Shogun Warrior Memories

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Although I never had them as a kid, the Shogun Warriors played a big part in my current dementia. My neighbor and then best pal Willie had Mazinga and I played with it every time I visited. Flash forward to 1983 when Willie was having a yard sale, I cruised by on my bmx and bought Mazinga for $2.
We were both 13 years of age so there was an awkward silence. This was basically the starting point for a career of scowering garage sales, flea markets and eventually ebay.



If you're reading this Willie, I still have your Mazinga! Although my daughter has him now and his current where abouts are unknown.....

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[Sowth]

Great story, way to stick it to Willie.

I added a few post to my blog recently (see sig) and the Shoguns also featured.

Any truth to the rumour that a certain author is working on a book?

Cheerio!
Will

[toys2cool]

awesome,I remember picking one up in 85 at a flea market when I was 5 Never really knew what it was until like 15 years later

[ZICA]

I had Raydeen and Dragun as a kid, great toys! A buddy of mine still has his original Godzilla with the box, both in very good condition.

[The Sentry]

My sister had Raydeen and I had Mazinga, I need a new Mazinga mine fell on a floor funrnace and has permanent grate burns on his back. I always wanted a Godzilla though, he was awesome!

[MarkStalcup]

I've got Godzilla, Raydeen and Mazinga (the reissue). Anybody know where one can order extra missile repros?

When I was a kid, I'd always have the Mego heroes fight the Shoguns. They were all part of an evil scheme by Lex Luthor - well, okay, Kojak.

[Seeker]

At the time my parents could only find/afford one Shogun, Dragun (The red spiky headed guy). My Brother and I were supposed to share it. Luckily he was more into cars so I got him. He's still here in fact next to my computer.

His axe flinging mechanism is shot and his star shooter is long gone. His decals have certainly seen better days.

I remember being disappointed that X mas because I wanted a Mazinga with all the rockets or a Godzilla. Now that I've had 4 kids I understand what my parents had went through. Makes me appreciate Big Red even more.

[cjefferys]

My Shogun Warrior memories:

I got a Mazinga for my 10th birthday. I wanted a Micronauts Biotron, but when my parents went shopping over the border at Child's World, they picked me up a Mazinga instead because my mom thought he was a cooler toy (god bless her, she was right). I had never heard of the robot or the toy before, so I was completely floored when I got him, it was love at first sight. He was my introduction to Japanese robot toys, before I even knew such things existed! I still love the damn things.

I got a Godzilla for Christmas the following year. Sure, it's a rather sad representation of the monster (the Popy Jumbosaurus version is much better), but I was a huge Godzilla fan, we were starved for Godzilla toys in North America, and he was big, so all was forgiven. I was dying to get a Rodan but never got one (still don't).

That was it for a couple years until my cousin got me a Gaiking for Christmas that he found on clearance. I was 13 by then, but we were both still "secretly" into toys, so he knew that I'd appreciate him. By that point, I was more into collector mode, so I didn't really play with him, that's why I still have him complete with his box. I still have the others too, in played with but pretty nice condition. Surprising, considering how many houses I had to drag the big old things around to (my parents tended to move a lot).

Anyway, I still have a tremendous soft spot for these guys and continue to collect them.

[jwyblejr]

I never paid much attention to these back in the day. I only remember seeing Godzilla and thinking about how cool looking he was.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I somehow missed these entirely, other than remembering the Marvel Comic ad. In the mid 80s I got one of the small die-cast figures at a yard sale for a quarter. I used him with my Transformers. I've since seen these huge monsters at toy shows and antique malls. Very impressive. I even bought a Godzilla for a pal of mine who always wanted one as a kid. He nearly cried! These things seem to get quite a response out of those who owned them, or longed for them. The sign of a great toy.

Chris

[SainthoodDenied]

I remember looking at the big ones in the wishbook and other catalogs but the only one I ever had was the 5" poseidon with the working rocket launchers on his shoulders. But I did really like him and wanted more. I think him being metal and so heavy was one of the things that make him standout in memory more so than some of the other stuff I had.

Chad

[Thadiun Okona II]

I always wanted the Mazinga when I was a kid, but never did get one. I had a little die cast one, though. Then around 2000-'01 I picked up a replica w/the big Jet Pack. I also had picked up a Godzilla that was in pretty decent shape except the lever for the tongue was broken. My ex claimed him in our divorce. She was a big Godzilla fan, and I went ahead and just let her have it, I wanted a more complete one.

[PCofmisfittoys]

i've got three of the originals and Godzilla in great shape. a buddy of mine growing up had two rodans and I always wish I could have stole it from him ..lol

[EMCE Hammer]

I had Mazinga, I assume courtesy of Santa and the JCPenney catalog. I eventually sold him in a yard sale - complete:-( He was a constant nemesis of my 12" Hulk and my 8" Megos. Someday I'll replace him. He was one of the coolest toys I ever had.

[mars396]

Man, I have not thought about these things in over 20 years.

I had Raydeen (the Egyptian looking one), my next door neighbor had Dragun, and the kid three houses down got the third and final Shogun Warrior at that time, Mazinga.

Clearly our parents coordinated their efforts, as we never got the same figures in any line we played with. We were sure Santa arranged it that way.

We had no idea who these characters were, only that they were HUGE and the coolest things on the block.

By 1979, our entire world had been consumed by Star Wars, so we never got any of the second series of Jumbo Machinders. Although, I did have Godzilla for almost a week before my mother brought it back, saying that I was "too old" for that toy.


Oh well, off to eBay ……..