Mego robot ape?

[B-Lister]

I have a book about Japanese robots, mostly focusing on Chogokin between 1972-1982.

The cover features this striking robot ape toy.



What caught my eye, however, was this marking on the back...



Any ideas about Mego's involvement?

And yes, I know the cover is falling off, the glue was very weak when I bought the book.

[ODBJBG]

Oh this is interesting. I'm sure probably just made in a Mego controlled factory at the time. Does it list what the robot is anywhere in the book?

[B-Lister]

Yeah. I can get more info when I get home.

[B-Lister]

[drquest]

Here it is, and is rather cool.

https://www.hakes.com/Auction/ItemDe...CAST-ROBOT-TOY

[ODBJBG]

I have solved this mystery, for anyone curious.

Ark's series of six "Arklon" diecast monster toys represent a bunch of interchangable building toys/monsters. But all of the monsters are from Ultraman... Except one. Kong.

None of the figures are marked Mego. Except one. Kong.

Ark worked with Bullmark and Takara on these figures, and Mego. Since Mego held the King Kong license at this time.

This is not a generic Mecha-Gorilla (though it was sold as such in some markets) it is in fact, King Kong.

This is a Mego King Kong toy.

Pretty sweet.

[B-Lister]

Awesome! Where did you find the info?

[ODBJBG]

Well some of it was from just general deduction. I immediately recognized the Ultraman villains. Then I researched photos of the others and noticed none of them had the Mego logo.

Then it was sort of connecting the dots that perhaps this tied into Mego's King Kong toys.

But then I found a treasure trove of info to confirm this over at: http://www.toyboxdx.com/datafiles/data/ark/

They have some great info on the entire history of the toy, variations and even variants of some of the figures.

Really cool stuff, as I wasn't aware of this existing at all. I know Marty was recently talking a lot about his work with Takara and some of the other Japanese toy makers, so this is just another piece of that. Largely to my knowledge, not talked about or known. Really cool find by you.

[B-Lister]

Awesome!

[ODBJBG]

Couple of cool photos to confirm that this is indeed Kong.

Note that the key chain that comes with the figure says KING KONG on it, as does the paper planes that he "fights" and it uses Mego Kong artwork on the box.

s-l1600.jpg
s-l1600-1.jpg
s-l1600-2.jpg

[B-Lister]

Man, I'm glad I made this post. Learned more than I could ever hope! Thanks ODBJBG!

[ODBJBG]

Haha, I am glad you did too! Seriously. Rare to find. I was completely unaware of this and it ticks a lot of boxes of things I like, Japanese toys, robots. King Kong, Ultraman, Mego, partnerships between toy companies, etc. Was fun to kind of dive in a research things. Super cool stuff all around.

[EMCE Hammer]

Awesome stuff.

[J.B.]

Ark Kong is one of my all time favorite toys.

I have a boxed American version, so no ball & chain for me, other than the one in the other room watching T.V. Both "Mego" and the copyright information have been scraped off mine. The Ark logo is under the feet.

The Ark line is chock full o' diecast, loaded with eye-poking projectiles and fully interchangeable.

[Marvelmania]

Those are unbelievably cool!!!