Saturday, 23 June 2012
Un Phased
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
READ THE ESSENTIAL PROJECT SWORD COMICS HISTORY BY SHAQUI LEVESCONTE & KIM STEVENS
the definitive guide to vintage thunderbirds toys - steve's thunderbirds vintage toys
PROJECT SWORD SPACEX TIMELINE
- 1968 SPACEX LT10 CONCEPT
- 1966 SPACE GLIDER REAL THING
- 1969 LUNAR CLIMBER & MOONSHIP
- 1968 PROJECT SWORD ANNUAL
- 1968 TV21 #168 PROJECT SWORD PHASE 2
- 1968 PLEASURE CRUISER CONCEPT
- 1968 CENTURY 21 TOY MANUAL
- 1967 SCOUT 1 CONCEPT
- 1967 NUCLEAR FERRY TOY AD
- 1967 SWORD TOY AD
- 1967 SWORD TOY AD
- 1966 SPACE GLIDER CONCEPT
- 1966 HOVERTANK IN COMIC
- 1966 NUKE PULSE NEEDLEPROBE IN COMIC
- 1966 ZERO X FILM DEBUT
- 1966 MOONBUS IN COMIC
- 1966 SPACE PATROL 1
- 1966 P3 HELICOPTER IN COMIC
- 1966 SAND FLEA AND SNOW TRAIN
- 1966 MOBILE LAUNCH PAD IN COMIC
- 1965 SPACEX MOONBASE CONCEPT
- 1965 APOLLO FIRST UK TOY AD
- 1962 NOVA CONCEPT
- 1962 MOONBUS CONCEPT
- 1961 MOON PROSPECTOR CONCEPT
- 1953 MOLAB CONCEPT
BLOG EXCLUSIVES ARCHIVE: CUrrently out of order
BLOG EXCLUSIVE: TARHEEL PROBE FORCE 3 BOX ART AND INSTRUCTION SHEET DOWNLOAD
Courtesy of Graeme Walker
Blog exclusive 3 - tarheel moon prospector instruction sheet - print-out a4 and keep!
KYUSHU THUNDERBIRDS MUSEUM
OTHER PROJECT SWORD VEHICLES IN THE ANNUAL
DREAMS OF space - a fabulous timeline of space books and art
PROBE FORCE 3 VARIATIONS
PROJECT SWORD, SPACEX AND APOLLO MOON EXPLORING LIST. KEY SS = SIMILAR TO SWORD, SB = Similar box
- T Moon Prospector artwork box
- T Moon Prospector Photo Box
- T Moon Ranger
- Tarheel (T) Space Glider USA
- Sears 3 Stage Rocket Base USA
- Century 21 (C21) Moonbase Playset UK
- C21 Zero X
- C21 Nuclear Ferry
- C21 Cape Kennedy Set
- C21 Apollo Saturn Rocket
- C21 Space Glider
- C21 Moon Ranger
- C21 Booster Rocket
- C21 Moon Prospector
- C21 Probe Force 1
- C21 Probe Force 2
- C21 Probe Force 3
- C21 Re-Entry Taskforce 1
- C21 Re-Entry Taskforce 3
- C21 Re- Entry Taskforce 2
- Century 21 Scout 1
- Century 21 Scout 2
- Century 21 Scout 3
- C21 Rocket Launcher - SS
- C21 Mobile Bridge & Combat Tank - SS
- C21 Moonship - SS
- C21 Lunar Climber - SS
- C21 Topo Gigio Camper - SB
5 comments:
Excellent Wote. Ta. Wonder why C21 chose the Ferry as a Phase 2 toy? The Phase 2 advert in TV21 shows a Saturn Apollo. Was that Ph.2 as well? Nothing on the box I don't think.
BTW what's the font they've used for NUCLEAR FERRY anyone?
I had a look in the SWORD manual this morning and it's split into 'sections' rather than 'phases', so that's no help. I'll have to dig out my copy of TV21 where the SWORD text stoeies start and see if it says Phase 2.
It's becoming quite intriguing this.
From what Wote has illustrated the only known box with Phase 2 is the Ferry. The same typeface is on the Cape Kennedy set but that doesn't seem to have Phase 2 mentioned, and the Saturn Apollo box has the 'original' box design with no P2 indication even though the toy clearly features in the TV21 advert. Further to this, the apparent last toys produced, the Scouts have a another different box design and leaflet , again no mention of Phase 2.
I'm beginning to conclude that maybe Wote has a point. The Ferry is the vanguard of a lost range of Sword toys that were never produced but would have carried the name Phase 2.
several things spring to mind now - the scouts were th last three toys made and all had a sheet instead of a manual. Ferry also only included a spec sheet - which i dont have, but is mentioned on the box - which having seen the scout ones, are only 'photostats'. This could have been a cost saving measure, as the line was in flux. The ferry is a technically complex toy, lot of metalwork inside and a special 'flashing' engine. This would have been expensive and costly to produce, whereas the scouts are cheap throwaways. Perhaps prduction on the ferry was delayed and it was held back as the flagship of Phase 2, waiting the mythical Moonbase and presumably other toys. As Thunderbirds are Go wasnt exactly a smash, perhaps C21 got its fingers burned with the mega expensive Zero X and Apollo models and lacking a tv show backing, when Sword sales dropped off, Phase 2 was dropped, along with Moonbase. Shame.
That the Ferry wasn't made in large numbers is sort of backed up by the fact that the successor to C21, Regent Toys, who sold leftover SWORD stock like the Zero X, Cape Kennedy Set etc under the moniker Project MOON, never included the Ferry. Presumabley there weren't any left to sell when C21 Toys folded. A counter argument however is that Project MOON missed out lots of different SWORD toys, e.g. the Scouts, the Task Forces, Moon Ranger etc. Presumabley these were 'Phase 1'. Were they all gone when C21 Toys ended?
Post a Comment