RADIO INTERFERENCE

How do you catch the Swordcast and Squaring the Circle programmes ? Do you download the mp3 directly or listen via the TuneIn app on a mobile device? Bill Everratt of Celtica reports theres a major bug in the latest upgrade to this app, which prevents the 24kb stream from playing.

Your help and comments would be most appreciated!

PROJECT SWORD IN THE ITN FILM VAULT?

Now and then something historical turns up. Historical in the sense of the history of Project SWORD. The last discovery was the bus ticket campaign our old friend Toad found.

Well, Rob from Canada has stumbled onto something new. Whilst browsing the ITN TV Source site he found a description of some TV film footage featuring various space toys from 28th May 1968.

 

Here is the item description [and link]:

 

 

"U.K.: DISPLAY OF SPACE-AGE HONG KONG TOYS OPENS IN LONDON       

                                                                                                                               

ONE OF THE MOST SOPHISTICATED DISPLAYS OF SPACE-AGE TOYS EVER SEEN IN LONDON WAS ON VIEW AT THE HONG KONG TRADE CENTRE TODAY (TUESDAY) WHEN THE CROWN COLONY'S TOYMAKERS LAUNCHED A BIG DRIVE FOR THE BRITISH MARKET. THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE DISPLAY, WHICH LASTS UNTIL 14 JUNE, WAS REPLICA OF THE SURFACE OF THE MOON, LITTERED WITH SPACECRAFT OF ALL KINDS.

THE MOON TOY INCLUDED NOT ONLY ROCKETS AND SPACESHIPS BUT ALSO A MOON PROSPECTOR WITH A ROTATING SCANNER AND SEARCHLIGHT, A MOON BUS FOR TRANSPORTING MEN AND EQUIPMENT, AND A SCOOP SHOVEL FOR OBTAINING GEOLOGICAL SAMPLES. THERE WERE NO CHILDREN AT TODAY'S OPENING - ONLY BUSINESSMEN AND NEWSMEN. THEY WERE TOLD THAT THE COLONY'S 600 TOY FACTORIES ALREADY HAVE THE LARGEST NUMBER OF ORDERS FOR CHRISTMAS SINCE THEIR INDUSTRY REALLY "GOT GOING" 15 YEARS AGO.

THE UNITED STATES TAKES NEARLY 50 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S EXPORTABLE OUTPUT - AND WITH THIS YEAR'S EMPHASIS ON SPACE, MANUFACTURERS ARE HOPING TO MAKE EVEN DEEPER INROADS INTO THE TOYS WORTH 7,500,00 STERLING LAST YEAR, FOLLOWED BY AUSTRALIA AND WEST GERMANY.

Reference 5479/68 Tape Issue Can 6437 Source REUTERS Restrictions Restrictions on certain uses may apply, and may vary from those listed. Time code Date original 28 MAY 1968 Duration 1.39 Technical 16MM/NEG + CM Subset Reuters TV - RTV Post 1957 Location LONDON, U.K. Sound Colourbw COLOUR

1. MV EXT. SHOP 0.03 2. MV INSIDE DISPLAY OF TOYS 0.06 3. MV PAN. ACROSS TOY MOONSCAPE 0.14 4. MV TWO ASSISTANTS LOOKING AT TOYS 0.19 5. CU MOON BUS IN GIRL'S HAND 0.24 6. CU ASSISTANT 0.25 7. CU MOON SURFACE VEHICLE 0.30 8. MV DITTO BEING PLACED ON GROUND, MOVING OFF, BUMPING INTO SIDES AND MOVING AWAY 0.43 9. CU DITTO 0.49 10. MV AIRCRAFT, ONE MPVING 0.56 11. MV ANOTHER MOVING ALONG COUNTER 0.59 12. MV GIRL PUTTING TOY PLANE ON GUARD 1.04 13. CU DITTO (3 SHOTS) 1.18 14. CU VEHICLE PLACED ON GROUND AND MOVING TOWARDS (2 SHOTS) 1.26 15. MV ASSISTANT KISSING BLOWN-UP TOY ELEPHANT 1.33 16. MV TOYS ARRANGED 1.39

InitialsRM/V/CCT/PC. Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved"


With its references to a Moon Bus I feel sure its Project SWORD. Yes it could be refering to a 2001 Space Odyssey Moon Bus but I live in hope. I contacted ITN to enquire as to how we might see this footage. After establishing that it would be for my personal, rather than commercial use, this was their reply:


It's held on film so the cost to transfer to DVD would be £150 + VAT. This price entitles you to up to 10 clips.

 

 

Alas this is beyond my current finances so the footage will have to remain in the ITN vault and something of a mystery. I still believe its Project SWORD. Wonder if it was ever shown on the telly?

What do you think readers?
 

MYSTERY ACTION FIGURE QUIZ BONUS FIGURE

 

Figured we needed more reptilian action, so here's a bonus figure for you, courtesy of Bill's collection.

But what it is?

Seaside Sub

On the search for Spanish Hawk Aircraft knock offs while I'm on holiday in Majorca l came across this little plastic submarine with one of those battery powered propellers attached to the underside not unlike the fabled Submarine Aircraft Carrier.

I remember picking up similar things years ago  as a kid holidaying by the seaside.

Anyway, l thought I'm on holiday, l'll buy one and try it out  in the sea.

It worked great, although my wife did sit as far away from me as possible as I set it scudding across a rock pool attracting the attention of some local kids, not to mention a few bemused holiday makers.

PARK ON THE MOON

Park Plastics made lots of toys over several decades, but some of my favourites are these moon vehicles. Easily the pick of the bunch is the shrink wrapped Lunar Dump, a small tractor and separate trailer. Some of the others have working cannons and one has a winch. The dozer is missing an arm, but as ive only seen these toys twice, the chances of replacement are slim.

PROJECT SWORD PHASE 2:29/06/68

RIDERS IN THE STORE

I've always loved rack toys. My two favourite toy shops in Preston when I was a nipper, Thomas Mears and Zodiac, had stacks of toys on racks. They were mostly cheap, knock 'em out quick coloured plastics.

  

I still love rack toys and one of my favourite adult acquisitions was the Ghost Rider by Fleetwood. It came out in the 1970's. Fleetwood did loads of cheapo rack stuff and despite their pocket money origins they are all quite beautiful and now very collectible. Ghost Rider the comic hero was born in Marvel comics in the summer of 1972.

Fleetwood made a later version of the Rider with a different card. The bike came in red with no silver.

Not being one of Marvel's A-listers, Johnny Blaze aka the Ghost Rider has a strong comic following and every now and then he rode out into the toy stores again. Here's another carded rider but the transparent toy remains a mystery to me. I found the image on an old Ebay archive.

Toy Biz re-invigorated many Marvel heroes in the Nineties and Naughties. In 1995 they issued the Flamin' Stunt Cycles including this, Blaze's Dark Cycle.

Ghostie got at least seven incarnations in the Marvel Legends line including this 2004 issue with another red bike.

In 2007 Ghost Rider made his Hollywood debut and came of age. I loved the fact that the rider had his own film but Nic Cage was wooden as the lead. The 2012 sequel was awful. Rider's brush with Tinseltown spawned some cool toys though, like this Ultimate Ghost Rider by Hasbro.

I still prefer my Fleetwood rack toy from 1977. Issued just 5 years after the rider's fiery birth at Marvel it remains true to the comic and untainted by the glitz of Hollywood.

I'll end with another beautiful Rider collectible from the Seventies, equally as cheap as a rack toy at the time but no less cool, the Ghost Rider gumball ring. Blazin'!

Are you keen on rack toys readers? Which ones?

MYSTERY ACTION FIGURE QUIZ 10 - THE LAST ONE!

 

And finally folks, to round off this lizardy toy quiz, who might this charmer be?

Monster Robots

The transformer revolution of the 80's meant that robot toys arrived by the cartload in shops every week. Most of the major toymakers brought out some kind of transforming or robot toy, 90% of which were quickly forgotten. Bandai Robo Machines were a nice early range of 3" high robots and the range expanded to include the weird Rock Lords and briefly, the Puzzler Fiends. These were a separately available series of individual models that joined together to make a larger monster robot. The main Robo Machines series also included the Casmodon, which appeared in a larger 7" model too. Cool!

SPACE RACE SWEET CARDS

Just picked up a nice little set of 50 cards (well 49, as i'm missing number 1) made by Primrose Confectionery in the mid seventies.

TAKE COVER: BATTLE ON VENUS

Late night browsing is always relaxing and great fun. You never know what you'll find. This week is a good example.

Oggling through Etsy I came across this lovely old notepad with a sci-fi cover image by an unidentified artist. The seller has composed this beautiful still life showcasing the pad along with cacti, coffee and what looks amazingly like a pair of my own Joe 90 spex!

 

 

 

 

I recognised the style of the artist immediately and his signature James T. Kirk-like dark-haired action man but didn't know the particular image. On a hunch I googled the name I had in mind, one Ed Valigursky, guest box 'artist' of the Project SWORD Booster Rocket.

 

 

It paid off and eh voila! here is the book cover art it's from, Battle on Venus. Result! I've let the Etsy seller know.

 

 

 

 

Just think, there maybe Booster Rocket notepads out there too! I live in hope! if you had or have any interesting TV, sci-fi or space notepads why not let me know.

MYSTERY ACTION FIGURE QUIZ 9

 

and who am I?

TALES OF THE DARKSIDE

The latest installment of the ongoing sci-fi series, Tales of the Darkside, penned by your very own Wotan is now available for download from Celtica Radio. Just use the links in the sidebar, or click on the Squaring the Circle podcast download.
This two part tale takes us to Mars, were colonist Nea Anishanaabe, grandaughter of one of the crew of the original Saturn Probe, has a little problem with some of the local inhabitants...

Collectors' Block

Apart from the Century 21 Jiggy Kids jigsaw I won on Fleabay a few weeks back [which never arrived] I haven't got anything for my collection for ages.

To be honest, Project SWORD stuff is getting harder to find, especially as there's just a few elusive and unusual bits and bobs that I need now. I'm at a sort of impasse.

 

 

Ironically, the QUEST US TV show Toy Hunter has rekindled my passion for all types of vintage toys and I'm really enjoying re-reading all my old reference books on action figures and TV toys [anyone else seen the show?]

Have you got anything for your collection or display shelf of late readers or are you suffering from collectors' block too?

MYSTERY ACTION FIGURE QUIZ 8

 

So, who am I?

MYSTERY ACTION FIGURE QUIZ 7

 

Who's this green lady toy?

Spacex Astronomical Telescope Satellite

Finally, after years of languishing in the bottom of a box, I managed to pull together the broken bits of one of my original Spacex ATS toys. To my mind, the ATS was the weak point in the line, both thematically and physically. The central cylinder is basically a childs telescope with a few parts clipped on. The large solar panels were so thin and fragile that they lasted days. Assembled, the four inch toy could not be played with, or put down safely, without snapping a panel. Today, the central column and both panels are long gone. These have been replaced, as well I was able, with metal and plastic parts. But I still cant put it down safely!