M.U.S.C.L.E. Men

The M.U.S.C.L.E. Men figures originated in Japan. The figures were the toy line for Kinnikuman, a manga introduced in 1979 by Yudetamago, the pen name of the creative duo Takashi Shimada (writer) and Yoshinori Nakai (artist). The Kinnikuman manga spawned an anime series in 1983, produced by Toei Animation and broadcast on the Nippon Television Network (NTV). The series ran until 1986, for a total of 137 episodes, and even branched into seven theatrical films. As was so often the case in the 1980s, the cartoon also had an accompanying toy line for kids. The Kinnikuman toys were produced by the toy company Bandai in the keshi (eraser) style. Keshi figures are usually about 2 inches tall, often feature highly-detailed sculpts, and are made out of solid, durable plastic. With a low price and high collectability quotient, as well as the crazy character designs, the Kinnikuman keshi were extremely popular; so popular that it created its own subgenre of toy, known as Kinkeshi.

Although the anime was never adapted for America because it was too violent to get past the censors, toy company Mattel took a gamble and launched their own line of kinkeshi toys in 1985. Re-branded as “M.U.S.C.L.E.” (Millions of Unusual Small Creatures Lurking Everywhere), the line used the same molds and plastic as their Japanese cousins. However, instead of vending machines, the figures were available in a variety of retail-friendly packaging options. The M.U.S.C.L.E. line was an immediate success, with industry magazine Playthings naming them one of the 10 Best-Selling Toy Lines of 1986. The success was short-lived, by 1988, the M.U.S.C.L.E. figures were unceremoniously discontinued.