by Mattel Inc. during the late 1970s that consisted of a series of imported Japanese robots based on the then popular anime shows featuring giant robots...
.
The first Jumbo Machinder, released in 1973, was a portrayal of manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
artist Go Nagai's character Mazinger Z
Mazinger Z
, known briefly as Tranzor Z in United States, is a Super Robot manga and anime series created by Go Nagai. The first manga version was serialized in Shueisha Weekly Shōnen Jump from October 1972 to August 1973, and it later continued in Kodansha TV Magazine from October 1973 to September 1974. In...
, a fictional Super Robot
Super Robot
is a term used in manga and anime to describe a giant robot or mecha, with an arsenal of fantastic super-powered weapons, extreme resistance to damage unless the plot calls for it, sometimes transformable or combined from two or more robots and/or vehicles usually piloted by young, daring heroes,...
. Originally planned to stand a meter (roughly three feet) tall, the toy was scaled down out of safety concerns. The Jumbo Machinder Mazinger Z sold approximately 400,000 units in its first five months in stores. The second Jumbo Machinder was Kamen Rider V3, the third Ultraman Taro, the fourth Red Baron, and the fifth Kamen Rider X.
Jumbo Machinder Deluxe
Over the years, Popy Toy tinkered with the name and characteristics of the Jumbo Machinder series. In the 1976-1977 period, several characters were released under the "Jumbo Machinder Deluxe" name. Aside from the brand name change, the toys are largely identical aesthetically to their predecessors.- Combattler VCombattler Vis the first part of the Robot Romance Trilogy of Super Robot series created by "Saburo Yatsude" and directed by Tadao Nagahama. The robot's name is a portmanteau of Combine, Combat and Battle, and the V is intended both as an abbreviation for "victory" and in reference to the five component...
- Dai-Tetsujin 17
- GaikingGaikingwas a Japanese Super Robot mecha anime series produced by Toei Animation.It ran from April 1976 through January 1977 and consisted of 44 26-minute episodes. Gaiking was notable for being one of the few super robot series to take place in real places outside of Japan, and for being the first Super...
- Voltes V
Giant Robot Factory
For the 1979-1980 season, the Jumbo Machinders series was re-designed and re-branded as the Kyodai Robotto Kojo ("Giant Robot Factory"). Unlike their predecessors, the Giant Robot Factory toys were sold disassembled, allowing children to bolt the characters together with a simple tool provided in the package. Aside from the fact that they were sold in a disassembled manner and featured more complicated gimmicks (such as spring-loaded shooting fists), the Giant Robot Factory toys feature a very similar aesthetic to their predecessors and are considered by most collectors to be part of the same series.Giant Robot Factory branded characters include:
- GordianGordianGordian may refer to:* Saint Gordianus, see article Gordianus and Epimachus*Gordian I, Roman emperor*Gordian II, Roman emperor, son of Gordian I*Gordian III, Roman emperor, grandson of Gordian I...
- Daltanias
- Battle Fever RoboBattle Fever Jis a Japanese TV series, being the third entry of the Super Sentai series franchise. It was co-produced by Toei Company and TV Asahi and aired on TV Asahi on February 3, 1979 - January 26, 1980 with a total of 52 episodes...
- DaidenjinDenshi Sentai Denjimanis Toei's fourth entry to its Super Sentai series. It was broadcast from February 3, 1980 to January 31, 1981. The title given to this series for international distribution by Toei is Denjiman, Electric Fighters.- Plot :...
- Godsigma
Super Jumbo Machinders
Beginning in 1981, Popy Toy changed the name of the series to "Super Jumbo Machinder." Characters released under this brand name include:- Tetsujin 28
- Sun Vulcan RoboTaiyou Sentai Sun Vulcanis the fifth season in Toei Company's Super Sentai tokusatsu television series. It was broadcast from February 7, 1981 to January 30, 1982 and is the only Super Sentai series to serve as a direct sequel to its previous series...
- God Marz
- GolionGolionis a Japanese super robot anime television series. The animation from GoLion was edited and trimmed to create the Lion version of the U.S. Voltron: Defender of the Universe series, with new names and dialogue, as well as several plot changes...
Jumbo Machinder NEO
A new line of modern Jumbo Machinders in debuting 2009, gearing towards adult collectors at a fairly high price. While still 22" in height, the figures will no longer be made of polyethylenePolyethylene
Polyethylene or polythene is the most widely used plastic, with an annual production of approximately 80 million metric tons...
, but a combination of ABS and vinyl. Only one character is produced so far.
- Shin Mazinger ZShin Mazinger Shougeki! Z Henis a new Mazinger anime series, directed by Yasuhiro Imagawa which premiered in Japan on April 4, 2009. According to the production staff, it has no relation to the 1970s show and should not be described as a Mazinger Z remake...
Kikaiju (Mechamonsters)
The "Kikaiju" (a contraction of "Mechanical" and "Monster") series of toys featured a variety of enemy characters from Mazinger ZMazinger Z
, known briefly as Tranzor Z in United States, is a Super Robot manga and anime series created by Go Nagai. The first manga version was serialized in Shueisha Weekly Shōnen Jump from October 1972 to August 1973, and it later continued in Kodansha TV Magazine from October 1973 to September 1974. In...
and Kamen Rider V3
Kamen Rider V3
is a Japanese tokusatsu television series. It is the second installment in the popular Kamen Rider Series, and the direct sequel to the original Kamen Rider...
. They were molded out of soft vinyl rather than PET plastic and stand only 20" in height, giving them a very different sort of aesthetic from the Jumbo Machinder toys. A total of ten Kikaiju toys were released in three waves of products. The first wave were simply large-sized soft vinyl figures. The second wave incorporated a simple pinball-style ball launcher feature. The third wave featured more complex gimmicks such as shooting discs, spears, and heads.
Shogun Warriors
American toy company MattelMattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
acquired the rights to release several Jumbo Machinder toys in North America and Europe under the Shogun Warriors
Shogun Warriors
The Shogun Warriors were the central characters of a line of toys licensed by Mattel Inc. during the late 1970s that consisted of a series of imported Japanese robots based on the then popular anime shows featuring giant robots...
banner. With the exception of "Dragun," the early versions of which were near identical to the original Japanese version, Mattel significantly modified the Jumbo Machinder toys that they released. Several, including Gaiking and Daimos, were completely re-designed from the ground up and differ significantly from their original Japanese counterparts. Jumbo Machinders re-branded as Shogun Warriors include:
- Great MazingerGreat Mazingeris a manga comic book and anime television series by manga artist Go Nagai, made as a direct continuation of the successful Mazinger Z series...
as Mazinga (later as Great Mazinga) - GaikingGaikingwas a Japanese Super Robot mecha anime series produced by Toei Animation.It ran from April 1976 through January 1977 and consisted of 44 26-minute episodes. Gaiking was notable for being one of the few super robot series to take place in real places outside of Japan, and for being the first Super...
- Getter Robo GGetter Robo Gis a super robot anime series created by Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa and produced by Toei Animation. This direct sequel to Getter Robo was broadcast on Fuji TV from May 15, 1975 to March 25, 1976, with a total of 39 episodes .People familiar with Mattel's popular Shogun Warriors toy...
's Getter Dragon as Dragun - Daimos
- RaideenBrave Raideenis a super robot anime series. Produced by Tohokushinsha, Asahi News Agency and Sunrise, it aired on NET from 4 April 1975 to 26 March 1976, with a total of 50 episodes...
as Raydeen - Grendizer (only released in Europe; sold as Goldorak)
In 2010, Toynami
Toynami
Toynami is an American toy company based in Van Nuys, California. Founded in 2000 by George Sohn, Toynami is primarily focused on anime licenses for specialty retailers and collectors in the North American market...
revived the Shogun Warriors name with a new toy line, which consists of 24 inches (609.6 mm) Jumbo Machinder
Jumbo Machinder
Jumbo Machinder is the name of a series of large-scale plastic robots sold by Bandai's character toy subsidiary, Popy in the 1970s. Although a trademarked brand name, in common usage Jumbo Machinder is often applied to any large-size robot toy roto molded out of polyethylene terephthalate , a...
toys. The first two robots in this line are GoLion and Dairugger XV (both of which were adapted in the Western world as Voltron
Voltron
Voltron is the titular super robot of an anime series that features a team of young pilots, known as the Voltron Force. The team’s individual vehicles join together to form the giant super robot, with which they defend the galaxy from evil...
).
External links
- ToyboxDX - A description of Popy Toy and photos of the Jumbo Machinder Mazinger Z
- Super #1 Robot - A book featuring photographs of Jumbo Machinders
- CollectionDX - Jumbo Machinder Listings and reviews.
- Jumboland - Jumbo Machinder reference.