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= B. Bonanno Guide Class
= B. DeMars Guide Grade
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One horn is enough
When the original character debuted in the Japanese wrestling manga Kinnikuman he went by a different name than nostalgic memory for the Mattel M.U.S.C.L.E. version. His original name was Buffaloman and amongst the most memorable villains who later became a key protagonist and friend to Kinnikuman himself as a complex anti-hero.
Having lost one of his horns in a battle with Warsman in the Sevin Devil Chojin arc. While Ganman also damaged his horns amongst other battles, his armor and likeness in this figure are a unique easter egg in its back-story. With the Japanese kanji on his should armor “猛” roughly translating to fierce, wild, or violent as an indication to his character lost on the English-speaking markets but looked cool none the less.
When the franchise came to the North American market licensed by Mattel for rebranding as a M.U.S.C.L.E. figure this adaptation of the original Kinkeshi (short for Kinnikuman Keshi, translated as “Muscle man eraser“) made the characters introduction as Terri-Bull on the posters.
One of only two given an official rebranding to the consumer with the other being Kinnikuman himself now known Muscle Man. The two stand proudly at the top of the 1985 promotional poster kids used to track their collections and are favorites to many enthusiasts.
Ever confident and postured for opportunities to display his bravery and sheer strength in an imposing physique. The form of Buffalo Man fits perfectly amongst the range of creative characters that occupy the Kinnikuman universe.
Within the M.U.S.C.L.E. toy line, Terri-bull stood out due to his dramatic horned profile, making him a favorite among collectors and children alike. While American audiences in the 1980s often had no idea they were playing with a character from a sprawling Japanese wrestling epic, the visual strength of Buffaloman’s design transcended language and narrative barriers.
Collector Controversy
The colors shown here are only examples of figures that have been found validated in the sales distributions but, there’s verified either very small batch, or one-of-one examples of verified figures too. Then there’s also some figures that are teased through hints found in various marketing examples or sales samples and manufacturing test runs. These are the types of figures that make the series special, and any collector’s prize.
For the collector community one such example is the mythical Green version of the Buffalo man in the specific figure form. While not accounted for yet in the Muscle.toys collection, its existence is somewhat confirmed by its appearance in the bottom right corner of the Mega-Match Board Game released in 1983 containing the exclusive Grape color set of figures and the select green figures. However, Buffalo Man was not among those distributed that have been found so far.
So, if you happen to find a GREEN little fella that looks like the one in the image shown above (preferably with a board game original) and want to let us know, nerds would appreciate it so please get in touch! 🙂