Godzilla by DorMei

[Centurn]

These were made in 1986 by DorMei Toys. Giant hard vinyl monsters with poseable head, arms, legs and tail. There were a few different monsters with different paint schemes and head sculpts. And there were even monsters with light-up eyes that also were able to make a roaring sound.
DorMei still made them in 1997 and I think I've seen them around in stores after that.

Regular:



Light-up & roaring:

[gort]

I've never seen the light-up eyes version before. Pretty cool.

Have you noticed that, as well as lossing the back spines, bootleg Godzilla's almost always have a different skin texture to licensed versions? I guess it's another way of keeping Toho of their case.

[gort]

Here's a Chinese bootleg of unknown vintage with the 6" Imperial Godzilla

[gort]

Another Chinese bootleg, this time it looks as though they've ripped off the 9" Imperial version. No date, just 'made in China' under one foot.

Pic with genuine 6" Imperial Godzilla (I don't have the 9") for comparison

[daltron]

On the Dor Mei Zilla, how do I change the batteries and get the eyes to light up? I don't want to break it.

[Ghouldrool]

I used to have one too when I was a kid but since I'm not a Godzilla fan and it didn't play well with my MOTU ( it just didn't look right for it) I sold it off during the big Jurassic Park hype when every kid wanted dinosaurs to play with. It brought good money =)
However those things are still around and anything but rare here, I might pick one up one of these days for nostalgia's sake.

[Deleted]

Nov 21, 2006 9:38:02 GMT -6 gort said:

Here's a Chinese bootleg of unknown vintage with the 6" Imperial Godzilla

Hey Gort, I got that same Godzilla knockoff on the right as a recent flea market find. I contacted J.D. of G-Fan magazine looking for info on it and he said he has the same one which he got it in Japan in 1987 - and get this - he said when he got his it was wearing a wedding dress and holding a flower bouquet! He believes it was released that way but also said it may have just been something added by the toy shop owner. He has since gotten rid of the dress so sadly he had no pics.

Funny!

[gort]

May 31, 2008 13:20:51 GMT -6 bubbashelby said:

Hey Gort, I got that same Godzilla knockoff on the right as a recent flea market find. I contacted J.D. of G-Fan magazine looking for info on it and he said he has the same one which he got it in Japan in 1987 - and get this - he said when he got his it was wearing a wedding dress and holding a flower bouquet! He believes it was released that way but also said it may have just been something added by the toy shop owner. He has since gotten rid of the dress so sadly he had no pics.

Funny!

I'm sure I stumbled across a pic of Godzilla in a wedding dress holding a bouquet the other day! It was just a passing pic and I didn't take much notice at the time, but now wish I could remember where I saw it.

[toxictheo20]

I have one of the massive dormei godizllas, there awsome! got this one too, he is about 10" dunno the date of him or anything, but a great figure either way

toxicfigureskingdom.blogspot.com/2010/06/random-pics-of-stuff-i-own.html

[countzackula]

I think I know which one you mean, but I hafta dig him out...nuts! May be a while. Anyway, are you talking about the ripoff one about eight or nine inches tall? I've seen him in maroon and yellow myself. I've got the maroon one so far.

[ryacus]

[countzackula]

Of course, most of us know of the Imperial Godzilla (middle), and the Dor Mei knock offs (left), but what about the unmarked mystery fraudzilla (right)? No markings, same articulation as the Dor Mei ones, different skin sculpt.

[countzackula]

Here are two more of the unmarked Fraudzillas. The sculpt isn't as high quality as the official Godzilla or even the Dor Mei. I've only come across two head sculpts: finned and unfinned. Color variations? Pff...who knows how many, I'd love to find out! I've got tow finned head guys...a pink and a brown and one pink regular one. I think I saw one with slightly raised spines down his middle cranium on eBay but the picture wasn't great.
My neighbor had a Dor Mei kaiju as a kid and he sometimes battled it with my Godzilla, but it bugged my the fake was much taller. I'd have loved to have these guys as a kid, since they are closer in stature to the Imperial Godzilla! Methinks they might have tried to invoke Titanosaurus with the pointed fin on the one's head, no?

[countzackula]

Back to Dor Mei......howabout this:

The two most of us have probably seen in the standard, non-FX kaiju are the regular and fin crested versions...usually in red/orange and green/yellow. Notice the color on the guy in the middle...silver with pink? Never saw this version before!

Keep in mind, all are confirmed Dor Mei and the red one is from 1997 and slightly larger in proportion.

[countzackula]

The head is different too! See? It's "regular", with no spines or crest, but the sculpt is not like the plain headed Dor Mei kaiju most of us are familiar with. Aside from general sculpt, the biggest stand-out are the eyes. The are wider and larger and more angled forward...not walleyed like the other kaiju...hmmm.

I thought he might be a clever custom job, but as far as I can tell, no....but I'm no expert. Anyone see this version before?

[Megatron]

Pretty cool!

The one on the left actually looks like Titanosaurus:

Dec 8, 2010 16:22:54 GMT -6 countzackula said:

Here are two more of the unmarked Fraudzillas. The sculpt isn't as high quality as the official Godzilla or even the Dor Mei. I've only come across two head sculpts: finned and unfinned. Color variations? Pff...who knows how many, I'd love to find out! I've got tow finned head guys...a pink and a brown and one pink regular one. I think I saw one with slightly raised spines down his middle cranium on eBay but the picture wasn't great.
My neighbor had a Dor Mei kaiju as a kid and he sometimes battled it with my Godzilla, but it bugged my the fake was much taller. I'd have loved to have these guys as a kid, since they are closer in stature to the Imperial Godzilla! Methinks they might have tried to invoke Titanosaurus with the pointed fin on the one's head, no?

[countzackula]

Just got this guy in the mail the other day...looks like the sound and light effects kaiju head only solid! Never saw this version before and I usually try to keep an eye out...thing is, ironically I saw three of these on eBay from three different sellers in the course of one week...hmmm, whatever. Kinda weird, maybe.
At any rate, I've noticed that some people refer to these Dor Mei kaiju as "LEADWORKS" Godzillas. This is the first one I own. Has the usual Dor Mei markings and what not on the feet, only the phrase "LEADWORKS" is also printed in bold caps...what is the deal? Does that mean anything?

[countzackula]

Been meaning to get these up, but I hate trying to get my stupid scanner to work!

Okay, anyone know if this head style exists for any of the large Godzilla knock-offs? Most likely not the Dor Mei kind, probably the unnamed "brand". I remember my local arcade had several on display in the prize case in my youth. I remember three on display...one being pink (seemed odd, so I remembered it distinctly). I could have sworn one of the heads had fins on the sides like in my composite sketch...can anyone confirm, as least through heresay?


The full-body one on the bottom...in regards to that...actually remember seeing something like that in a toy store in the early 90s. Yeah, I know several smaller scale Godzilla KOs existed...most were very similar to Godzilla himself. You may be familiar with the rip off of Gigan which came in purple or yellow and stood somewhere between 8 and 10 inches? Yeah, well this guy could possibly be a misidentified Gigan KO but I distinctly remember holding one and bugging mumsy to buy me one or let me buy it with my meager cashflow...didn't happen either way. Now he's a phantom memory...but did he exist or was it either a misID or just my child-like mind playing tricks?

[countzackula]

BEHOLD! I have scoured the Earth for this ancient knowledge...and my quest hath beared fruit!



Yes, a blue version DOES exist. A-HA, I knew it in my heart of hearts. I had always wished to find and "odd" color scheme out there for these fake Godzillas. Usually you just see the red plain-headed dude and the greenish fin-headed guy. You do see weird variations and ones with rarer head molds. I had always hoped I'd find if a blue version of any of these Dor Mei or LEADWORKS guys was out there. Now I officially found one! I had seen a pic out there once in the vastness of the internet, but was not sure if it was real or some custom job. Well, I guess it's official. As far as I can tell...it's the real deal.



Technically, he's fairly modern...on the foot you can see he's the 1997 version of the Dor Mei figures, but the tag says it's from 1999! Wow, must be gettin' old...maybe that ain't so modern. That was over a decade ago! I wonder what context this was released under. When was that stupid American Godzilla flick made, again?




Released by some company called Toysmith...never heard of 'em. Did the old 80s Fraudzillas have tags? This guy is apparently called "Mega Monster"...ooooh!!! What small parts are kids gonna choke on? Not like you can pry its arm off and swallow it! C'mon!

I wonder what other neat-o color schemes might be out there.

*Eeeyuk*...and in case you're wondering why I have such grubby, dirty fingers...this long, extended Winter is murder on my dry skin...hard to clean my cracked skin and deformed nails without seering pain!

[Ebessan]

Apr 2, 2011 13:09:33 GMT -6 countzackula said:

Usually you just see the red plain-headed dude and the greenish fin-headed guy.

Hey dude, do you happen to have a pic of these 2 types you listed? They sound real insteresting.

[countzackula]

Just the "standard" ones...they're the same as the ones in the previous post pages.

[Ebessan]

Ah, ok. I see how this one's different, more of a Mohawk feel than a fin.

So do you think manufacturers re-release old figures or what? Like for example I found some Imperial normal dinos with tags; tags say 2007 but figures still say 1985, so I don't know if they're using leftovers or what.

Very cool color scheme on the Godzilla BTW.

Edit: I meant my question in relation to your figure saying "1999".

[Grizzlor Adams]

Not DorMei, but a cool Gojira boot none the less. Disregard the flamboyant Eternian midget & check out this bipedal lizard.
He's about 7" tall, solid, non-articulated, & marked Made in Spain.

[countzackula]

Ooh, damn! Nice. I have seen something like that once before...apparently they made a two-headed, winged beast as a companion piece...equally as nice!

By the way...micro-Eternian Liberace is breath-taking.......simply breath-taking!

[muckmonster87]

that godzilla is awesome grizzlor! i know what 2 headed beast you're talking about zackula, it's a fantastic monster. definitely on my want list!

[countzackula]

While we're at it......here's this little number...it's the ol' no-manufacturer Sharkfin Godzilla!



This is the first time I've seen this knock off Godzilla toy mold used with the standard Imperial style Godzilla color scheme...I usually see this toy in maroon or blue-green as below:



Here are the companion pieces to the Sharkfins...these neat Gigan ripoffs! Normally Gigan is supposed to have curved blades for hands and only one large pointy toe on each foot. He's also supposed to have one visor-like eye and more than one fin down his back. Don't let these mimics fool you!



Maybe they can pass as pre-cyborg Gigans? I really do hafta bone up on my Godzilla mythos again...it's been years! Did Gigan ever really have an in-depth origin?

Anyway, the Sharkfins and the fake Gigans are all about nine inches tall with rotating limbs and tails.

[Grizzlor Adams]

Those are great. I love cheap Kaiju rip offs. Good stuff.

[countzackula]

Just because I'm a thorough little scamp...here's two more versions of the "big-eye" version of the Dor Mei Godzilla knock off.




Man, I guess I can never rest until I track down all the head sculpts and color schemes! I'm doomed!!!

I noticed the green one seems to have the "LEADWORKS" stamp on his foot, but looks like the mold was altered to cover it up...you can barely make it out, so there was no point in me trying to photograph it...still...something weird to mull over.

[rawlin]

A friend of mine dug up his childhood godzilla the other day. Both him and me are interested to know more about it. What line it is etc. Any help is appreciated. I didn't think this fit in the ID section, since it's really not an ID.

[countzackula]

Found these two lately...and in such odd color schemes!



Yowza! Any ideas what year they are from? They use the 80s mold and even have the 80s stamp on the feet, but those colors are so totally 90s.



First time I saw one was the yellowish one on eBay some time ago. Seller mentioned it was from a video store display or something. I kinda assumed it could be a custom paint job...I coulda asked, but didn't. Oh, well. Saw one again but didn't pay hard attention to it...might have been the same seller...but like I said, assumed it was custom. I saw these two a week ago and finally told myself that I had to have 'em...that was that!!! Oddly enough, after winning these for dirt cheap, I came across someone's collection pics online and saw a yellow monster mixed into their stuff...okay, these probably aren't customs. You'd assume. Because of the paint wear, you can see the black plastic of the core figure...most Dor Meis don't have this much paint application. These are completely covered! Anyone else remember seeing these anywhere?