011 Mekanda Robot ( 合身戦隊メカンダーロボ )

Mekanda Robot (or 合身戦隊メカンダーロボ , or Mechander Robo, or Mekander) was, after UFO Grendaizer, my favorite giant robot. I loved the shark missiles that would shoot out of his feet.

Other than those missiles, and the fact that the pilots has to shut down the robot at the end of almost every episode so that it didn't get hit by the Omega Missile, I remember very little of the actual show. After this show came on T.V. in the Philippines, I stopped drawing Voltes V and Mazinga Z in chalk on the road, and started drawing Mekanda as often as I could. I especially liked doing the boots...something about that tiered front, behind which lurked the shark missiles, I found very compelling. Also, love the spiked shields. Just a fantastic design. 

The poster is a little more beat up than the others, and I'm not a huge fan of this particular rendition of Mekanda...but it does show off the full design of the robot really well. 

 Sold for $100. 

008 Voltes V - ボルテスＶ

Another poster from The Philippines, circa 1978. This is Voltes V (or Super Electromagnetic Machine Voltes Five or 超電磁マシーン ボルテスＶ), and the first of two posters I have of this venerable mecha. 
 

This one is in good condition, but like the Aphrodite A poster, it's bothered me since day one.The "horizon" lines for the Z axis are all over the place. The vanishing points for the X and Y axis are also off, but...well...it's just a mess, really. The artist obviously used a straight edge of some sort in the creation of this art, so it's always bothered me that s/he didn't bother to work out the vanishing point. Other than that, I love the choice to go duotone, the display of tech, and the whole maintenance bay theme.

 The lattice work inside the chest piece was always a bit bothersome, too. It's a real challenge to the imagination to figure out how this internal structure could allow for the elongating sword. But the faults I've listed are just nagging annoyances in what is otherwise a joy to my eyes and heart. It brings back memories of drawing Voltes V in chalk on the street outside my family's house in Manilla.

Sold for $100.

002 Grendaizer - UFOロボ·グレンダイザー

Another poster most likely acquired in '79 while in the Philippines, this one of UFO Grendaizer (or UFO Grendizer or UFOロボ·グレンダイザー), who somewhere between then and now lost an "a" in his name. 

UFO Grendaizer- The most awesomely coolest giant robot there is or ever was.

"None can defeat my codpiece!"

This is in great shape, except for a couple of tape marks at the top, left over from a nine year old's lack of forethought. This was absolutely my favorite robot, yet I never knew that he was considered to be a part of the Mazinger family until more than 30 years later. From the superhero-ish costume of the pilot to Grendaizer's main weapon, a pole-arm between those two shoulder blades (I never realized the visual pun until just typing that) ...and, of course, hole saw drill fists.

This looks like he's running from the obligations of a hero.

And who couldn't love a series in which the main villains are the Vegans (well, other than maybe vegans).  The only thing in the show I wasn't completely in love with was the UFO, which I always forget is a part of the title, as well. The ship design always seemed a little uninspired when placed beside the robot and the costume. It would be like Kim Kardashian wearing a potato sack.

Another priceless object. I was offered $150 for this, but decided to keep it.

001 Aphrodite A - アフロダイA

 A poster of Aphrodite A (or アフロダイA),, from the show Mazinger Z (or Mazinga Z or マジンガーＺ). This poster was purchased in The Philippines sometime between 1977 and 1979, and is still in surprisingly good condition. 

Aphrodite A poster in frame, hanging just to the left of my bed.

Sayaka day dreams.

I've always disliked this poster, even as a child, yet it currently hangs over my bed. The artwork is competent at best, with an inconsistent and confusing use of thick and thin lines, questionable composition, and strokes of color that clearly display a talent yet to be developed. Though it was inspiring to know that I might eventually find paying work as an artist without fully developing my own skills. 

Balls of pizza dough.

 Also, I always wished this displayed the larger missile breasts, and although I've grown equally fond of all breast sizes as I've aged, my dissatisfaction with the poster continues, as the artist managed to misshape these metallic mammaries. They look like well-aimed balls of dough, sticky remnants of a giant robot food fight.



 
What's it worth? Who knows? To the best of my knowledge, this is a unique survivor of history for which there is no market.

UPDATE - 11/14/12: Sold for $100.