Mexican toys are a whole thing unto themselves. I don't collect them exclusively, but could easily see myself getting hooked on them if I didn't have enough to contend with already in Japanese toys. Crude, funky, cheap, and loaded with character. I love 'em, and I know I am not the only one.
Okay, here is a real interesting one. The best of both worlds - Japan by way of Mexico.
Happened upon this one for fairly cheap and took a gamble on him. I was expecting another hard plastic bootleg similar to many of the Mexican toys, as they were made as cheaply as possible. Even that was going to make me really happy though, as I have not seen too many non-Ultraman KOs, let alone humanoid hero characters. I was already excited to add an interesting figure to my collection. Japanese masked hero toy, Ultra character, vintage, bootleg, this is hitting all of the bases for me.When I received this guy though, I got an even bigger surprise. He is actually made out of a rubberised material. I definitely think he is vintage era, but is still incredibly soft and squishy. A full size replica of the traditional Japanese hero figure, I am just stunned at the way they have re-created the classic toy but in a whole different medium. I presume he must have been cast of the soft vinyl version at some point, and then the molds used for this guy, but the process for making rubber toys is different, so that is a hitch. I am not absolutely sure if Bullmark officially released the ST removable mask version of this guy, Clubtokyo has it listed only as a prototype, and I have only see a few versions of him listed as 'rare,' which adds even more interest to this guy's story. (There was a B-Club re-issue done in 2010, but I don't feel this toy is that recent to be a KO of a re-release). He is done in a non-traditional colour scheme, different to the original, and is entirely hand painted. A bit beat up now, but a lot of that is due to the heavy quality of the paint and the material used. It doesn't adhere well to the rubber as well as vinyl, due to its give, and was not sealed at all. Someone sure put some time and ingenuity into crafting this guy, and you have to think that came from a certain love for it. Whatever his story was, I would love to know it, and I am sure glad he came to be. Anyhow, a new love of mine, and I am glad I jumped on him when I had the chance. Enough with the yammering, on with the pics!
Soft rubber bootleg TAC member
