Mego of the Day: Baron Karza

[Bo8a_Fett]

Sure wanted him seeing he was one of only a few that looked like the comic book counterparts...loved the comics and recently bought the entire original run ...both series...for a song....that's some good reading.
They were about in the UK but few and far between...so never did get him...he looks bad though....exudes evil....

[AcroRay]

I know that Karza's body was basically Takara's Jeeg magnemo figure molded in black, but did Mego design Karza's head in house themselves?

According to the owner of the California R & D Center - Takara's rep who developed/modified much of the early Microman & Takara toys into new product for Mego - the heads for Force Commander & Karza were done by Cal R & D, not Mego.

Mego developed the later Emperor and Green Baron/King Atlas heads, however, as exclusive product for GiG Toys in Italy. (The Magnos were big over there, where Jeeg was running dubbed on Italian TV already.)

( GiG's Red Falcon is more or less exactly like his Takara counterpart, minus some Japanese printing on his belly decal, and with later safety-missile modifications. )

[Godzilla]

My 4 year old son loves Karza best out of the Micronaughts I have left. His design is fantastic.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I never had any Micronauts. I somehow missed them as a kid. Maybe my mother thought they were too much of a choking hazard, or I'd lose the little pieces? Not sure.

That is one fine figure though, and appears to be way ahead of it's time as far as design goes.

Chris

[megoscott]

Of note, from World's Greatest Toys, I love this story.

There was little flattery in the shameless imitation by its competitors, and it caused endless grief to Mego executives. But Mego did have a good sense of humor about it. When Mego introduced the Micronauts’ principle “bad guy” character, Mego Director of Design John McNett named him “Baron Karza.” McNett recalled, “Karza is [Mego’s primary competitor Marvin] Azrak spelled backwards. I cooked it up as a joke but Neal and Marty loved it. They quickly trademarked Nivram, Smarba, Nalbuk, Ytram, Laen, and many other backward names to forestall any retaliation from Marvin Azrak.” Records confirm that Mego filed to trademark the name “Baron Karza” on July 21, 1977, then filed to protect the name “Ogem” (“Mego” backward), on September 1, 1977.

[vulcan2074]

I never got in to them. I do like alot of the Figures in that line, especially there Time Traveller. Maybe in the future I might start collecting them. This is actually a pretty cool figure.
V~2074

[twilitezoner]

Here is a pic of my custom Marvel Legends Baron Karza (not my work). The picture really doesn't due it justice.

[megoscott]

Interesting! Yours?

[twilitezoner]

It's mine. But I didn't make it.

[Bionic Joe]

I'm not into Micronauts, When they came out i was at the age when toys were losing out to my intrest in the blond down street So they hold no memories for me and i have no intrest in collecting them now

[Raydeen1]

Force Commander is still my fave, then Space Glider and Galactic Defender.

I still have my Karza. He's complete and in great shape. My more loved Force Commander though is hurting. lol.

If I could dig him out, I'd snap some pix. I do have some fun Micro doodles around though.

[AcroRay]

It's mine. But I didn't make it.

More details, please!

Looks similar to the work of one Michael Jaecks, longtime Micronaut collector and customizer.

[Action Martin]

I loved the Micronauts line when I was a kid. They were the bridge between the Mego 8" figures and the Kenner Star Wars figures for me. I had so many of those figures. I know that I received Karza, Andromeda, Force Commander, and Oberon on the same Christmas, which may have been the year that I also got all of the metal and plastic heroes and villains, and the Astro Station. I think it was the following Christmas that I got the Galactic Cruiser, Biotron, one of those tube city sets, Giant Acroyear, Pharoid, and some more Time Travellers. The Aliens, their ships, and Galactic Defender were acquired at other times.