Godzilla AWESOME TASTE Dr. Pepper Promotional Baseball Cap (Sun San, c.1986)

 

Here is one of those items that just appeared; never seen one before, never knew it existed, but I pounced upon it as quickly as possible.  

What's interesting is that the art matches the "Awesome Taste" design which was offered on a mail-away T-shirt in 1986, which you can see below (more views of the can, and shirt, found in this post from 2015):

Interestingly, the Dr. Pepper skateboard had similar art, but said "MONSTROUS TASTE."

So, was the hat a mail-away offer too? I choose to believe no; certainly no evidence has turned up so far.  Most likely it was an employee premium, or even handed out to customers.  I'm still shocked that it exists!

I'm lucky that the hat is 100% unused, because nothing's more unpleasant than a used baseball cap...and I totally would've settled for a used one, of course.  Come to think of it, if I'd had this as a kid, I would've worn it until it fell apart.

Scoring this item has also taught me something else; they actually make protectors for baseball caps!  There are two kinds:  one is an acrylic box about the side of a shoebox (those are the most expensive, and are also bulky), and the other is a two-piece clear plastic holder in the shape of a cap that snaps together.  It's kind of like that protector that you put a carded action figure in.  The plastic is the same thickness, and it snaps together in the same way.  Here is a photo from Amazon:

I have no doubt that there are still further Dr. Pepper Godzilla items to be found.  A few years ago I missed out on a set of book covers for school books.  There were 10 sold, and I just know somebody out there that won them would sell me two of them...get in touch if you are feeling generous!

The one that got away. If this photo rings a bell and you have one or two stashed somewhere, gimme a shout!

BATTLE ARMOR KUMONGA (Godzilla Doom Island, Trendmasters, 1997)

 

Last time, we looked at BATTLE ARMOR ANGUIRUS from this line (for those who don't know, Doom Island was to be the third Trendmasters Godzilla series, but the company unfortunately folded), and today, an even more mysterious figure.  Known to most Americans as Spiga, here is the first and only Kumonga action figure!

But, let's start at the beginning.  Here is the Trendmasters concept art, as well as schematics, for this cool figure:

Here is what the painted prototype looked like in the Trendmasters 1997 catalog.  Note that it's completely different from how the final figure turned out!

The Battle Armor line was a continuation of the "Power-Up" armored line that had begun in GODZILLA WARS the year before.  Godzilla and Mecha-King Ghidorah were carried over, and two new figures (Anguirus and Kumonga) were devised.  Here are the other three, which all got made (albeit not in their own boxes):

Which brings us back to this cool figure.  For years, fans have wondered what he really looked like; did he even have eight legs?

Well, due to the magic of the passing of time (meaning, the tape has fallen off!), we can now look INSIDE the box and get up close and personal with Kumonga!

And here he is.  Note that his head armor really isn't gold, it's just that for some reason, that particular plastic piece has yellowed a bit.

Turning him around, we discover our first revelation.  Not only would he have fired two missiles from the launcher on his back, but there would've been one large missile that........uh, came right out of his bum! Shocking! 

This view confirms for us that he did, in fact, have eight articulated legs, as the concept art showed us!

Some of his legs have serrated blade shapes at the knee joints.  These would've been covered with armor that we will see in a moment.  This photo also gives us a better look at his powerful jaws.

We talked about this last time, but the trading cards in existing Doom Island merchandise are often mismatched.  In this case, a Kumonga card doesn't exist, so Varan is included instead (carded examples of the Varan figure do exist).  

Beneath the platform where the figure stands is a packet containing more armor and the aforementioned missiles.  You can see that the "backside missile" was super-long, and came to a formidable thorn-like point.

Besides our up-close look at this cool figure, I took advantage of a chance to get some high-resolution scans of the box, and here they are!

Here is the bottom of the box, with a great example of the awesome Doom Island logo. Which would make a sweet T-shirt, come to think of it.

Finally, here is the best look at the back panel of a Doom Island box that you are going to find, anywhere.  Lots of these items were made, but some didn't get past the prototype stage.  Check out our complete Trendmasters checklist page to see exactly what's out there!

BATTLE ARMOR ANGUIRUS (Godzilla Doom Island, Trendmasters, 1997)

 

Today we are going to look at something that doesn't exist, and yet it does.  It was never released...and yet, it was! Sort of.

Recently, we have added an entire sub-page to The Sphinx which is a checklist of all Godzilla Trendmasters items that were produced between 1994 and 1997.  The third and final Trendmasters line (the 1998 American movie doesn't count) was called DOOM ISLAND, and it died right as it came out of the gate.  It was the ultimate cool 90's idea:  Godzilla versus dinosaurs! How could anything be more awesome than that? It was an idea that was completely "epic," but unfortunately was as doomed as its name, because Trendmasters went bankrupt and it all fell apart.  And it's a huge shame, because we were going to get lots of figures that hadn't been made before.

Fortunately for collectors, there are a few Doom Island toys that can be found.  The small amount that were finished were packaged in whatever materials were already printed and sold overseas, mostly in southeast Asia.  A couple of prototypes were even given away as sweepstakes prizes.  But that was it, and nothing ever made it to shelves in the West.

One part of the Doom Island line that was completed was the "Battle Armor" line.  This sub-series had begun the year before, and featured Godzilla, Rodan, Mecha-King Ghidorah, and Mechagodzilla figures that could be powered up by adding armor and missile launchers.  For Doom Island, Godzilla and Ghidorah would be carried over, and two new figures were added, Anguirus and Kumonga (who we will look at next time)! As the available stock was cleared out quickly, the figures all ended up in boxes labeled "GODZILLA," and the trading cards don't always match the figure (apparently a Kumonga card wasn't yet produced when the axe fell, but a Doom Island Anguirus card does exist, because mine has one).  Note that the one at the start of this post is packed with a Biollante trading card.

Sure, he's "Angilas" to me, because I grew up with American dubs, but let's take a close look at this ultra-rare figure...starting at the beginning.  Here is the Trendmasters production art for the figure:

Next, here is a page from the Trendmasters 1997 catalog, showing painted examples of he and Kumonga.  Notice that he is heavily purple, and better matches his previous Trendmasters incarnation (which was only available as a 4-inch non-posable figure, and in multi-packs, by the way):

Here he is at Toy Fair that year, still purple (most likely the exact figure shown above; his armor here isn't vac-metalized though):

I am going to save detailed packaging scans for next time, since the boxes are completely identical, but here is a top view of the finished product.  As you can see, the window box allows for a great look at the character, and you can see all of the awesomeness (take note of this, Hasbro):

And now, something you can't get anywhere else:  a detailed look at a loose Anguirus in all his glory!  Cooler heads prevailed, and the purple was (fortuntately) toned down to an extremely light wash.  While some of the Trendmasters depictions are miles off (Megalon comes to mind...and Varan...and Baragon), this one is actually pretty close to what he looks like...well, the 90's buff version I mean.

One of my favorite features here (that I was completely unaware of) is how Anguirus' armored backpack can stand as an independent vehicle! It's both awesome and adorable at the same time:

But, have you ever wondered what this figure looks like without his armor? Well, wonder no more:

Another thing that isn't exactly clear from viewing the packaged figure is his extremely thin neck. I suppose the idea was to give the ball joint as much room as possible, but from this angle, it just looks wrong. I wonder if it would've broken under play (probably--we are talking 1990's action figures here, which weren't always the best plastic anyhow).

Finally, here are close-ups of his face, and also his back (carapace).  As you can see, there are two holes in his back where the body of the missile launcher apparatus attaches:

I hope you've enjoyed this rare in-depth look at this mega-rare figure.  I paid a small fortune for mine, but as one of my favorite kaiju, I certainly never thought I'd get the chance to own one, and I treasure the Doom Island items in my collection.  Like many collectors, I didn't have as much Trendmasters stuff as I wanted, back when they were out, and over the last several years, I've been remedying that problem.  And so has everyone else, which is obvious when you look at Ebay prices!  

Next time, the Kaiju Formerly Known As Spiga!

The RODAN NES Game That Never Was!

 

Take a look at this small poster, which you have probably seen before.  It's really too small to be called a poster, and too big to be a flyer (it measures a strange 11.75 x 15.75 inches).  This was a folded insert that was included with later copies of the first Godzilla game that was made for the Nintendo Entertainment System, called MONSTER OF MONSTERS, and as such is pretty rare.

The insert announces Toho's foray into these video games that the kids all like.  My understanding is that they distributed these games, as they were made by different companies.  As you can see, MONSTER OF MONSTERS gets top billing, and the Game Boy GODZILLA game wasn't even out yet.  Moving downward, we are told that CIRCUS CAPER exists.  I could make fun of this game for a moment, because it was really pretty awful, but it did attempt the "cinematic adventure" quality that they promised, which games were just beginning to figure out that they could do, so I think that's a fair assessment.  

This flyer even calls Circus Caper the "MOST FASCINATING GAME EVER"! Now, come on!

I don't have any experience with TIMES OF LORE.  From my looking it up, it was available on several home computer platforms in addition to the NES, and was actually made by Origin Systems, whose logo is shown here.  It was a pretty complex game for the time and boasted "13,000 screens of map."

Now we get to the main reason that we are having this discussion--the infamous RODAN game that was promised for the next year...and never materialized.  The text doesn't give us much information:  "A giant flying reptile assaults the earth! Rodan, Godzilla's arch enemy! Now an exciting NES game!" 

I'm not exactly sure where "arch enemy" came from; I mean, Rodan pecked at Godzilla briefly in GHIDRAH THE THREE HEADED MONSTER, and GODZILLA vs. MECHAGODZILLA II hadn't happened yet, so it's weird.  Did this game morph slowly into the MONSTER OF MONSTERS sequel (which was the strategy game GODZILLA 2: WAR OF THE MONSTERS)? Rodan was in that game, so who knows.  I do know that a straight-up Rodan video game wouldn't work very well, or be fun for very long.  It's a very strange choice! This article says that Toho decided such a game wouldn't sell very well, so add this game to the pile of Godzilla concepts that never made it to fruition.

Various Artists - SPACEBREAKS (Uranus Records, 2001)

 

We have some big things in the pipeline here at The Sphinx (Don Adams voice:  "would you believe.....another TV station master tape????!!!")...but you'll have to hold on a while longer for those...but they will be worth waiting for!

Meanwhile, here is a true rarity that's been on my list to post since last year, and you will find it nowhere else.  In fact, it's not on Youtube, not on Ebay, and only two copies now show as being for sale in the USA on Discogs.  I bought this without knowing anything about it, and the gamble I took was well worth it, because this record is righteous.  

"A journey through intergalactic jazz and cosmic funk" is what the notes say on Discogs, and that only begins to cover it.  Otherwise there is no info to be found anywhere.  Somebody has done the crate-digging for you, 20-plus years ago, and assembled this masterpiece that you'll enjoy. 

So, is it a DJ record or a vinyl collector's dream? Well, it kills two birds here, because it's not only incredible instrumentals, but also breakbeat-type snippets in between each track that you could use. I could go on here, but there's no need.  It's that good. Enjoy!

SPACEBREAKS (2001)

Godspeed, Neal Adams

 

This of course is not a news blog, but I was saddened to hear about the death of Neal Adams on April 28th.  The medium of comics cannot bear to lose any more of its luminaries, because the list of those that remain is extremely, painfully short.  And luminary he was.

I was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Adams (and his lovely wife) in 2016, and although he had a reputation as a bit of a curmudgeon, he was completely affable and charming, and honestly too big for the show he graciously attended.  

I chose the comic above for him to sign, and after I handed it to him, he joked "What is this? I haven't seen this before..." After he had signed it, he produced a large holographic sticker, which was the Certificate of Authenticity, and told me he would have to apply it to the back cover of the comic.  I told him, respectfully, he could do whatever he wanted to do!  Like I am going to meet Neal Adams, and then flip out over a sticker that only serves to authenticate his signature in the first place.  I imagine somebody did, though, and I hope he let them have it...and I'm sure he did!

Announcing: The GODZILLA TRENDMASTERS (1994-97) Checklist Page!

It's time to rectify a long-standing problem! Seems like ever since we lost Club Tokyo and other sites, there hasn't been a good site attempting to accurately list all of the Godzilla toys made by the once-great Trendmasters.  There are a few scattered websites with lots of varying information, but nothing that seems to put it all together.  Add to that the magic of nostalgia (the 90's was like 20 years ago.....right?!), as well as the sheer crap-ton of product that they made, and it deserves its own section in Godzilla history.  Using various information out there in addition to years of combing Ebay, and even some access to vintage Trendmasters dealer catalogs, we will now have a definitive guide to what exists.

I vividly remember standing in a Wal-Mart in 1994 or 95, looking at this label on Trendmasters figures, and thinking GODZILLA WARS was the title of the next film coming in Japan!

There were three main Trendmasters Godzilla lines:

GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS (1994-95)

GODZILLA WARS (1995-96)

GODZILLA: DOOM ISLAND (1997, which unfortunately never made it to stores in the United States)

(They also made toys that no one wanted for the first American film, but this isn't the place to cover that.) 

You will find the link to this new section on the left side of this page, where the other guides can be found.  The plan is to eventually expand it to include photos of each product, which of course will probably necessitate that it splits into a page for each of the Trendmasters eras.  There is also a complete checklist for known Trendmasters trading cards.  As always, any new information will be added, but this should be the most complete list that's out there.  Enjoy!

Improve Your Eyesight Without Glasses (Wolf Records, 1977)

 

Alright, no preamble about how I post these to make fun of.  This record is unadulterated crap, and I am not too sure whether it might not be adulterated, to tell you the truth.

The good news is, it's rife with excellent fodder for samples.  The bad news is, it's going to insult your intelligence to the utmost limit of your endurance to get there.  

Often I post goofy comments, and people correct me, and that's fine of course; most of you are posting from free countries.  But, here is my understanding, and this is important (not being a doctor, and not going to eye-doctor school to be a doctor):  there are many types of various eye problems, and they all require different types of specific treatment, and I am unaware of ANY that can be cured by positive thinking and imagining geese.  There, I just gave you free important medical advice, and I'm not even qualified to do so.  Neither is this record.

I'm sure there is fine print here that I didn't read, absolving them from lots of lawsuits from people who thought they could correct their vision with an LP.  Speaking of lawsuits, one clue about this record is that it was reissued, removing the "Without Glasses" part of the title:

That means....something.

I could go on and use the word "scam" a lot, but really, less is more here.  Take this record for what it is.  Each side is quite long (around 30 minutes), and something about trying to listen to it all at once fills me with rage, but maybe if you take it a side at a time, you might find it more entertaining.  

What it consists of is a smooth-voiced narrator, who has all the qualifications to be an excellent automated phone tree, intoning endlessly over what used to be called "elevator music" or "hotel lounge music" back when those were things.  The record includes several diagrams and eye charts, but don't worry, they will hardly be mentioned here; you can doodle on them.  Instead, the narrator will tell you to do lots of imagining things like bowling, lots of staring out the window, and lots of staring at the spaces between letters.  My old psychology professor would've referred to all of this as "navel gazing."  

I left out how you are supposed to listen to this record every day.  Imagine that, as you try to get through it once.  Also imagine that some poor sap gave out some of their hard-earned money for it.  He can't remember how much he paid for it though...he can't read the receipt, because he threw his glasses away when he bought the album.

Just in the last few weeks, this blog has improved the very world itself:  We have posted LP's to make your plants grow, to improve your memory, and now this.  We should get a government grant for all of these services that we provide!

LINK:  Improve Your Eyesight Without Glasses

Chevrolet Sings Of Safe Driving And You (Columbia Special Products, 1965)

 

It becomes a pattern around here that I find a strange or unusual record, clean it up to post and perhaps make fun of, and then end up liking it, or realizing it's not really worthy of snarky comments.  Some of these records end up being useful (or even helpful) to people, or at the very least entertaining, and then I feel bad for skewering them.  The good news is, they've been preserved and shared.  No media should ever end up truly lost and gone forever (well, except for the film TITANIC; that needs to die).

So what we have here is a 12-inch record that contains 8 songs about driving, but the whole thing only adds up to a mere 17 minutes! This may have been purposeful, to keep the whole thing brief, as it's not exactly clear how this record was even distributed.  Schools? Driving instructors? Who knows.

Another interesting point about this record is that it came out in 1965, as "folk-rock" was becoming huge, but--from an adult perspective--what better way to reach 15 or 16 year old kids? We can laugh at McGruff the Crime Dog trying in vain to rap about crack and cocaine (and we really, really should), but the reason things like that are hilarious is that somebody is trying too hard to accomplish something that's dishonest to what they are even capable of, and it utterly fails.  The songs on this album, however, are competently written, played, and sung (one of the voices is Carly Simon, by the way).  

Now, what we can laugh at is the notion of singing about driving, which is a little bit like dancing about heart surgery.  To me, educational songs are most useful when they help you remember lists or facts and figures (Schoolhouse Rock being the most successful  example).  The songwriter here does try to pack in some useful information, but some of it ends up being spoken, which always comes across as a little awkward.  Also, we can look at the concept of this project from a junior high perspective, that of the recipient...where a stodgy, un-hip adult would hand you this LP, or maybe play it for the whole class.  If it was seen as a failed attempt to be cool, it of course would be universally ridiculed.  

So, this post is nearly longer than the actual record, BUT, the short version is:  it's really not that bad, but you may get a laugh out of it.  I should point out that there is a version on YouTube, but it's quite skippy, and I went with my own work here, which sounds much better.  Enjoy!

LINK:  Chevrolet Sings Of Safe Driving And You