T O M O R R O W

HERES TO THE FUTURE!

OPERATION SWORDCAST

Fresh from the recording studio on Moonbase comes the second edition of our regular moonbase magazine programme on Celtica Radio! Available for download as a podcast, just before we bid sayonara to 2012!

DALEK!

While I admit to enjoying Jon Petwee’s and Tom Baker’s portrayal of the BBC’s errant Time Lord, I wouldn’t call myself a Dr Who fan and can honestly say I have absolutely no interest in the current series. But like most kids growing up in the sixties Dr Who’s arch enemies had much more appeal to me than the Doctor himself.

 

I have vivid memories of watching the first Dalek story shown on TV in 1963 and having nightmares, believing a Dalek was hiding in wait behind my bedroom door.

The Dalek strip on the back page of TV21 sealed the deal for me linking the worlds of Gerry Anderson and those mutant metal monsters. Indeed an edition of the comic was used to promote the colourful big screen adaptation, Dr Who And The Daleks .

The second film, Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. followed a year later in 1966. I still like those films packed with sixties kitsch and love re-watching them while munching through a bowl of Sugar Puffs! Strangely enough, in the film Dr Who And The Daleks, the Doctor, played by Peter Cushing is seen reading an issue of Eagle comic rather than TV21, but I suppose that makes sense, as he’d have prior knowledge of the Daleks if he turned to the back cover!

 

Peter Cushing's co-stars, Jennie Linden and Roy Castle  

The sixties was awash with Dalekmania making a lot of dosh for their creator, the late Terry Nation, and subsequently all types of Dalek toys were released.

The Louis Marx Bump & Go Robot Action Dalek was probably the most popular, available in either black or silver. Examples were even used in the actual BBC series during shots involving miniature Dalek crowd scenes. First in the 1967 story ‘Evil Of The Daleks’, and later in 1973 in the story ‘ Planet Of The Daleks’.

Tom Baker’s popularity as The Doctor in the early seventies meant the toy was re packaged with a more up to date box. These were available in either yellow or red. Other manufacturers got in on the act like Denys Fishers and Palitoy with new Dalek toys.

At the time of it’s release I always considered Palitoys Talking Dalek to be a fairly accurate representation, although looking at it now it’s far from perfect, but, even though I like them both, it’s certainly a better effort than the Marx Dalek.

Stay tuned for more Dalekmania.


　

DURHAM AND TARHEEL INDUSTRIES: ONE IN THE SAME?

The US toy companies Durham Industries and Tarheel Industries appear to have been best mates. The packaging of the HELICOPTER shown above is a good example.

First up, pictured avove we have the box marked with the standard 'D' with a globe, the trademark of Durham Insustries.

Next, above, we have a crossover box marked Durham and also mentioning 'Johnny Tarheel' with the same location as Tarheel Industries, Tarboro in North Carolina.

Finally here's the same box now marked with the 'T' with kids logo of Tarheel Industries. Of the three boxes it appears to be the only one with a model number, which is repeated on the undercarraige of the toy as you can see below, NO. 5605.

So it would seem that the two companies crossed over quite formally rather than knocking each other off. We're they virtually one in the same? It's worth remembering that Tarheel were the second most prolific maker of PROJECT SWORD toys after Century 21. We know that Durham also re-branded Tarheel's Space Glider as their own. Did Durham re-brand any more Tarheel toys?

The Making of Stingray

Further to Wote’s post on Stingray, Arto raised a question about a Waddington jigsaw picture featuring several pictures showing the making of Stingray which appeared in TV21.

I don’t know if this is the one but this article was published in the 1965 TV21 International Extra and I figure it might just fit the bill.

Here’s hoping, Arto.

SWORD is mightier than the Pen

Something I always got in my xmas stocking was a multicolour rocket pen. Some of them really were rocket shaped, but the majority just alluded to the rocket shape. In the sixties, this was enough though as the space race permeated everything, space food, clothes,tv,games etc. The rocket pen came in handy for me when I was busily writing the multi volume space project, all the different colour biros in one pen were a great help as I scribbled away in the back of a car or bus, or in the caravan. The other good thing was after the ink ran out, the pen always yielded a number of interesting bits for thr scratch building box!

Just before xmas, I treated myself to a novelty pen via ebay, at 99p and still carded with some lovely hot wheels style graphics, the Hot Rod pen was a real must.

ED'S HEADS

I think I love pulp fiction as much as Quentin Tarantino! The covers are works of art. Whilst admiring Ed Valigursky's covers I've noticed a recurring theme, an astronaut similar to our friend Mattel's Man In Space, Major Matt Mason! Ed's Matt has the same dark hair, beefcake looks and a white space suit with the iconic black-ribbed joints! I've posted a few examples of his pulp covers and two shots of the Major so you can see what I mean.

 

 

Now I'm not saying that Valigursky's spaceman became Major Matt! The source of the Major's spacesuit is likely to be have been the US Mercury and Gemini astronauts [ref. Wildtoys]. I'm just fascinated by the influence that the early US space missions had on late 1950's and 1960's popular culture like paperbacks and toys. As for the Valigursky man's head, with it's jet black short hair and hollywood looks, it appears frequently in his pulp art and for all we know may be a self-portrait of the young Ed himself. I wonder who Matt Mason's face was based on? Anyone know?

FOBBED OFF: MY VINTAGE KEYRINGS

When I was a wee laddie small things were incredibly important to me. Old coins, gumball premiums and keyrings kept me entertained for hours. Ah, keyrings, I adored the little blighters and loved to collect as many different ones as I could. So I was thrilled this week when I saw an old friend of mine on Ebay, the amazing plastic wine bottle pen! The memories came flooding back. I could almost feel the pleasure of unscrewing the pen part from the bottle and rescrewing it in as a pen! I was a simple boy! Mine was green and had a biro nib rather than the fountain pen shown but still I enjoyed the almost total recall! I do miss my bottle pen.

 

 

Trying to recollect all my keyrings, none of which survived the battleground of adolescence, is proving difficult. Some were from my Dad's cash and carry warehouse, Richard Oldhams in Preston and others from trips and family outings. I do remember:

 

 

1. a rubber footballer

2. a small metal covered bible

3. an articulated metal fish

4. a toilet [bog standard white!]

5. an esso blue character

6. an eiffel tower

7. various skulls and skeletons

8. a thunderbirds figure

9. a fan with pictures on it

10. and my old buddy the globe, which often shows up on ebay like this one

 

I still collect tiny bits and bobs. It seems instinctive. Like a squirrel. Rather than keyrings and foreigh coins, I love miniature spacecraft nowadays, which are mostly from Japan. The Japanese call these small candy premiums Omake. Where small items like keyrings part of your younger years? What did you collect readers? Or maybe you still do!

P.W.O.R

One of my most profound experiences of Anderson must be Stingray. I grew up with the early shows all around me and Stingray probably made the earliest impression - Commander Shores voice booming over the speakers as Marineville descended underground to Barry Grays evocative music, still makes me sit up and watch every time.

Stingray toys mostly passed me by as I was a little too young at the shows height, but I did receive the nifty Lone Star elastic powered bath toy, which I still have today.

When Vivid Imaginations and Carlton rolled out a new series of toys a few years back, I was gratified to see they were fairly accurate. I still need to pick up the Matchbox Marineville playset though!

From top we have simple Lone Star model, missing the prop, then the large action figure Stingray, with firing missiles, the clockwork version with one inch Troy and the Matchbox diecast Stingray/Terrorfish set.

And a no-prize for telling what PWOR stands for - - but not you Scoop! ;-)

NEW ORIGINS 1: SPACEX LAMA

Readers who have followed the blog for some time will know that I am particularly interested in sci-fi art and the possible influences that it had on SWORD and SPACEX toys and box art. During one of my regular forays into the cyber wilderness I came across this paperback cover of SINISTER BARRIER by Eric Frank Russell. This particular edition is from 1966 and was painted by none other than SWORD and SPACEX pioneer artist Ed Valigursky.

 

 

SPACEXers amongst you will immediately recognise the strange contraption on the cover as the LAMA or Lunar Anti-Meteorite Attacker. The toy appeared as part of the SpaceX II range circa 1970. Below is an example of the toy from the Ferryman collection, together with backing card art and a black and white illustration from a SpaceX comic-advert.

Comparing Ed Valigursky's original art with the Tri-ang backing card art reveals just how similar they are. What do think?

If you want to find out more about the plot of SINISTER BARRIER then look here on Wikipedia. If you want to find out more about the possible artistic background to Project SWORD toys box art then you might want to get hold of my book, The Art of S.W.O.R.D. Email me for details.

Kevins Spacex Shipyards

It seems  even xmas doesn't slow up Kevin Davies building - heres the very latest in his series of 'real life' Spacex creations - the Prospector!