Trendmasters
Trendmasters was the primary Godzilla toy manufacturer in the United States in the 1990s. Aside from its classic Godzilla lines, Trendmasters released a line for the 1998 American GODZILLA film and even had a brief Gamera toy line. Many of the company's classic Godzilla figures had multiple variations ranging from packaging differences to color and whether they made sounds or not. The two main lines for the classic Godzilla series were King of the Monsters and Godzilla Wars. There was a third line called Godzilla: Doom Island, which only saw a minor release through Trendmasters' online store.
King of the Monsters
King of the Monsters was the first main line of Trendmasters' classic Godzilla figures. They were released in 1994 in various retail stores. There were multiple releases of certain characters like Godzilla, Rodan, King Ghidorah, and Mothra in different size ranges.
6-inch figures
The 6-inch figures either had sound or no sound at all included with the figures. Included with them are collector cards. The Kmart exclusives come with tiny army men and a tank, but left out the collector card, while the regular sound versions come with the army men, the tank, and a collector card. Despite the size classification being 6 inches, some of the toys range from 5-6 inches. The 6-inch figures are:
- Godzilla (versions: glowing eyes; no sound; with sound; Kmart exclusive with sound)
- Godzilla (Supercharged) (versions: glowing eyes; with sound)
- King Ghidorah (versions: no sound; with sound; Kmart exclusive with sound)
- Mothra (versions: no sound; with sound, Kmart exclusive with sound)
- Mechagodzilla (versions: no sound; with sound; Kmart exclusive with sound)
- Rodan (versions: no sound; with sound; Kmart exclusive with sound)
- Biollante (versions: with sound; no sound)
- Mecha-King Ghidorah (versions: no sound; with sound; Kmart exclusive with sound)
- Battra (versions: with sound; no sound)
- Gigan (versions: no sound; with sound)
Godzilla (glowing eyes version)
Godzilla (sound version)
Godzilla (Kmart exclusive with sound)
Godzilla
Godzilla (Supercharged)
King Ghidorah
King Ghidorah (no sound)
King Ghidorah (Kmart exclusive with sound)
Mothra (no sound)
Mothra (Kmart exclusive with sound)
Mechagodzilla
Rodan (with sound)
Biollante (with sound)
Mecha-King Ghidorah (no sound)
Battra (with sound)
Gigan (no sound)
10-inch figures
All of the 10-inch figures have electronics in them, as well as motion-sensors that allow the monster to roar whenever their sensors detect movement. Unlike the 6-inch figures, these did not come with collector cards, but each figure did include a bonus comic book entitled Godzilla: King of the Monsters - Monster Island Unleashed!. The sizes of these figures range from 8-10 inches. The 10-inch figures are:
- Godzilla
- Godzilla (Supercharged)
- King Ghidorah
- Mothra
- Mechagodzilla (versions: regular; JC Penney exclusive that included the Garuda)
- Rodan
- Mecha-King Ghidorah
Godzilla
Godzilla (Supercharged)
King Ghidorah
Mothra
Mechagodzilla (regular)
Mechagodzilla (JCPenney exclusive)
Rodan
Mecha-King Ghidorah
Bendables
Just as the name implies, these figures' limbs are able to bend with ease, allowing collectors and children alike to pose them in a variety of different ways. Like the 6-inch figures, collectible cards were included with every toy. The figures are 4 inches tall. The Bendable figures are:
- Godzilla (versions: green-colored; aqua blue-colored)
- King Ghidorah (versions: gold-colored; dull gold-colored)
- Mothra
- Mechagodzilla
- Rodan
Godzilla (green version)
Godzilla (aqua blue version)
King Ghidorah
Mothra
Mechagodzilla
Rodan
Hatchlings
These little toys come with eggs that they could fit inside so that children or collectors can re-enact the monsters "hatching" out of their eggs. These toys are only 2 inches tall. Included with the figures are collectible trading cards. The Hatchling figures are:
- Godzilla (versions: regular; crooked neck)
- King Ghidorah
- Mothra
- Mechagodzilla
- Rodan
Godzilla (regular version)
Godzilla (crooked neck version)
King Ghidorah
Mothra
Mechagodzilla
Rodan
Walkers
Battery-powered toys that allow the figures to move around, roar, and do attack motions. These figures stand 11-12 inches tall. The two Walker figures are:
Godzilla
King Ghidorah
Godzilla Force
Sort of a precursor to the 1998 GODZILLA toy line's human figures, Trendmasters made figures of humans and the Garuda that were part of a group called Godzilla Force, similar to the G-Force organization from the last three Heisei Godzilla films. The figures come with battle armor, weapons, a Godzilla Force badge, and a collectible trading card. The Garuda toy came with its own smaller pilot figure. These toys are only 4 inches tall, with the Garuda being 4 inches long. Figures that are part of Godzilla Force include:
- David Easton
- Peter Richards
- Margaret O'Brien
- Michael van Horn
- Garuda
David Easton
Peter Richards
Margaret O'Brien
Michael van Horn
Garuda
Figure sets
Figure sets are basically 4-inch Godzilla figures packaged together with various other monsters. Like many other Trendmaster products, they came with collectible trading cards. The figure sets are:
- Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (versions: regular; Toys'R'Us exclusive)
- Godzilla vs. Mothra (versions: regular; Toys'R'Us exclusive)
- Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (versions: regular; Toys'R'Us exclusive)
- Godzilla vs. Rodan (versions: regular; Toys'R'Us exclusive)
- Godzilla vs. Mecha-King Ghidorah (versions: regular; smooth wing Mecha-King Ghidorah; Toys'R'Us exclusive)
- JCPenney 3-Pack (includes Godzilla, Rodan, and King Ghidorah)
- King of the Monsters 40th Anniversary Set (includes Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, Rodan, King Ghidorah, Battra, Mecha-King Ghidorah, Gigan, Mothra, and Biollante)
- Thundering Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (Toy Liquidators exclusive)
- Battling Godzilla vs. Mecha-King Ghidorah (Toy Liquidators exclusive)
- Supercharged Nuclear Godzilla vs. Battra (Toy Liquidators exclusive)
- Supercharged Raging Godzilla vs. Gigan (Toy Liquidators exclusive)
- Supercharged Thundering Godzilla vs. Biollante (Toy Liquidators exclusive)
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
Godzilla vs. Mothra
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
Godzilla vs. Rodan
Godzilla vs. Mecha-King Ghidorah
JCPenney 3-Pack
King of the Monsters 40th Anniversary Set
Thundering Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (Toy Liquidators exclusive)
Battling Godzilla vs. Mecha-King Ghidorah (Toy Liquidators exclusive)
Supercharged Nuclear Godzilla vs. Battra (Toy Liquidators exclusive)
Supercharged Raging Godzilla vs. Gigan (Toy Liquidators exclusive)
Supercharged Thundering Godzilla vs. Biollante (Toy Liquidators exclusive)
Micro playsets
Playsets of cities with tiny Godzilla figures and pieces for children and collectors alike to have tiny monster fights in cities. When folded up, the playset becomes Godzilla's head. Collectible trading cards are included in each set. Playsets included:
- Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah in San Francisco (versions: regular Godzilla head; Supercharged Godzilla head)
- Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla in Los Angeles (versions: regular Godzilla head; Supercharged Godzilla head)
- Godzilla vs. Rodan in New York (versions: regular Godzilla head; Supercharged Godzilla head)
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah in San Francisco
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla in Los Angeles
Godzilla vs. Rodan in New York
Wind-Ups
As the name implies, these toys walk, move their limbs, and open their mouths when the wind-up dial on their side was wound up. These figures were 3 inches tall and came with collectible trading cards. Wind-up figures are:
Godzilla
Mechagodzilla
Mecha-King Ghidorah
Miscellaneous
Trendmasters released many Godzilla products during the King of the Monsters toy line run, ranging from piggy banks, drinking straws, growing Godzilla figures, and pop-up toys. These are items that do not fit in with the other categories of the line.
- Godzilla Monster Bank
- Godzilla Monster Fun Straw
- Godzilla Key Ring Bendable Figure
- Growing Godzilla (versions: New York; San Francisco; Tokyo)
- Godzilla Pop-Up
- Mechagodzilla Pop-Up
- Rodan Pop-Up
- Godzilla Attacks New York Giant Playset (includes Mecha-King Ghidorah)
- Godzilla Attacks New York Missile Blaster Set (JCPenney exclusive)
Godzilla Monster Bank
Godzilla Monster Fun Straw
Godzilla Key Ring Bendable Figure
Growing Godzilla (New York version)
Growing Godzilla (San Francisco version)
Growing Godzilla (Tokyo version)
Godzilla Pop-up
Mechagodzilla Pop-up
Rodan Pop-up
Godzilla Attacks New York Giant Playset
Godzilla Attacks New York Missile Blaster Set (JCPenney exclusive)
Godzilla Wars
The second main line of Trendmasters' classic Godzilla series was released in 1995. Many of the King of the Monsters figures were repackaged under the Godzilla Wars box, but there were also new figures made so as to add variety to the line. Like before, many of the packages had variations to them, as well as the figures themselves, and new collectible trading cards were available with most of the toys.
6-inch figures
Like in the King of the Monsters line, these figures either are available with sound or without it, as well as collectible trading cards. All of the previous 6-inch figures Trendmasters released were repackaged for this line, with only five new monsters available. Figures sold are:
- Godzilla (versions: glowing eyes; with sound)
- Godzilla (Supercharged) (versions: glowing eyes; with sound)
- King Ghidorah (no sound only)
- Mothra (no sound only)
- Mechagodzilla (versions: no sound; with sound)
- Rodan (versions: no sound; with sound)
- Biollante (versions: no sound; with sound)
- Mecha-King Ghidorah (no sound only)
- Battra (versions: no sound; with sound)
- Gigan (versions: with sound; no sound)
- SpaceGodzilla (versions: no sound; with sound)
- MOGUERA (versions: no sound; with sound)
- Megalon (with sound only)
- Baragon (with sound only)
- Varan (with sound only)
Godzilla (glowing eyes)
Godzilla (Supercharged - glowing eyes)
Rodan (with sound)
Biollante (with sound)
Mecha-King Ghidorah
Battra (no sound)
Gigan (with sound)
SpaceGodzilla (with sound)
MOGUERA (with sound)
Megalon
Baragon
Varan
10-inch figures
Figures sold are:
- Godzilla
- Godzilla (Supercharged)
- Mechagodzilla
- Mecha-King Ghidorah
- SpaceGodzilla
- Gigan
Godzilla
Godzilla (Supercharged)
SpaceGodzilla
Gigan
Bendables
Figures sold are:
- King Ghidorah
- Mechagodzilla
- Rodan
- Godzilla (Supercharged)
- SpaceGodzilla
- Biollante
- MOGUERA
Godzilla (Supercharged)
Rodan
Mechagodzilla
MOGUERA
SpaceGodzilla
Biollante
Hatchlings and Micro Mountain
The King of the Monsters line packaged figures are either packaged with an egg or a mountain case, while the newer figures only came with the mountain case. Figures sold are:
- Godzilla (versions: egg; mountain case)
- Godzilla (Supercharged) (versions: egg; mountain case)
- King Ghidorah (versions: egg; mountain case)
- Mothra (versions: egg; mountain case)
- Mechagodzilla (versions: egg; mountain case)
- Rodan (versions: egg; mountain case)
- SpaceGodzilla
- MOGUERA
- Anguirus
Godzilla (with egg)
Godzilla (with mountain)
Godzilla (Supercharged - with mountain)
King Ghidorah (with egg)
Mothra (with egg)
Mechagodzilla (with egg)
Mechagodzilla (with mountain)
Rodan (with egg)
SpaceGodzilla (with mountain)
MOGUERA (with mountain)
Anguirus (with mountain)
Power-Ups
These are Godzilla figures with attachable weapons, making the flesh-covered toys appear to be cyborgs in a way. There were two variations of missile colors; red and blue. Figures sold are:
- Godzilla
- Godzilla (Supercharged)
- Mechagodzilla
- Rodan
- Mecha-King Ghidorah
Godzilla
Godzilla card
Godzilla (Supercharged)
Rodan
Rodan card
Mechagodzilla
Mechagodzilla card
Mecha-King Ghidorah
Mecha-King Ghidorah card
Figure sets
Sets sold are:
- Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
- Godzilla vs. Mothra
- Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
- Godzilla vs. Rodan
- Godzilla vs. Mecha-King Ghidorah
- Godzilla vs. Battra
- Godzilla vs. Biollante
- Godzilla vs. Gigan
- Godzilla Wars 40th Anniversary Set (includes Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, Mecha-King Ghidorah, SpaceGodzilla, MOGUERA, Battra, Biollante, Gigan, and Anguirus - versions: regular; special repaint)
- Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
- Godzilla vs. MOGUERA
- Godzilla vs. Anguirus
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
Godzilla vs. Mothra
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
Godzilla vs. Rodan
Godzilla vs. Mecha-King Ghidorah
Godzilla vs. Battra
Godzilla vs. Biollante
Godzilla vs. Gigan
Godzilla Wars 40th Anniversary Set (regular version)
Godzilla Wars 40th Anniversary Set (special repaint version)
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
Godzilla vs. MOGUERA
Godzilla vs. Anguirus
Micro playsets
Sets sold are:
- Godzilla vs. Biollante in Washington, D.C.
- Godzilla vs. Godzilla Force in Mecha-King Ghidorah Central Command
- Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla in Mechagodzilla Defense Base
- Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla in Tokyo
Godzilla vs. Biollante in Washington D.C.
Godzilla vs. G-Force in Mecha-King Ghidorah Central Command
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla in Mechagodzilla Defense Base
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla in Tokyo
Doom Island
Trendmasters' third classic Godzilla line, Doom Island, was set to be released to stores in 1997, but it never was. The only release it received was through Trendmasters' website as contest give-away prizes. Years later in 2001, an Anguirus figure was revealed inside a Doom Island Godzilla box.
6-inch figures
- Godzilla (no sound)
- Godzilla (Supercharged - no sound)
- SpaceGodzilla (no sound)
- Megalon (no sound)
- Baragon (no sound)
- Varan (no sound)
Godzilla
Godzilla (Supercharged)
SpaceGodzilla
Megalon
Baragon
Varan
10-inch figures
- Godzilla (Supercharged)
- SpaceGodzilla
- Biollante
SpaceGodzilla
Biollante
Battle Armor
Godzilla Battle Armor
Mecha-King Ghidorah Battle Armor
Kumonga Battle Armor
Anguirus Battle Armor
Megamutations
Godzilla
Destoroyah
Figure sets
- Doom Island 40th Anniversary Set (includes Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, Mecha-King Ghidorah, SpaceGodzilla, MOGUERA, Battra, Biollante, Gigan, and Anguirus)
- Godzilla vs. Tyrannosaurus rex and Velociraptor
- Mechagodzilla vs. Stegosaurus and Velociraptor
- Mecha-King Ghidorah vs. Velociraptors and Pteranodon
Doom Island 40th Anniversary Set
Godzilla vs. Tyrannosaurus rex and Velociraptor
Mechagodzilla vs. Stegosaurus and Velociraptor
Mecha-King Ghidorah vs. Velociraptors and Pteranodon
GODZILLA (1998)
Trendmasters produced a short-lived toy line for the 1998 American film, featuring several figures of Godzilla, the Baby Godzillas, a few human characters from the film, and several military weapons and vehicles. A second line was planned but never released. A line for the animated series was also planned, but was cancelled after Trendmasters went bankrupt.
Godzilla
- Combat Claw Godzilla
- Fang Bite Godzilla
- Living Godzilla
- Razor Bite Godzilla
- Shatter Tail Godzilla
- Thunder Tail Godzilla
- Ultimate Godzilla
- Supreme Godzilla
- Shatter Blast Godzilla vs. Rocket Launcher
- Nuclear Strike Godzilla vs. Hornet Jet
- Electronic Godzilla Bank
Fang Bite Godzilla
Living Godzilla
Razor Bite Godzilla
Japanese release of Razor Bite Godzilla by Bandai, renamed "DX Godzilla"
Shatter Tail Godzilla
Thunder Tail Godzilla
Ultimate Godzilla Box
Ultimate Godzilla
Supreme Godzilla
Shatter Blast Godzilla vs. Rocket Launcher
Nuclear Strike Godzilla vs. Hornet Jet
Electronic Godzilla Bank
Baby Godzillas
- Baby X Baby Godzilla
- Claw Slasher Baby Godzilla
- Razor Fang Baby Godzilla
- Hammer Foot Baby Godzilla
- Tail Thrasher Baby Godzilla
- Remote Control Tail Swinging Baby Godzilla
Baby X Baby Godzilla
Claw Slasher Baby Godzilla
Razor Fang Baby Godzilla
Hammer Foot Baby Godzilla
Tail Thrasher Baby Godzilla
Remote Control Tail Swinging Baby Godzilla
Baby Godzilla Hatchlings
- Monster Claw Baby Godzilla Hatchling
- Hammer Tail Baby Godzilla Hatchling
- Spike Jaw Baby Godzilla Hatchling
Monster Claw Baby Godzilla Hatchling
Hammer Tail Baby Godzilla Hatchling
Spike Jaw Baby Godzilla Hatchling
Humans
- Capture Net Philippe
- Grapple Gear Nick
- Power Shield Jean-Luc
- Ultra Attack Animal
- Double Blast O'Neil
Capture Net Phillipe
Grapple Gear Nick
Power Shield Jean-Luc
Ultra Attack Animal
Double Blast O'Neil
Military vehicles
- All-Terrain Vehicle
- All Terrain Attack Vehicle
- Rapid Attack Battle Bike
- Twin-Firing Combat Cannon
- Twin-Firing Battle Blaster
- Apache Attack Copter
- F/A-18 Hornet Strike Jet
- Thunderblast Tank
All-Terrain Vehicle
All Terrain Attack Vehicle
Rapid Attack Battle Bike
Twin-Firing Combat Cannon
Twin-Firing Battle Blaster
Apache Attack Copter
F/A-18 Hornet Strike Jet
Thunderblast Tank
Micro Battle World playsets
- Battle at Brooklyn Bridge Micro Battle World
- Terror at Times Square Micro Battle World
Battle at Brooklyn Bridge Micro Battle World
Terror at Times Square Micro Battle World
Gamera: Guardian of the Universe
Gamera: Guardian of the Universe was a short-lived Gamera toy line produced by Trendmasters in the late 1990s. The line included figures of Gamera and several of his classic enemies.
Figures
- Gamera with Fireball Missile Blast (versions: with sound; no sound)
- Gyaos with Firing Sonic Beam (versions: with sound; no sound)
- Guilon with Firing Saber Fin (versions: with sound; no sound)
- Jiger with Firing Terror Talon (versions: with sound; no sound)
- Viras with Thrashing Tentacle Attack (versions: with sound; no sound)
- Zigra with Firing Paralysis Beam (versions: with sound; no sound)
Gamera
Gyaos
Guiron
Jiger
Viras
Zigra
The back of the packaging
Roaring Gamera with Fireball Missile Blast
Advertisement for Trendmasters' Gamera: Guardian of the Universe toy line and its cancelled Godzilla: The Series toy line
Cancelled releases
King Kong: The Ultimate Beast
Advertisements for several King Kong figures appeared in Trendmasters' 1995 dealer's catalog.
11" electronic King Kong figure
Stomp & Roar King Kong and King Kong action figure
Plush caged Kong and Playmation King Kong
Kong Mountain playset
Classic Godzilla figures
Trendmasters cancelled figures of Kamacuras and Manda for their classic Godzilla lines. Only concept art for the Manda figure exists, while a prototype exists for the Kamacuras figure.
Manda figure concept art
Kamacuras figure concept art
A prototype of the Kamacuras figure
Animated plushes
Trendmasters also created prototypes for animated Godzilla, Rodan, and King Ghidorah plushes that were never released.
Godzilla plush prototypes
Second GODZILLA (1998) line
A second line for the 1998 American film was planned for a release during the holiday season of 1998, but due to the first line's poor sales it was cancelled. However, prototypes from the line exist, several of which are just repaints of figures from the first line.
- Nuclear Glow Godzilla
- Steel Attack Godzilla
- Mayhem Godzilla
- Living Godzilla Repaint
- Shatter Tail Godzilla Repaint
- Roar Godzilla
- Silver Baby Godzilla (repaint of Razor Fang Baby Godzilla)
Promo featuring Nuclear Glow Godzilla, Steel Attack Godzilla, and Mayhem Godzilla
Living Godzilla repaint prototype
Shatter Tail Godzilla repaint prototype
Silver Baby Godzilla repaint prototype
Roar Godzilla prototype
Roar Godzillas and Nuclear Glow Godzilla prototype
Godzilla: The Series line
Another line of figures was planned to coincide with Godzilla: The Series, but it was cancelled when Trendmasters went bankrupt. Like the unreleased second line for GODZILLA, prototypes of figures from this line exist.
- Ultimate Animated Godzilla (repaint of Ultimate Godzilla)
- Deluxe Godzilla
- Thunder Sonic Godzilla
- Baby Animated Godzilla
- Cyber Godzilla
- Crustaceous Rex (misspelled as "Sea Rex" in advertisements)
- Quetzalcoatl
- Robo-Yeti
- Nick with Accessories
- Randy with Accessories
- N.I.G.E.L.
- H.E.A.T. F/A-18 Hornet Strike Jet
- H.E.A.T. Apache Capture Copter
Ultimate Animated Godzilla prototype
Deluxe Godzilla prototype
Thunder Sonic Godzilla prototype
Baby Animated Godzilla prototype
Cyber Godzilla prototype
Crustaceous Rex prototype
Crustaceous Rex prototype (red variant)
Quetzalcoatl prototype
Robo-Yeti prototype
Human figure prototypes
N.I.G.E.L. prototypes
Advertisement for Trendmasters' Godzilla: The Series and Gamera: Guardian of the Universe toy lines
Had the toy line been released, the next planned figures would have included El Gusano Gigante, a Cyber Fly, and a Mutant Rat.[1]
Videos
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Trivia
- Trendmasters produced figures of Battra, Mecha-King Ghidorah, SpaceGodzilla, and Destoroyah several years before the films in which they were introduced were released in the United States. Furthermore, many of Trendmasters' figures of existing kaiju were based on their Heisei designs, such as with Mechagodzilla and MOGUERA, even though the films featuring those designs had not yet been released in the U.S.
- Trendmasters Godzilla and Mecha-King Ghidorah toys appear in Independence Day, the film Roland Emmerich directed prior to GODZILLA.
- Several of Trendmasters' figures for the 1998 film were distributed in Japan by Bandai.
- Toho would later perform a 3D scan of Trendmasters' Ultimate Godzilla figure to create Zilla's CGI model for Godzilla Final Wars.[1]
- Trendmasters' Gamera: Guardian of the Universe line includes all of Gamera's enemies from the Showa series except for Barugon.
- Trendmasters released a comic book titled Monster Island Unleashed to promote its first wave of Godzilla figures in 1994. The comic is notable for being the first American Godzilla comic to feature Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah (as Mecha-King Ghidorah), or Mechagodzilla. The only American comic beforehand to include any other Toho kaiju beside Godzilla was Cinema Shares' 1976 promotional comic for Godzilla vs. Megalon.
- Trendmasters created several unique trademark icons for each of the "Big Five" kaiju which appear on the packaging for their toys, featuring artwork of their toys of the monsters in place of the original artwork used on Toho's icons. Unique icons for TriStar's versions of Godzilla and Baby Godzilla from the 1998 film also appeared on some of Trendmasters' toys.
External links
References
This is a list of references for Trendmasters. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
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