If I had the dosh I'd collect Super 8 films in the original boxes. I have a few like Batman and Aquaman but none of the Gerry Anderson shows by Arrow films. The box art is really stunning [don't know who the artist/s was sorry] and make them things of beauty. I would collect them just for the cover art! There were a good handful of Thunderbirds Arrow films, which do occassionally bob up on Ebay. There are a number of websites, which catalogue them all like Steve's excellent and exhaustive Thunderbirds Vintage Toys and the large Supermarionation Thunderbirds Merchandise page. Being a fan of tracked vehicles I love the box art of the Arrow Joe 90 film 'Attack and Destroy' pictured above. The BIG RAT website covers all the Joe 90 Arrow films if your'e interested in more. A few years back our good friend Toad sent me this link to footage of the Joe 90 tank, the A14 pictured below in the Business Holiday episode. Does anyone else like Super 8 or Cine Film?
Very cool artwork indeed.
ReplyDeleteI remember having all of these they were given to me by my dad who got them from an undisclosed retailer he even gave me a super 8 projector & screen & they were brilliant with awesome box artwork & it's these that got me hooked on Jerry Anderson's puppet series with my all time favourite being Thunderbirds with captain scarlet coming in close 2nd & 3rd was Joe 90
ReplyDeleteBefore DVD, and even before videotape, there was actual film. Kodak introduced most of the major gauges (sizes of film). The original 8mm (later called Standard 8) appeared in 1932, and Super 8 in 1965. The film width was the same, but the sprocket holes were smaller, and the picture area larger with Super 8. Running times were limited (some films came in shortened, condensed, or digest form), and they were expensive. But, pre-video, this was the only way to have your own copy of a film or TV show. There were also rental libraries for those not wanting to buy. Film was never as popular as video would become, and was more complicated to use, needing to be threaded through a projector. The history of such home movies is now almost forgotten, as everyone seems to think that nothing existed before the arrival of home videotape in the 1970s/1980s. This history needs to be preserved.
ReplyDeleteHow widely available, and common were these 8mm and Super 8 films in Britain ? You very rarely see any today at fairs in NZ, but the Government kept tight control of all imports in those days, even from Britain. Import licences were required for most things, so probably not many films made it to NZ. People still collect film, and there must be many still sitting in sheds and attics. The covers are really great.
I do not have any films myself, and have never watched one. I only got my first VCR in 1991, but was never into tape collecting in a big way. Most of my tapes covered aviation subjects. Then came DVD, prices came down, and I could afford to collect whatever I wanted. Heaven.
Apart from the sites you mention, I have a book: The Gerry Anderson Memorabilia Guide - From Twizzle to Today, Dennis W. Nicholson, Cooee Concepts Pty Ltd, Australia, 1994. This includes films, videos, and records for all the Gerry Anderson shows. All illustrations are in black and white, except for the cover. This is long out of print, and even Amazon UK list it as Currently Unavailable.
Yes, those cine film box covers are great Paul I agree. It would be a superb collecting are to be in. And they're not big so space-friendly too. As for the gerry Anderson book, I've got a copy. Had it since 1995 just after it came out. Dennis's book is THE bible for Anderson collectors and with a couple of Japanese books as well the whole Anderson menorabilia world is reference in books, which is great for collectors. There's far too much to get it all so I concentrated on my beloved Project SWORD and an obscure line of non-space novelties by JR21, which I published a book on last year. I was lucky enough to meet Dennis at a Fanderson convention ten tears ago! It was great to chat to him and I thanked him for his huge acheivemnent in putting his book together! Dennis even shared his alternative book cover with us 12 years ago on the blog! See here http://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2008/10/dennis-nicholson-gerry-anderson.html
DeleteI found my copy in a second-hand bookshop several years ago. An updated edition in colour would be outstanding. How lucky you are to have met the author of this FAB work. You too have written books, what are the titles may I enquire ?
ReplyDeleteI corresponded with Dennis in the late 1990's as well after I got my copy. The power of email Paul! My two books are The Art of SWORD and Toy Bunnies on Plastic Scooters. Both are about Century 21 and JR21 toys.
Delete