Update 1
I'm the Phantom Collector and I've collected Japanese toys for awhile.  And in my travels I stumbled upon a very rare catalog.  

What intrigued me most was the character shown, Captain Maxx ?!!  Despite asking more advanced collectors about him, no one knows who he is or what company made or licensed him.  Strange... but now I'm curious !  

Since discovering him I have been searching for anything and everything I can about this character.  If anyone has any further info please email me!   As I find more info I'll post what I find to this site.

Artifact Entry 1
A very strange toy catalog sheet.   As you can see it has seen better days ...very weathered and torn.  In typical fashion it looks like a Captain Maxx head on other bodies.
Update 2
What is Captain Maxx ?

Thanks to all who have emailed... still no definitive word on this character or the toys in the catalog. The catalog sheet has a date of 1971 on it. From the Golden Age of Japanese toys. Still it's odd that no other records of this character have surfaced. 

The search continues for more information. I have someone who swears they have a tin wind up of this guy ..but am waiting to see pictures. The same guy said he may also have a box top of Captain Maxx. 

Stay tuned ... I'll post those pictures when I get them ....


Artifact Entry 2
Here is a new picture, sent last week, of Captain Maxx wind up trike!
 

 
 
Update 3
Does Captain Maxx exist ?

Incredible find, the top of a Captain Maxx Tin Robot box ! It has damage to the box, which looks like sun and water damage. Rusty staples, too. Side view shows a retail price of 1200 yen ( 1971 prices , no doubt ). The artwork is signed, looks like only the last name of Agata or Magata ?. Hmmm, sounds familiar.. in any case the toy is no where to be found. Another problem is the company trademark is missing... still another piece of the puzzle. The search continues...		 Artifact Entry 3
3 views of the top of a Captain Maxx tin wind up robot box



Update 4
Where are all the Captain Maxx toys ?


Zokki or Bootleg Captain Maxx ? Someone emailed this picture to me. What appears to be a very crude tin robot of Captain Maxx. Very beat up as all these Captain Maxx toys appear to be ( for some reason ). But another example that this character is or was real ? This looks like a hoax to me .. but still another interesting addition to the lore. But you'd figure if there were Captain Maxx toys that a bunch would be on Yahoo Japan right now...wouldn't there ??!!

I'm expecting an old newspaper clipping that has Captain Maxx article ... I will post it soon !		 Artifact Entry 4
Old tin robot

Update 5
Captain Maxx figure made by Mactsu Toys ?

I was emailed this old clipping from a Japanese Newspaper, circa 1971.

In part it appears that Captain Maxx was a live action TV show that debuted the evening of Dec 31, 1970. But, because it was New Year's Eve the ratings were extremely low and the following day the suit actor who played Captain Maxx was so drunk he destroyed the sets and all the suits...so the series was canceled.

It goes on to say that despite several toy companies planning on producing toys for the show, with all the scandal revolving around it ,only one toy was actually produced .. a soft vinyl figure with removable mask. 
The company was called Mactsu Toys (?) Hmmm, that company sounds vaguely familiar.... Anyways that company spent all it's money on the toy even though the series only aired once.. and they went under because no on wanted the toys. 
The owner was so mad he gather all the figures and burned them all ... but perhaps one.

It's rumored one vintage figure exists in the world .... but, who has it ? I wonder ...		 Artifact Entry 5
Behind the scenes on the set of the Captain Maxx show, circa 1970's.
 

Producer trying to explain why the suit actor went nuts!
 
Update 6
Captain Maxx Header card found!

From The Phantom Collector: Another find, this time a very beat up headercard from the Captain Maxx vinyl figure ( I think ).  Any day now I am suppose to receive what is believed to be the only surviving Captain Maxx figure from the 1970's!  Stay tuned, I'll post 
those pictures next time!
 Artifact Entry 6
Captain Maxx Header card.
 

Update 7
Captain Maxx Holy Grail Found!

From The Phantom Collector: I now have in my hands the one and only... the Holy Grail of Captain Maxx toys. 


This is the one surviving soft vinyl doll. It's a test shot, but it's got to be the only one left in the world. .. Wow !

It's even got a removable mask ... the fellow under the mask looks vaguely familiar ... I can't seem to place the dimple on his cheek....

Anyways, would you believe my son actual found this buried in my own
toy collection ? 

Yes, deep in the Phantom Collector's boxes... here's how it went down:

One rainy afternoon, my son Max had nothing to do, and began poking around my Japanese toy collection. The collection had gotten so big, I had lost track of which figures I owned. While I was taking a snooze, Max looked through a box of vintage toys. As he flipped through the figures, a mint-in-bag toy caught his eye .


Max knew that he wasn't supposed to open any of my vintage toys, but in this case, a strange force compelled him to open the package and remove the figure inside. A voice in his head told him not to be afraid·and that the name of the figure he was holding was Captain Maxx. Max removed the mask from the head of the figure, revealing a face underneath. In that instant, Max was transported to another dimension. He learned that he was needed to help Captain Maxx against the evil forces of Xam and his horde of alien cronies.

story to be continued...

 Artifact Entry 7
Last Surviving Vinyl

Update 8
Captain Maxx Lost and Found !

the story continues....

Later, Max woke me up and told me had he had just returned from a fantastic adventure ... in a non-stop ramble, he told me about the toy and about this hero named Captain Maxx. Sure, I said, That's nice. Hey, why's the figure out of the bag?

Max said, Oh yeah, sorry Daddy, but I had to open the bag !  

Oh well, I replied. Just don't lose the mask.

Max left the figure with me. As I looked at it, I realized I didn't remember this figure ever being in my collection. In fact, I had never even seen it before. 

I contacted Mark Nagata and asked him if he'd be interested in making a new toy based on Captain Maxx, and lo and behold, Mark's new company called Max Toy Company will be replicating this toy.

I know Mark Nagata will do justice in replicating Captain Maxx ... and can't wait to see the figures ! 

Update:

Captain Maxx soft vinyl figures are now available, although most of the editions are sold out.. but you should check out whats new.
Max Toy Company's web site: www.maxtoyco.com !!!

02/06/07 - More updates coming real soon ! Including a vintage painted Capt Maxx figure found and a brand new figure called Alien Xam!


Artifact Entry 8
Max Toy Co.'s Captain Maxx vinyl figure