Series: Dragonball Z
Company: Film Freak
Main distribution: The Netherlands
These are postcards from Dragonball Z by Film Freak.
Film Freak Productions B.V. is a poster and card company (publisher, wholesale, import and export) and was established in 1981. They still exist today but seemed to have moved.
The postcards are plain on the back, with “DB and a number” in the left corner, “Official product by Film Freak Productions BV, Zoetermeer, Netherlands, tel. 079-342 56 14” vertical in the middle and “AB Groupe logo, 1989 Bird Studio/Shueisha/Toei Animation (Japan)” in the bottom left.
AB Groupe (now Mediawan Thematics) is a French broadcasting group, and the distributor of the Dragon Ball merchandise for European and Canadian markets. They made the English dub for the Dragon Ball Z movies in the Netherlands (based of their French dub), with awkward changes like Piccolo being “Big Green” and the Saiyans “Space Warriors”. Their merchandise is one of the first figures you could get here, and I guess they licensed the images for the postcards of them.
I’m guessing, based on the numbering, there’s 10 in total. I have 8/10.
The images may have some shimmering on them as the postcards are stored in a photo album, and I was reluctant to remove them.
DB 2
The card depicts a screenshot of the anime, during the Frieza Saga, where the gang thought they had defeated Frieza, right before he comes back and shoots Piccolo and kills Krillin.
DB 3
The card depicts a screenshot of the anime, of Goku with a halo and a pink sky backdrop.
DB 4
The card depicts a screenshot of the anime, of Gotenks Super Saiyan 3 with a stormy backdrop.
DB 5
The card depicts a screenshot of the anime, of the Saiyan Saga, where Vegeta and Nappa are on the planet Arlia, eating aliens.
DB 6
The card depicts a screenshot of the anime, of the Saiyan Saga, of Radditz’ arrival.
DB 7
The card depicts a groupshot of early Dragonball Z characters, with young Gohan at the front.
DB 9
The card depicts a screenshot of the anime, of the Fusion Saga, of Trunks and Goten inside Buu, who turn out to be his thoughts.
DB 10
The card depicts a screenshot of the anime, of the Opening at the end of Dragonball Z, with a groupshot of all the characters.
I remember buying these loose in the local Bruna, I’m guessing around 1996~2000, and most likely in the latter half of that time period. Every week or so after school I would cycle by and pick out a Dragonball Z postcard, getting my favourites first, as well as some loose mini figures. Back then, anything with Dragon Ball on was cool and I would buy. There wasn’t much to be found back then, and we didn’t have internet yet.
I neatly stored them in a photo album and they have been in that since. I recently found the album again so I wanted to upload them here to preserve them.
It’s very hard to find merchandise from the Netherlands! So I’m loving these especially as I’m Dutch. Nostalgia! Despite them mostly being screenshots from the anime, it’s one of the earliest things I bought of Dragonball Z, and Dutch, so I have a special place in my heart for these cards, despite them not being that special I guess apart from being vintage now. Shame I’m missing DB 1 and DB 8 though.
The photo’s are, as always, of the actual items in hand and not stock photos.
Got any more details / information you think I should add? Or did I get something wrong? Do you own the same postcards? Do you agree or disagree with my findings? Let me know in the comments below.