Super #1 Robot
Japanese Robot Toys, 1972-1982
Chronicle Books
Available: 06/28/05
5.63 x 7 · 256 pages
9780811846073
CDN $24.95
· pb
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Shogun Warriors. Godaikin. Micronauts. They came in their legions, leaping straight from Japanese TV sets onto toy shelves. Shiny, outrageously colorful, sporting spring-powered missiles and rocket punches"they were unlike anything seen before. Super #1 Robot showcases these unique action figures created during the heyday of Japanese robot toys, 1972 to 1982. From Popy's classic "Chogokin" Mazinger Z to Takatoku's Valkyrie (the first seamlessly transforming toy), these are the pinnacle of modern Japanese robot toys, and transformed not only themselves, but also today's toy culture."
Matt Alt's childhood obsession with the Japanese giant robot led him to major in Japanese and International Relations at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He lives near Tokyo, where he and his wife run a translation agency.
Tim Brisko's photography has appeared in Toyfare, Xbox Nation, and Super7 magazine. He lives in Houston, Texas.
Robert Duban met Matt Alt while working for ToyBoxDX, a popular toy collector website, for which they have cataloged the works of every Japanese toy company producing during the 1970s and early 1980s. He lives in Los Angeles.
