ROXY MOON TRAFFIC AND SPACE EXPLORER SERIES

Beautiful Spacex knockoffs by Roxy and Clifford - pictures courtesy of WOTAN.

20,000 HITS

Not sure it's a milestone but it feels like one - the Blog had it's twenty thousandth hit this weekend! Thanks everyone for reading it. Bet you're bored with Sword now though!

JR21 SUBMARINE AIRCRAFT CARRIER ON EBAY!

Well, now I'm speechless. What a day! Diversity have easilly won Britain's Got Talent with an amazing transformers dance routine and, wonder of wonders, the above glorious eye candy has appeared on Ebay UK! We've seen this fabulous JR21 toy before on the blog, only once though and that was AMAZING, but we've NEVER SEEN THE AWESOME BOX! Unbelievable! The box has a sort of SWORDY look to it but oddly there's no mention of Stingray on it. I can't read the text on the box but I've asked the seller, Star Trader of Blackpool, for a couple more pictures. The toy isn't totally complete ( on the scale of things not a problem!) but if you look at the previous posting of this toy you'll see most if not all the missing parts. The description is very comprehensive and even mentions the orginal forum ( Space 1999 Eagle Transporter Forum) discussion, in which various lucky blog readers were 'there' when Forum Member Mack29 found his JR21 Carrier in his garage!
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Amazing to think that last October I posted a bloglet titled 'JR21 Submarine Carrier - Does it Exist?'. Even earlier, WOTAN posted an early illustration of the Carrier (originally designed by Ron Embleton in TV21 issue #1 also spotted by WOTAN) in the Blog's first week last September so it was definately on our minds from the start! He'd even seen one in a shop window as a kid in the 60's! In the last 7 months there have been 2 toys and one box 'surfacing'! I love this hobby!

NASA SPACE GLIDER BOX - NEW DISCOVERY

Just when I thought it was safe to go back in the water after the SL Task Force 3 revelation last week, here comes another new discovery for the blog - the BOXED NASA SPACE GLIDER. But Lo! We've seen that orange NASA Glider before I hear you cry! Ah yes, indeed I bought one myself at the 'world famous' Pudsey Toy Fair this year but it's the BOX that's new! I've certainly never seen one before and it looks a corker with an cellophaned window like the Day Fran variant. This little beauty is currently on the mighty Ebay here with just a short time to go! If a blog reader is lucky enough to win please remember us and send a few juicy pics of that box!

APOLLO MOON EXPLORING AND CULPITTS CAKE TOPPERS

Topper the Morning to Y'all (well it's actually after Dinner)! Blog Innovation! I'm bloggin' in the garden - al fresco! My 2 lovely ladies have gone to Sheffield to buy Salsa shoes so I'm catchin' some rays with blue the supermutt! The yard is swept, the grass is mown, the pepsi's ice cold and I'm letting my mind contemplate the phenomenon that are cake toppers! Having read the brilliant articles in the latest Blogsclusive Deal with One Inch Warrior Magazine and discovered the little-known Golden Astronaut link to Culpitt's Cake Decorations I have been hooked! Or should that be caked! The sun is blinkin' blazing, unusual for Northern England, so I'll just carry on:

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There's a fabulous cake topper deal ( nothing to do with me!) on Ebay USA at the mo so If you're lucky enough to live stateside and you like APOLLO MOON EXPLORING toys then this is for you - click on the top picture. There's even a mini grey WOTAN in there! He gets everywhere!

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Secondly, there is a cool vintage rocket and space 'cherub' on Ebay USA so again if you're across the Pond maybe check it out. The rocket looks great and is based on this Apollo 11 toy. Click on the bottom picture.

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Thirdly, there's a vintage astronaut cake toppers set by MPC at Fuzzy Izzy's Collectables in the US ( again! Is there nothing in Europe!).

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Last but not least is CULPITT'S own history site. Nothing on Golden or Silver Astronauts I'm afraid but interesting nonetheless. To find out more there's the blog exclusive, so if you haven't bought your ONE INCH WARRIOR MAGAZINES DEAL yet then hurry while stocks last!

TRANS-OCEANIC SWORD VESSEL

Here's one of my favourite Unsung Heroes of the SWORD fleet, never making it to the toy factory, the awesome Trans- Oceanic Sword Vessel, which graces page 89, part of the Survey Vehicle strip in the 1969 SWORD Annual. Skippered by Captain Moretenson, the Vessel must transport DIVER 1 to the Australian seas to recover a stricken nuclear reactor. Also known as the Jet Ship and the Mother Ship in the strip. Compare it with the original painting by genius Eric Eden in the TV21 Summer Extra, where it's called the Transatlantic Day Ferry and in black and white, the Atlantic Ferry. I've never seen any toy that looks like it but I'd love to be told otherwise!

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For more detailed info about the comic strips in the SWORD Annual consult the fabulous Gerry Anderson Complete Comics History.

TASK FORCE 3 BY SL - MORE INFO FROM DISCARDARAMA

Hi Paul, Thanks for the swift reply. I'm attaching a couple of pics of the SL logo and Empire Made text from the box and a shot of the underneath of the rocket where "Made in Hong Kong" appears. Having scoured both box and rocket, I can't see anything with a date, but hope the No. 121 C under the SL logo will help you there.As far as using pics goes, please go ahead. As far as credit goes, I'd be grateful if you would use the name Discardarama.

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If you want more pics, info, I'm more than happy to help. I can tell you that it is in working condition, with a slight tendency to turn left. The figure inside is still fixed in place and nothing seems loose or missing. The stickers look fine but there are some signs of age elsewhere. The blue cockpit canopy has traces of yellowed glue in places, and there is more on a tail fin and underneath on the friction motor fitting. The wheels are the least well moulded part of the thing, with the smaller front wheel in silver, the rear main wheels being black and silver. The whole thing seems to be kept in place by the 2 screws underneath, so there is a slight gap on one side where the top and bottom don't fit flush. It doesn't appear to have ever been taken apart as there is still glue on the head of the rear screw.

FANDERSON

After years of dithering, I've joined FANDERSON! Wahey! Can't wait for my membership pack! I'm 10 again!

MLP DIORAMA BY MIKE BURROWS

Mike's latest MLP diorama is awesome! The colours are great. Gerry Anderson should give him a job! Mike's also kindly sent a copy of the MLP paper instructions for you to copy and keep. Cheers Mike!

PS. Just noticed that in those paper instructions the little silver jet at the top is called the 'Command Module'. Never knew that! Fascinating! (think I'm turning into Spock!)

BEETLE BY WOTAN

I love the Beetle and am surprised it never made it into model form. Originally shown in Eric Edens artwork for Tv21 Summer Extra along with the Sand Flea (Survey Vehicle), you can easily imagine it trundling across the carpet, let alone the artic tundra! Futuristic design always fascinates me and the Beetle reminds me of the Road Train and Antartic Snow Cruiser - although these did actually make the real world, the Snow Cruiser unfortunately proved less than successful off the drawing board! See www.joeld.net/snowcruiser/snowbibl.html for some great info! WOTAN.

Nice one Beetle Bailey! Eric Eden was a genius!

COMIC ONLY MACHINERY: BEETLE

Unlike DIVER 1 this vehicle made it - the Beetle gets 2 cracks at its own toys - the Century 21 'Snow Train' Cut-Out model Book and the Imai Thunderbird 7 R/C kit - but it's worth having a closer look as it appears in several guises and can be confusing.

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Here it is as brilliantly illustrated on page 12 of the 1969 SWORD Annual in its 'heat shield' mode, a caterpillar-like mole-ship, which can 'fly' through rock, lava and magma. If you've seen the modern film The Core then its the same idea only much earlier! This is the format captured in the Imai Thunderbird 7 kit, although this model can also open up to launch a small Booster Rocket (can't do this in the Annual strip, not sure if this is based on the TV21/ SOLO comic strip?). I think that Imai simply made up the name Thunderbird 7. There's no such thing in the show or?

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It's 'Snow Train' guise, without the curved heat -shields, looks more like a Polar CAT with tracked carraiges and is the star vehicle of one of the 1969 Century 21 Cut-Out Model Books. Wonder if anyone has actually ever taken the plunge, thrown caution to the wind and made up the card model (and ruining their book in the process!) ?

GOLDEN ASTRONAUT LAUNCH SITE SPACE SET

This great condition set by Multiple Toymakers recently appeared on Ebay. I've posted the pics for posterity as they include the best picture I've seen of the chromed jet on the top of the rocket. Anyone got a scan of this set's paper instructions for the blog?

SCRAMBLE BUG DOME BASE

Dunno, that Plan It Coin Bank ( Mark Bergin Toys) doesn't half remind me of the Scramble Bug dome base. I suppose there's a bit of the Moon Prospector in there too, which is itself reminiscent of JR21's Thunderbird 5!

TASK FORCE 3 BY SL - NEW DISCOVERY FROM DISCARDARAMA

Even though we were spoilt rotten in January with the awesome Nuclear Ferry, every now and then a new SWORD toy comes to light to thrill us. This week blog reader Discardarama got in touch with pictures of his fabulous Task Force 3. We've seen the vehicle before on the blog but the box and maufacturer, SL, are completely new.

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The box art is reminiscent of the illustrated boxes of the T SWORD toys, the Prospector and the Moonbus. The TASK FORCE lettering is the same as that on the carded Tarheel Task Force 2. Is there a link here between SL, T or Tarheel or is SL the originator or simply a plagiarist?
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All in all Discardarama's Task Force 3 is fabulous and I am still amazed that new SWORD toys are still turning up. I would like to thank Discardarama for sending me his brilliant pictures.

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PS. SL also made this 1960's Racing Car (currently on Ebay UK)

COMIC ONLY MACHINERY : DIVER 1

Starting an occasional series of posts on SWORD vehicles, which appear in the 1969 Century 21 PROJECT SWORD Annual but which never made it as a toy or model (like the cut-out books) of any kind. SWORD Has-Beens All but this is their second chance, a SWORD come-back!

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First up is the submarine DIVER 1 as pictured on page 90 of the Survey Vehicle story. It reminds me a lot of the later Action Man Sea Wolf toy. It lacks the distinctive futurism of the real SWORD fleet but would have made a great little toy nevertheless. Or?

MOONBASE DIARY

Today's booty at the Fitzwilliam Car Boot sale! Can't ID the Sub, either Bug or the red spaceman yet but I reckon somewhere in there are summer modelling projects for a SEA SWORD, Scramble Bug and Spacex Rocket Launcher! Steady on, don't get cocky I hear you say, finish that Moonbase first!

OUT INTO SPACE

After a hard day PROJECT SWORDING its a good idea to .....kneel down!

MOONBASE DIARY

There's been some progress in the modeller's loft! The Housing ('Egg 1') and Light ('Tin 1') Modules are more or less finished - top pic - maybe just another SWORD logo somewhere and a light in the Housing unit and that's it! Phew! I've started on the Garage module too - bottom pic -basically a thick cardboard tube with a card ramp. A stroke of luck was the plastic lid it came with - a sound base for the plastic roof crane unit (courtesy of an old megarig set). I also picked up 2 tupperware stacking trays -middle pic - at Dewsbury Car Boot. Not sure I can use them yet but one might make a good LEM base! Still no Panettone though! WOTAN has given me some good LEM leads so there might be progress there too soon!

SEARS SPACE MOBILE

I've probably blogged this before but the Sears Space Mobile on Ebay USA is just brilliant. With its antenna like the Major Matt Mason one (Big Red Toy Box) and its Scramble Bug tyres it would fit neatly in the SWORD fleet like a glove. And 8 wheels, yes 8! Wow! Wish I had one of these awesome toys when I was a kid. Were they sold in UK/ Europe?

NOVA BY UNIPLAST

I always loved the sleek lines of the Spacex NOVA and lo and behold here it is on the backing card of this Argentinian UNIPLAST toy rocket on Ebay USA. The description says it was made in the 1940's/50's but I'd have thought the 1960's were more likely.

HYDROFOIL BOAT BY T

As you know I'm a great fan of any obscure plastic toys by the SWORD trio of Century 21/ JR21, Tarheel and T and have posted a number of bloglets about them. Well I was officially chuffed to have won this brilliant looking Hydrofoil by T on Ebay this weekend. I can honestly say, unlike JR21, I have never before seen another toy by T. So this is a first for me. The toy and box look to be in great shape and somehow I feel that they will fit well into my SWORD collection with thier similar box art and sleak SEA SWORD looks! I'll be able to say more once the little beaut arrives. Are there any other toys by T?

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pictures courtesy of Ebay.

BLOG EXCLUSIVE 8 - SPACEX/GOLDEN ASTRONAUT ISSUES OF ONE INCH WARRIOR MAGAZINE

Here's a great thing for Spacex/ Golden Astronaut/ LP astronaut fans like us - there are 2 issues of One Inch Warrior Magazine (sister publication to Plastic Warrior) with really well researched articles about the history of small plastic golden astronauts as appeared in Spacex and Golden astronauts sets. The articles detail their evolution, usage and ultimate fate as cake toppers, which is a fascinating area in itself! On top of this Plastic Warrior magazine did a detailed article on the bigger LP astronauts. This is now out of print.

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However, the editor of both magazines has offered blog readers the following deal! -

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Both 'Spacex' issues of One Inch Warrior - #'s 6 & 9 for £6 postage free (in the UK) plus a photocopy of the now out-of-print LP Spacemen article ( from #85 Plastic Warrior) thrown in for free! It really is an excellent package! I've got them and thoroughly enjoyed reading them all.

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To take up this offer email the editor of the magazine pw.editor@ntlworld.com stating what you want and that you saw this offer on this SWORD blog. In the UK the package is £6 post free. Outside the UK there WILL BE A POSTAGE CHARGE. Ask the editor. He will give also give you payment methods accepted and the address.

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I really do recommend these magazines. There is so little well-researched material about these toy lines we love but these are the real McCoy!

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Woodsy

MINIATURE SWORD MOON PROSPECTOR BY WOTAN

Last week my good friend WOTAN sent me a surprise package - a miniature SWORD Moon Prospector with custom box and spec sheet! Using a Spacex Prospector and produced in the same authentic style as the Scramble Bug Blogsclusive last month, it looks great next to said Bug in the SWORD cabinet! All hail the the mighty WOTAN!

MOONBASE DIARY

After a particularly dire late night choice of Friday films on TV, the best of which was 1992's The Unforgiven with Clint, Morgan and Gene, I went to bed pondering - is there anything else that looks like a LEM? ..........and hey presto, out of that wacky dream machine called sleep we have PANETTONE LEM! Bravo bravo! The box is a definate contender for the main body I reckon! The right size (phew!), cheap AND the contents are edible! A second normal box for the base and some K'nex legs and voila, off we go! Its common knowledge that small astronauts love Panettone bread and butter pudding too! So where to buy one in May?

LEMS ON THE BRAIN

LEM's are on my mind at the mo. I'm struggling with what to do about my moonbase LEM so I've sought inspiration. Here we have my own Spacex LEM APOLLO (bottom 3 pictures) and the beautiful LUNAR CAPTAIN by Nomura (top pic - Mark Bergins Toys, 2nd pic - Vintage Space Toys) . However fabulous these two toys are they are way too small for my moonbase. I'm going to have to switch to looking at kits.