Be prepared to go Sky High with our next figure review. Continuing our coverage of figures
from Popy's elusive Super Pro-Wrestling Series, Blog #160 is all about the Super Pro-Wrestling
Series Mil Mascaras figure.
Mil Mascaras was released in 1981 as part of Popy's 10 figure Super Pro-Wrestling
Series set.
As a Wrestler that changed his ring attire colours frequently, Mil is depicted in a green,
black and red design.
A close-up of Mil's mask.
world's first, official Mascaras figure created (though, if any reader has an
earlier example from Mexico, I would be happy to hear from you).
In typical fashion, the back of the Mascaras figure contains Mil's name written in Japanese
Katakana along with the Popy company logo.
Closing thoughts:
After 1981, Popy would begin focusing on creating Keshigomu (eraser figures) of
officially-licensed Pro-Wrestlers until the mid 1980's. A decision that ultimately led
to the arrival (and major success) of the Kinnikuman/M.U.S.C.L.E. series of minifigures.
The Super Pro-Wrestling Series would never be followed up in the 1980's leaving the
initial ten figure set as a benchmark for Japanese figure collectors for many years to follow.
Myself, I would have painted Mil in his standard white and black ring colours (or at the
very least, released an alternate colour variant to make the line even more collectible)
but that's just nitpicking.
Long before the likes of The Ultimate Warrior, Sting, or Macho Man Randy Savage
became marketable for their constantly changing attires, Mil Mascaras was setting the
standard with his limitless assortment of colourful ring attires and Lucha masks.
When it comes to unopened examples, though, this is the Rolls Royce of Mascaras
figure collecting. A likeness that wouldn't be recreated in Japan again on a majors
scale for another two decades.
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