The Vinyl Figure Awards Special Edition: GAMERA!
Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 6:59 pmThings seem a little dead around here lately. I guess it's just a sign of the times. So I figure I'd get discussion going around here again with a special installment of the Vinyl Figure Awards, this time featuring everyone's favorite fire-breathing turtle. I'm going with the Showa Gamera here, since I'm more of a fan of that series than the Kaneko versions. Plus there's more variety this way.
So let get on with it:
First up is an 8" Gamera figure made by Nitto in 1971. While it's not the first Gamera figure ever produced - Marusan put out a few Gameras in the late 1960s - it's the oldest Gamera in my collection.
A much later 6" Gamera put out by Nitto in 1978, coincidentally the year Popy started putting out Godzilla figures.
Bandai's first 8" Gamera figure, put out in 1990.
This 6" Gamera - also released by Bandai - was included in their Gamera Memorial Box, released in 1999.
Some of Marmit's earliest figures, these Gameras were part of the Vinyl Paradise line, and were initially released in 1997. The very first release of this figure (not shown) was painted dark green and it's body tended to warp because of the thin vinyl used. The light green Gamera on the left was released to correct this problem, while the blue Gamera in the middle was a show exclusive. The Gamera on the end is based on the film Gamera vs Monster X, and shows Gamera after being infected by Jiger's offspring.
Unlike the Toho characters, which outside of the Bandai figures were for years never allowed to be depicted in anything other than Marmit/M-1/vintage style, many companies in the late 90s began putting out realistic versions of Gamera and his foes. Here's an 8" Gamera released around 1999 by X-Plus.
I'm not sure exactly when this toy was released but this massive 10" Gamera was put out by a company called Rocket Productions. The detail and sculpt is similar to the Bandai Museum Toho line.
It's rare to see any realistic Gamera figures specifically based on the monster's later 60s - early 70s design. All realistically rendered toys in this poll so far have been based on the fiercer Daikaiju Gamera and Gamera vs Barugon look. So I have to give Sega credit for doing something different with this 8" Gamera, released in 2003.
Here's Marusan's flying Gamera figure, released in 2002. This is also another toy that looks like a later 60s Gamera.
And finally, here's Marmit's Monster Heaven Gamera, released in 2003. It's also the only crawling Gamera in this poll.
So let get on with it:
First up is an 8" Gamera figure made by Nitto in 1971. While it's not the first Gamera figure ever produced - Marusan put out a few Gameras in the late 1960s - it's the oldest Gamera in my collection.
A much later 6" Gamera put out by Nitto in 1978, coincidentally the year Popy started putting out Godzilla figures.
Bandai's first 8" Gamera figure, put out in 1990.
This 6" Gamera - also released by Bandai - was included in their Gamera Memorial Box, released in 1999.
Some of Marmit's earliest figures, these Gameras were part of the Vinyl Paradise line, and were initially released in 1997. The very first release of this figure (not shown) was painted dark green and it's body tended to warp because of the thin vinyl used. The light green Gamera on the left was released to correct this problem, while the blue Gamera in the middle was a show exclusive. The Gamera on the end is based on the film Gamera vs Monster X, and shows Gamera after being infected by Jiger's offspring.
Unlike the Toho characters, which outside of the Bandai figures were for years never allowed to be depicted in anything other than Marmit/M-1/vintage style, many companies in the late 90s began putting out realistic versions of Gamera and his foes. Here's an 8" Gamera released around 1999 by X-Plus.
I'm not sure exactly when this toy was released but this massive 10" Gamera was put out by a company called Rocket Productions. The detail and sculpt is similar to the Bandai Museum Toho line.
It's rare to see any realistic Gamera figures specifically based on the monster's later 60s - early 70s design. All realistically rendered toys in this poll so far have been based on the fiercer Daikaiju Gamera and Gamera vs Barugon look. So I have to give Sega credit for doing something different with this 8" Gamera, released in 2003.
Here's Marusan's flying Gamera figure, released in 2002. This is also another toy that looks like a later 60s Gamera.
And finally, here's Marmit's Monster Heaven Gamera, released in 2003. It's also the only crawling Gamera in this poll.