Last year, we began our journey through the world of TOHO Soft Vinyl toys. We are so proud of the different sculpts and colorways for Godzilla and Hedorah that came out during 2021. Seeing them on people's shelves and in different kaiju collections made us excited for what was to come.
As teased at previous conventions, we have even more TOHO Soft Vinyl ahead, starting with this release: the first in our line of JET JAGUAR figures, featuring a colorway inspired by the seminal GODZILLA VS. MEGALON.
This first version, with many more to come, goes on sale this Thursday, 4/7 at 12PM CT on The Drop.
JET JAGUAR - Godzilla vs. Megalon Variant. Design by Rocom. Sculpt by Tufan Sezer. Paint by Hector Arce. Packaging by Rocom and Mike Bonanno. Photography by Robert Howell. 7.75". Edition of 400. Limit one per household. $85
Expected shipping is August 2022, ships only to United States and Canada. 
A word from the designer, Rocom Toys:
A long time ago, I was at my local toy shop, Cape and Cowl Collectibles, and I came across a Bandai Jet Jaguar toy. I hadn’t thought about the character since I was a little kid. Godzilla vs. Megalon was a go-to movie for my brother and I growing up. Seeing that figure brought back a rush of memories and nostalgia for me.
I purchased my first Jet Jaguar collectible that day and have amassed new figures of the character ever since. To my knowledge I currently have the largest Jet Jaguar collection in the US, with every figure, every maker, from M1GO and Bullmark to Bandai and X-Plus.
But collecting vinyl toys wasn’t enough for me: I got into designing and making my own vinyl toys in 2018. With all of the toys I have made, I never thought that I would have the opportunity to design my own officially licensed Jet Jaguar toy for TOHO.
When Mondo first reached out to me for the job I was excited, but mostly frightened. There have been so many renditions of Jet Jaguar, how was my version going to stand out from the rest ... and also pay tribute to this classic character? I was freaking out.
Ultimately this would be a figure I was going to add to my own collection and it had to be perfect.
Mikey and Hector at Mondo have always been a positive impact on my work and trusted me to treat the character with attention and respect. I love what Japanese vinyl makers like M1GO, Marusan, and Bullmark have done with Godzilla characters in the past. It was always important to me for this version of JJ to sit next to those old versions on a shelf, and fit right in. But, it also had to feel new.
I thought of new poses, or styles for the character, and ultimately it came down to the scale and proportions that led to our final design. I imagined what a Jet Jaguar toy would look like in an animated series (not the actual mech, but a toy of the mech in an animated world). It had to be something that could encapsulate that joy I felt as a kid watching Jet Jaguar for the first time.
After a few sketches and conversations with Hector, the final figure came out fast. Every step of the toy making process has been like Christmas for me: seeing Tufan's sculpt come to life, the first test pulls, working on the header card artwork ... all the way up to the incredible product photos taken by Robert. I love the figure we made.
I am forever thankful to Hector and Mikey at Mondo for trusting my vision for this unique Godzilla character. It's been a dream come true.
(Now I just hope I can get one when they come out!)
