Jumbo Machinder is the name of a series of large-scale plastic robots sold by

Bandai is a Japanese multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and Richmond ...

's character toy subsidiary,

Popy Popy (ポピー) was a Japanese toy manufacturer of the 1970s and early 1980s. The company was owned by Bandai. It was founded in 1971 and merged back into the parent company in 1983. The company is best known for its groundbreaking Chogokin robot ...

in the 1970s. Although a trademarked brand name, in common usage Jumbo Machinder is often applied to any large-size robot toy roto molded out of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a sturdy plastic also used for shampoo bottles. Jumbo Machinders are generally (but not always) 24" in height. After Popy's success with the Jumbo Machinder series, several other Japanese companies, including

Takatoku was a Japanese toy company active during the 1970s and early 1980s. While responsible for many robots, action-figures and vehicles, they are today mainly known for making the original Macross toys. During the 1970s Takatoku made toys based on s ...

, Nakajima, and

Clover Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (from Latin ''tres'' 'three' + ''folium'' 'leaf'), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus ...

began producing large-size plastic robot toys as well. Several of the Jumbo Machinders were retooled for sale in the USA and Europe in the late 1970s as '' Shogun Warriors''.

Initial Jumbo Machinder line

The first Jumbo Machinder, released in 1973, was a portrayal of

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

artist Go Nagai's character

Mazinger Z is a Japanese super robot manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai. The first manga version was serialized in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from October 1972 to August 1973, and it later was reissued in Kodansha ''TV Magazine ...

, a fictional

Super Robot Mecha anime and manga, known in Japan as and , are anime and manga that feature robots (mecha) in battle. The genre is broken down into two subcategories; "super robot", featuring super-sized, implausible robots, and "real robot", where robots are ...

. Originally planned to stand a meter (roughly three feet) tall, the toy was scaled down out of safety concerns. The Jumbo Machinder Mazinger Z sold approximately 400,000 units in its first five months in stores. The second Jumbo Machinder was

Kamen Rider V3 is a Japanese tokusatsu television series. It is the second installment in the popular Kamen Rider Series, and the direct sequel to the original ''Kamen Rider''. It was a joint collaboration between Ishimori Productions and Toei, and was shown o ...

, the third

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

, the fourth Red Baron, and the fifth

Kamen Rider X is a Japanese tokusatsu superhero television series. It was broadcast in 1974 on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and NET, now known as TV Asahi. It is the third entry in the Kamen Rider Series of tokusatsu shows. It starred Ryo Hayami in the ...

. The Popy list and approximate year of release: *1973

*1973

Super Robot Red Baron is a Japanese tokusatsu series that aired from July 4, 1973, to March 27, 1974. It was produced by Nippon Gendai Kikaku and Senkosha Productions (Senko Planning). Its story was later retold in the anime ''Red Baron'' and it had a sequel titled '' ...

*1974

Great Mazinger is a Japanese manga comic book and anime television series by manga artist Go Nagai. The story is a sequel and direct continuation of ''Mazinger Z'' series after its initial success. The series was aired on Japanese television in 1974, im ...

*1974

Super Robot Mach Baron is a Japanese tokusatsu series that aired from October 7, 1974, to March 31, 1975. It was a sequel to ''Super Robot Red Baron''. In Taiwan, the series was adapted into an 86-minute feature film called "''The Iron Superman''" which used footage f ...

*1974

Ultraman Leo is a Japanese tokusatsu TV show and is the 7th show in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Steve Krantz Productions, Ultraman Leo was aired between April 12, 1974, and March 28, 1975, with a total of 51 episodes. Tatsumi Nikam ...

*1974 Getter Robo 1 *1974 Getter Robo 2 *1974 Getter Robo 3 *1975

UFO Robo Grendizer , known as '' Grandizer'' in the United States, is a Japanese Super Robot anime television series and manga created by manga artist Go Nagai. It is the third entry in the ''Mazinger'' series, however it is non-canon due to '' Mazinger Z: ...

*1975 Spazer *1975 Getter Dragon *1975 Getter Liger *1975 Getter Poseidon *1975

Brave Raideen is a super robot anime series. Produced by Tohokushinsha, Asahi News Agency and Bandai Namco Filmworks, Soeisha (later renamed as Sunrise), it aired on TV Asahi, Nihon Educational Television (now TV Asahi) from 4 April 1975 to 26 March 1976, ...

*1975 Ganbare!! Robocon *1976 Daikyu-Maru *1977

Danguard Ace is a Japanese science fiction anime series created by Leiji Matsumoto with Dan Kobayashi. ''Danguard Ace'' is Matsumoto's only contribution to the mecha genre. Synopsis Danguard Ace takes place on a future Earth in which natural resourc ...

*1977 Skyzel *1977 Groundzel *1978 Leopardon *1978

Tosho Daimos ''Tosh.0'' ( ) is an American television series that aired on Comedy Central from June 4, 2009, to November 24, 2020. The series is hosted and produced by comedian Daniel Tosh, who provides satirical commentary on online viral video clips, inter ...

*1978 Pimer *1978

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...

*1982 Dragon Dol

Jumbo Machinder Deluxe

Over the years, Popy Toy tinkered with the name and characteristics of the Jumbo Machinder series. In the 1976-1977 period, several characters were released under the "Jumbo Machinder Deluxe" name. Aside from the brand name change, the toys are largely identical aesthetically to their predecessors. * Combattler V *

Daitetsujin 17 is a 1977 ''tokusatsu'' series created by Shotaro Ishinomori and produced by Toei. It revolves around a giant battle robot commanded by a young boy who fights the giant robots of an evil organization bent on world conquest. It is similar to ''Gi ...

Gaiking is a Japanese Super Robot mecha anime series produced by Toei Animation. For distribution purposes, Toei refers to this television series as ''Dino-Mecha Gaiking'' or simply ''Gaiking''. It ran from April 1976 through January 1977 and cons ...

Voltes V , popularly known as simply ''Voltes V '' (pronounced as "Voltes Five") is a Japanese anime television series produced by Toei Dōga and animated by Nippon Sunrise (formerly known as Soeisha). It is the second installment of the '' Robot R ...

Giant Robot Factory

For the 1979-1980 season, the Jumbo Machinders series was re-designed and re-branded as the Kyodai Robotto Kojo ("Giant Robot Factory"). Unlike their predecessors, the Giant Robot Factory toys were sold disassembled, allowing children to bolt the characters together with a simple tool provided in the package. Aside from the fact that they were sold in a disassembled manner and featured more complicated gimmicks (such as spring-loaded shooting fists), the Giant Robot Factory toys feature a very similar aesthetic to their predecessors and are considered by most collectors to be part of the same series. Giant Robot Factory branded characters include: * Toshi Gordian * Daltanias * Battle Fever Robo * Daidenjin * Godsigma

Super Jumbo Machinders

Beginning in 1981, Popy Toy changed the name of the series to "Super Jumbo Machinder." Characters released under this brand name include: *

Tetsujin 28 , known as simply ''Tetsujin 28'' in international releases, is a 1956 manga written and illustrated by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, who also created ''Giant Robo''. The series centers on the adventures of a young boy named Shotaro Kaneda, who ...

* Sun Vulcan Robo *

Godmars is the title of a 1980s mecha anime television series that was popular during its broadcast between 1981 and 1982 in Japan, Hong Kong and Italy. The series consists of 64 episodes and 2 special presentations. Other loosely translated names ...

Golion is a Japanese super robot anime television series. The animation from ''GoLion'' was edited and trimmed to create the version of the American '' Voltron: Defender of the Universe'' series, with new names and dialogue. In 2008, ''GoLion'' was ...

Jumbo Machinder NEO

A new line of modern Jumbo Machinders in debuting 2009, gearing towards adult collectors at a fairly high price. While still 22" in height, the figures will no longer be made of

polyethylene Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE; IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most commonly produced plastic. It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging ( plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including bo ...

, but a combination of ABS and vinyl. Only one character is produced so far. * Shin Mazinger Z

Kikaiju (Mechanical Beasts)

The "Kikaiju" (a contraction of "Mechanical" and "Monster") series of toys featured a variety of enemy characters from

and

. They were molded out of soft vinyl rather than PET plastic and stand only 20" in height, giving them a very different sort of aesthetic from the Jumbo Machinder toys. A total of ten Kikaiju toys were released in three waves of products. The first wave were simply large-sized soft vinyl figures. The second wave incorporated a simple pinball-style ball launcher feature. The third wave featured more complex gimmicks such as shooting discs, spears, and heads. *Doublas M-2 *Garada K-7 *King Dan X-10 *Gelbros J-3 *Spartan K-5

Shogun Warriors

American toy company

Mattel Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...

acquired the rights to release several Jumbo Machinder toys in North America and Europe under the '' Shogun Warriors'' banner. With the exception of "Dragun," the early versions of which were near identical to the original Japanese version, Mattel significantly modified the Jumbo Machinder toys that they released. Several, including Gaiking and Daimos, were completely re-designed from the ground up and differ significantly from their original Japanese counterparts. Jumbo Machinders re-branded as Shogun Warriors include: *

as Mazinga (later as Great Mazinga) *

as Mazinga-Z (the figure was a hybrid using parts from Great Mazinger and Grendizer and was only released in Europe.) *

Getter Robo G , known as '' Starvengers'' in the United States, is a super robot anime series by Toei Animation based on ''Hundred Demons Empire'' arc of ''Getter Robo'' manga by Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa. This direct sequel to ''Getter Robo'' was broadca ...

's Getter Dragon as Dragun * Daimos *

Raideen is a super robot anime series. Produced by Tohokushinsha, Asahi News Agency and Soeisha (later renamed as Sunrise), it aired on Nihon Educational Television (now TV Asahi) from 4 April 1975 to 26 March 1976, with a total of 50 episodes. Th ...

as Raydeen *

Grendizer , known as '' Grandizer'' in the United States, is a Japanese Super Robot anime television series and manga created by manga artist Go Nagai. It is the third entry in the ''Mazinger'' series, however it is non-canon due to '' Mazinger Z: ...

(only released in Europe and Canada; sold as Goldorak in France and Quebec and Goldrake in Italy) * Astro Robot Terremoto Stellare (Only released in Italy and mostly made from parts of Raideen, Gaiking and Grendizer) * Astro Robot Sfondamento Galattico (Only released in Italy and mostly made from parts of Raideen, Gaiking and Grendizer) * Astro Robot Turbine Solare (Only released in Italy and mostly made from parts of Raideen, Gaiking and Grendizer) * Astro Robot Tempesta Spaziale (Only released in Italy and mostly made from parts of Raideen, Gaiking and Grendizer) *

Rodan is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', which first appeared as the title character in Ishirō Honda's 1956 film ''Rodan'', produced and distributed by Toho. Following its debut standalone appearance, Rodan went on to be featured in numerous ent ...

(made exclusively for the US market) In 2010, Toynami revived the ''Shogun Warriors'' name with a new toy line, which consists of 24-inch (550 mm) Jumbo Machinder toys. The first two robots in this line are

GoLion is a Japanese super robot anime television series. The animation from ''GoLion'' was edited and trimmed to create the version of the American '' Voltron: Defender of the Universe'' series, with new names and dialogue. In 2008, ''GoLion'' was ...

and

Dairugger XV is a mecha anime series aired in Japan from 1982 to 1983. It is also referred to as ''Dairugger 15'', ''Dairugger XV'', ''Armored Armada Dairugger XV'', ''Armored Squadron Dairugger XV'', or ''Machine Platoon Dairugger''. It ran for 56 epis ...

(both of which were adapted in the Western world as ''

Voltron ''Voltron'' is an Animation, animated television series franchise that features a team of space explorers who pilot a giant Super Robot known as "Voltron". Produced by Peter Keefe (Executive Producer) and Ted Koplar through his production compa ...

'').CollectionDX - NYTF 2010: Toynami
They are made out of a soft vinyl, not the hard polyethylene of the vintage toys. Several other figures that were considered for production included new figures of Combattler V,

and

though as of 2019 these are presumably cancelled. Since then figures based on Bender and Godzilla 64' have been made sporadically.

References

{{Reflist

External links

ToyboxDX
- A description of Popy Toy and photos of the Jumbo Machinder Mazinger Z
Super #1 Robot
- A book featuring photographs of Jumbo Machinders
CollectionDX
- Jumbo Machinder Listings and reviews.
Jumboland
- Jumbo Machinder reference.
ShogunWarriors.org
- Jumbo Machinder reference Action figures Japanese die-cast toys 1970s toys Toy robots Bandai

Initial Jumbo Machinder line

Jumbo Machinder Deluxe

Giant Robot Factory

Super Jumbo Machinders

Jumbo Machinder NEO

Kikaiju (Mechanical Beasts)

Shogun Warriors

See also

References

External links