Here's a pic I took today of the Medicom Retro Action Series Sharkman.

It took me a long time to get this guy, I ended up doing the mail order thing from Toyshop Rough a few years ago....up until then I just kept admiring it on Medicoms pre-flash (and much more accessible) web-site. If memory serves me the two original Retro Action guys came out in 1998.



Sharkman is designed I think by Ocha (sp?) from Medicom based on the Henshin Cyborg style suit with chest piece, outer head, belt, and arm and leg pieces which replace the figures own hands and feet. Sharkman seems very much a tribute to Takara's Fish Man, and the two could easilly stand side by side and look as if they came from the same series....despite there being 20 plus years difference between them.

The packaging has the best descriptions: "Shiftman's fabulous range of depth costume"

The whole retro-action series is very much a homage to the Takara Henshin Cyborg suit series, as is SecretBase's Phantom 8 man, Toxic Phantom and Death Phantom. In fact the vintage suits, the RAH series and the Secret Base battle suits blend together seemlessly. I plan to take some photos of them side by side so everyone can check 'em out.

For SecretBases' 4th Anniversarry in summer 2005 (and maybe also in celebration of Grapples 7th anniversarry), four new Retro Action Hereoes were released, one of them being a clear version of sharkman, with a Skullhead Joe skull head base body. Very cool indeed. The suit was even clear. Its hard to photograph, but here are some pics I took:



This guy is totally underated, and a great deal for the $100 prices he goes for. The clear vinyl is really nice, and the box indicates that the figure was made in Japan - which is a rarity for 12" figures of this nature. Check out the inner skull head in this pic:



Anyway, Sharkman is my pick for under-rated toy of the week. Both him and the rest of the Retro Action Heroes series.

very nice. thanks for the background info too

You're welcome, especially as we are the only two people up this late and online it seems.

yea saturday nights can be slow

Very nice figure, great info, and great pics! Thanks!

Anyone have pics of the red version?

There's an ultra limited red shark head - but are u sure there is a completely red version? If there is, I want to see it!!!

That is soooooo cool!

I like the skull head underneath idea, but the blue just truly rocks!

Thanks for sharing!

Im probably thinking of the Red head.

Muton - does the Cyclovillain version have a skull inner head too?

Great info Muton...hope this becomes a weekly event...I've been trying to pick up the 12in skullhead joes for good prices; spose I'll just have to bite the bullet soon...

Also from the Retro Action Heroes Series is Devil Man (pictured) and Yoju God. These are equally as cool, with nice vintage Henshin Cyborg inspired costumes.

Nice one Koji - I was planning on featuring these guys too - but you beat me to it. Probably a good thing as well, because sometimes what I plan to do never actually happens.

And, yes, Moriachi, the clear cyclovillain has the same inner skull head joe head.

That Devilman is so the cat's pajamas!

Huge Go Nagai fan, I am. ^_^

Where does one acquire such things? Because Sharkman is terribly cool as well...

I have the Clear Retro Action Heroes Sharkman (as seen in the photos above) and the Clear Cyclovillain for sale. PM me if interested.

Great deal!!!! Mine cost me 12,000 yen + all the fees - each by the way - when they first came out!

resurrecting a thread from rfso past....

i bought a clear sharkman & clear cyclovillain for my nephews..but the legs are pretty busted on them (beyond glue or repair)...

does anybody know if there is a suitable replacement body?? will ordering a regular obitsu body from japan do the job??

Yeah, you should be able to fit all the acoutrments onto an obitsu body, tho not 100% sure about the skullhead Joe inner head. These guys come with teh RAH300 body which always seems to break at the hips - defintely NOT kid safe.

By the way - how nice to see an old thread

thanks for the info carl..i think old threads should get resurrected more often,,,especially when they contain good pics/info & when new questions can simply be added-on instead of creating new ones i.e. more thread clutter..

i am assuming that the body that is included with the skull toys suits are the same as the obitsu to order from japan..if this is the case,,i can try out the shark & cyclo suits on a skull toys body before i order away..

is the RAH300 body readily availble anywhere??

Yep same body on the skull toys, so try it out. Loose obitsus come with more neck options tho.

RAH300 bodies wren't sold separately, but there is that medicom blank body you can get, but no idea what teh fit is like. I imagine an obitsu will withstand kid play much more though.

That clear shark man is bad ass!