Happy Halloween! My contribution to this fine holiday is a review of a decidedly creepy pair of designer vinyls...

Okay, I know it's not usual for us to review two toys at once, but in the world of designer kaiju, exceptions ARE the rule!

On this fine Halloween, I present two toys I've been dying to talk about for a while now: Velocitron's Bechigon and Larvagon in the "Emperor" colorway. These are two genuine Japanese slush-molded vinyl figures. These designer (non-character) toys are clearly horror-inspired--more specifically, a bit of a refinement on H.R. Giger's designs from the Alien films.

First up, we have Bechigon, Ricky "Velocitron" Wilson's first toy sculpt. They run around $35 each, and while each colorway is pretty short in terms of run size, there are lots of 'em and they ALL look great! Just check out the various pics in Velocitron's flickr.

Header card.

Bechigon is very reminiscent of the face-hugger pods from Alien, but it seems more like closed fangs at the top rather than an opening for something to hatch. Also, the added tentacles are fantastic. I picked up this particular colorway of Bechigon when it first came out because it was one of the first shot in glow vinyl and because it just looks so cool. The black spray and the spiral masking on the tentacles is brilliantly executed. Also, the gloss red handpaints are a striking accent. This thing looks sick!

I mean, just check out how cool the tentacles look when they're glowing!

Bechigon's tagline was "Egg of the Apocalypse". So what gives? Why would a budding designer vinyl maker start off with an egg...rather than a full-size (ostensibly adult) monster?? Well, Ricky has said that he wanted to create a sort of progression with this toy line. So, start with an egg...then move on to a larva (hint, hint)...and then...

I sorta compare it to the different vinyl makers who release Hedorah toys depicting his different life-cycle forms (larva/tadpole, crawling, flying, adult, etc.). Anyway, clearly, these toys are designed to complement each other when displayed on a shelf. So, I assume that the next in the series will be an adolescent or young adult monster...but I'm getting ahead of myself...

After Bechigon, Ricky released the much-anticipated Larvagon. They retail for around $55. I think of Larvagon as a cross between Giger's face-hugger and the chest-burster designs. Only giant! Well, they're Japanese, so I imagine them being giant! :P

Header card.

Now this damn thing is metal as all hell! I mean, it's grotesquely detailed and monstrous...but it's still just a silly glow kaiju toy. For some reason, I feel like blasting Dethklok while playing with it! ;)

I love how Ricky carried over the Emperor theme into Larvagon. The striped black look has been preserved, and the black paint rub over much of the body accentuates the detail of the sculpt perfectly. [By the way, I have no idea what "Emperor" is supposed to indicate. That's just the name of this colorway. Maybe there is a whole race of these monsters...and this is their leader!]

There are a few neat things about this sculpt. Well, first, it features a whopping two points of articulation! Yep, just those red-clawed tentacles can move. Hey, works for me! Also, there's a sweet removable carapace shot in clear vinyl that fits on top of the head. This is TOTALLY reminiscent of some notable Alien xenomorph toys like the classic 18" Kenner Alien, which had a glow skull underneath a smoky clear cap. Larvagon's carapace has two tusks with a groovy black chain connecting them.

Yo, what's up with the red wad that looks like a mashed strawberry on the left side of his head!? :P

Anyway, not much else to say about these guys. Their beauty--or lack thereof!--speaks for itself. While I think these toys are absolutely great, I can definitely see how your mileage may vary. Designer vinyl, in and of itself, is an acquired taste. I, for one, am looking forward to future releases in this line and completing an Emperor set!

If you're interested in picking some of these toys up, go to skullbrain.org and do search for "Bechigon" or "Larvagon"...you'll find info on how to get in touch with Ricky, get on his mailing list, and see what's in stock...not to mention finding TONS of great pics of other colorways of these toys!

For me, this is the last nail in the coffin of Chinese vinyl.

I'll cut right to the chase. When dealing with a glow in the dark soft vinyl toy, there's really only 3 things to be concerned with. Sculpt, paint and glow power. And while some may say 2 out of 3 ain't bad, 1 out of 3 is. And unfortunately, that's the case here.

Excellent sculpt.

If you're a fan of Hedorah, there's a good chance you would really like the sculpt of this toy, unless you want articulation. This is simply a 7" vinyl, static posed statue, but it looks pretty nice, especially if you like the base with the name on it.

Sloppy paintjob.

Unfortunately, the paint job on it leaves something to be desired. In some places (like the eyes and the buildings), it's pretty good, but in other spots, it's like they just stopped trying entirely. The back (pictured above) looks atrocious to me. And much like the I Was A Teenage Werewolf 12" figure from B.F.F.F. International last year, there are spots where they tried to add depth, but shouldn't have even bothered because it just looks worse than if they'd just left it alone. Which brings me to the worst part of the toy...

Dismal glow!

Look at that. Isn't that pathetic? The picture above shows this toy getting completely pwned by a glow Namegon from B-Club. I know that Chinese vinyl has a bad reputation in terms of glow power compared to the more superior Japanese vinyl, but c'mon! Especially when you consider the promotional photos that got me interested in this thing in the first place. I mean, there must have been some serious adjustments made to those pictures to make it look like it glows that bright. NOT EVEN CLOSE.

This was one of the more disappointing toys I've gotten in a while. Especially when you consider that it comes in an unnecessary box that serves only to increase the shipping cost. This toy retails for about $50, but with shipping it ended up being closer to $85. A good old fashioned bag and header would have been just fine, thank you.

The back of the box shows some other figures from the line. I have the Mothra, which I like despite it's weak glow because it just has such an awesome sculpt, but rest assured, I will not be getting any more of these. In fact, I have every intention of selling this one before too long. Hopefully I can at least break even.

Love at first sight!

Usually that phrase is spoken with people in mind, but sometimes it happens with toys, too.

You see it and immediately you know. "This is a toy that I MUST have."

The Frankencycle was one such toy for me. From the moment I laid eyes on it in at Plaid Stallions, I knew it was just a matter of time. Well, a couple months ago that time finally came when I scored one that had never even been removed from the box.

I will try to write more about this toy further along in the review but for now, a simple recap of what this thing is should be enough to firmly establish why it is awesome. So here goes:

Frankenstein... in blue jeans and leather jacket.... riding a chopper... with a skull on the handle bars...with glow in the dark engine and exhaust...and a tombstone for a seat back.

I know that that is phenomenal but before you run to Ebay to try to find one, let me tell you more about it. This toy was produced by Ideal in 1978 and the general thinking is that it was made to cash in on the Evel Knievel craze of the '70s. Ideal had a similar toy of Evel Knievel and may have wanted to get as much bang for their buck as they could, in terms of utilizing the idea. Two additional toys were made, Dracula ("Dragucycle") and a generic Grim Reaper ("Bone Shaker").

In addition to esoteric stylings and a glow in the dark feature, the toys includes a wind-up feature to make the bikes actually ride! Each toy includes a haunted house type base that the bike is placed into. You wind up a handle on the back of it and when you stop, the bike is sent rolling across the floor. If you do it just right, it will also pop a wheelie!

Of course, that's reason enough to buy this but did I mention that it glows in the dark?

(Thanks to Sanjeev for the glow pics!)

So, this is the greatest toy in the history of toys, right?

Well, not so fast.

I mentioned before that my specimen of the toy had never come out of the box until I bought it. And I'm guessing you probably noticed how the front wheel was messed up, right? Well, it seems that many specimens of these toys have melted wheels. It was always thought to have something to do with the rubber on the tire reacting with the plastic of the wheel, but as you can see, mine didn't even have the rubber included! And it melted anyway!

So, now one school of thought is that it may be a result of using cheap plastics during the oil crisis of the '70s. Who knows, for sure, but either way, you're rolling the dice when you buy these things.

Having been aware of this problem when I bought the toy, I was prepared to be disappointed when I opened the box (even though I was expecting to either get one with a rubber tire and melted wheel OR one with no rubber and un-melted wheel; NOT one with no rubber AND melted wheel!).

But the problems did not end there. The haunted house/base is supposed to have stickers on it, but the sticker sheet was not in the box! This probably annoyed me more than anything else. The house is cool, but it looks pretty bland when it's just all solid green.

The last problem that I encountered has to do with the hands. Now, the Frankenstein figure is simply made of rubber and the hands have a hole in them so that you can place them around the handlebars of the bike. On my specimen at least, those holes are not big enough to allow the bars to fit! So now, the figure just rests on the bike and doesn't actually hold on like he should.

It was recommended to me to try to just force them on since the rubber should be pliable but I am afraid that pushing too hard with actually break off the handle-bars and I don't want to risk ruining this any further. At least one collector told me that his specimen fit just fine though, so again, it seems like there's some inconsistency there.

So, as much as I love this toy, I was pretty disappointed the day I got it. But I gotta tell you, even with all the flaws that I outlined, I still don't regret buying it for a second. The idea is so silly and reeks so much of the 1970s that I just can't bring myself to not like it. Regardless of this specimens problems, I still have every intention of getting the two companion pieces at some point down the line. (Boneshaker in particular is one Grim Reaper I look forward to seeing show up at my door, but it's the rarest of the three, I think.)

One of the stranger things about these guys is that inside the box, they do not come packaged in a bag. They don't come packaged resting in styrofoam. There is a cardboard insert, but it doesn't really hold anything in place. Instead, there's just that and brown paper shoved in there. I don't think I've ever seen a less professionally packaged toy. Maybe that has something to do with the wheel problem. I don't know. The only other thing in the box is the instruction sheet.

(PS- Sorry for those crummy pics. My camera stinks to begin with and has been dying (and in fact, has died) on me. I should be getting a new on in the next couple of weeks..)

One cycle ends and, sadly, another continues....

When I first bought the Remco Mummy, I thought it would be neat to complete the set and review them all in a row. That's not gonna happen, I'm afraid. Money's too tight and The Creature and the Phantom are too expensive ($400+). So for the foreseeable future, Frankenstein will be the end of the line.

As you can see, Frankenstein comes in a similar package as the Mummy with equally impressive artwork. Although the sculpt on the Frankenstein figure is better than the Mummy, it's still the box art that made me want to buy it. In my monster collection, these figures are left in the box and not displayed on their own. But I've seen some pretty impressive pictures taken of these toys, too, so maybe I just lack imagination.

(Not one of the pictures I'm talking about.)

Frankenstein wears a thin dark blue/black outer jacket and pants with a thick green turtleneck underneath. He really looks like he's all bundled up for the winter.

His shiny black boots are fine, but it would have been cool if they had a bit more of a platform style going on. Something for Franky to really stomp around in, y'know?

As with the other figures in the line, the hands and face glow in the dark and the "monster crush" action is present. Again, I don't have a good glow pic, but there's one on the box (and yes, Frankenstein is continuing the cycle of violence! Now I want a Wolf Man just to see who he rapes...)

The glow in the dark skull and crossbones ring is included again, as well as a unique Frankenstein iron-on patch.

So... anyway. What can I tell you that the pictures don't and that I didn't mention in the Mummy review? Well, apparently some (or all) of these figures were released in Europe by Ideal in different boxes. Oh and speaking of boxes, if you're looking for these on Ebay, you should know that repro boxes are out there. So if you see a box that looks too nice, it might be a fake. Or if you don't want to fork over the cash for a complete mib toy, you might be able to go the repro route; get a loose figure for cheap and add a repro box.

A transitional toy for me.

Don't ask me why, but this is the item that made me feel like a monster collector and not just a guy with some monsters in his collection. There are certainly rarer, older and more expensive items you could aim for, but I just really liked the 9" Remco monster boxes and admired them from afar. Finally deciding to buy one somehow signified that I was now a monster collector instead of a robot collector.

Remco released two different lines of monster figures in the early 80s. One was a 3 3/4" set of 6 characters (Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolf Man, Mummy, Phantom and The Creature From The Black Lagoon) in both regular and glow in the dark versions. (And of course, it was the glow Creature figure that was kitbashed into the recent Suckadelic Creature. But far more impressive to me were the larger 9" figures.

While the 3 3/4" figures were of course more in the style of the Star Wars figures of the day, these 9" versions had more in common with Megos. Except, they were more gimmick laden than those toys were.

In addition to being fully pose-able, with joints at the neck, waist, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles, each figure included a "Monster-Crush" grabbing action. Basically, the entire length of each arm is made of segmented plastic and when you push a lever on the back, they pull in like they are giving a bear hug.

On top of that, the head, hands and feet all glow in the dark. Now, my camera doesn't take good glow pictures, but fortunately, there are already some included on the back of the box.

If that's not enough glow for you, a plastic glow in the dark ring with a skull and crossbones molded into it is also included. I'm not sure what that has to do with anything, but it's in there. I believe that all 6 figures in the set came with the same ring.

But that's not all, either. They also threw in a small iron-on patch. Iron-ons were all the rage back in the day.

Of course, the downside to the figure is it's "wrappings". Being all one piece, it looks more like Mummy themed pajamas than real burial wrappings. Still, that's to be expected from a time when accuracy was much less important than play value.

And of course, perhaps the best part for the modern collector is the box, and that's one of the things that drew me to this line in the first place. Each box for the 9" Remco monsters has some fantastic artwork on the flap. So far, I've only managed to get The Mummy and Frankenstein, but I can't wait to see all 6 lined up together. Unfortunately, I doubt that will happen anytime soon, as the Creature and Phantom figures tend to command a premium for nice boxed specimens.

In my opinion, the BEST MaxToyCo release to date, the long-anticipated Tripus has finally reached the shore!

Mark Nagata makes some good stuff. DAMN good stuff.

In a vinyl hobby full of pretentious, hyper-limited releases, he continues to put out great product that's affordable, accessible, and genuinely fun, regardless of your age. Beware: these are actual toys. You have been warned!!

Mark's Captain Maxx line has been rocking heads for a few years now, and his latest kaiju menace to society, Tripus, has finally come ashore!

And you know I had to pick up the glowie colorway! ;)

First of all, I have a long-standing love of sea creatures. I dunno--maybe it was the Kraken in Clash of the Titans, but whatever started the obsession, as long as I can remember, I've always had a soft spot for giant, mysterious creatures from the murky depths. Mark has recently released three colorways of this beast: red, glow, and green (the red and glow colorways aren't up on his site yet).

This vinyl does NOT disappoint, folks!

Let's start with the packaging.

Like most standard scale vinyl kaiju, this 10" beast comes in a polybag with a stapled cardboard header. The header artwork is killer, and included with the figure in the bag is an actual backer card featuring more artwork of the creature in action by Mark!

The back of the card depicts the whole Maxx lineup thus far. It's really fantastic that Mark put such creativity into the packaging. My only beef with the packaging is the bag, itself. It's a really thick polybag that's not 100% transparent. It has a sort of murkiness to it. Yeah, I guess that's kinda fitting for an underwater creature, but I wanna be able to see those vivid colors clearly! Also, this is a huge figure...and with the bag the size it is, the backing card got a little bent in the shuffle.

Still...it's not like you're gonna be keeping this guy in the bag for very long!

As we were just talking about on the Chaos Darkness thread, when it comes to vinyl kaiju, the pictures do most of the talking.

The colors are absolutely amazing on this piece. Mark really came up with a killer colorway here. There's actually very little exposed glow vinyl on this figure. It has yellow, pink/red, blue, and green sprays...all interwoven in a completely insane scheme that makes total sense at the same time! This guy's good!

The articulation on the figure is about as much as can be expected for a vinyl. The figure is jointed at the shoulders, but swinging the arms up, they'll run into the mouth tentacles...so you'll have to swing them backwards if you want 'em pointed up. The neck is jointed, but ol' calamari-face can't turn his head because of those bulky tentacles. The three main tentacle legs swivel, too, of course. They're interesting because you can make him lean backwards or forwards by swinging the two front tentacles either way while the figure pivots on the back tentacle! Very weird and very original for a vinyl kaiju!

The glow power on this particular guy is just below average. Of course, there are close to 200 glowies on my shelves, so that's not much of a problem...but it IS noticeable. The main culprit is simply that the figure is almost entirely covered in paint. Most glowies have large areas completely unpainted to let the maximum glow light through. Not Tripus. This toy looks SO stunning under normal light because of all those great paint apps, just like Mark's Balbagon exclusive.

Another possible reason the glow power may not be as high as other glowies out there is because the vinyl is Chinese.

...

Okay, you done crying now?

Yes, the vinyl isn't Japanese. Now, before you go commit seppuku, listen up: this toy is HOT. The surface texture of the Chinese glow vinyl used in this figure is super-glossy and flawless. The vinyl is thick and sturdy. The casting and joints are tight and smooth. The only potential problem with the vinyl is that I've read that Chinese glow vinyl hasn't quite reached the brightness of Japanese glow vinyl.

Oh well. You're getting a chunky 10" glow vinyl kaiju with *SUPERB* paint for only $70. I shudder to think what prices we vinyl collectors pay for a fraction of the toy!

Our pal, Mason, summed up the whole feel of the toy quite well: "it makes you realize you have a toy in your hands and not some art project with a lot of pomp attached...Mark is definitely an "artist", but he set out to make TOYS and it shows".

A quick review of a much-anticipated head sculpt from the Glyos series!

Y'know, looking back at our coverage of Glyos toys, we have next to nothing on Sarvos! Poor guy! Even the Crayboth got a cool News article. Sorry, Sarvos.

Sarvos gets no props.

If it makes ya feel better, folks, go here, and pick yourself up a Standard Sarvos! Better yet, head to the Rocket North booth at the New York Comic-Con 2009 this weekend, meet Matt Doughty of Onell Design, and pick yourself up a handful of Sarvos', Phanosts, and other Glyos figures!

At least Sarvos was featured in the Phase Arm/Gobon Blaster review!

Anyway, enough with Sarvos. We're already set for the next big thing: Phanost!

These three hot new offerings from Onell are excellent additions to your Glyos army! First, on the left, we have Hybrid Phanost. He's shot in Standard Pheyden colors/panel lining, with additional intricate black panel lining on his head. He uses the Exellis pelvis, but he sports the hot, new-style chest that has an added panel line down the front and a female connector (hole) on the back to accommodate a backpack, weapon mount, or any other type of weirdness ya wanna stick there!

Next, in the middle of the group shot is Standard Phanost. From the neck down, he's shot in black PVC, but with translucent grey upper arms and upper legs. Again, he sports the new chest and Exellis pelvis (Exellis pelvis...just rolls off the tongue, huh?). Ah, but from the neck up, that's all glow PVC! Only his eyes are painted green.

Finally, on the right in the group shot is Core Phanost. Obviously, we've got a black head, upper arms, and upper legs, while everything else is translucent orange. His eyes are painted white. Very nice!

Now, if you notice, these guys aren't in the Onell store yet. ...Or are they?

By all means, if you have the opportunity, head over to NYCC09 this weekend. Not only will Phanost be there, but there'll be a few other surprises from our friends at Rocket North and Rawshark Studios!

Believe me! You will not regret it!

Okay, okay...I'd be amiss if I didn't leave you with at least one glow shot! Here's an all-glow Phanost, consisting of a Standard Phanost head and a glow version of the new-style Pheyden chest:

According the the flyer that comes with the Ghost Land trading figures, Dokuwashi is "is the door that all spirits must pass through to enter Ghost Land".

Dokuwashi is another SDCC 2008 acquisition (see how backed up I am?) created by Brian Flynn for his company, Super7. Brian also co-authored the Tokyo Underground book with me.

I like Super7 stuff, but some of it is just not for me. I don't really dig what they call "fight figures" but I love original kaiju, and when Brian puts his mind to it, he makes some great designs.

Dokuwashi is part of Super7's "Ghost Land" line of mini vinyl figures, but he is anything but a mini at nine inches tall. According the the flyer that comes with the Ghost Land trading figures, Dokuwashi is "is the door that all spirits must pass through to enter Ghost Land".

Like most vinyl, there are several different versions, or "colorways" of this sculpt, and this is the mandatory glow version.

Surprisingly, this toy actually has some articulation. The arms and head move, but that's it.

The sculpt is nice and tight, and the texture of the body feels good in the hand. The figure has nice little details, such as the tiny feet hidden underneath.

Dokuwashi is sprayed with Green, pink, gold and blue paint applications - colors similar to Bullmark Hawaii versions from back in the day.

Glow works good, maybe not as vibrant as others, but still strong in its own right. However, put it under a black light and it just looks stellar...

So, this is my first Zag. I got it because I really just wanted the guys at Gargamel to have one of MY toys, and this one looked appropriate. But damn, it's very cool. THIS is my kind of Zag.

Zagoran (Glow) was an exclusive toy offered by Japanese toy maker Gargamel at the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con. I actually traded a black CDX Gore Sky Deviler for this, so that's pretty cool.

Zagoran is an interesting character. Those of you familiar with the Japanese Designer toy scene will know the character due to the countless versions of him. But where is he from?

Zagoran comes from an old Japanese illustrated children's book called "Shin Sekai No Kaiju" which translates to "New World Monsters". This book features a ton of original kaiju that never appeared in any kind of TV or movie. The book was written by Toshiya Nakaoka and illustrated by Kaijita. The great thing about these kaiju is that they are what you would call "open Source". Technically they are called Pachi Kaiju, but the gist of it is that pretty much anyone can make a toy of them without paying licensing. Many of the small Japanese vinyl companies have gotten their big breaks with Zagora and other Pachi Kaiju toys.

So, this is my first Zag. I got it because I really just wanted the guys at Gargamel to have one of MY toys, and this one looked appropriate. But damn, its very cool.

It's a standard (ST) sized vinyl which comes in at about 9 inches tall.

Like most vinyl, its not known for its articulation. Zagora has only 5 - legs, arms and head. Paint application is limited to a metallic aqua, red, silver and black.

Of course - it glows. And it glows really nicely. Far be it to steal the glow thunder from Sanjeev, but I had to share this. The glow looks great under a standard light:

And under a black light:

Zagoran came sold bagged with a header card.

The actual Skull Bunny is made out of glow in the dark resin, hand painted and signed on the bottom. These come in very limited editions (I think the glow was 25 pieces).

Skull Bunny is a creation of artist Ben Seto, who draws a neat little comic called, what else – Skullbunnies.

I met Ben while wandering aimlessly around the vast SDCC floor. I was immediately drawn to the skull motif, and to top it off it glows in the dark!

Ben’s art initially reminds me a lot of the ghibli / miyazaki style, but it has a twist that is all his own. With the purchase of Skull Bunny, I got an issue of his comic and a few pins.

The actual Skull Bunny is made out of glow in the dark resin, hand painted and signed on the bottom. These come in very limited editions (I think the glow was 25 pieces) and stand about 2 inches tall. It glows pretty well for a hand cast piece.

In fact, this isn’t really a toy per-se, this is more of a folk art piece. It’s rough around  the edges, and I don’t think it would survive a fall, but you can feel the love that went into this piece. Skull Bunny has the potential to be an iconic figure, and I hope Ben does well with it.

If you are interested in a Skull Bunny, you can order one at Black Sheep Comics