It's been too long since I featured my favourite aliens on the blog, so thanks to a recent comment on another post, I thought it was high time I featured them once more. Although its been a while since I received any new variants of the little bell shaped critter, I still haven't been able to categorically pin down who made them originally.
Thanks to fellow collector Rob, I was able to see a vintage countertop box for the english release of the toys recently, which features what may be a makers name hidden under a label!
In the states, these and many similar rubber toys were dime store toys, sold as Moon Men and Moon Platoon.
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| League of Extraordinary Gentlemen |
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| pic courtesy of ebay |
Multiple Toymakers and Imperial toys often include a full set of six differnt aliens in their wonderful Apollo Exploration box set - a toy I really need to add to my own collection! - but the little chrome 2cm versions were also copied by Dekkertoys in the 1980's, with a matt silver finish.
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| Woodsys Ap Ex set |
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| Dekkertoys 1980's release |
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| Recent chrome variant (thanks Kev!) |
My first encounter with the aliens was the rubber Moon Men and I was immediately smitten with the bell shaped guy, who I decided was the warlike leader! For my very first blog post back in September 2008, I painted a rendition of him, on canvas. Oddly enough, I actually sold this at an art fair in Liverpool some years ago, so if you bought it, let me know!
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| Bulloch original with an early line up |
There are many different variation of these figures, in hard plastic, transparent resin, rubber and even versions mounted on springs!
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| Late addition blue/green |
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| three variations of Moon Men |
But far and away my favourite is the very first rubber version, now missing the top of his pointy head, from having been swung on a thread out of the window! This lucky chap came from Woolworths in Dingle, Liverpool in about 1970 and is still with me today!
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| Original rubber and Moon Exploring versions |
UPDATE: Just to clarify, the smaller and hard plastic versions are indeed made by the ubiquitous company LP, in Hong Kong - its the rubber sucker figures that im unsure about. Heres a close up of the logo on the base.
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| Original 'Moon Man' with mystery logo |
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| Small Apollo Moon Exploring version with 'LP' logo, with thanks to Paul Vreede. |
Could the word under the box label read BREAKABLE, whatever it may mean?
ReplyDeletepossibly, Arto. but surely they arent? and why tuck it away at the side?
ReplyDeleteI should read tge small print Arto! found the other side of the box, again thanks to Rob for the pics. its un-breakable!
ReplyDeleteIt should say crumbly, they're obviously men of the moon and made of cheese!
ReplyDeleteThose aliens were originally made by LP, in at least two sizes, and trademarked as such? I'll send you some pics.
ReplyDeleteBest -- Paul
I love the message on the gum-ball card...at least three of them don't look friendly at all! Nice to see the 'Lawmaster' bike is/was available as a sucker-toy, I had wondered, more than once!
ReplyDeleteH
The big guy's grin reminds me of one of the Banana Splits, who had a permanent grin too! Snork? Beagle?
ReplyDeleteI recognized the artwork as the Pilgrim Lunar Lander from the James Caan movie "Countdown"! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countdown_(1968_film)
ReplyDeleteDo you mean the lander on the Moon Men box pictures Lewis? Fascinating. Thanks. I've never seen Countdown! Any good?
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