Prometheus Rising Studios   Ben Mininberg's models, toy customs, and design work.

I’ll start this off by saying that in addition to hosting my models as I finish them, I think I’m going to start using this for some more ‘bloggy’ purposes on whatever I’m thinking, most likely thoughts on toys as I’m posting them to other sites, or any other related things that come to mind.  It won’t become a stream of conscious blather, but it is going to expand a bit.

For those who do not know, Shogun Warriors was a line of toys released in the States by Mattel using a number of Popy super robot toys, including some of the early Chogokins and early Jumbo Machinders, two foot tall polyethylene giants with various child-disabling launching mechanisms.  Gaiking is among the SW Jumbo Machinder line, but when Mattel brought Gaiking over from the Popy line, they made some significant changes… the entire torso is an original sculpt, simplifying the multipart dragon face of the original, as well as making the Counter Cross weapons part of the shin mold instead of removable weapons.  Like some of the other Mattel Jumbo Machinders, a shooting fist was added, adding a jointed elbow and asymmetry of the arms as well.  The addition of the jointed elbow and firing fist (the fists are ENORMOUS for a firing projectile) are awesome, but the asymmetry and other lost features make the toy goofy looking.  I found this oddball Gaiking on ebay by change, listed as a rare variant from Latin America, but more likely just a hack job done from parts by a collector that had two fists (and therfore two jointed elbows):  I was sold… even with the goofy simplified torso, the two launching fists and jointed elbows make the a normally static looking figure into a fun dynamic behemoth.  This is my first Jumbo Machinder, and I couldn’t be happier… I’ll definitely get more JMs in the future, but  unfortunately have significantly more love for the later blockier design JMs, which are substantially more expensive, and therefore long-term goals.