Shepardon (Spark Doll Sofubi)

Shepardon is a friendly kaiju who protected the underground civilzation of the Victorians and worked with Ultraman Victory. I think the name is a bit of portmanteau of "shepherd" and "leopard" with the ubiquitous "-don" ending in so many monster names. 

I really liked Ultraman Ginga and its sequel Ultraman Ginga S where Shepardon appeared. They were a fun reinvigoration of the Ultra Series and it was neat to see a kaiju who wasn't bent on destroying the planet. The ridiculousness of the underground people being called "Victorians" and needing "Victorium" crystals (like the one on Shepardon's back) is delightfully silly.

Red King (Spark Doll DX Ultlive Tyrant Set)

Red King is a kaiju who first appeared battling the original Ultraman. He is like a skeletal Godzilla.

I find Red King's moniker very bewildering because he is in no way red. Like anywhere. But wharves, he's still got a cool design. Fans of the excellent comic Kaijumax will also recognize Red King as a monster swear word used by the inmates of that maximum security Kaiju prison. If you like giant monsters or prison movies/tv shows you should go read Kaijumax RIGHT NOW! But it's totes not for kids.

Anyway back to Red King: this sofubi has pretty typical articulation, just the arms and the tail. The sculpting is pretty impressive for something so small but I've found that with most soft vinyl toys from Japan. This guy came in a box set based on villains who fought Ultraman Ginga during his first series.

Alien Fanton Spark Doll Sofubi

Dr. Guruman is an Alien Fanton who assists XIO in their Research and Development department. As a rare example of a kaiju as a main character I found Dr. Guruman interesting. His species first appeared in Ultraman Mebius but I haven't watched that series yet. I'm a bit of a sucker for orange colour schemes and this is quite bright. Unfortunately some of the details in the moulding are lost in the monochrome of the body, a typical issue with the soft vinyl figures. Still he's a fun figure who stands out on the shelf.

King Pandon Spark Doll Sofubi

King Pandon first appeared in Ultraseven but this form was first shown in the "Great Decisive Battle! The Super 8 Ultra Brothers" film. King Pandon has two heads and claw hands, need I say more? Just a really classic monster design that's fairly well executed in this simple figure.

Thunder Darambia Spark Doll Sofubi

Ultraman Ginga was the first Ultra Series I watched in its entirely and as such ranks pretty high on my list of favourites. Thunder Darambia was one of the first kaiju faced by Ultraman Ginga. Darambia first faced off against Ultraman Dyna and definitely has a different design aesthetic than the monsters from the Showa Era Ultra Series. Thunder Darambia is pointy and rocky and has weird lightning rod cones from its back.

Pigmon Spark Doll Sofubi

Pigmon is a friendly little monster who first appeared in "The Lawless Monster Zone" episode 8 of Ultraman though the suit first appeared as Garamon on Ultra Q. This figure came from the Ultraman X line of spark dolls but is certainly a must have for any Ultraman Ultra-fan. Pigmon usually befriends a small child or is otherwise a gentle presence in the Ultraman universe(s) though his bone-like fingers can look quite creepy as they wiggle about. Mrs. ISMOTU remarked that he looks like he belongs in a nightmarish dark reboot of the "McDonaldland" characters. His hands spin freely but there is no waist or leg articulation.

NECA Godzilla 1985

And we're back! With the King of the Monsters, the grand-daddy of all kaiju, Gojira, the ape-whale himself... GODZILLA!

NECA has released a variety of Godzilla figures each based on a different look from a different era of the films. Choosing the right Godzilla for me took some thought but I settled on the version from "The Return of Godzilla" which was released in the Western world as "Godzilla 1985."  This film renewed Godzilla's presence on screen after nearly a decade of dormancy and is considered the first of the Heisei era films even though it was still the Showa era when the movie was mad. NECA's original 1954 version was too grey and the later versions were just not the definitive Godzilla in my mind. This guy scales pretty well with the SH Monsterarts figures but at a much lower price point. I would love an "atomic breath" effect part but I can deal. Articulation is inherently limited with monster figures and I find the difference between this guy and the Monsterarts dudes I have is not that great. But zero accessories.

Fire Golza Spark Doll Sofubi

Fire Golza is a powered up version of Ultraman Tiga's foe Golza. Golza first appeared in episode one of Ultraman Tiga and returned in episode 18 as Fire Golza. I've only watched the first 6 episodes of Ultraman Tiga, which was the first of the modern Ultraman Series and unconnected from the original continuity. This spark doll version can swivel its tail and arms. I really like the orange lava-like veins and rocky texture. The head armour looks a bit helmetish but it's not too distracting.

Reigubas Spark Doll Sofubi

Reigubas is a kaiju from the Ultraman Dyna series (which I haven't really watched) and reappeared in Ultraman Ginga S (which I have watched). I like the asymmetrical pincer arms that recall a hermit crab. I'm always kind of at odds with myself when it comes to collecting. Part of me is a completist and wants all the things but another part of me (who has to worry about money) says to let that go and only acquire figures that appeal to me in a more meaningful way. Since I love kooky monsters that can be trickier to sort out when it comes to kaiju sofubi. Having to order from Japan certainly slows the flow and so I prioritize the ones that really speak to me in some way. Reigubas is an example of that. Giant pincers, a lobster tail, the weird wing-like things on its back, eyes on stalks. What more could you ask for in a monster?

Gubila/Gubira Ultra Monster Sofubi

Gubira was a kaiju who appeared in the original Ultraman series and was likely one of the more awkward suits for actors to wear as it was a four-legged deep sea monster. Gubira looks like a cross between a narwhal and an orca but is also capable of scurrying about on land. With only 4 forays against the Ultra Garrison under its belt Gubila is a classic but obscure kaiju. I'm guessing the discomfort of the design is a large part of its infrequent appearances.

Miclas Spark Doll Sofubi

Ultraseven was a source of many great monsters. Miclas appeared in the third episode of that series and in a twist was a sort of helper kaiju to the titular hero against Eleking.

Eleking Spark Doll Sofubi

Another of the more popular kaiju from the Ultra Series, Eleking debuted in Ultraseven and has been featured in many of the later series.

This electric giraffe is a classic design and a lot of fun.

Dinosaur Tank Spark Doll Sofubi

Sometimes the shoestring budgets the Ultra Series had to operate under resulted in some amazing designs and creativity. Other times things just went bonkers. Dinosaur Tank is one of those. It's sheer elegance in its simplicity while being one of the most ridiculous designs ever. I'm working my way through Ultraseven slowly but haven't reached episode 28 which introduced this amalgamation of awesome.

Alien Metron Spark Doll Sofubi

The Alien Metron race first menaced Earth in the eighth episode of Ultraseven. Like many other classic kaiju they reappeared here and there over the years but my favourite iteration was a lone Alien Metron named Jace who appeared as a super-fan of an idol singer in Ultraman Ginga S. Jace's human form was based on Hayakawa Ken from Kaiketsu Zubat, a super obscure reference for the true tokusatsu fan.

Zetton Spark Doll Sofubi

Another classic Ultraman monster, Zetton first appeared in the final episode of the original Ultraman show and was responsible for causing Ultraman's colour timer to stop and Zoffy had to come down from Nebula M78 and rescue him. Zetton has been portrayed in several ways over the years but this is the original design.

Alien Baltan Spark Doll Sofubi

Alien Baltan is one of Ultraman's earliest foes, first appearing in episode 2. His lobster claws have made many appearances in various Ultraman TV Series over the years.

Alien Akumaniya Spark Doll Sofubi

My Alien Akumaniya is from the Ultraman Ginga Spark Doll series of Ultra Kaiju though he first appeared in Ultraman Leo. (Kaiju get reused a lot in the Ultra Series)

Mochiron Spark Doll Sofubi

Mochiron first appeared in episode 39 of Ultraman Taro. I have not seen this episode I just tend to buy kaiju based on how cool I think they look.

Collection Corner

Ok it's a new year and time for a new series of blog posts. In addition to eating cheese and drinking tea I also have a fairly substantial action figure collection and I finally decided to bite the bullet and share it with the world (or at least the subset of the world that happens to stumble upon this blog).

In past posts I've talked about my love of "genre" fiction which just might be the worst name ever. My pop culture interests tend to reside in the sci-fi/fantasy/super-hero milieu and such is my collection.

I'm just going to randomly post pictures of the various displays around my house. As the seasons or my moods change I rearrange my shelves and will start sharing new pics when that occurs. (I have become one of those nerds whose collection has indeed outstripped his living space but I have an understanding and wonderful spouse)

Without further ado I give you the first installment of "Collection Corner" or "Sharing Shelves" if you like.



This is my cabinet of curious collectibles which lives in the corner of my living room

Apologies for the lighting, I didn't think this post through very well, the rest of the pictures were taken earlier in the day