You in all probability had stacks of them in a shoebox . They were strange and awing and … pink . But just what were those M.U.S.C.L.E. shape anyway ? get ’s take a looking .
The Manga
It in all likelihood wo n’t surprise you to learn that M.U.S.C.L.E. figures originated in Japan . The figures were the plaything crease for Kinnikuman ( above ) , a manga introduced in 1979 by Yudetamago , the playpen name of originative duo Takashi Shimada ( writer ) and Yoshinori Nakai ( artist ) .
When Kinnikuman first debut in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump , a manga anthology magazine , it was bill as a parody of popular chojin ( superhero ) staples like Ultraman and Superman . rather of being an impressive figure , though , the titular fin - headed hero was an cumbersome , flub aspirant who was reluctantly called upon to fight the speculative guys when all the other chojin were busybodied . As the serial mature , the floor shifted focus to an intense intergalactic form of professional hand-to-hand struggle , where an ever - revolving stable of surreal scrapper with specialized , bone - crushing , blood - spirt finish move push it out in the anchor ring . This shift allowed the striking mythology of the series to develop , as alliances formed , persona switched sides , deaths were retaliate , and honors restored . But the series never lost its comedic bound — including the fact that the hero was still a spot of a buffoon .
The wrestling also ushered in what would become one of the most defining facial expression of Kinnikuman : the fictitious character design . Taking a cue stick from Kinnikuman himself , which translates to “ Muscleman ” , most of the character reference keep abreast an former superhero naming conventionality — thing + “ man”—with an over - the - top twist . For example , alternatively of Batman or Spider - Man , Kinnikuman battles wrestlers like Oil Man , whose body is made entirely out of oil cans ; Mammothman , whose head and foot look like a Wooly Mammoth ’s ; and Benkiman , a porcelain - tiled wrestler with a Japanese - style benki sewer implant in his chest . With the grapheme rule in place , readers started get into the spirit of things and coming up with their own outlandish designs . As the fanmade drawings originate pouring in , Yudetamago began sport them in a special section of the manga , and even sweep up many of the best designing as canyon characters .
With an intriguing mix of dramatic event and funniness , Kinnikuman has been going strong for over 30 age . The manga is still published today , with the in style collection — mass 41 — coming out in December .
The Japanese Toys
The Kinnikuman manga engender an anime serial in 1983 , get by Toei Animation and broadcast on the Nippon Television connection ( NTV ) . The series ran until 1986 , for a total of 137 episodes , and even branched into seven theatrical films . As was so often the case in the 1980s , the toon also had an accompanying toy line for kids .
The Kinnikuman toys were produced by toy party Bandai in the keshi ( eraser ) way . Keshi figures are unremarkably about 2 inches marvellous , often feature highly - detailed sculpts , and are made out of solid , durable plastic . They were introduced in the seventies , and saw their first ecumenical success with the well - have it away Monchhichi character . As is common with keshi , the lilliputian Kinnikuman toys were work out of a single color of plastic ( anatomy - colored , in this typeface ) to keep production cost down . This have in mind that school - aged nipper could easily corrupt a figure from a vending machine using loose change , making them an instant hit with kids . With a gloomy price and gamy collectability quotient , as well as the unbalanced grapheme designs , the Kinnikuman keshi were highly popular ; so popular that it created its own subgenre of toy , screw as Kinkeshi .
By the time Kinkeshi fell out of popularity in 1988 , Bandai had cranked out 418 unique figures . More traditional Kinnikuman action figure of speech have since comply , but few have matched the popularity of the kinkeshi toys . To lionise the toy line ’s 29th day of remembrance in 2008 , Bandai released a monumental accumulator ’s box set that included every figure , plus DVDs of the complete anime series .
M.U.S.C.L.E.-ing In On America
Although the Zanzibar copal was never adjust for America because it was too violent to get past the censor , toy caller Mattel took a gamble and plunge their own line of kinkeshi toys in either previous 1985 or former 1986 ( accounts motley ) . Re - brand as “ M.U.S.C.L.E. ” ( Millions of Unusual Small Creatures Lurking Everywhere ) , the parentage used the same molds and figure - emblazon credit card as their Nipponese cousin . However , alternatively of peddle machines , the figures were available in a variety of retail - favorable promotion options .
The most common path to get M.U.S.C.L.E. figure was a cardboard and plastic 4 - pack , which typically sell for around $ 1 . You could also pluck up a semi - translucent garbage can full of 10 M.U.S.C.L.E. figure for about $ 3 . But if you ’d save up your allowance , the 28 - pack could be had for $ 7 . The first two 28 - packs were available in different factions to institute some form of story behind the figure : the “ good hombre ” Thug Busters , precede by Muscleman / Kinnikuman , and the “ tough guy ” Cosmic Crunchers , led by Terri - Bull , base on Kinnikuman ’s prospicient - clock time rival , Buffaloman .
Although the dinero and butter for Mattel were the M.U.S.C.L.E. figures , they naturally had accessories to offer , too . For $ 9.99 , kid could pick up the Hard Knockin ’ Rockin ’ Ring Wrestling Arena , which let you and a champion vex your M.U.S.C.L.E. figures into fictile clinch and whap them back and forth like Rock’em , Sock’em golem . There was also the Battlin ’ Belt carrying case , sit after the WWF ’s World Championship smash , which held 10 figures and could be worn around your waistline . This being 1986 , there was of class a Nintendo biz , though it ’s generally considered to be one of the worst video games ever made . One of the more strange offers for the M.U.S.C.L.E. line was the Mega - Match control board plot , where matches were played by whirl the pointer of a composition board thread maker .
The one must - have item for any serious fan of M.U.S.C.L.E. was the mail - away placard . By sending in two proofs of leverage , kids could encounter a 23 inch by 35 in full - color placard that show all 233 M.U.S.C.L.E. figures . Not only did it look cool hanging on your paries , it was the only prescribed index of figures available for the miniature line .
Later in the serial publication , Mattel stress shaking thing up by tender the same figures in semblance other than the standard pulp tone plastic . In all , there were nine additional colours used , let in dark dreary , atomic number 10 green , orangish , and even pinkish .
Down for the Count
M.U.S.C.L.E. was an immediate succeeder , with industry magazine Playthings naming them one of the 10 Best - marketing Toy Lines of 1986 . However , its heyday was abruptly - lived .
According to Martin Arriola , a former lead designer at Mattel , the party never totally owned the M.U.S.C.L.E. property ; some portion of M.U.S.C.L.E. revenues had to be yield to the original kinkeshi toy company , Bandai . Therefore , even though sales were unassailable , Mattel always count M.U.S.C.L.E. a second - tier ware , behind lines they did own , like Masters of the Universe . So when the plaything industry was whole twist on its head teacher in 1987 by the volatile popularity of the Nintendo Entertainment System , most toy companies were left rub their heads and jumble to make up for recede revenues . This meant that many weakly plaything lines got the ax , including lower-ranking line that come with licensing baggage like M.U.S.C.L.E. By 1988 , the M.U.S.C.L.E. figures were unceremoniously discontinued .
Collecting M.U.S.C.L.E.
The dead - hold up , but vivid popularity of M.U.S.C.L.E. has made the figures a sought - after collectible . Most basic figure can be purchased fair inexpensively , ranging between 50 cents and $ 2 each , get to it a fun rocking horse with a minimal investiture necessary . But there are a few exceptions that could very well push the completest fan batty .
One uncommon public figure is known as Satan Cross ( above ) , a four - arm gladiator with a hole in his lower back . The Nipponese figure had a second set of leg that could be impound to this hole , give him a Centaur - like aim . The M.U.S.C.L.E. pattern , though , does not admit this 2d set of leg . It ’s potential that the manufacture costs for the legs made the shape too expensive to grow , so it was set off , and the few that had already been made were tossed onto the market . Although sentence has try out that perhaps this soma might not be as rarified as initially thought , the figure ’s reputation has made ithighly collectible , pushing its note value up quite a bit .
away from Satan Cross , there are rare M.U.S.C.L.E. shape that are even harder to get along by . Some , likeSpinning Head Ashuraman , and the purplish - coloredClaware rare , but still vulgar enough to occasionally be find on eBay . Others , though , like Dark Emperor , Drunken Master , and Warsman with spindle , have only one known lesson . For one of these rarities , collectors pay up thousands of dollars — a very rare , never - before - come across salmon - tinge Shouting Geronimorecently sold for over $ 3,000 .
With such a large difference between the number of M.U.S.C.L.E and kinkeshi figure of speech , it ’s operose to cognize how many “ non - bill ” M.U.S.C.L.E anatomy could be out there that have yet to be learn .
Check Your M.U.S.C.L.E.s
With the all-night success of M.U.S.C.L.E. build , bootlegs started seem on the market place and are still floating around on eBay today . So how do you bang you ’re getting a real M.U.S.C.L.E. ?
For one , M.U.S.C.L.E. figure are made from very solid charge card . The Kinkeshi , as well as most bootlegs , use a rubbery plastic that gives them a bit more malleability . Genuine M.U.S.C.L.E.s also have a stamp on their back : Y / SNT. This mark is actually a right of first publication computer code for Kinnikuman that break down like this :
atomic number 39 = Yudetamago , the manga team behind KinnikumanS = Shueisha , the manga publication companyN = NTV , the web that circulate the anime seriesT = Toei , the animation company behind the anime
A Tiny Legacy
Although it was short - lived , M.U.S.C.L.E. has test to be an influential toy line . Not only did the 1990s see popular M.U.S.C.L.E.-like toys such as Monster in My Pocket , N.I.N.J.A. Mites , and Fistful of Aliens , but the M.U.S.C.L.E. bequest is still solid in today ’s miniature marketplace .
One of the biggest success lately has been Squinkies , those tiny , cartilaginous figure of Disney Princesses , Barbie , The Avengers , Star Wars , and WWE grappler , among other democratic attribute . There are also S.L.U.G. ( Scary Little Ugly Guys ) Zombies , Pokemon figures , and even Mario and Luigi . Hop online and you ’ll find many lowly companies doing special run of pliant figures in the M.U.S.C.L.E. tradition . Perhaps the well - jazz is October toy dog , whose Z.O.M.B.I.E.S. ( zillion Of Mutated Bodies Infecting Everyone ) and OMFG ! ( Outlandish Mini - Figure Guys ) lines have both found bang-up keep from grown - up minor who once had Millions of strange Small Creatures Lurking Everywhere .
To learn more about M.U.S.C.L.E. , check outNathan ’s M.U.S.C.L.E. Blog , The University of M.U.S.C.L.E. , andLittleRubberGuys.com .
