Novelties
The world of Battle Beasts extended far beyond the figures themselves, branching into a myriad of officially licensed novelty items that accompanied the brand’s expansion throughout North America and Europe. Produced by third-party manufacturers rather than Takara or Hasbro, many of these items were distributed by companies such as the Imperial Toy Corporation of Los Angeles and Jotastar. The licensing activity of these smaller companies played a major role in shaping what collectors now recognize as the line’s broader merchandising landscape, particularly outside Japan, where comparatively few Beastformers novelty items were released.
These novelties spanned an impressive spectrum: wieldable full-scale replicas of figure weapons, sleeping bags featuring bold Battle Beasts artwork, lunch boxes, stickers, coloring books, and a variety of other everyday items that brought Battle Beasts into daily life. Although most of these third-party offerings fell short of Hasbro’s build quality, many have, somewhat ironically, come to rank among the rarest and most valuable artifacts for Battle Beasts collectors. Together, they form a distinct chapter in the toy line’s history—one that illustrates both the breadth of the brand’s reach and the varied ways it was adapted across different markets.
Imperial Novelty Items

Courtesy of Plaidstallions.com
The Imperial Toy Corporation was a Los Angeles-based toy manufacturer founded by Fred Kort in 1969. The company came to prominence in the 1980s, making vinyl animals and dinosaurs. Although Imperial gained a reputation for being a purveyor of cheaply-made products, many collectors feel that this only adds to the company's charm, and remember their toys fondly.
Despite Imperial's inability to compete with the build quality of major toy corporations of the era, they were the undisputed champions of licensing their second-rate products to various well-known franchises! Jaws, King Kong, Godzilla, Buck Rogers, Marvel Super Heroes, Hanna-Barbera, Mr. T, Spider Woman, and James Bond were among the most well-known.
Battle Beasts would ultimately join this list of noteworthy intellectual properties, and Imperial would bless the Battle Beasts community with a myriad of products that are as charming as they are crappy!
Jump-Ups

Released by the Imperial Toy Corporation in 1986, Jump-Ups were Battle Beasts response to the spring-loaded suction cup movement of the 80s and early 90s. These crudely-made novelties consist of three parts: a circular base, a spring, and an unarticulated bust of a Series One Beast. The figure, which has a suction cup molded to the bottom, is pressed firmly into the base, and the tension of the spring eventually propels all three components into outer space! Well, maybe not that high, but certainly a few inches!
In addition to the cheap thrill of launching your favorite beast into the air, kids could also risk everything in a "game of chance and surprise." Here are the rules, as written on the card back:
"PLAY THE BATTLE BEAST GAME: A GAME OF CHANCE AND SURPRISE!"
1) Battle to Rule the Skies: This game can be played with two or more jump-ups. Each opponent presses down on his Battle Beast to lock the spring mechanism in place. At a given signal, all jump-ups are
released. The first Battle Beast to jump is the winner.
2) Battle to Hold the Turf: This game is played exactly like "Battle
to Rule the Skies" except that, in "Battle to Hold the Turf," the last
Battle Beast to jump is the winner.

Photo courtesy of Battle Beast Mode
There are six Jump-Ups in total: Gargantuan Gorilla, Swiny Boar, Pirate Lion, Rocky Rhino, Sly Fox, and Gruesome Gator. Each of these figures includes a random elemental sticker, bereft of the heat-activated feature of a standard Hasbro figure. Jump-ups were offered individually and as a two-pack.
Warrior Goggles
Perhaps the most stylish of all the Battle Beasts offerings are the Warrior Goggles. These wearable glasses were released by Imperial in 1987 and were available in four bold colors: purple, blue, red, and yellow. Originally intended for battle reenactments on the playground, they're now just as useful to adult collectors who spend hours staring at their collections.




All photos courtesy of Killer Carp
Warrior Weapons
Warrior Weapons, released by Imperial in 1987, allowed kids to role-play as Battle Beasts and "battle for the fun of it" with full-scale weapon replicas. There are four Warrior Weapons in total: Pirate Lion's Warrior Sword, Crusty Crab's Warrior Weapon, Grizzly Bear's Warrior Weapon, and Roamin' Buffalo's Warrior Weapon. Each weapon features a generic Battle Beasts sticker and a safe, soft blade—although I would argue these blades are anything BUT soft when you're being bludgeoned over the head with one!





In addition to the four Warrior Weapons, Imperial released two Warrior Play Sets. These sets included a chest plate, two wrist guards, a warrior weapon, and an eye-patch. The chest plates featured a rotating battle wheel loaded with fire, water, and wood symbols. as far as we know, there were two Warrior Play Sets in total: one featured Crusty Crab's Warrior Weapon, while the other came with Roamin' Buffalo's Warrior Weapon. These pieces are as quirky as they are scarce!
All photos courtesy of Battle Beast Mode
Jotastar Novelty Items
Jotastar (Cowan de Groot Toys Ltd.) was a British toy and novelty company from the late 1970s through the 1980s. Alongside trading cards and card games, they produced a wide mix of licensed items, including puffy stickers and the small plastic push-tile puzzles that were a staple of the era.

Battle Beasts Sliding Tile Puzzle
Released by Jotastar in 1987, these Battle Beasts push puzzles perfectly capture the essence of the era. After all, you didn't have a successful intellectual property on your hands if it didn't have its own push puzzle! As far as I know, Gargantuan Gorilla and Pirate Lion were the only two offerings, but even after nearly forty years, Jotastar is full of surprises!

Courtesy of Battle Beast Mode

Courtesy of Killer Carp
Glitter Stickers
Another classic from Jotastar are the glitter stickers, released in 1987. These puffy vinyl stickers were everywhere in the eighties, and just about every toy line got their own release. I have personally seen six variants of these packets, and even their original display box! "Will stick to almost anything" is a rather bold proclamation—I guess I'll have to tear this pack open and put them to the test!

Battle Beasts Official Face Masks
Released by Jotastar in 1987, these official face masks let kids assume the role of everyone's favorite Battle Beasts—Pirate Lion and Gargantuan Gorilla! If you're looking to add these artifacts to your collection, be warned—they're about as durable as an egg shell that's been sitting in the sun for the past forty years.


Masks Courtesy of Battle Beast Mode
Ben Cooper Costume and Mask
Released by Ben Cooper in 1987, this Grizzly Bear Halloween costume was one of hundreds of vinyl costumes produced by this iconic company over its fifty-year run. If you were a kid in the eighties, chances are you can smell these photos!

Courtesy of Battle Beast Mode

Battle Beasts Lunch Box and Thermos
Aladdin was synonymous with school lunch in the eighties, producing licensed lunch gear for just about every popular franchise you can think of. This gorgeous Battle Beasts set was released by Aladdin in 1987 and may be the only one in existence that doesn't smell like finely-aged bologna and grape Kool-Aid.

Courtesy of Battle Beast Mode
Battle Beasts Snack Pack
In keeping with the theme of elementary school lunch, the Battle Beasts Snack Pack Day Pack is part insulated lunch box, part everyday carry. Not as flashy as the Aladdin hard-shell lunch boxes, but just as useful—and just as likely to have held its fair share of forgotten Friday bologna.


Courtesy of Battle Beast Mode
Battle Beasts Sleeping Bag
Not much is known about this Battle Beasts themed sleeping bag other than it smells like piss and Suavitel.

Courtesy of Battle Beast Mode
The Adventures of the Battle Beasts Casette
The Adventures of the Battle Beasts is a four-part audio story book produced by Tempo Story Tapes in 1987. Narrated by the legendary Peter Marinker, his dulcet voice brings our beloved Battle Beasts to life in a way that nobody else could. As ridiculous as they are charming, these stories are an essential listen for those who are hungry for Battle Beasts lore! Huge thanks to my Beastie Boy, Battle Beast Mode for uploading the audio file for this cassette. Click here to listen!






