Super7 Stormtrooper Super Shogun - Retro Style Ad And More

Update:
9/16/10 - A Japanese toy commercial for Star Wars toys was thought to be lost for thirty years, but has now been found! Okay, not really....but this may be even cooler. We at Super7 produced our own retro-video for the STORMTROOPER SUPER SHOGUN figure, shot in the style of Japanese toy commercials from the 1970s. Using the old videos as our storyboards, a few sparklers, and a lot of effort has resulted in this fun video, which can be viewed below.



2/17/2010
Super7 announces full product details and a new website for the company’s first collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd.: the highly anticipated Star Wars Stormtrooper Super Shogun.

Children growing up in the 70s and 80s had their lives touched by two pop culture phenomena: the Star Wars saga and Jumbo Machinder toys (marketed in the US as Shogun Warriors). Acclaimed toy design firm Super7 has combined Star Wars characters with the towering Japanese Super Robot aesthetic to create a collectible that could only have been imagined in the past. This marks the first authentic Super Shogun produced in over twenty-five years.

The Star Wars Stormtrooper Super Shogun stands a whopping 24 inches tall, and includes all of the features that you expect from an authentic Jumbo: free rotating wheels on the bottom of his feet, and a spring-loaded Rocket Punch firing fist. Utilizing the same techniques implemented by Japanese toy manufacturers in the 1970s, the Super Shogun is constructed from durable, blow-molded polyethylene with a painted vinyl helmet. The figure is articulated at the neck and shoulders, and includes a removable, highly-detailed BlasTech E-11 laser blaster, which even features a posable stock that unfolds from below the barrel. Collectors of both Japanese and Star Wars memorabilia are sure to be impressed with the care taken to fuse the disparate concepts into one unique entity.

Packaged in a dynamically illustrated gift box, each Stormtrooper is individually serial numbered as part of this one-time limited edition production run. As a special bonus, metallic foil stickers are included to allow fans the option to customize the torso with the character name in English or in Japanese.

Star Wars collector and Lucasfilm’s Head of Fan Relations Steve Sansweet says he can’t wait to get his hands on one. “I collected both Shogun Warriors and Star Wars toys, and to me this is the perfect mash-up. I’ve been following this piece since I saw the first internal prototype, and its awesome size and cool features (a firing fist!) along with its limited availability put this high up on the must-have list.”

Tom Franck, renowned Japanese toy expert and possessor of one of the largest collections of Jumbo Machinders in the world, remarked “Toys like this just aren’t made anymore and it would be easy to produce a modern-era product that is similar to the original Jumbo Machinder line in name only. Throughout the prototyping and manufacturing process, Super7 has stayed true to the distinct aesthetics of the Jumbo Machinders. It is so exciting to see the return of a classic, and I cannot wait to add it to my collection.”

In celebration of the impending release, a dedicated mini-website has launched at STARWARS.SUPER7STORE.COM containing additional product specifications, photos, and more. The home page features a countdown clock highlighting the date that the first preorders will begin being accepted online. The site will be updated regularly and will serve as the headquarters for all future Super7-Lucasfilm collaborations.

Update:
9/16/10 - StarWars.com has added a retro-style commercial & behind the scenes info.