Created by Nature or Science? Invasions of Monsters and Octopuses

Hi Woodsy,

I don't own any of these. I sold the octopus set ages ago, but here are some photos.

Regards

Tony E.

Anyone else got this kind of stuff?

Karloff and Crimplene

 Memory is like a baking soda diver, sometimes stubbornly staying under, sometimes rising madly in the bubbles.

As I get older my diver prefers not to rise as much now and infuriatingly I find myself forgetting my youth.

One thing I can't recall at all now is actually going to bed as a kid. 

I know I did or else I'd be a gibbering wreck somewhere.

No, the physical act of getting under the crimplene cover (hiding the coarse blankets) eludes me.

I know what my room looked liked. Well some of it. I had shelves with toys on. At some later point I had a stereo and some LPs (my first was Rock Around the Clock). There was an old coat cupboard, which I kept well shut as it was scary. Below the window was a large sideboard, where there must have clothes but I've no memory of any clothes in the room. The single clearest recollection is a huge six foot black and white poster of Karloff's Frankenstein, which was directly above my bed. 

There may have been a metal alarm clock.

Unlike my European partner, who enjoyed comfy feather duvets as a kid in the Sixties and early Seventies, my blankets were itchy and everything was covered in rayon or frilly crimplene. Do they even exist anymore?

Years earlier, when our sisters still lived at home, I shared a room and bunk bed with one of my brothers. I have no memory of this at all except an old fish tank and the toilet next door!

I'd love to recall lying in bed, getting tucked in, sipping Mum's cocoa and reading Thunderbirds annuals all night but I can't. They're as elusive as Tracy Island itself!

Do you recall going to sleep as a kid readers?

i mostri: Italian monsters

I adore this Baravelli catalogue cover, showcasing their release of the Mego universal monsters.

What a great image! I love that purple castle!

Have you any Mego?

Arto's Lincolns: the Batamaran and Catamaran

Woodsy

As a response to your Blog post, I'm sending you these photos of my pair of Lincoln catamarans.

 The Batamaran is a repurposing of their Air Powered Catamaran toy.

Arto

Helsinki Base

Will's Signed Capsule

Hi Woodsy.

Further to that brilliant Action man mercury mission video, my Action Man Mercury space capsule signed by the man himself ……

Scott Carpenter.

Will O.

Boy Oh Boy! It's a Batman Toy!

 Imagine having to choose between these two glorious Lincoln Toys Batman wonders!

The magnificent Freez Ray Gun and the stupendous Batamaran.

How utterly superb.

I'd want them both!

Have you got either?

A Mr.Softee Landing

It's funny how the mind goes all Mr. Whippy when you're remembering stuff.

The Artemis II splashdown reminded me of eating ice cream as a kid from a plastic capsule.

After further mind splashing I realised I was recalling a plastic ball and not a capsule.

It was the Tonibell and I remember it being a yellow or beige plastic football with a lid.

Here's a couple floating around the web along with a mag ad at the time.

So what's the plastic capsule ice cream connection I'm thinking of?

It can't be Dinky's Sea King Helicopter capsule. You'd not get much I've cream out of one of those!

No, I know now I've been misremembering something from the very early days of the blog.

Wotan Bill posted a fabulous post in 2009 about an ice cream brand called Askeys which he had as a nipper. The brand had an offer for a fantastic Lone Star Gemini space capsule, pictured here from Bills original post.

It didn't get filled with ice cream but if you are enough Askeys you'd get one. 

There can't have been many sent out I don't think. Or?

Do you remember it or an ice cream connection to NASA splashdown capsules?

Further googling brings you pictures of auctioned boxed examples like this  (with a yellow astronaut this time).

 How cool is that! 

Action Man's Mercury Mission

 Here's a cool short film from Wisdom Designs,

The Action Man Mercury Mission.

So well made, do you like it?

https://youtu.be/qcLChpgkLAw?si=YCs8GcrJZLUWyyag