PHOTOSTORY: Cyborg Safari in Cocobat Country

[GUYx1]

This is actually my 1st unposted attempt at a photo story from 2005.



Well as many of you may – OR MAY NOT know.

In Japan there lived Two Brothers. Kenichi & his younger brother Kengo Katagai. Aside from the connection to Takara and the Cyborg, the Katagai brothers were also known as being rugged adventurers and were world renowned for their grand safari Adventures. (Well before that sort of thing became passé anyway).

Several months back, Kengo was off at boarding school and trying to entertain himself when who should appear but his old pal TINTIN.



TinTin was a famous Belgian explorer and clasped in TinTin’s hand was a rolled piece of parchment.

TinTin told Kengo:
"Kengo, our friend Takeshi in Japan just sent us an unusual map!
A map to COCOBAT country! A land of Mysterious Crocodiles"
This map (and the great Katagai family Networking skills) would surly lead them on a great safari adventure – or at least kill a few hours of boredom in the process.
Well it would have if TinTin did not have homework to do.
TinTin suggested “Perhaps you could call your older Brother.”



Older Brother Kenichi (who was knee deep in a Top Secret company project that was going nowhere) was in the perfect state of mind for some escapist fun.

Kenichi checked his schedule and after a little reworking said he would join his brother to research the mysterious reptiles.

After changing out of his Work clothes and into his AMAZING SAFARI costume, Kenichi Katagai consulted his friend, renowned big game hunter Commander McBragg, to learn what sort of adventure to expect.



"Well Old Boy if you are talking about Cocobat country, this a very dangerous journey indeed.
Very few men have ever come back from there alive.
You should consult with our old friend INDY before attempting such a journey"

Katagi found this all very intriguing and seeing as he had nothing better to do decided a little perilous brush with death would do him some good.

On his way to meet Kenichi, Kengo stopped to visit explorer Lara Croft.


Lara told Kengo,
"I have had no time for adventure anymore. My life is just filled with 12 hour days on set and with making all the videogames, well there is just never enough time in the day."



"Have you seen my latest film? Dear boy you must see my latest film. Well, I haven’t time to talk, but I found this Sacred Dokuro Mask while scouting out locations for my next two films.
Perhaps it has magical powers, It would make a great decoration back at school. Well if all else fails, it might impress your friends."

Meanwhile Kenichi was busy checking with his comrades as well.



Kenichi, You will need a guide. I have someone in mind who knows crocodiles like the back of his hand. Also lest I forget, I have something for you. A Sacred Idol that was uncovered from the very ground that your company was built upon.
I’ve been carrying this around in my sack meaning to give it to you for some time. Maybe you will find a use for it. "

With artifacts in tow, The brothers rushed to meet famous crocodile expert Steve Irwin for his experience with Crocodiles and would be their expert guide on the safari.



"Well you see the Crocodile he’s quite a character.

You need be very careful when going through these swamps if you are not an expert such as myself..

Dangerous Cybernetic Organisms are luring everywhere in these swamps. Elequebird warriors ready to strike at every turn!

Only with a trained guide can you expect to explore without being detected."



"OH CRIKEY!!!"



"Wait, I think I have just the thing to grab the attention of a tribe of CYBERNETIC Organisms!"



"Behold – I give to you the great Golden Henshin Idol. "



"We the Elequebird are most humbled by your generous Gift and appreciation of the Great Cyborg God.

We wish you well upon your journey and many thanks to you."




"Friend, if perchance you are looking to view the native Crocodile population of this swamp, just hike about 4 miles south…"

After a short hike our adventures stumbled upon a very interesting find.



"Erm, could those be the CROCODILES, Steve?"

"Oi! Right you are mate! If you look closely you can see the native Crocodiles next to those Alien reptile creatures over there.

Waa? ALIEN REPTILE Creatures?? Blimey, I don’t remember them being here! That certainly is peculiar, isn't it?"



"Stand Aside, I think can handle this!", said Kengo.



"Really fellas, I can handle it!

Yeesh, this is getting a little too close there fellas. You're creepin' me out"


The Crocodile masks were quickly removed to reveal Kengo's friends from the Japanese Punk band Cocobat!

"Kengo!" Shouted his bespeckled friend Takeshi.
"Yeah Just us man. Great to see you! Brilliant mask by the way!
Not as cool as ours though! This must be your Brother then!"


"Kenichi, Fear not we be but mere cybernetic Japanese Rock Musicians.
On our days off, we have taken to wearing unusual animal costumes for no apparent reason.
Since we happened to be in the neighborhood ,We decided to get a closer look at the crocs and forgot to take off our costumes. You know how it is.
Hope we didn’t frighten anyone!"

[bryanarchy]

Awesome guy!!! Well scripted, well cast, well well well!!!!

[johnnyhaggis]

Wow!!! See, now THAT'S a damned good reason to justify your insanely huge collection, Guy! We need more of those! Nice Lara Croft doll! Who made that? Her dialogue is the best!

And I don't reconginze the guy with the gaping opened mouth and the snake (you mention his name but I don't know who that is) but he looks hilarious, like he's constrantly urinating in his pants.

I like your elequebird overalls!

An 12" Tintin!! I used to LOVE tintin! Read him in the original french. I have some here at home. I'm all for crossing toy lines. And who's the guy with the pipe?

YOu need to quit your job and just make these stories!

[hypnotator]

Fantastic, Guy. A photostory makes my day. Beautiful photography. Is that your back garden? You make it look vast. My daughter loves the story too. She is a Steve Irwin fan. He is big on British telly at the moment, Johnny; swims too close to crocodiles and that kind of thing. Despite the expression on the figure, he is pretty fearless. They had little Stretch Steve Irwins at the last Memorabilia. I went back for one but they had all gone.
My biggest question is about the insect style head on the silver Cocoboy. That isn't the head that comes with the figure, is it? I also love Kengo's skelly mask; where did you get it?

[GUYx1]

Thanks for the great feedback everybody!

As far as Steve Irwin, he is known on TV as Crocodile hunter.
He is known for being fearless to the point of insanity. Even dangling his infant child over man eating reptiles. (He caught a bit of flak in the press over that one).
I love the episode when he is in a small boat with his wife and dog and (quite by accident) Steve knocks said wife and dog overboard into crocodile infested waters. The look his wife gives him is just PRICELESS!



There was supposed to be a 12" action figure of both Steve & his wife by N2 toys in 2001, however the line was cancelled. A lot of AMBITIOUS AS HELL prototyped figure lines were shown from N2 Toys in 2001 (such as Fifth Element, The MUMMY, Mad Max, Farscape & Matrix)

Prople now probably remember seeing Matrix dolls everywhere, but the line was shown long before it ever hit the stores and in the end too many versions of Neo, Trinity & Morpheus were produced. A HUGE lineup of individual characters was shown at toyfair. Enough for everyone to get their favorite character.

All the toylines shown by N2 in 2001 got cancelled well before the full figurelines ever came out.
The N2 Rambo and Steven Segal I think eventually came out, but they were not given big releases. Probably dumped at some regional dollar store. Until I started seeing them on ebay for $10 buy it now, I never knew they existed. Those two figures were pretty lackluster compared to the other proposed Sci-fi toylines.
The accessories alone for the unreleased Sci-fi toylines were worth the price of the figures.

An alternate (frightened) 1/6 scale vinyl Steve Irwin head eventually showed up on the stretch figure mentioned by Hypno and I kitbashed the 12" figure together from that head.
A Mad Max on the otherhand is not such an easy custom, because you are working from scratch.
Most of those N2 toylines are seldom customized by kitbashers, due to the sheer complexity of each individual character.
By comparison, making a safari figure is a lot easier.

Commander McBragg was a 60's cartoon character whose stories were mixed in with the Underdog cartoons.



He was a famous cartoon explorer with many tales to tell.
That figure was kitbashed together from an early 1990's action man Dr X and a host of other parts.

I have literally pieced together costumes for more genres than I can count. All waiting for a quiet day for an exciting adventure via digital camera.

Now about that weird cocoboy head...
Hypno, I can honestly say I always hope I'm WRONG when I make new discoveries.
My first reaction is often a slight hint of nausea, followed by a stream of YOSEMITE SAM like expletives.
IE: OH NO NOT AGAIN!
I Felt the same way the day I found the clear 12" skull from medicom. (*now made much more attainable through the SB clear suits.)
Sure I had this clear 12" grasshopper man, but how can you have a clear grasshopper man and only have the Takeshi head underneath. What about the SKULLHEAD figure?
Sure enough there really was a clear skull sold separately.
A skull head that was made to go with the skeleton bones printed workout outfit AND the clear grasshopper.
Just Brilliant. Another thing to buy. Just what I wanted to hear.
Grrrr.
If there could have been something made in japan, there probably was.
As for the cocoboys. I always thought "Guess the croc head is always gonna stay on the silver croc. Just another human head."
pretty unimaginative.
Then I found this wacky head with vampire teeth and big eyesockets a year or two ago, listed under COCOBAT Base2x0 head. There was a photo showing the Cocoboy figure holding the additional head in his hands. The head is made of the same material as the medicom Taheshi head and is a seriously tight fit when you go to put it on.
Apparently issued at the same time as the Silver figure but sold separately.

They are not IMPOSSIBLE to obtain, just CHALLENGING. The heads show up about once a year. Prices range from 1000 to 3500 yen, depending on if there is a fight. Last time I saw one in a collection with almost ALL the SB colorful clear heads.
The full lot of heads went for 4000 yen (an AMAZING bargain) If I see one I can give you a heads up.

The Tiki skull mask on kengo was on a vinyl keychain. I think they were called "EYE POPPERS" and were sold at the occasional gas station. (I will have to look around and see for sure)
They have a squidgy material inside that pops out when squeezed. I did some trimming on it to turn it into a mask.

Thanks again everybody!
Guy