MARS KING - HORIKAWA - JAPAN

Dark grey lithographed tin robot. The distinctive feature of this robot is the fact that it has working rubber tracks giving a tank-like movement. In addition there is a clear TV screen in chest with a lighted space scene. The robot moves forward with siren noise while the television screen light. Horikawa have used a fly wheel system so the otherwise standard mechanical siren varies in speed instead of just turning on and off like all other toys of that time.


There are two versions of this toy: a robot head and astronaut head.

The astronaut version is that of the of the astronaut from an Attacking Martian and the box art includes the face detail. The robot version has a fly eye head. The box art for each version reflects the different head, though the rest of the artwork, including the name, remains the same.

The shoulder usually has factory touch ups to cover distortions of the metal formed during pressing. The treads frequently perish. The originals were joined together with metal connectors.

The robot version appears in the Spiegel catalog for 1968 and the astronaut version is featured in the 1968 Galoob catalog. This suggests they are contemporary. Treads. Caterpillar.

On sale in December 1968. The Radar Scope Space Scout astronaut and robot 1st version (1969) use the same heads as the Mars King.