Captain Action Announces Ultraman Outfit “Long Lost” collectible to be produced in Japan after 50 years New York, N.Y. (January 16, 2016): Captain Action Enterprises, LLC is proud to announce a partnership with MEDICOM TOY CORPORATION to produce the long-lost Ultraman outfit.
This uniform set was planned to be a part of the popular super-hero line of costume sets to be used in conjunction with the iconic 12” (30 cm) Captain Action figure. An image of this outfit was shown only once in Shonen (Magazine) in the 1960s and was designed to be a contest prize for the readers. To many modern fans, it was surprising to know such thing existed!
“For Captain Action’s launch in Japan, Nippon Ideal made plans to give Captain Action an Ultraman costume. However, events conspired to prevent the Ultraman costume from becoming a reality, but not before pictures of it had appeared in articles about Captain Action in several issues of “Shonen (Magazine)” (“Boys Magazine”). For decades, fans of both Ultraman and Captain Action have looked at those few grainy pictures and wished that the Ultraman costume had been released to toy stores,” said James Long, a Japanese Anime and Tokusatsu Historian and fan of Captain Action.
This new Ultraman outfit will be released as a part of the 50th Anniversary celebration of Captain Action.
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“Captain Action is an international brand with both modern day and nostalgic fans, especially in Italy, Canada, Mexico, France, the UK, the Philippines and Japan,” said Ed Catto, a Retropreneur at Captain Action Enterprises, LLC.
Additional 50th Anniversary plans are scheduled to be announced.
“Once only a ghost from the pages of old magazines, the lost Captain Action Ultraman costume is finally a reality! At last Ultraman joins the other legendary Captain Action heroes, thanks to MEDICOM TOY and Captain Action Enterprises!” said James Long.
MEDICOM TOY is working closely with Captain Action Enterprises to create retro-style packaging consistent with the original 1960’s line. Shipping and sales are planned for June 2016.The MEDICOM TOY Premium Club will take orders from January 24, 2016 until March 5, 2016. More details can be found on the website: http://www.medicomtoy.co.jp/premiumclub/
“After almost fifty years, we’re thrilled to be making this long-lost costume set available. For Captain Action fans, it’s not quite the Holy Grail, but it’s pretty close!” said Joe Ahearn, a Founding Partner at Captain Action Enterprises, LLC.
About Captain Action Enterprises
As Retropreneurs, Captain Action Enterprises, LLC specializes in taking old properties and rejuvenating them for a new generation. Captain Action’s appears in comic book series, lithographs, statues, action figures, T-shirts, model kits and more. Additional properties include Lady Action, Captain Action Cat, Dr. Evil, Khem, Destiny Zero and Savage Beauty. For additional information, please contact Ed Catto at ed.catto@bonfireagency.com.
Alex,
ReplyDeleteYour Captain Action post today came just in time for me to make a point with one of my younger friends who is a one-sixth collector. Basically, my observation about how one-sixth figures have changed over time.
No, not the fabulous techniques that today create fantastic figures, but the entire "structure" of the business.
Toy companies took a page out of the gentleman's razor business play book. Please, step into my time machine for a moment.
Now we are back in a time when men shaved with a straight razor and sharpened it with a leather strap. The enterprising Gillette company created a disposable razor blade that was used a few times and discarded. It was a marketing first that would be copied for generations. The introduction included a FREE razor with a box of the new blades.
Mattel took a page from that playbook when they created the first Barbie doll. The doll was priced the same as the outfits. As Mattel later explained, the profit was in the clothing -- just as it was in Gillette's blades.
For decades, there would be ONE doll with dozens of fashions. Lines were "extended" by adding new characters -- not new versions of the same character. That came decades later and is the basis of most of today's collectable market.
Action Man is a classic example of the old Gillette principle. Mattel, and later Hasbro, eventually began to understand the adult market for Barbie and GI Joe.
And I played a very small, but pivotal, role in that. After three years of trying to persuade Mattel to become involved with the first Barbie adult collector convention, they finally agreed and sent a designer to give a talk. The response was overwhelming and Mattel continued to participate in all adult conventions. Hasbro soon followed.
Eventually Mattel even began to create Barbie dolls FOR the adult market with their Silkstone line of expensive dolls. It was also when they began the whole "doll in one outfit" collectibles. Often the dolls were "sewn into" their fashions.
So, today we have dozens of versions of favorite characters like Captain America and Iron Man.
And Captain Action is there to remind us how it used to be.
Ted