I've discovered another less well-known Anderson concept, STARCRUISER from 1977. It really does remind me of how Project Sword waxed and waned at the Anderson HQ. Created by Gerry Anderson and Fred Freiberger, 13 x 30 minute episodes were planned but never commisioned. No pilot was made either. Although never making it to the screen, the concept eventually materialised, like Project Sword, in the form of a comic strip, this time in the childrens TV magazine 'Look-In'.6
According to Bill Earle on the net, Airfix made a Starcruiser 1 kit and '..the model was originally conceived as a die cast toy (is there a die cast too?), but the manufacturing process presented many technical problems and though the prototype (displayed in the Blackpool exhibition for some years) was used for reference, inevitably many parts had to be changed to suit die casting requirements When the toy reverted to a model kit, these changes were transferred. Two crewmen are included, though interior detail is limited, but the instruction sheet is excellent with "Typical Mission Sequence" art and detailed background information concerning the craft.'
According to Bill Earle on the net, Airfix made a Starcruiser 1 kit and '..the model was originally conceived as a die cast toy (is there a die cast too?), but the manufacturing process presented many technical problems and though the prototype (displayed in the Blackpool exhibition for some years) was used for reference, inevitably many parts had to be changed to suit die casting requirements When the toy reverted to a model kit, these changes were transferred. Two crewmen are included, though interior detail is limited, but the instruction sheet is excellent with "Typical Mission Sequence" art and detailed background information concerning the craft.'
6
There is a beautifully written blog piece about discovering STARCRUISER by John Kenneth Muir.
There is a beautifully written blog piece about discovering STARCRUISER by John Kenneth Muir.
6
But by far the most awesome toy from the concept has to be the Thomas Salter STARCRUISER MISSION KIT (above pic), which I only stumbled across this week! What a brilliant toy - space gun, radio, charts and flight console! If only they had made a PROJECT SWORD MISSION KIT 10 years earlier! Hmmm, now there's a thought!
But by far the most awesome toy from the concept has to be the Thomas Salter STARCRUISER MISSION KIT (above pic), which I only stumbled across this week! What a brilliant toy - space gun, radio, charts and flight console! If only they had made a PROJECT SWORD MISSION KIT 10 years earlier! Hmmm, now there's a thought!
6
Posted previously on the side-bar. Now joining the main blog.
You describe the Thomas Salter STARCRUISER MISSION KIT as awesome, from which it seems likely you have yet to see one at first hand. This is one of the shoddiest toys I've ever seen. It is flimsy in the extreme, made as it is of a thin, brittle vacuformed plastic; it wouldn't last five minutes of play - if there was any play-value to start with. This is simply a bad toy. A little more thought and sturdier materials might have resulted in something good, but this is cheap and nasty in the extreme. If you think I am exagerating, wait until you see one.
ReplyDeleteThat's fightin' talk Philosophic! You do not like this toy for sure. No, I've never seen one at a fair or otherwise I'm afraid. Just going on piccies. There's one for sale at Peter Rice's online shop. Could have been a great toy though! I remember having a Thomas Salter adventure set when I was a kid - flask, torch, belt, the lot! That was quite good I seem to remember.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, the STARCRUISER MISSION KIT is really, really bad. In fact it is so bad, that I just can't say enough how bad it is! I have two in the room with me now, so I can claim to have checked it twice!
ReplyDeleteBad, bad, bad ... and possibly worse than that.
You've got two! That's almost a toy shop! Check out the prices of these two babies here! http://www.peterice.com/AndersonToys.htm
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should sell yours!