Super Festival 86!

 

Today (Sunday, October 1), I attended Super Festival 86 at the Science Museum in Tokyo. I arrived just an hour before closing, and, well, there really wasn't that much to see. In years past, I've shown up at similar times, and there was still quite a bit of hustle and bustle. This time, however, there were few attendees, and many dealers were already packing up. I did buy a few vintage bromide cards from '60s kaiju movies at a very reasonable price, so it wasn't a total loss. Overall, though, it was quite boring. Anyway, here's what I saw, so (try to) enjoy!

I hear Guyver: Dark Hero (1994) has some of the greatest acting ever committed to film. Maybe I'll see it someday. Photo by Brett Homenick.

"Like Marios, like, uh, Simpsons." Photo by Brett Homenick.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Oshman's is cool," sez Radioactive Beavis. Photo by Brett Homenick.

SUPER FESTIVAL 75! A Brief Look at the Tokyo-Based Collectibles Show

I stopped by Super Festival 75 today. Unfortunately, I didn't see very much there worth photographing. It seems like I've seen it all before. I actually did manage to spend some money this time, but only about 1,500 yen (which ain't a whole lot). Here are some of the more interesting sights. I'll also make a couple of follow-up blog posts. Stay tuned.

MONKEY SHINES! Meeting a Furry Friend on the Way to Super Festival!

Hey, who's that monkeying around in the tree? Photo by Brett Homenick.

On the way to Super Festival today, a man was walking his pet monkey around the park just outside the Science Museum (where Super Festival is held). Since I had camera in hand, I took a few shots of the unusual sight. Here they are.

GET YOUR KICKS AT SUPER FESTIVAL 66! The Long-Running Tokusatsu Convention Has Toys and Models Galore!

Model maker extraordinare Hiroshi Sagae does some promotional work at Super Festival 66 in Tokyo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Super Festival 66 took place in its usual location in Tokyo's Science Museum near Kudanshita Station. As usual, there were toys and models aplenty, and while there were a few special guests on hand (including Kikaider actor Daisuke Ban), tickets for autograph signings typically sell out quickly at this event, so I decided just to do a bit of window-shopping this time.

That said, I did run into G-FEST XXI guest Hiroshi Sagae, and we took some photos and exchanged greetings. It's always a treat to see Sagae-san at these events. He's been a ubiquitous presence in recent months!

Models and toys were just as ubiquitous, and while I have not been a toy or model collector since my teenage years, it can be interesting to see what's new (or, in some cases, old). I couldn't tell you the first thing about who made these models or when, but hey, they're cool to look at!

Admittedly, a show like Super Festival offers me very little. I'm more into meeting celebrity guests and hanging out with my friends, and the culture of buying overpriced toys or models is not my bag. (Your mileage may vary, of course.) Some of these items can be fun to photograph, but only occasionally. After all, if I don't collect the models themselves, why would I want to collect a bunch of pictures of them?!

Overall, it was fun to stop in at Super Festival for a moment, but the more I attend, the more I realize the show is just not for me. Much like Wonder Festival, it caters to a different crowd with a different hobby. It can be fun to step inside that world every now and again, but I think there's a reason I spend less and less time at Super Festival every time I go.