[RealxHead / リアルヘッド] x Mirock Toy

A highlight of the San Diego Comic Convention in 2010 was the set of bizarrely gnarled and knobbled RxH figures revealed at the Global Figure Symposium booth. They looked more like table legs and Victorian era iron railings than the smooth, organic mutants to which we had become accustomed. Opinions were mixed (I love them) and some continue to hate the figures’ crouched, Gollum-esque stance, which has been compared to copping a poop in the bushes. As would later be related to us, these were not new RxH characters, but rather reinterpretations of Mutant Head, Mutant Evil and Chaosman by artist Kaneko Yohei [金子 ヨヲヘイ]. Kaneko brings a fresh look to soft vinyl toys due to his training in wood-carving and the traditional Buddhist artwork influences that inspire his work. As you may have now guessed, the original sculpts for these figures were created in wood, not clay. Kaneko produces his own line of soft vinyl figures under the company name “Mirock Toy” [ミロクトイ] and continues to work with RxH in developing new collaborative sculpts. Most recently, he created a large vinyl statue called the “Asura Trophy” [アスラトロフィー] and sculpted one version of it with a special RxH head. (Mori then combined the Asura head with the Mutant Head body to create the new Mutant Asura-Man [ミュータント　アスラーマン] figure.) You can read an interview with Kaneko at the sqdblstr blog here to see the unique perspective that he brings to the hobby.

Always a fan of experimentation, Mori continued to expand the RxH stable using Mirock’s Chaos head. First, the Chaos head was popped on to a mutant body to create a Mirock-style Chaosman. We’ll call it the Chaosman V2. Chaosman V2 was exclusive to the RxH show at the Kaiju Blue gallery in Shinjuku in October 2010. Like this Bigaro, very limited numbers were sold in blind bags. This is the only version of Chaosman V2 released to date.

The second Chaosman V2 was sold from Shinto Gangu in October 2011. While this one seems to reuse the body from a Nov. 2008 Mutant Head in a rather efficient manner (but what became of the head?), the head has been separately cast in clear blue vinyl and it is given a rather jaunty red scarf. I think the bright blue and red scarf play off each other particularly well here.

Mori scored a solid hit, however, when he merged the Mirock Chaos head with the body of Nextman, creating Chaos Next [カオスネクスト]! Nextman always cut an odd figure next to the other Mutant Zone characters because of its narrow torso and long, lanky arms- almost a step between the 1/8 RxH toys and the original Mutant Zone toys. But these proportions mesh well with the cylindrical Mirock Chaos head, as do the harder edges of the Nextman sculpt. Chaos Next debuted in the first week of December 2010 with a distinctly vintage aesthetic: a green-heavy paint scheme sprayed over beige-flesh color vinyl. This version of Chaos Next (above) was exclusive to a show held at Shinto Gangu (featuring RxH, Cord Viper, Skull Toys and Atom A. Armwrestler) on the day after Christmas. The cold weather and post-holiday timing made this a show for the truly hardcore! I prefer this black version of Chaos Next to the first release because it re-uses the classic paint scheme from MC-03.

Chaos Next was taken one step further in July 2011 when RxH released Fighter Chaos Next [ファイターカオスネクスト]. This character adopts the Mutant Chaos arm and probe in place of Nextman’s arms. There have already been several versions of this popular new character, including a couple in hyper-glitter vinyl and one in MC-03 black. However, the above Fighter Chaos Next (also released in July 2011) instantly grabbed my attention (and pulled out my wallet) with its bright neon colors on glow-in-the-dark vinyl. The lighter paint scheme jumps out from the other recent RxH with darker coloration, much like the MC-07 ‘Jyarinco’ Chaos.

Mirock and RxH's next collaborative figure, Mutant Asura-Man [ミュータント　アスラーマン], is formed by combining one of the three head types of Mirock's Asura Trophy with the RxH Fighter body (i.e., the Mutant Head body). The serene 'normal' head is Asura-Man No. 1; the cyclopean RxH head is Asura-Man No. 2; and the skull head is Asura-Man No. 3. Pretty convenient that the Trophy heads fit on the RxH bodies, no? This Mutant Asura-Man No. 2 was the first such mash-up to be released, sold in August 2011. Unlike later releases, it features an all-new paint scheme that has been likened to the classic Cosmo Knight Alpha exclusive RxH figures. (Several following releases appear to use the bodies from unsold RxH figures with a Mirock head painted up to match.) The head on this figure is not unpainted black vinyl, but is given a faint silver lustre to create a gunmetal finish.

Mirock Toy and RxH is a team-up that caught us completely off-guard, but now seems like an obvious fit. Mirock’s approach with traditional motifs and wood-working techniques ties in to RxH’s combination of Japanese and pop culture in its toys. For both RxH and soft vinyl toy collectors, Mirock’s work carries my highest recommendations.

[RealxHead / リアルヘッド] In Black

Sometimes less is more. And as any aficionado of JP vinyl will tell you, this is particularly true when it comes to black vinyl. Unpainted black releases have been a long-standing favorite of JP vinyl companies. Oftentimes an unpainted black first release is referred to as the ‘prototype’ version. This is a misnomer as it is really a production piece. (I believe this practice began with Secret Base, who released the first Skull Bee as an unpainted black “Prototype Ver.”) As such, these two are not prototypes in the technical sense; they are very limited unpainted releases that were given out to friends and regular customers at Shinto Gangu (probably around the 4th quarter of 2010).

For the RxH collectors with an elephant memory (or, I suppose, the Mook near at hand), this is the second unpainted black Mutant Head [ミュータントヘッド] to see public release. The first was MH-L02, an unpainted version of the legendary Thrash-Out MH. (Yes, it is the ugly R word- reissue. There may now be more than 10 unpainted black MHs in circulation. The horror.) For Mutant Evil [ミュータントイビル], however, this is the first unpainted black version to be (un)officially released. I know there is at least one collector out there that is very happy to see this out there. He probably already has one. I cannot deny the simple beauty of glossy, unpainted black vinyl. These are among the most photogenic toys that I own, and it is hard not to make them look absolutely amazing. Elegant. They are definitely elegant toys.

[Glyos] Edgeliner Balena

[RealxHead / リアルヘッド] Day Lights Bigaro

This Bigaro [ミュータントビガロ] features a counterpart paint scheme to the ‘Night Lights’ Chaos seen in my last article. Instead of black vinyl, multi-color paints are sprayed over a white vinyl base in what I’ve termed the ‘Day Lights’ paint scheme. While I initially thought that the two paint applications were very similar, after seeing them side by side, there is much greater paint coverage on this figure and even a few splashes of gold paint. You can hardly see any of the white vinyl, except on the tips of the fingers and toes.

Bigaro was sold in very limited numbers (along with 11 other available figures) at RxH’s “Shinjuku Battle Royale” event, held at the Marui One / Kaiju Blue exhibition space in October 2010 (see coverage here from Kadomiumtank’s blog:　リアルヘッド真宿バトルロイヤル). I believe sales were conducted by giving attendees lottery tickets, by which they could win the ability to buy the blind-bagged figures. Not surprisingly, it is quite difficult to track down any of these releases. Like the previous Chaos, there is a generous helping of clear coat on this figure. I think the ‘Day Lights’ paint scheme works perfectly with Bigaro’s sculpt by taking advantage of the large, flat areas on the outer shell piece.

[RealxHead / リアルヘッド] Night Lights Fighter Chaos

This Fighter Chaos [ファイターカオス] features a paint scheme by RealxHead used for several micro-run releases. It’s quite popular among collectors due to the eye-catching appearance of the multi-color paint on black vinyl. For lack of a better term, I call it the ‘night lights’ paint because it captures the look of out-of-focus city lights seen at night. Most of the ‘night lights’ RxH have been very limited event exclusives sold at the several RxH shows held at Kaiju Blue (back when the shop/gallery had a physical location). Mutant Evil and Mutant Doku-Rocks have been released in this scheme. I don’t think this Fighter Chaos was sold at Kaiju Blue; in fact, I’m not even sure of the release date as this is the only one of this figure that I have seen. One interesting note about this figure is that it features an extra-heavy coat of clear coat, which gives it a glossy, polished look in comparison to other RxH.

[RealxHead / リアルヘッド] Hyper Glitter Chaos Man X

RxH fans have finally caught a lucky break in the last few months- a handful of U.S. stores have begun to carry new RxH releases after a long hiatus in availability. Rotofugi is one such store, and it was from there that I picked up this 1/8 RxH Chaos Man X [カオスマンX]. (Most people call these “adult RxH”, but whenever I hear that, I feel like I need to start putting little black bars over my photos.) Perhaps aptly named, Chaos Man X is something of an enigma. This is the fourth original head sculpt for the 1/8 Chaos Man body with a much more distinct ‘metal hero’ vibe than the other Chaos Men. Who is he/it? Who are any of them for that matter- No.2 looks like a bug for cripes sake. I like to imagine that X is a future evolution of Chaos Man 1 that travels back through time to change history. (My toys demand context.)

This Chaos Man X also features a really neat vinyl technique that Mori rolled out just recently. New hyper glitter vinyl! This may appear to be clear red vinyl, but it is really clear vinyl crammed with metallic red glitter. Crazy! Earlier ‘hyper glitter’ vinyls used rainbow glitter with different colors of clear vinyl to create this effect; the use of a single color of glitter here (rather than colored vinyl) is remarkably different and visually stunning. For some reason, the look of this vinyl reminds me of the ‘computing’ effect from 80s cartoons that would use flashing squares of lights to show intense processing action. You know what I mean. Love the streamlined Chaos Man X head, the slick hyper glitter vinyl and the metallic silver, red and blue that harkens back to robotic heroes of the 70s. This one definitely hits the mark on all fronts.

[Grumble Toy] Custom Manmorah

Today I have something shameful to admit: I have been remiss in my collecting duties. Long a fan of the original character offerings of Grumble Toy, I have not purchased a Manmorah toy until quite recently despite its availability for nearly 2 years.

What is a Manmorah? In the words of creator, Chris (of Grumble Toy), Manmorah answers the question of, “What if my pet lizard Baxter was a woolly mammoth?” Well Chris, I suspect you’d need a bigger tank. Thankfully, artist (and co-creator) Ainsley came up with a better response, and the resulting toy was sculpted and produced by Amapro [アマプロ] of Japan. At roughly 9 inches in length and 5 inches at its highest point, Manmorah is Grumble Toy’s largest toy to date. As an interesting feature, Manmorah can be posed both on all fours or rearing up on its hind legs. This may be a nod to vintage vinyls that were sculpted in a standing pose, even where the original character typically appeared on all fours. Manmorah was first cast in milky white vinyl, the first version of which was painted by Grumble Toy and sold via their online store in October 2009. Since then, Manmorah has been produced in both clear pink and black vinyl, and made available by Grumble Toy primarily as an exclusive item at art and toy shows. Amapro has also offered several Japan-exclusive versions of Manmorah on milky white and clear pink vinyl at various toy shows.

I was lucky enough to find this dazzling version of Manmorah on sale at a store in Japan. It is a one-off custom painted by Chris as a display piece for a comic convention in Winnipeg (the base is milky white vinyl). A collector in Japan purchased the custom, but it later came up for sale again when said collector sold off a large part of their collection. Having now landed in this collection, I can tell you that it is here to stay. While Wormrah and Chou-cho tend to garner the most attention from soft vinyl fans, Manmorah is an overlooked gem in the Grumble Toy stable. Beefy and fun, I highly recommend it for standard-size vinyl enthusiasts. Wouldn’t you like to bring one home today?

[Mospeada] (Lan)Say What, Gakken?

Let me take you back to the year 1993. Bill Clinton had begun his first term in the White House, the world acclimated itself to the shiny, new Windows 3.1 environment, “Bobbitt” entered into the national vernacular and Magic: The Gathering saw its first general release as 3rd Edition. (I’ll let you guess which of those facts was not entirely sourced from Wikipedia.) But more importantly for us, 1993 was the year that my friends and I discovered Robotech. The local video rental store, which carried all three Robotech series and The Sentinels movie in VHS, provided my weekly fix. They also had edgier stuff like Clash of the Bionoids (aka, Macross: Do You Remember Love) and Macross 2, but the restricted content stickers (cartoon boobies) on the video boxes removed any hope I might have had of seeing them at the time. My friends and I also pored over The Sentinels art books- checked out from our library- and Palladium RPG (yes, a Robotech RPG) sourcebooks. Video rentals and libraries; these were different times, friends. Unfortunately for us, it was nearly a decade since anything Robotech had actually aired in the U.S. and new merchandise was few and far between. Playmates Toys did us a solid when they released reproductions of the original Matchbox toys under the brilliant-but-doomed Exosquad line. But in Hawaii, we got something even better. Back in the 80s and 90s, a store in Honolulu called Jelly’s was THE place to get your comics, gaming and anime merchandise (they sell mostly used books and music these days), and around 1993, someone unearthed a bunch of dead stock Gakken Mospeada toys. These were the overseas versions made in Singapore with garish boxes ambiguously marked “Mospeada / The Henshin Robo.” I remember seeing both the DX and smaller transforming Cyclones; not sure if any of the Alpha/Legioss turned up. At $15 a pop, the smaller Cyclones satisfied my need for some transforming motorcycle hand candy; the $50 DX Cyclone was unfortunately beyond my means. It’s hard to imagine now, but these sat around in the Jelly’s stores for a year or more before completely selling out. I didn’t know until fairly recently that these were international versions of the Gakken Mospeada toys (sold without reference to the Robotech name), and had believed them to be high-quality bootlegs. Even more strangely- these overseas versions were also distributed in France by a company called Lansay Toys. (Lansay is also the source of the mythical TLEAD toy.) So, in summary, you can find Mospeada toys from Japan, U.S. and France, with varying forms of packaging. While I still lust after the DX Cyclone in my dreams (where it is still sub-$200 MIB), I had a nice stroke of luck recently when I found this unopened 1/35 Gakken/Lansay Legioss. This is more of a packaging variant than anything else, and is generally not highly sought after (most collectors prefer the version that was made and sold in Japan). However, it is something that I’ve wanted for a while and the price was right. (Can’t say that the tacky chrome-gradient lettering doesn’t make me wax a bit nostalgic as well.) The 1/35 Gakken Legioss is the best rendition of the Alpha Veritech to date, in my view. Toynami and CM’s Corp. have both released updated toys of this mecha, but neither really captures the delicious blocky aesthetic of the Gakken- show-accuracy be damned. And man, this thing is even bigger than I thought! The Glyos figure next to it is about 2.5” tall and could almost stand in for the pilot. So knock another one off ‘the list.’ If you’ve read through this wall of text, thank you for indulging my bout of collector’s nostalgia. Now how 'bout that DX Cyclone?

[RealxHead / リアルヘッド] Chaos Trooper (Again)

The unpainted beige vinyl version of the Chaos Trooper shown above was displayed at Superfestival 56 in April 2011 and sold via Shinto Gangu at the end of that month. Onell also received an allocation of the initial release Trooper, which they sold via their webstore at the end of May 2011.

By my count, this is the 16th release of the Chaos Trooper. Using a subtle grey vinyl base with embedded micro-glitter, this color scheme is evocative of classic sci-fi and aliens. Suprisingly, this release appears to have been painted entirely with wipe and wash techniques- no airbrush! The restrained black wash does wonders to bring out the hard technical lines of the body design. This Trooper was initially a micro release from Shinto Gangu (or RealxHeads) in June 2011, with a few brought to SDCC the following month. As always, these Chaos have been entered into the official rolls at the Mutant Chaos database: http://robotxmonster.blogspot.com/2009/10/realxhead-chaos-family.html

[RealxHead / リアルヘッド] Chaos Trooper

Future mutants from another universe! Since the tear in the space-time fabric caused by Pheyden’s exploration into the Mutant Zone, Phase-powered Chaos hybrids have streamed into the Glyos universe and back into the Mutant Zone. Are these peaceful brothers of Mutant Chaos or are they evil hybrid clones? And more importantly, who is behind the Chaos invasion??? The second crossover figure collaboration between RealxHead and Onell Design recently marched into the Mutant Zone- the Chaos Trooper [カオストルーパー]! Originally conceived as a Glyos-scale toy with custom urethane accessories, the Chaos Trooper has come full circle to be realized as a full-size RxH vinyl figure.

As fans of both Glyos and RxH will vividly recall, the Chaos Trooper originated in Glyos Custom Corps. 3.0 which merged RxH’s Mutant Chaos with Glyos-scale bodies. New Glyos-compatible parts were sculpted with the assistance of Lamour Supreme and resulted in two primary build types: the Chaos Soldier and Chaos Trooper. The Trooper features both a Chaos head and swivel-jointed probe arm on a Glyos body; the Soldier utilizes only the head.

The full-size Chaos Trooper recently debuted at Superfestival 56 in April of this year (2011) as a limited sale of unpainted beige-flesh vinyl versions (although this version would also see a release through Onell’s webstore in May 2011). This is the second version of the figure released, and the first painted version. Although it has only been around for a little more than a month, there are now at least 14 officially released versions of this figure!

The proportions of full-size RxH bodies are a perfect fit for the up-sized Trooper. While the details of the original Glyos figure are recognizable, they are also streamlined, which reminds me of adaptations made in the animation model for older cartoons. This toy uses nearly 100% new parts, which is very surprising given the cost of developing new molds. I believe even the head is a slightly resculpt from the original Chaos Man. Chaos Trooper introduces so many possibilities with a new probe arm part and a nearly full set of Glyos-style armor- I can’t wait to see what those mad scientists at Onell Design and RxH come up with next! Check out other Chaos variations at the Robot Loves Monster! database: http://robotxmonster.blogspot.com/2009/10/realxhead-chaos-family.html

[Glyapaedia] Dome Conversion Set

One of the best releases in the Glyos system came together at the beginning of June 2010 when Onell Designs and Rawshark Studios collaborated to produce a epic crossover battle between the power-hungry General Phanost and mercenary-of-questionable-motivations, Callgrim. The story of this crossover event manifested itself in several Onell blog posts (here, here, here and here) and two Passcode mini-games (Glyaxia: Armor of Fate and Attack on Altervoth). Toys, of course, were involved.

The Dome Conversion Set (also known as the DSR Dome / Dome Runner / Morphisar Conversion Set) was one of several toys released during the General Phanost crossover. In this photo is everything that you receive in the set, which was packed to bursting in a double-wide zip bag. Here's the technical run-down of the contents: 1 x Caliber Dome (reconfiguration of Callgrim / Order figure) 1 x Hybrid Sarvos head and torso 2 x Phase Arm sets (Pheyden blue) 1 x Phanost head (Pheyden blue) 1 x Phanost head (grey) 1 x Callgrim head (grey) 4 x Beanbot Spoon Racer wheels (clear smoke)

In the official story, the DSR Domes, Dome Runners and Morphisar clones are the result of Phanost's merging of Phase and Dome technology following his takeover of the Order's moon base. The Morphisar clone, is a modified Echo Morph with shape-changing abilities, so I imagine the other forms to be transformations of this base form. The Dome Conversion Set features the largest number of parts in any Glyos or Callgrim release to date. It also allowed newer collectors to buy the key parts for Hybrid Sarvos, originally sold and sold out in late 2009. All parts were cast in the lovely Mospeada-esque Pheyden Blue, further making the sets extremely versatile for builders. While this set may be long gone, check out the Elite Sentry Sarvos set (available now @ Callgrim webstore), which contains nearly all of the same parts in 'combat ace red' PVC!

[RealxHead / リアルヘッド] October 2010 Mutant Head

Latest addition to the Mutant Head database:

Shinto Gangu micro store release, Oct. 2010 In mid-October 2010, Mori released the spiritual counterpart to the fabled ME-L03 Mutant Evil. Being an in-store micro release, it was perhaps, only a little easier to acquire than said Evil. I didn't think much when I saw the first photo of this MH, as the photo was poorly lit on a dark background. Clear purple with minimalist paint applications. Ho hum. But a later, better photograph later revealed it to be an instant stunner. The metallic paint is sprayed over a cream-colored base color, which gives it additional definition against the clear purple vinyl. Spray is a little rougher than I care for, but a minor issue on a superb version. As we close out the first year of micro-run store exclusive RxH, it is good to see a few of these gems make themselves available to foreign collectors.

[Secret Base / シークレットベース] Pump It Up

Secret Base [シークレットベース] fight figures- love them or hate them- embody the essence of Japan's new soft vinyl toys. While simply constructed with minimal articulation, SB toys combine high-quality soft vinyl with multiple layers of nostalgia, toy history and pop culture to create a truly enjoyable product. Their universal themes (Halloween, music, sports, Henshin Cyborg, Astro-Mu 5) make the toys accessible to nearly all adult collectors. I still don't really get the whole fighting thing, but it's ok. SB's Pumpkin Brain was the first JP vinyl toy that really caught my attention when I began collecting in 2006. As an aficionado of Halloween TV specials and consumer products since my formative years, the idea of limited-run Halloween boutique toys made in Japan proved irresistible to my toy collector instincts. I can only assume that owner of SB shares my affection for the holiday.

The above two Pumpkins are the original releases from Halloween 2003; the orange was available at Secret Base's shop and the GID at TWIM's shop. Both were sold as unassembled figures in the plastic pumpkin container. (New collectors take note- the bubble wrap in the pumpkin is part of the original packaging; don't throw it away!) These are among the older SB toys, predating the popularization of Japanese vinyl, causing them to be highly coveted, top shelf material a few years back.

And I guess patience paid off, as I was able to purchase these recently for around original retail. Not U.S. retail. JAPAN retail. Crazy rolling googly eyes. The GID Pumpkin had been on my list of wants since I first began my collection, but as mentioned above, it was virtually unavailable at the time. I think this ranks among the best toys produced by SB; the clear head piece over a GID vinyl body is a nod to its SB predecessors and Henshin Cyborg lineage. The eyes and foot-wraps have just the right amount of subtle overspray from the airbrush. A surprise to me, the head piece is made of extremely rubbery vinyl, much like the old outer brains for the Skull Brain. Newer Pumpkins feature vinyl of the same consistency as the rest of the body (as do modern Skull Brains). That is not to say that the orange Pumpkin is at all unremarkable by comparison. This is a solid classic SB release. Just the right amount of overspray is present here as well, which contrasts nicely with the clean lines of the trunks and chest. But key to the orange Pumpkin is its amazing clean, glossy orange vinyl. I truly believe that the uncompromising quality of their vinyl material is what sets apart companies like Bounty Hunter, Secret Base and Gargamel from their compatriots. It's like cooking with good ingredients.

I also picked up this black Pumpkin Brain, which was sold two years after the above pair, as part of Super7's first Halloween collaboration with SB in 2005. Interestingly, the S7 black Pumpkin is a color-swap of the orange Pumpkin. There is a second black Pumpkin as well (a SB Fan Club release in 2005) which has black trunks and gloves instead of orange.

While it may be true that the numbers of fight figure collectors are dwindling down to a dedicated handful, the Pumpkin Brain- and really any of Secret Base's lineup from the past 9 years- is definitely worth a purchase if you have an interest in JP vinyl.

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- Credit and thanks to Super 7-The Book, vol. 5, issue 1 (2007) for release dates and information.