Few toys from the 1970s are as fondly remembered as Mattel’s Godzilla. Even if you didn’t own this guy growing up, chances are you knew someone who did. Released as part of the Shogun Warriors Jumbo line, this was the first time American children could actually play with their favorite Saturday afternoon movie monster; remember, in the “old days” licensed product from overseas wasn’t all that common. Aside from the aforementioned Shoguns, American toy store shelves were dominated by Western characters, and it would be almost a decade before the likes of Robotech and Voltron were given space. That said, Godzilla was and still is the most recognizable character ever to come from the East, and Mattel’s including him in their SHOGUN WARRIORS line was a no-brainer.
The Shogun Warriors themselves were Japanese toys rebranded for the US market. Made of sturdy vinyl and featuring spring-loaded weapons and body parts(!), American children had never seen anything quite like them. The Bionic Man was about as big as most toys got in the late 1970s and, at 23″ tall, the Warriors made him look like, well, a doll. Heresy! I know, I know — but the Warriors had an impact on kids that’s hard to otherwise convey. Being blow-molded, these “jumbo” toys were not prohibitively expensive, and, if you were lucky, you might get one of these guys for your birthday. Little green army men were perfectly in scale with the Shoguns, leading to many a sandbox apocalypse. The Warriors were manufactured for three years and sold quite well for Mattel. Graduating to their own Marvel comic in 1979, they are fondly remembered and highly collectible today.
Godzilla was marketed alongside the giant robots starting in 1977. Standing almost 20” tall, he was the mac daddy of all monsters. Mattel didn’t shy away from representing Godzilla’s most notable trait either: his “atomic breath” was depicted by a plastic tongue painted with a flame motif, activated by a lever on the back. Unfortunately, the little lever wasn’t very sturdy, and is broken on many surviving specimens.
Interestingly, Mattel didn’t stop with just Godzilla’s signature move; he could also shoot his hand at you!
This unusual ability was never featured in the films, but it’s clear Mattel was just trying to give kids a little more bang for their buck. After all, the Shogun Warriors had launching fists, missiles, mini-spaceships… Godzilla would seem like weak cheese if all he could do was flick his tongue at you! Like the other Shogun, The Big G also had wheels in his feet, which were hidden by his pointy yellow old man toenails. These also acted as “bumpers,” and many of today’s surviving pieces show wear there.
The Godzilla featured in today’s review is in wonderful condition. Purchased online from Great Britain, he looks as good as the day he was made. He is a “first issue” Godzilla, meaning there are a few things that set him apart from later, more common versions. For a start, he is cast in a lighter, thinner plastic which is a brighter shade than the usual pine color. Also, his eyes and mouth feature especially vivid paints, which would be toned down in the future. Most importantly, our Godzilla has small weights in his legs, giving the figure a nice heft; later versions of the Big G would do away with these. His toenails and tongue lever are perfect and they should be; according to the toy’s original owner, this Godzilla was taken out of the box a few times, looked at, and then put away for more than 30 years. Seeing him up close you could be forgiven for thinking he’s a brand new toy — he looks that good.
Godzilla’s launching claw still packs a punch. I took a hit to the chest from three feet away and it actually kinda stung! The spring is still very tight and holds the launching claw firmly. The rotation at the arms and legs is still tight as well; this toy was never really played with, making it one of the best specimens of the Big G I’ve ever seen.
The box looks good as well. There is some wrinkling and some shelf-damage, but the colors are still exceptionally bright and clean. The photography is top-notch, designed to capture the best aspects of the toy and drive children into a frenzy when they caught sight of it on the store shelf.
And what was the Big G’s original asking price? $15.96! If you bought one in 1977 and kept him in the box you’d get a nice return on your investment, since The King of the Monsters goes for big $$$ mint in package. Still, I hope you played with yours. After all, any object can be bought, but memories are priceless.
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