By Sean Linkenback

 “The mightiest monster ever made into a toy!” — Popy Catalog, 1978 

Few toys embody the spirit of 1970s Japan like the Popy Jumbosaurus Godzilla — a colossal vinyl tribute to Toho’s greatest creation. Standing nearly a foot and a half tall and brimming with play features, this beast wasn’t just a toy; it was a statement. For kids of the late Showa era, it brought the movie monster to life in plastic form. For collectors today, it’s one of the crown jewels of the kaiju hobby. 

   To understand the Jumbosaurus Godzilla, you have to look at its lineage. The term “Jumbo Machinder” was coined by Popy (a division of Bandai) in the early 1970s for their line of two-foot-tall polyethylene robots, beginning with Mazinger Z in 1973. These toys were designed to be durable, dramatic, and unmistakable — towering figures meant to dominate a child’s playroom.

   As the Jumbo Machinder line expanded to include famous Super Robots like Raideen, Gaiking, and Grendizer, Popy’s designers were looking to expand the line beyond the Robot world. The result was the Jumbosaurus Godzilla, a perfect fusion of toy engineering, marketing genius, and kaiju fandom.  At the time of release, it was the largest, most expensive Godzilla figure ever made.

 The sculpt took cues from Godzilla’s appearance in “Terror of Mechagodzilla” (1975) — the last film of the Showa era — capturing the rounded snout, soulful eyes, and squat, muscular proportions of that design. The figure was molded in olive-green polyethylene, with sprayed yellow claws, teeth, and eyes ringed in black. 

   Part of the appeal of the Jumbosaurus Godzilla lay in its blend of play value and imposing presence. Like its mechanical Machinder siblings, Godzilla came armed — quite literally — with gimmicks:

•  Fist-Firing Mechanism: Each arm launched its hand with a spring-loaded punch, a staple feature of Jumbo Machinders.
•  Authentic Roar: A first for Godzilla toys and the Jumbo Machinder line. A pull string at the back of Godzilla's head attached to a voice box in his abdomen, allowing the figure to replicate Godzilla's roar.
•  Rolling Wheels and Full Size Dorsal Plates: Hidden beneath his feet were small wheels, allowing the mighty monster to glide across floors with a push. His back was adorned with row of Godzilla's unmistakable dorsal plates.
•  Smoke From His Mouth: A lever at the base of his tail worked an On and Off Switch, allowing Godzilla to blow smoke from his mouth.

Wait, what was that last one again? Yes, that's right, the original design of the Jumbosaurus was for him not only to roar and have a shooting fist, but for him to have a smoke gimmick to simulate his atomic breath. It was the problems in getting this gimmick to work and its ultimate removal; that allowed the modified version of this toy (also designed by Popy/Bandai), to be released by Mattel to the US market as the Shogun Warrior Godzilla before Popy could release the Jumbosaurus.

The Prototype of the Jumbosaurus Godzilla, showing the red On/Off switch down by his tail, to control the release of smoke from his mouth (courtesy Nishimura collection).

The last minute exclusion of the smoke gimmick, and the rush to get the figure to market lead to variations in the production of the Jumbosaurus. Collectors recognize three distinct versions of the toy:

•  First Issue: Above the sticker at the bottom showing how to attach the tail, a very clear area labeled "ON" and "Off" with a line and arrow between them for where the lever was meant to go. The Popy logo and copyright information on the bottom of the foot is provided by way of a clear attached sticker.
•  Second Issue: The "On" and "Off" labels have been marked over, with cross-hatching covering the arrow in between the two words. The Popy logo and copyright information on the bottom of the foot remains a clear sticker.
•  Third Issue: Similar to the second, but the arrow is even more obscured by cross-hatching in the vinyl; and the Popy logo/copyright information is no longer a sticker on the bottom of the foot, being actually engraved into the vinyl itself.

1st Issue Jumbosaurus with clearly labeled "On/Off" switch and arrow

2nd issue Jumbosaurus with the "On/Off" labels and arrow scratched out.

Jumbosaurus Foot Copyright: Showing engraved 3rd issue compared to the sticker used on 1st/2nd issue figures.

The chest plate of the Jumbosaurus was die-cut to allow the voice box placed underneath to operate with full effect. There are a few different patterns of the cutting die, and the thin plastic of the chest plate is often damaged. The pull string at the back of the neck to operate the voice box came with either a yellow or blue plastic loop at the end.

   The Jumbosaurus came boxed in a stunning full-color litho display, showcasing dramatic artwork of Godzilla against a fiery red background, roaring amid destruction. The front proudly bore the Popy logo and the “Jumbosaurus” branding — a title used exclusively for kaiju rather than robots.  Surviving boxes today are exceedingly rare due to their thin cardboard and the sheer bulk of the toy.  

   In the collector world, the Jumbosaurus Godzilla has achieved near-mythical status. Its immense size, fragility, and limited production run ensure scarcity. The tail and fist are commonly missing (or broken), and the voice box is frequently non-working. Few examples now remain in pristine condition, incomplete or broken examples are often offered in online auctions, as even a well-loved specimen commands respect — and space — in any collection. 

   Mint boxed examples of any issue are considered museum-grade collectibles. Loose offerings outnumber boxed examples by a 20 to 1 margin, and the price of a nice box easily surpasses that of the toy itself.

   The Popy Jumbosaurus Godzilla occupies a unique crossroads between tokusatsu history and toy design evolution. It represents the first time a soft, organic character was translated into the Jumbo Machinder scale — paving the way for later kaiju-themed super-sized toys.

   More than a collectible, it embodies an era when toy design was bold, experimental, and physically monumental. The Jumbosaurus wasn’t just a toy of Godzilla — it was Godzilla, in all his towering, destructive glory.

The amazing front and side panel of the Jumbosaurus Godzilla box, a Grail-level collectible all by itself.