Ark was a Japanese company that produced a series of

die-cast Die casting is a metal casting process that is characterized by forcing molten metal under high pressure into a mold cavity. The mold cavity is created using two hardened tool steel dies which have been machined into shape and work similarly t ...

metal monster

toy A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and pet ...

s sold under the brand name "Arklon." It was founded as a sales and marketing subsidiary of famed Japanese toy manufacturer

Bullmark Bullmark (ブルマァク) is a Japanese toy company that is most famous for selling PVC kaiju character toys in the 1960s and 1970s. Founded in 1969 after the bankruptcy of pioneering toy manufacturer Marusan, the company was also known simply a ...

. After Bullmark's bankruptcy in 1977, Bullmark co-founder Saburo Ishizuki took charge of Ark and turned it into a full-fledged toy manufacturer. Ark released a variety of toys during the mid-to-late 1970s, including die-cast, soft vinyl, and inexpensive plastic toys. The Arklon toys were imported to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

by the

Marukai Trading Company Marukai Corporation U.S.A. is an American offshoot chain of retail markets that imports and sells Japanese goods in American cities started by the Osaka, Japan-based . Unlike other Japanese supermarkets, which may carry non-Japanese products bas ...

. With one exception,

King Kong King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...

(sold under the generic name "Mech-Gorilla" in the USA), all of the Arklon toys were based upon

kaiju is a Japanese media genre that focuses on stories involving giant monsters. The word ''kaiju'' can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monster ...

characters from the ''

Ultraman ''Ultraman'', also known as the , is the collective name for all media produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad monsters. Debuting with ''Ultra Q'' and then ''Ultraman'' in 1966, the series is one ...

'' television series. The unique designs, which Ishizuki has described as "my attempt to create character toys that could be enjoyed even by those unfamiliar with the given film or television series," have made them favorites among Japanese toy collectors.

The toys

* King Joe (from ''

Ultra Seven is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' science fiction television series created by Eiji Tsuburaya. It is the third installment in the Ultra Series and was produced by Tsuburaya Productions. The series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from October 1, 19 ...

'') - King Joe, one of Ultra Seven's popular foes, was the first character to be represented in toy form by Ark. The toy was released in two editions, one with show-accurate colors, and another far more colorful design. The latter was the only version released in the United States, whereas both versions were released in Japan. * Mecha Baltan Seijin (from ''

'') - The name is a misnomer, both because it is one of the more organic-looking of the Ark designs, and because the toy is an inaccurate rendering of the Baltan of the original ''Ultraman'' series. * Mecha Black King (from ''

Return of Ultraman is a List of Japanese television series, Japanese ''tokusatsu'' Science fiction on television, science fiction television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions. The fourth entry in the Ultra series, the series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting Syste ...

'') - Features a notoriously fragile waist joint. The head sculpt has attracted some praise. This toy was nicknamed "Yojimbo-

Kaiju is a Japanese media genre that focuses on stories involving giant monsters. The word ''kaiju'' can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monster ...

", meaning roughly "Bodyguard Monster"; the nickname derives from his role in ''Return of Ultraman'', where Black King acted as a bodyguard to

Nakuru Nakuru is a city in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya, Rift Valley region of Kenya. It is the capital of Nakuru County, and was formerly the capital of Rift Valley Province. As of 2019, Nakuru had an urban and rural population of 570,674 inhabitant ...

Seijin). * Mecha Red King (from ''Ultraman'') - Based on one of Ultraman's famous foes, Red King. Though similar to Mecha Black King, the two toys share very few actual pieces. Red King was nicknamed "Skull Monster." * Mecha Gomora (from ''

'') - One of the most esoteric portrayals of an ''Ultraman'' character in Ark's lineup, Gomora's hands are shovel-like scoops, his neck can extend a great length, and the toy includes a spring-powered car that can launch from Gomora's chest. * King Kong- Based on the famous film monster

, this toy features a pair of spring-loaded "knives" that emerge from its nipples, a cardboard plane that can be launched from its stomach, and a ball-and-chain accessory. The King Kong toy was released in the United States under the name "Mech-Gorilla", so as to avoid the high costs of officially licensing the King Kong character.

References

The Lost Ark

Super #1 Robot, a book featuring photographs of Ark toys
Action figures Japanese die-cast toys Toy companies of Japan