TO GO WITH TONIGHT'S CELTICA RADIO SWORDCAST

Bandai's big 2001 Space Odyssey toys we talk about on the radio.

Merehall Amphibious Missile Carrier

Johnny Seven in Thunderbirds [sonic screwdriver mot mentioned on the radio, sorry]

P.S

Here's a Japanese ad for a toy similar to the Merehall Amphibious Missile Carrier - red one on top of the helmet! 

Note the Project SWORD candy box in the right corner!

and again here, the blue one at the top of the gallery of four toys. There's that fabulous SWORD candy box again, which I would LOVE to know more about!

Back in the Saddle

Its been a while since we were on air, but now were back in the saddle again for a slightly delayed Swordcast. This programme was recorded a little while ago, so its a little dated! But the planets are back in alignment again and it will be available at 8pm uk time, 30 November. Be there or be square!

Available from the Celtica Radio link in the sidebar, or direct from Celtica Radio site itself.

MULTIPLE TOYMAKERS ICE CREAM VAN: A NEW SERVING

On a recent saunter around the cyber sea I saw something new to me [ blimey, that rhymes! ] - the Ice Cream King ice cream van. Made by Multiple Toymakers, it comes as part of a play set along with small plastic figures called The Little Twins and Poochy. They all come housed in a neat plastic carry case. This is the only photo or reference I can find on the net of this toy.

This new sighting makes a total of three of these Ice Cream vans, the others being the Mickey Mouse version, above, which is also by Multiple, along with the toy of most interest to me, the Topo Gigio van made by Century 21 Toys pictured below.

MOONBASE VIDEO: TV21 ARTISTS RON TURNER AND PAUL McCAFFREY: FROM SPACE ACE TO PROJECT SWORD

My latest video takes a look at two TV21 artists. One modern, one legendary. Both brilliant!

Paul McCaffrey was first introduced to Moonbase Central readers a few months back, when we initially discussed his planned illustration for the first Project SWORD story in just under 40 years. Paul's fabulous drawing was published as part of the new TV21 in October.

Ron Turner needs no introduction and will be well-known to readers as TV21's master illustrator of futuristic vehicles. Enthusiast John Lawrence has lovingly re-printed Ron's Space Ace strips from the late Fifties in a series of books. Pictured below, volume 3 is a gorgeous book and available now. Interested readers should contact John at 
spaceace.54@virginmedia.com

Which are your favourite Ron Turner strips readers?

Video notes: 

please excuse the bright reflection on some of the material I'm looking at. Its my desk lamp! 

I'm also unfamiliar with videoing comics and annuals so I hope the side view works OK.

Please let me know.

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY 2014 CINEMA RE- RELEASE

Yes! Its back on the silver screen!

2001: A Space Odyssey

2014 UK cinema re-release

Dates

ADVENT ODYSSEY: SEARCHING FOR PROJECT SWORD AT HATCHETTS PLAYGROUND

Stanley Kubrick's seminal 2001 A Space Odyssey had its World Premiere on April 2nd 1968 at the Uptown Thearte, Washington DC in the USA.

On April 4th 1968 it opened at New York's Loews Capitol.

Cinemas put up displays to draw in the crowds like this one in New Jersey.

Ushers dressed in space-age uniforms like these in Seattle.

The film premiered in the UK on the 19th May 1968 at the Casino Thearte, Old Compton Street, London. It followed in Finland and Holland on 20th September and 3rd October respectively that same year. The film was promoted in LIFE magazine.

The film opened throughout the rest of the UK in the summer of 1968.

It may have also played in other CINERAMA-type cinemas throughout London including those along Piccadilly, although this is supposition on my part. 

At 67 Piccadilly, Hatchetts Playground nightclub opened earlier in the year. With guests like Shirley Bassey and Barbara Windsor it was THE place to be in swinging London. Capturing the futuristic mood of the time, Hatchetts' waitresses wore space-age uniforms too.

The foil-like uniforms were a noticeable feature of the nightclub's opening party.

They were also worn for the launch of 2001 A Space Odyssey. Looking at this photograph I recognise cinema seats. Whether this was in Hatchetts itself I haven't been able to find out. The 2001 brochure remains a mystery for me too. Its completely different to the 1968 press kit.

At the same time Century 21 Toys were making links with the movie.

In particular, Project SWORD toys, which were displayed at Hatchetts by three of those silvery playground waitresses. 

Looking through the above photographs, I think the SWORD girls above were these three Hatchetts girls pictured below. I have been unable to find out their names. The middle girl appears in the 2001 A Space Odyssey brochure event photograph above.

I have been unable to find any further references to Project SWORD toys displays in nightclubs, cinemas or toy stores as suggested by the articles above. There was a proposed Project SWORD promotional and bus ticket campaign planned for November 1968 but it is not known if this was linked to the 2001 A Space Odyssey campaign. 

If you would like to look at more photographs of Hatchetts then please go to this huge archive by Jonathan Marks, who's father owned the club. I have written to Jonathan to inform him of the link to Century 21.

Jonathan's page also mentions one other notable event at Hatchetts, the use of the club as a disco setting in the opening titles of the 1960's cult horror flick Scream and Scream Again. Starring Vincent Price, the scene featured pop group Amen Corner. You can see a clip here using Hatchetts' dancefloor:

Fortunately for us Project SWORD toys survived the ravages of time but sadly, Hatchetts Playground didn't. Here is a clip on You Tube of what it looks like now.

If you have any more information about the links between Century 21 Toys, Hatchetts and 2001 A Space Odyssey I would love to hear from you.

_______________________________________________

This article was inspired by some initial internet searches by Bill Wotan Bulloch.

My grateful thanks to these online sources: Jonathan Marks imgur site, Incinerama.com, visual memory.co.uk, quadbod.co.uk, cineramahistory.com, cinemaretro.com, ww1.hdnux.com, You Tube, Voices of East Anglia, Bill Bulloch, imdb, wikipedia.

DIKO-RAMA MOLAB SET FROM MEXICO

Above: the Diko Rama model set from Mexico made up of R&L cereal space kits. Of especial interest to Moon Basers are the MOLABs.

Below: Diko Rama did other sets like this harbour set.

Has anyone got any Diko Rama sets readers?

MY TOP 5 MOST BEAUTIFUL SPACE TOYS EVER MADE

1. Tudor Rose / Kleeware X-400

2. Bandai Area Radiation Tester

3. Century 21 Moonship

4. Century 21 Nuclear Ferry

5. Joint - Century 21 Zero-X and Bandai Sky Ship 1

These five are in my opinion the most attractive, most gorgeous space toys ever made. The list does change depending on how I feel but this is how it stands today! Which would your top 5 most beautiful space toys be readers?

SUPER TOY MEN ON THE MOON CARDED SET

I spotted these neat stocking fillers on bay earlier in the year. Men on the Moon by Super Toys.  Looks like there's around 30 spacemen and 3 vehicles. The spacemen look like MPC type rather than LP. Or are they Marx style?

I had thought the vehicles were straight lifts of Marx Lunar Exploration Miniature Playset ones but looking at this example below I'm not so sure. Any ideas readers?

MOONBASE VIDEO: AVIONES COSMICOS AND PORTAVIONES BY BULLYCAN: SPANISH SPACEX

In 1970 Tri-ang released their SpaceX space toy range. These were followed by various knockoffs including the Aviones Cosmicos and the Partaviones by Bullycan of Spain. This latest Moonbase video takes a look at the Bullycan toys I have in my collection. Enjoy!

MOONBASE VIDEO: PROJECT SWORD POP ROCKET HEADER ART

Tonight's Moonbase video looks at vintage header card art featuring SWORD's Probe Force 2. The header cards appear on bags of plastic Hong Kong pop rockets. The header card also features blog legend, the Hover Space Rocket Car. Enjoy!

PROJECT SWORD FACEBOOK PAGE

Although I resisted for a long time I recently became a convert to Facebook. I'm not sure how many readers we have here who subscribe to it but in amongst the pages of dross  there are few pleasant surprises.

I'm now a member of Gerry Anderson toys Facebook group , which is full of like minded folk who enjoy waxing lyrical about the stuff we all love.  While checking out those pages I came across a post by a chap called Peter Jackson (I don't think it's that Peter Jackson!) who runs the Facebook Project Sword page.

I soon joined that small group, there's only around a dozen members, a couple of whose names I recognized from here. The page was created in August this year so it is still in it's infancy and very much finding its feet.

Now while our own Moonbase Central has no plans to have a Facebook presence , much preferring our blog status ( Although I have seen many members referring  to and mentioning Moonbase in Facebook posts)  I'm sure Peter would welcome any Project Sword enthusiasts on Facebook who might want to join up, and maybe comment , contribute or simply enjoy a regular peek at the pages.

So come on folks, we're a minority group here, us Swordies have got to stick together!

READERS' 2001

2001 DVD

Finland

2001 book

Belgium

MOONBASE VIDEO: PROJECT SWORD RUBBER ERASERS FROM JAPAN

My new video for today: a look at the rubber mini replicas of Century 21 Project SWORD toys. These vintage bagged erasers come from Japan. See my previous video about the hard plastic versions of these.

MOONBASE VIDEO: HARD PLASTIC PROJECT SWORD MINIATURES FROM JAPAN

My latest Moonbase video looks at my collection of small hard plastic SWORD replicas from Japan. A little obscure but I hope you enjoy it. If you have any of these miniatures it would be great to share notes.

DINKY THUNDERBIRD 2 MODEL NO. 101 & 106

The Dinky Thunderbird 2 was produced from 1967 to 1979.  It was a popular die cast model and although there were subtle changes through the years, there were two distinctively different models – one numbered 101, and a later retooled edition numbered 106.

This is my Dinky 101 Thunderbird 2. Although it’s not a first issue it is an early version example, probably first appearing around the late sixties/early seventies, easily identified as this version still had Century 21 toys Ltd on the base of the pod.

Unlike the previous versions which were painted a flat green, mine is finished in a metallic green.  The box and card display are slightly different too. The main difference is the addition of the words ‘straight from Gerry Anderson’s Thunderbirds’, whereas the earlier box and display card omitted the name ‘Gerry Anderson’.

This version would be slightly altered in 1973 when Dinky changed the packaging on their model range to bubble packs. This Thunderbird 2 101 third version omitted the now defunct Century 21 toys Ltd wording on the pod base. (The display card base gives copyright to A.P. Films)

This version would have lasted more or less around a year before Dinky redesigned the model giving it a new model number, 106. This retooled version was slightly bigger, painted blue and had a plastic base.

This 106 version would have begun to appear around 1974/75.

Although the pod and top section of this version was blue, the plastic base came in three colours, blue, black and white.  (The flip down legs, which were much stronger than the previous 101 version, came in either red or yellow)

 This slightly distressed one with yellow legs  I picked up at this year’s Doncaster toy fair is perfect for this flying shot.

My other 106 is this boxed example. The window box packaging, which I'm assuming first appeared in 1978 based on the year given on the box, would be the last, as the Thunderbird 2 die cast ceased production in 1979.

Comparing the two models, I think it’s fair to say that the 101 version does look a little more attractive than the robust looking 106, but it is also quite delicate. The legs are far too thin to support the toy when the pod is still attached to the main body. (The very early versions had riveted bases which meant broken legs couldn’t easily be replaced.)

The 106 on the other hand is pretty tough. The thicker legs spring out and the toy still retains a solid feel. Some might consider the paint scheme and the plastic base a big let-down, but in other ways I think the redesigned 106 has improved the durability of the toy.

So, to sum up while both the 101 and 106 have their draw backs, they equally have their good points, and personally I’m glad to own examples of both.