SUGAR SMACKS TV AD 1967

Paul
Check the decor of the kitchen from the 1967 SUGAR SMACKS ad to The Bearanda kitchen in the Candy and Andy annual! Directed by Ken Turner. It's the same one!
Jim

hee hee! so it is! But who's kitchen is it? Woodsy

CANDY AND ANDY ANNUAL 1967

The Moonbase library has grown a bit this summer with some great Century 21 finds: Topo Gigio, TV21 Summer Special, SiG, Action 21, Anderpup, Monkees and a particular favourite, the CANDY and ANDY Annual 1967. Concerning the lives of two dolls who live with panda teddies who run a toy shop, the Annual is choc-full of surprises!

The first surprise is the number of pictures of 1960's Century 21 and other toys on the shelves of the toy shop. See how many you can spot in the next two pictures! The first full answer emailed here will get a small plastic and modern LP-like astronaut sent in the post!

There is also an advertisement for CANDY comic - below. I've never seen this. Has anyone got any and are there any toy adverts in them?

Probably the biggest surprise are the three wonderful short THUNDERBIRDS strips. Rendered in very attractive pastels and aimed at smaller children, they are quite hypnotic! I love the reversed-L panel at the end of each strip - where else would you see TB2 blasting off over a boy and a deer! Classic!

BILLY BLASTOFF: Major Matt's Boy

Along with Project Sword, Major Matt Mason, Outer Space Men and Airfix soldiers my other Sixties childhood buddy was the diminutive BILLY BLASTOFF. Much smaller that the Major, Billy still packed in an awful lot of great 'uniforms' and gadgets like the Frogman, Firefighter and Biulder. But easilly the best of the lot was the space Billy and his chum Robby the Robot as pictured in the advertisement. Getting about on a fleet of sleds, spaceships and trailers all powered by the little fellow's battery backpack, Billy was kitted out with super gizmos that plugged in with a cool old-style jack plug, which I can almost feel clicking into position as I speak! My favourite gizmos were Billy's groovy raygun and the mesmerising TV screen! Somewhere I've got the big boxed 7-in-1 set, which I'll dig out. Billy was made by Eldon in the States and Scalecraft in the UK. Did he pop up elsewhere in the world I wonder? Can't find a really good Billy site online anywhere although there's lots on You Tube to keep us entertained! Move over Bob the Biulder, Billy got there first! Billy for Prime Minister!
7

PS. Never seen the Billyesque Adventure Boy by Remco pictured above!

TASK FORCE LOOKALIKES

A rogue's gallery of Task Force lookalikes waiting patiently in their online hangers for a mission! Large Atomic Jet at Emerald City in Seattle, small blue jet a la Ebay and the little die-cast is in my own cabinet. Any more out there?

and here's a nifty 'dime store' Probe Force lookalike on Ebay.

SPACEX LT10 LUNAR TRANSPORTER IN THE FILM GREEN SLIME 1969

LT10 Lunar Transporter spectacular landing on planet's surface - at 7.30 minutes. It's worth the wait!

For previous posts on the LT10 click here.

Waddington's BLAST-OFF!

Super collector Jim Lewis continues the gallery of great toys and games from his collection. Here's that classic staple of many a Sixties' childhood, Waddington's BLAST-OFF ! board game in all its glory. Excellent. Wonder who did the box art? I always remember this being in a games pile in the 'lounge' along with Formula 1, Battle of the Little Big Horn (a really beautiful game), Wildlife, Go for Broke, Go, Railroader and my two brothers' favourite, Twister!

SOLYENT GREEN

SOLYENT GREEN is one of my favoutite films from the 1970's. Starring Sci Fi stalwart Charlton Heston as the citizen who stumbles across a terrible secret, it deals with the eternal struggle between love, loyalty, authority and death set against the backdrop of urban collapse. All still highly relevant today. Not a film to spawn any memorabilia I wouldn't have thought, it's dystopian vision, like that of Heston's other seminal film, The Omega Man, remains unique and compelling.

JAPANESE MICRO TOYS

Its got to be said that I am a massive fan of japanese toys and design and I have always maintained that they have some of the coolest toys ever, but this is just out there...

http://www.asovision.com/magicpet/info.html

Basically, you drop one of these suckers into your water bottle and watch it bob round - available as squid, jellyfish and octopus! Watch out Astro Nautilus!

TADA SCOUT GLIDER

I was mucking about with the camera last night. I just thought the TADA tinplate Scout collage I saw on Ebay reminded me of my SWORD Glider, especially the undercarraige. I should of used my grey C21 scout instead of the orange one!

THIS ISLAND EARTH

Looking at those brilliant Outer Space Men in the side-bar again, particularly the pink big-brained Orbitron, it reminded me of the brilliant 1950's sci fi flick, THIS ISLAND EARTH. Orbitron is a deadringer for the film's iconic Metaluna Mutant and is obviously based on it. Full of fantastic imagery and planetary cityscapes, it has a compelling story about scientists and aliens. I can't say that I recognise any of the other Outer Space Men from B movie characters. Somewhere I have a couple of them and some excellent repro accessories. But where?

PS.
Blogger Jim Lewis has sent me this update:

I always thought ELECTRON was clearly based on this guy “THE MAN FROM PLANET X” (pictured above). There is also a nice YOU TUBE piece on these toys by I believe one of the guys who actually designed them (the side bar site is by the designer too. Ed.)

T in a Circle and Tarheel MOONBUS Anyone?

Has anyone got either of these SWORD Moonbuses? It would be great of you could send me pictures of the toys and boxes that could be posted. I am particularly interested in the nose of the moonbus. thanks.

PS.

I have had a great response from a reader. More to follow on the Moonbus in September.

MOON McDARE

Blog reader Jim Lewis has sent in these excellent pictures of the paperwork that came with his Moon McDare action figure. Funnily enough I saw a similar figure by Marx, Cape Kennedy, at the Space Exhibition at Bardford One Gallery yesterday, a museam of Childhood collection on tour across the UK. the first image I saw as woalked in was a JR21 new Flying Saucer!

More to follow from Jim's brilliant collection.

MOON

I went to see the film MOON last night. I would like to recommend it to all our blog readers as it's really excellent, a return to the glory days of realistic space flicks like Silent Running and Alien. With some great lunar scramble bug-like vehicles and vast moonscapes, MOON was made at Shepperton Studios and directed by Duncan Jones, son of david Bowie. Go ands see it!

SHADO of the Rising Sun

Just when you think you have seen it all, the japanese toy and model market continues to astound and delight.

From our far eastern correspondant Terry come these heart-rending photos of goodies from the land of the Rising Sun.


"Clockwork Shado Mobile which appeared on Yahoo Auctions Japan some months back. A single black and white picture appears on page 200 in Dennis Nicholson's book 'The Gerry Anderson Memorabilia Guide published in 1994. The text attributes the manufacture of these toys to 1971 and being 90mm in length with three colour variations being produced. The 400 Yen sale price can be seen on the cover to the silver version."

Edai Grip SHADO 2 with opening rear compartment and firing missile (or is that a small Sky 1 ?) Skydiver with detachable SKY 1. Im crying over my keyboard! ahhhh...

Voyage to the Bottom of the Blog

No article about aquatic toys would be complete without a mention of the amazing Remco Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea toys. Remco went to town with the licence, making two versions of the beautiful Seaview in two playsets, one larger than the other. The smaller one is shown above in the Wards catalogue ad. The Seaview came with lots of action features and great accessories including the rather Swordesque, Sea Scooter and Sea Crawler.

These two wonderful examples are from the collecton of toymeister Ferryman. The Seacrawler is 23cm long with grab extended and the scooter is 18cm, so you can imagine how big the Seaview toys would have been! Both vehicles have the trademark Remco level of detail and playability, even though neither were ever seen in the pilot film or Irwin Allens TV series! The sets also came with an octopus, whale, sea monster and a score of aquanaut figures - I can almost hear that sonar beeping now!

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Theme Tune - just click and weep!

WALT HOWARTH AND THUNDERBALL BOX ART

I love the above THUNDERBALL frogman illustration, one of a number that appeared on the boxes of Arrow jigsaw puzzles and the awesome Underwater Battle Game by Tri-ang in the 60's. They were painted by the hugely talented WALT HOWARTH, whose images are immediately recognisable. ** You can still get prints but I'm not sure if any original art exists? If only we we so sure about the identity of PROJECT SWORD box art, which remains as lusive as ever!

Here's a pic of the rare LONE STAR THUNDERBALL FROGMAN from an amazing online collection. The box is the same open window style as the 2 MAN SUB posted earlier this month.

** Blog Reader Jim Lewis has sent in this update: "the THUNDERBALL jig-Saw art used genuine Frank McCarthy art or a copy of it at least. Walt Howarth did privately commissioned art based on his own original annuals and stuff as well as other art from different artists and he did indeed do a copy of the underwater battle a few years ago but the Arrow art was real deal McCarthy." I stand corrected Jim! Cheers, Woodsy

Shadowing SHADO

Further to a conversation thats been going on at the attached forum about Italian toys, iv'e unearthed a particularly good example of meditteranean plagiarism.

The toy company Atlantic made lots of tank and armoured vehicles in the eighties and late seventies as well as a host of soldiers and other figures. Among the vehicles was a dead ringer for the UFO mainstay, SHADO 2 Mobile. Called a Laser Command Car or something equally outlandish, the kit is made of soft polythene and moulded in green. Its obviously based on the Shado 2 despite major differences in styling such as the windshield guard, open top radar station and opening tailgate. The series also had a large FROG Rocket launcher, Bridge Layer and Pontoon Vehicle.

Whilst on the Shado 2 trail, I came across the second UFO derivative, a friction driven Rescue Squad truck. Whilst this has six wheel drive as opposed to tracks and has an opening rear gate and ramp, its certainly another Mobile clone. The truck also comes with a small Hovercar that slips neatly in the rear. A well made toy from another unknown maker.

From a Dinky rival, Matchbox comes another cool little vehicle, the Battlekings Missile Launcher. Featuring a great mechanism similar to the opening roof of the Mobile, the roof pops open at the touch of a button to reveal a full load of explosive weaponry and came with six rockets to fire with casual abandon! From the same series, but based on a real US Army vehicle was the slightly tamer, but still cool, 'Hawk' Missile Launcher.

The Battleking has more than passing resemblance to the Joe 90 U59 Explosive Truck. Screen grabs courtesy of the ever resourceful Philosophic Toad!

WET WEEKEND

Just to wrap up my little spate of froggy blogs and to reprise the Britains Mini Set scene of 'Divers and Shark', heres some more recent diver figures from Tomy. In a complete contrast to the slim, Jacque Cousteau frogmen of the 1969 set, the Tomy Xtreme Team are buff, ready for anything and seriously technologically advanced! Gone are the simple sea scooters and in come the personal submersibles with shark grapples and missile launchers! I love the little sharks with working jaws when you push down the dorsal fin! The divers also have magnetic accessories for snatching the treasure from the jaws of death!

Being a bit of a scratch builder and designer, I couldnt get enough mini-subs so I tried to make a few of my own. Top pic shows a couple of work in progress ROVs like 'Big Geek' from The Abyss. Remotely Operated Vehicles for deep salvage and rescue as well as exploration.

LONE STAR 2 MAN MIDGET SUB, THUNDEBALL FROGMEN AND MORE FROM FERRYMAN

Ferryman has sent me these wonderful shots of part of his frogman collection. There's some real Sixties gems here:

Above - Thunderball-style sub with scratchbiult fin

Above - Bradgate Little Big Man Underwater Mission

Above - Thunderball - style Harvey frogmen by Lone Star

Above - a rare Lone Star 2 Man Midget Sub

And last but not least, a HK Frogman Set with lifted Action Man/Gi Joe art!

Flippin' Out over Frogmen

Back to the watery depths and continuing the frogmen theme, here are some fantastic figures from the National Geographic line. The Submersible is about a foot long and has moveable grabs, thrusters and opening cabin. The figures themselves are akin to small 8" Gi Joes, fully poseable and replete with accessories like spearguns, mask and the scuba diver comes complete with sea scooter.

REVELL ATOMIC SPACE EXPLORER SOLARIS 1968

I dunno but there's something very SPACEX - like about the 1968 REVELL kit box art above (Ebay). Both from the same era for sure. Have a look at the SPACEX advert below and see what you think. It's probably the speech bubble and cartoon style graphics. The colour box art looks great!