Multi-Explorer-Force 12 (From Burscough)

 

A few articles ago, Woodstock asked if there was any direct connection between the Explorer series of toys nd Multimac. Always on hand to settle a query, I delved into the archive to find some examples.

 

As far as Explorer 12 goes, i'd direct anyone who is interested in the toys to Joe Langs fab blog for more info on the line. As far as Multimac, my experience of the toys are a range of inexpensive space toys which appeared in the 80's, initially as carded examples like the one above, with a small gold pilot. The central cockpit area and the gold pilot are almost identical copies of early Tomy Zoids. Zoids started out as simple, skeletal clockwork dinosaur robots, but gradually became quite complex and large toys.

Super Zoid Cyberdon

Multimac 'borrowed' certain elements from Zoids and added various other standard parts, such as tracks, wheels, bulldozer blades and drills.The resultant models could usually be found in seaside toy shops or in discount shops at xmas.

Alongside the standard Multimac were a hundred unlicenced copies of the toys, such as the remote control toy above. The wheel layout is similar to Explorer 12. The Multimac range also expanded to make larger more complex models such as the Lobster and other zoid like creatures. The Ocean Discovery set includes enough parts to create a robotic shark, crab, hovercraft and robot. In these larger sets, Multimac borrowed the figures from Bluebird Manta Force and changed them very slightly. This meant that the scale of the models was larger. Some later sets also included a static figure also.

Explorer 12 figures are a similar scale to Manta Force and the poseable Multimac ones. This led me to consider if it might be possible to combine elements from the three ranges to supplement Explorer 12.

Consequently, I took a small Helijet from Manta Force and a drill element from Multimac and added them to the Explorer truck. As the Explorer vehicles are quite basic and lack complex accessories, it is easy to add customised elements to spare flatbed trucks. Kinder Eggs also supplied a deep diving suit, scaled nicely to fit an EX12 pilot.

Another similar toy which reflects the EX12 line is the Amphibious Truck, a six wheeled vehicle with large wheels which enable it to float, paddles on the inner side of the wheels providing motive power. The cab shape is very similar to the yellow Argentine EX vehicle featured previously. And just to round off the cavalcade of multiwheeled goodness, a selection of similar vehicles, including the sublime Mars Explorer Vehicle, a tracked version of EX12, generously donated by Joe Lang himself.

BUDDY L POWER DRIVER

UNKNOWN MINI MOON BUS

MARS EXPLORER

TOMY ADVENTURE BUGGY