Thunderguns! The Two JR21 Toy Thunderbird Pistols by Jim Lewis

What kid back in the 1960s didn't own either a cap gun or water pistol at some point in their childhood? If you were a THUNDERBIRDS fan too JR21 Toys allowed you to have both and in the very same style as those used by members of International Rescue! Sculpted to almost perfectly replicate what viewers were familiar with from the programme itself these two pistols were big sellers and as reasonably cheap 'rack toys' were sold everywhere from grocers to newsagents and toy shops across the country. The header card allowed the buyer to see that these weren't just any old firearm.

They were official toys and the imagery of Scott and John allowed kids to make the choice in terms of their preference in the characters or the sort of pistol they liked the best. The blue cap gun was also sold in green plastic too but so far no other colour variant has been seen in the water pistol version. Other companies sold THUNDERBIRDS pistols and guns in the 1960s and those too were officially licenced but none compare to these two. Although hardly the rarest or even most sought toys produced by Rosenthal they are evocative of the show and a time period in which they were first sold.

Jim Lewis