Trendmasters

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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

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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 GodzillaRodanKing 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)

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: 

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:

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:

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 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

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)

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)

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:

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 Wars

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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:

10-inch figures

Figures sold are:

Bendables

Figures sold are:

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:

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:

Figure sets

Sets sold are:

Micro playsets

Sets sold are:

Doom Island

Doom Island logo

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

10-inch figures

Battle Armor

Megamutations

Figure sets

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

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 Godzilla Hatchlings

  • 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

Military vehicles

Micro Battle World playsets

  • 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)

Cancelled releases

King Kong: The Ultimate Beast

Advertisements for several King Kong figures appeared in Trendmasters' 1995 dealer's catalog.

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.

Animated plushes

Trendmasters also created prototypes for animated Godzilla, Rodan, and King Ghidorah plushes that were never released.

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)

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.

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

Godzilla: King of the Monsters TV commercial #1
Godzilla: King of the Monsters TV commercial #2
Godzilla: Doom Island TV commercial
Godzilla Power Up TV commercial
Godzilla Wars vs. SpaceGodzilla TV commercial
Godzilla Thunder Tail TV commercial
Godzilla Babies and Supreme Godzilla TV commercial
Living Godzilla TV commercial
Combat Claw Godzilla TV commercial
Godzilla: The Series TV Commercial (unreleased)

Trivia

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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Era Icon - Toho.png
TriStar
Daiei
GODZILLA (1998)
Godzilla: The Series
Toy Line
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Era Icon - Rodan.png
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Super Mechagodzilla
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Era Icon - Gigan.png
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Era Icon - Baragon.png
Era Icon - Varan.png
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Era Icon - Anguirus.png
Era Icon - Kumonga.png
Era Icon - SpaceGodzilla.png
MOGUERA
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Baby Godzilla (TriStar)
Era Icon - Gamera.png
Era Icon - Gyaos.png
Era Icon - Guiron.png
Era Icon - Jiger.png
Era Icon - Zigra.png
Era Icon - King Kong.png
Era Icon - Kamacuras.png
Era Icon - Manda.png