Author: John “Dutch” DeSentis
Source: La La Land Records
Special Thanks to Mark Banning

La La Land Records’ GODZILLA 50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION SOUNDTRACK
CD is going out of print this month. Photo courtesy of La La Land
Records. © 1954 Toho Co., Ltd.

La La Land Records has made the announcement on their website that their great 2004 release of Akira Ifukube’s career defining score for GODZILLA (Gojira aka; Godzilla, King of the Monsters, 1954) is going out of print on March 31st. There are reportedly less than 120 copies left in their inventory so fans who missed out on this when it initially came out would do well to act fast. Another great incentive to purchase this CD is that it’s price has been reduced to $4.98!

To order the GODZILLA 50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION, go to lalalandrecords.com/Godzilla.

La La Land’s release boasts a significant upgrade in sound quality and is a no-brainer alternative for fans who cannot afford to track down a rather expensive copy imported from Japan. The only Japanese import still in print is the version from the GODZILLA SOUNDTRACK PERFECT COLLECTION which cannot be bought on its own. The 1993 Toshiba/EMI release as well as the version that came packaged with the score to RODAN are both long out of print.
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SJ Championship Tournaments Offer Exciting Experiences For New And Existing Players Beginning April 2010
Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases
Special Thanks to Erik Jansen

The NARUTO SHIPPUDEN CCG SHONEN JUMP Championship
Tournaments begin next month. Photo courtesy of VIZ
Media. © 2002 Masashi Kishimoto /2007 Shippuden

Bandai America Inc. and VIZ Media, LLC are pleased to announce the new NARUTO SHIPPUDEN Collectible Card Game (CCG) SHONEN JUMP Championship Tournaments in North America. There will be multiple tournaments held throughout the United States at select hobby retailers culminating in the National Championships to be held at the Gen Con Indy taking place in Indiana on August 7th and 8th.

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN CCG, Bandai America’s top selling collectible card game, is a game of strategy where players construct card decks of Ninja that use their powerful Jutsu to complete Missions and protect their villages. The NARUTO SHIPPUDEN CCG, currently has hundreds of tournaments held each week at local hobby retailers throughout the United States.

SHONEN JUMP Championship Tournaments will be accessible to NARUTO fans, beginners and experienced CCG players. Experienced players will test their skills against other players in the SHONEN JUMP Championship Tournaments to win special prizes. New players may redeem special coupons found in Shonen Jump magazine and receive a free NARUTO SHIPPUDEN CCG demo kit. Bandai volunteers will also be on location to teach new players how to play. NARUTO fans will have the opportunity to receive special SHONEN JUMP promo cards through special promotions and attendance at the tournaments. Finally, one lucky person will win an autographed promo card signed by Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of NARUTO.
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Next month Kaiyodo launches a line of highly detailed and articulated figures based on popular science fiction and fantasy characters.
Photos courtesy of Anime Jungle. Alien © Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Daimajin © 1966 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc. © 2010 Kaiyodo Co., Ltd.

The Popular Toy Line is Expanded to Include Kaiju and Special Effects Movie Characters
Author: John “Dutch” DeSentis
Translations: Jim Ballard
Source: Anime Jungle
Official Site: kaiyodo.co.jp/revoltech
Special Thanks to Tetsu Shiota

Fans and collectors are probably familiar with the brand Revoltech, which is owned by the Kaiyodo Company of Japan. It is a series of super-articulated figures in the 4-6 inch scale and based on various popular characters from manga, video games, television, film, and anime. The name itself reportedly means “Revolver Technology” as the revolver joint is what gives the figures their super-articulation.

Of interest to kaiju fans is the upcoming line, SCI-FI REVOLTECH, which will showcase popular characters from both east and west. The first figures up for release on April 1st are the Xenomorph from Ridley Scott’s ALIEN and the vengeful god DAIMAJIN from the Daiei movie series of the 1960s, followed on May 1st by Tsuburaya Productions’ friendly beast Booska and Toho’s Baragon (from FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD).
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Source: Monster Attack Team
Special Thanks to Michael G Keller and Edward Holland

Cover for Monster Attack Team Issue 8. Photo courtesy of
MAT. © 2010 Monster Attack Team

After far too long an absence, the popular fanzine Monster Attack Team returns!

Edward Holland and the late Joe Riley began Monster Attack Team (the name taken from the anti-monster team in RETURN OF ULTRAMAN) began in the early 1990s as a fan club for aficionados of Japanese science fiction and fantasy. It soon evolved into a Dallas, Texas cable access television show and a small newsletter that grew to become a fan favorite mag. The print version of Monster Attack Team ran for seven issues, edited by Ed Holland with the assistance of David May and Michael G Keller, and featured articles and contributions by authors such as Ed Godziszewski, Kip Doto, Bob Johnson, Kevin Grays, August Ragone, Daisuke Ishizuka, Norman England, and Damon Foster.

Nearly 15 years after the last issue, Ed Holland and Michael Keller have brought back Monster Attack Team with Issue 8. The editors have rounded up an “all star” group of tokusatsu writers and historians and produced a massive, 132 page edition that matches the quality of those truly great English language genre publications The Japanese Fantasy Film Journal, Markalite, and Japanese Giants.
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Japanese bookstores are now selling the Toho SFX DVD Collection which packages classic movies with a collectible booklet.
© 2009 Toho Co., Ltd. © 2009 KK DeAgostini Japan

Author: Ed Godziszewski
Official Site: KK DeAgostini Japan

Cover for Toho SFX DVD Collection Vol 2: MOTHRA VS
GODZILLA. © 1964 Toho Co., Ltd. © 2009 KK DeAgostini Japan

One of the recent trends in Japan is take movie and TV series that have long been marketed on video, LD, and dvd and repackage them a new way to sell them yet again to the public. The preferred approach is to produce a bare bones DVD, bundle them with an A4-size booklet, and introduce a new volume every 3-4 weeks, thus bypassing video sales arrangements and allowing the product to be sold as a book in bookstores.

Always one to look for ways to sell the same movies to collectors many times over, Toho jumped on this bandwagon recently and intends to sell 55 titles from their special effects film catalog. Sold by a company named DeAgostini starting in September of 2009, the Toho SFX DVD Collection has been a huge seller in its first few months, moving well over 200,000 units of each of the 11 titles released to date. Not bad for films, many of which have had at least at least 6 different home video releases over time.

So what do you get for your ¥1990 (roughly $22 at today’s exchange rate) per volume?
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Burning Godzilla roars over the crowd at Winter WonderFest 2010. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1995 Toho Co., Ltd.

A Look at the Winter Model and Toy Collectors Show Held in Tokyo on February 7, 2010
Author: Ed Godziszewski
Official Site: Wonder Festival

Owing to an accident in 2008 which occurred at the Tokyo Big Sight, former home of Wonder Festival, this biannual mega collectors event was canceled for the year 2009. But after securing a new venue at Makuhari Messe, WonderFest is back and bigger than ever.

Ed Godziszewski presents a look Winter WonderFest with nearly three dozen photos of the latest Godzilla, Gamera, and Ultraman collectibles coming from Japan.
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For nearly 30 years, Bandai has been producing and amazing variety of vinyl figures based on characters from the Godzilla, Toho, and Gamera films.
Photos courtesy of Mike Russo, Bob Johnson, and John DeSentis. © Toho Co., Ltd. © Bandai Co., Ltd.

An Overview and Price Guide for the Bandai Godzilla Toy Market
Author: John “Dutch” DeSentis
Special Thanks Mike Russo, Jean Carbajal, Brandon Shields, Bob Johnson, Greg Cordaro, Andy Shields, and James Bond

A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Tag for Bandai’s Godzilla 1984, one of the earliest
figures released in “The Godzilla Collection”.
© 1984 Toho Co., Ltd. © 1984 Bandai Co., Ltd.

Welcome to the market overview and price guide to Bandai Godzilla collectibles. The Bandai Company for decades now has been the standard for producing toys based on popular Japanese characters; they are essentially the Mattel of Japan. As it pertains to this article, they began producing toys based on characters in the Godzilla Series in 1983. Over the years since, both the output and quality of the company has steadily increased. The figures themselves are made of vinyl and have been primarily produced in two sizes, 6 inch and 8 inch scale, with the 8 inch scale being the most popular with collectors. There are also larger figures which vary between the 14 and 24 inch scale.

The decision to focus on the Bandai market is due to the company’s immense popularity among Godzilla fans and a general need to know where the toys currently stand as far as pricing and rarity. We have done research and kept our eyes on general trends from sales on the internet and at shows throughout the year such as G-Fest (the annual celebration of Godzilla and Toho Sci-Fi), the San Diego and New York Comic-Cons, Chiller Theater (the legendary toy and horror film expo in New Jersey), and other collector shows and marketplaces such as Frank & Son (in California) and the like. We also keep our eye on shops in the major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Finally, we also go to the people closest to the toys— dealers and collectors— to get their opinions and observations.

Also included in this market report is pricing on GODZILLA-related Bandai figures such as the REBIRTH OF MOTHRA trilogy, the GAMERA series, and even Toho’s YAMATO TAKERU (OROCHI THE EIGHT HEADED DRAGON). We are not, however, pricing DX (deluxe), battery operated, or candy toys. This article strictly covers the standard figures in their various scales.
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Voltron Lands this Summer
Source: Privateer Press press release
Official Sites: monsterpocalypse.com, voltron.com

An early look at the packaging for the new VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE
battle miniatures game. Photo courtesy of Privateer Press. © 2010 Privateer
Press, Inc. Voltron is © 2010 World Events Productions, Ltd.

Privateer Press has announced that the highly anticipated VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE battle miniatures game (PIP 50030) for MONSTERPOCALYPSE will be released July 2010 with an MSRP of $49.99.

The VOLTRON game will include everything two players need to stage epic battles between the forces of Voltron and the Galaxy Alliance and Lo-Tron of the fiendish Drule Empire. Part of the popular MONSTERPOCALYPSE line, VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE will be completely compatible with all current MONSTERPOCALYPSE series.

In celebration of the release, Privateer Press is offering the VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE Launch Kit (PIP 50033, MSRP $399.92) to brick-and-mortar retailers. The kit includes eight copies of the VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE battle miniatures game and two limited edition Mega Voltron figures for use in promoting the game’s release in the store. Retailers can pre-order the VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE Launch Kit through their distributor now.
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A Look at the International Model and Toy Show Held in Tokyo on January 10, 2010
Author: Ed Godziszewski
Official Site: Super Festival

Prototypes for the new Marmit Destoroyah and Burning Godzilla figures. Photo
by Ed Godziszewski.

In years past, it used to be a big deal to attend toy shows such as Super Festival— each show yielded not only its share of exclusive items, but they were a expeditious way to accomplish a good deal of shopping all in one place. Rather than spending time and train fare scurrying about Tokyo, Super Festival offered one-stop shopping where you could find not only most every current item, but also a nice selection of vintage (and sometimes otherwise unheard of) items.

Due to a change in my business trip schedule, it had been almost 6 years since the last time I attended Super Festival, so attending this most recent incarnation this past January 10 impressed upon me just how much times have changed.
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Cover art for some of the manga titles coming from VIZ Media in the first half of 2010. Photos courtesy of VIZ Media. Biomega © 2004
Tsutomu Nihei/Shueisha Inc. Maoh: Juvenile Remix © 2007 Kotaro Isaka, Megumi Osuga/Shogakukan Inc.Rosario + Vampire Season II
© 2007 Akihisa Ikeda/Shueisha Inc. Ultimo © 2008 Stan Lee–POW! Entertainment/Dream Ranch, Hiroyuki Takei/Shueisha Inc.

Source: MediaLab press release
Official Site: VIZ Media
Special Thanks to Erik Jansen

VIZ Media, LLC has announced some of their exciting new manga set for release throughout the first half of 2010. The new releases will be published by VIZ Media under its best-known imprints including VIZ Kids, VIZ Signature, Shojo Beat, Shonen Sunday, Shonen Jump and Shonen Jump Advanced.
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Source: Privateer Press press release
Official Site: monsterpocalypse.com

An early look at the Unit Booster and Monster Booster game packs for April’s
MONSTERPOCALYPSE SERIES 5: BIG IN JAPAN. Photos courtesy of Privateer Press.
© 2010 Privateer Press, Inc.

Privateer Press of Bellevue, WA has announced that the next expansion for its collectible miniatures game MONSTERPOCALYPSE will be released in April 2010. The expansion, SERIES 5: BIG IN JAPAN, takes the monsters and minions of MONSTERPOCALYPSE to the heart of Japan with new iconic buildings from the Tokyo skyline. BIG IN JAPAN will be available in Monster Boosters and Unit Boosters.

To celebrate the release of BIG IN JAPAN, Privateer Press is offering two special promotions to retailers and players. Players can get a limited edition Mega Mechathugrosh figure free from participating retailers by ordering the BIG IN JAPAN Mega Kit (PIP 50915). The kit includes one case of BIG IN JAPAN Boosters, one case of BIG IN JAPAN Unit Boosters, and one Mega Mechathugrosh figure.

The second promotion is available to retailers who order the BIG IN JAPAN Launch Kit (PIP 50916). The kit includes six of the BIG IN JAPAN Mega Kits and two free limited edition Mega White Dajan figures for the retailer to use in supporting the launch of BIG IN JAPAN. Both the BIG IN JAPAN Mega Kit and the BIG IN JAPAN Launch Kit are limited, and players and retailers are encouraged to pre-order so as not to miss out on these special offers.
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Source: Capcom Co., Ltd., The Associates press releases
Official Site: tatsunoko.vscapcom.com
Special Thanks to Farhana Shaikh

Logo for the new Wii game TATSUNOKO VS. CAPCOM: ULTIMATE ALL-STARS. Photo
courtesy of The Associates. © 2010 Capcom Co., Ltd., partially licensed by
Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd.

TATSUNOKO VS. CAPCOM: ULTIMATE ALL-STARS

Release Date: Jan. 29, 2010 (US), Jan. 29, 2010 (UK)
Genre: VS. Fighting
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Rating: T (US), PEGI 12+/USK 12/OFLC PG/BBFC 12 (UK)
Producer: Ryota Niitsuma

TATSUNOKO VS. CAPCOM: ULTIMATE ALL-STARS pairs well-known characters from Capcom’s roster of games with some of Japan’s most-beloved characters from anime powerhouse Tatsunoko Production. From Capcom’s 30-year history come characters like Ryu and Chun-Li from the STREET FIGHTER series, Morrigan from DARKSTALKERS and Mega Man Volnutt from MEGA MAN LEGENDS. Tatsunoko’s near half-century of Japanese animation excellence is represented by the likes of Ken the Eagle and Jun the Swan from the SCIENCE NINJA TEAM GATCHAMAN anime (known in Europe and North America as BATTLE OF THE PLANETS or G-FORCE), cybernetic warrior Casshan and comedic action hero Yatterman No. 1. All together, there are more than 20 colorful combatants to choose from in order to form the ultimate tag team combination.
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L has 23 Days to Live, and 22 Days to Save the World in New Novel
Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases
Official Site: Deathnote.viz.com
Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen

The novel Death Note: L, change the WorLd features cover
art by original manga artist Takeshi Obata. Photo courtesy
of VIZ Media. © 2007 M/ L Plot Produce

VIZ Media, LLC expands the thrilling psychological suspense of DEATH NOTE with the release of Death Note: L, change the WorLd, a new novel featuring the master detective from the hit animated, film and manga series. Death Note: L, change the WorLd is available now from Shonen Jump Fiction and carries an MSRP of $17.99 U.S. / $24.00 CAN.

In an alternative continuity in the DEATH NOTE setting, ace detective L’s name has been placed in a Death Note. He has twenty-three days to bring a terrorist group to justice, or they will use a deadly new virus to change the world…by killing off most of humanity.

Death Note: L, change the WorLd features the same format as the original Japanese printing with a hardcover and clear acetate jacket with metallic ink. The cover art is by Takeshi Obata, the artist of the Death Note manga series. Death Note is one of VIZ Media’s top 5 bestselling properties, with over 1 million copies of the manga sold in the U.S. The character of L is extremely popular with fans and has inspired various products such as apparel and stationery as well as spinoff novels and three live action DEATH NOTE films (available from VIZ Pictures).
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Boys Over Flowers: Jewelry Box Concludes Acclaimed Shojo Manga Series with Two Short Stories
Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases
Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen

Cover art for Boys Over Flowers: Jewelry Box. Photo
courtesy of VIZ Media. © 1992 Yoko Kamio/Shueisha, Inc.

Fans of shojo (girls) manga can look forward to VIZ Media’s release of Boys Over Flowers: Jewelry Box on October 13th. The new volume is rated ‘T’ for Teens and will carry a MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Boys Over Flowers: Jewelry Box is a collection of two new short stories by Yoko Kamio, the creator of the acclaimed Boys Over Flowers (Hana Yori Dango) series. The new epilogue takes place one year after the end of the original Boys Over Flowers story, which concluded with Volume 36. It also contains a section with some of the important events in the series that show the characters maturing, plus a special bonus strip.

“Yoko Kamio, one of the most beloved shojo manga creators of all time, just couldn’t stay away from some of her favorite characters and we’re proud to announce the publication of Boys Over Flowers: Jewelry Box,” says Candice Uyloan, Product Marketing Director, VIZ Media “This volume serves as a fitting conclusion to a series that helped to establish the shojo manga genre in the U.S. and fans won’t want to miss this chance to get reacquainted with main character Tsukushi.”
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The “Masked Rider Decade” Limited Edition Blackbird Fly Twin Lens Reflex Camera comes with a custom leather camera strap and film holder.
Photo courtesy of Freestyle Photographic Supplies. © 2009 PowerShovel, Ltd. Masked Rider Decade © 2009 Ishimori Production, Inc., TV Asahi, ADK, Toei
Company Ltd.

Now Available in the United States
Source: Freestyle Photographic Supplies
Special Thanks to Michael Tullberg

Good guys wear pink: Masked Rider Decade. © 2009 Ishimori Production, Inc., TV
Asahi, ADK, Toei Company Ltd.

Last year, the Tokyo-based camera design, production, and distribution company PowerShovel, Ltd. introduced the Blackbird Fly, a new Twin-Reflex 35mm Plastic Camera made in several different colors. The highly anticipated Blackbird Fly has received glowing reviews from camera and photography aficionados worldwide, and the model has been a strong seller for PowerShovel.

In 2009, the Blackbird Fly received some unexpected and highly visible publicity from MASKED RIDER DECADE (Kamen Raidaa Dikeido), the 19th television series is the popular “Kamen Rider” franchise. Premiering this past January 25 on TV Asahi, the show stars Masahiro Inoue as Kamen Rider Decade’s alter ego, Tsukasa Kadoya. Tsukasa suffers from amnesia and tries to hold onto the world around him by photographing it with his camera of choice… a pink Blackbird Fly.

The camera was featured in many episodes and during the opening credits of MASKED RIDER DECADE. The resulting attention— and consumer interest— convinced PowerShovel to make a Limited Edition production run of a Blackbird Fly inspired by the show. From the “Masked Rider Decade” Blackbird Fly production run, only 50 units will be sold outside of Japan, with Freestyle Photo Supplies in Hollywood, CA the exclusive retailer for this camera in the United States.
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