#15 Shogun Warriors - Giant Robot Toys From the '70s

In 1970 manga artist Go Nagai conceived the notion of giant, often man-piloted, robots. Toys representing these new heros became wildly popular in Japan and were soon imported to the US by Mattel. My favorites are the Jumbo Machinders-hulking 24" vinyl robots that shoot missiles from their chests, throw springloaded fists halfway across the room and have detachable spaceship brains. The American Shogun Warrior line, which also spawned comic books, action figures and transforming spacecraft, was a sort of giant robot supergroup, putting all of Japan's popular robots in one milieu. Even mortal heroes Godzilla and Rodan joined the group. I never had these guys when I was a kid, so now I lurk the shadows toy conventions, yard sales and Ebay, plotting to complete my meager collection.