Monchhichis were created in 1974 by Koichi Sekiguchi. The toys were made by doll company Sekiguchi Corporation in Japan. Monchhichis are furry monkey-like animals that are known for their thumb sucking. I remember having a large Monchhichi girl doll with a pink dress when I was young. Unfortunately my cat chewed off one of her big toes.
In 1975 Monchhichi dolls were exported to West Germany and Australia, and eventually were sold throughout Western Europe. They finally reached North America in 1979 and were licensed under Mattel.
The two classic dolls were the boy Monchhichi and girl Monchhichi. You can view a couple of the original North American commercials here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od3cNTl40VI and here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n0cdDhwGmw. Outfits were sold separately and there were even Monchhichi puppets: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN1-s6fc-88.
Other Monchhichi merchandise was created during the 1980s such as doll sized furniture that was produced by Regal Toys in Canada. The pieces included a rocking chair, a bench, and a rocking horse: http://www.flickr.com/photos/munkeybizniss/5882651560/in/pool-958437@N20/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/munkeybizniss/5882090849/in/pool-958437@N20/. There was also a line of mini PVC figures that were about the same size as Smurfs. I still have a Monchhichi pencil: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39887684@N07/3804122824/in/photostream and a small clip on doll.
There were two television shows based on Monchhichis. The first was a Japanese anime series in 1980 called “Monchhichi Twins”. The second was an American cartoon series by Hanna-Barbera named “Monchhichis”. It aired in September 1983, but was not very successful and only lasted for one season. There were toys created from some of the main characters of this cartoon series, one was Tootoo: http://www.etsy.com/listing/50182335/monchhichi-tootoo-with-card-tag.
Monchhichis still maintain their popularity today with collectors seeking out the vintage items. Sekiguchi also continues to create new Monchhichis dolls. You can find many different types of Monchhichis available including DJ Monchhichi, and Statue of Liberty Monchhichi. There are also outfits, shoes, and other related merchandise being sold on the Sekiguchi site: http://www.monchhichi.co.jp/ for fans to discover.
