Currently off with a chest infection and part of my prescription are Hammers.
Hammer Horrors to be exact.
I've seen two in the last 24 hours, a double dose!
The first was Curse of the Mummy's Tomb from 1964, which was on the UK Horror Channel. I must say overall I thought it was weak for a Hammer. It just lacked that umph that we've come to love from them.
OK, its a passable enough story but the Mummy's, well, rather lame. Universal did it much better in the black and white original and Hammer did a much better job with Blood from the Mummy's Tomb from 1971 starring the screen stealing Valerie Leon.
As the least scary of all the classic monsters Mummies have to go that extra bandage to thrill us. At least that's the case for me.
Not so the next Hammer, which I saw on DVD: the Kiss of the Vampire from 1963. A much more assured affair and despite not mentioning Dracula once or having big Chris Lee in it it nevertheless is an excellent flick, which does much to coagulate the continuing vampire mythos begun by Hammer in 1958.
Kiss is that rare movie that is never on TV, which rarely gets a mention but is actually a fantastic slice of horror cinema.With its story of holidaying in deepest Bavaria it reminded me of that other confident bite of the genre, Dracula Prince of darkness, one of my favourite Hammers of all time (l'm currently reading the TV tie-in).
If you haven't seen it I can wholeheartedly recommend Kiss of the Vampire.
Friday, 31 March 2017
The death of freeserve
I have just been informed that freeserve will disappear.
It will vanish at the end of May.
As a long standing freeserve user I am gutted.
I have had my beloved freeserve email address for decades. I like it a lot.
Current owners EE have decided to ditch email and that means all Orange email accounts.
Freeserve is an old, very old version of Orange. It moonlighted as wanadoo for a while en route. It's like the Oracle in the Matrix, an ancient programme in a fickle system.
Well in two months time decades of freeserving will be no more.
I shall now begin the sad process of replacing my freeserve email, saving thousands of emails [56,000 to be exact] from 2001 onwards and then updating everyone that needs to know my new address. A technological wake I suppose.
EE recommend gmail. Google. One thing to rule them all.
This blog won't be affected apart from the contact link at the bottom of the page. I will change that when I've put Freeserve to rest.
RIP Freeserve.
It will vanish at the end of May.
As a long standing freeserve user I am gutted.
I have had my beloved freeserve email address for decades. I like it a lot.
Current owners EE have decided to ditch email and that means all Orange email accounts.
Freeserve is an old, very old version of Orange. It moonlighted as wanadoo for a while en route. It's like the Oracle in the Matrix, an ancient programme in a fickle system.
Well in two months time decades of freeserving will be no more.
I shall now begin the sad process of replacing my freeserve email, saving thousands of emails [56,000 to be exact] from 2001 onwards and then updating everyone that needs to know my new address. A technological wake I suppose.
EE recommend gmail. Google. One thing to rule them all.
This blog won't be affected apart from the contact link at the bottom of the page. I will change that when I've put Freeserve to rest.
RIP Freeserve.
merehall hurdler
Above is the Century 21 Toys HURDLER.
I first blogged it in 2009.
There have been many versions of this toy.
Here's another,
the AUSTIN GYPSY by Merehall.
[picture: Vectis]
Anyone else got anything like this?
Thursday, 30 March 2017
jak pak lunar probe redux
Years ago I picked up the Jak Pak puzzle on the left.
Its a copy of John Schoenherr's Moon Crawler painting. I've blogged about his Moon Crawler art many times including the first publication of his sketches.
I have always been interested in what the rest of this Jak Pak range looked like.
Well, here's another one I spotted in Ebay.
This is the image close up.
Anyone recognise it?
Wednesday, 29 March 2017
Dot to dot to ditko
I've been free associating again. Like Bishop in A L I E N I'm still collating!
This time about books.
Well annuals to be precise. Annuals from my youth.
It all started when I saw the word Top Secret on the cover of the 1969 Joe 90 annual. This immediately made me think of Project SWORD manuals.
I actually had the Joe annual to hand. It was in the ever-changing toilet library. Flicking through its musty pages I made various connections with other artists, strips and annuals in a perforated roll of loose memories.
Making even more connections my mind ended up like a set of Corgi Rockets track that Never ends, going on forever into freefall.
All I had to do was find the books.
This is no mean feat as I'm not exactly sure which ones I need - Fantastic? TV Comic? Creepy and Eerie Magazines?
Then there's the problem of location. I have annuals stacked in my room and in the attic. Creepys are boxed up. It will all take time as my memory is as elusive as Steve Ditko, who, coincidentally is one of the artists I would like to make a connection to.
There's also Malcolm Stokes, Ladybird shirts, a teacher Viking, scratchy black art and Johnny Seven too!
A dot to dot of annualised thoughts to be blogged as soon as they coalesce.
I'm still collating!
This time about books.
Well annuals to be precise. Annuals from my youth.
It all started when I saw the word Top Secret on the cover of the 1969 Joe 90 annual. This immediately made me think of Project SWORD manuals.
I actually had the Joe annual to hand. It was in the ever-changing toilet library. Flicking through its musty pages I made various connections with other artists, strips and annuals in a perforated roll of loose memories.
Making even more connections my mind ended up like a set of Corgi Rockets track that Never ends, going on forever into freefall.
All I had to do was find the books.
This is no mean feat as I'm not exactly sure which ones I need - Fantastic? TV Comic? Creepy and Eerie Magazines?
Then there's the problem of location. I have annuals stacked in my room and in the attic. Creepys are boxed up. It will all take time as my memory is as elusive as Steve Ditko, who, coincidentally is one of the artists I would like to make a connection to.
There's also Malcolm Stokes, Ladybird shirts, a teacher Viking, scratchy black art and Johnny Seven too!
A dot to dot of annualised thoughts to be blogged as soon as they coalesce.
I'm still collating!
mystery briquettes of pastel powder
I've been trying to remember something from my childhood but like a watery pancake mix it just won't form.
What I recall is a series of small briquettes of dried powder. They were possibly tablets of compressed powder paint. They were different pastel colours and about the size of Nice biscuit.
The thing I remember the most about them is the clinky noise they made when tapped together. It was a sort of 'pink' sound and quite subtle.
I've no idea what these briquettes were from. Maybe a painting set or a colour by numbers toy.
Anyone any idea what I'm on about?
What I recall is a series of small briquettes of dried powder. They were possibly tablets of compressed powder paint. They were different pastel colours and about the size of Nice biscuit.
The thing I remember the most about them is the clinky noise they made when tapped together. It was a sort of 'pink' sound and quite subtle.
I've no idea what these briquettes were from. Maybe a painting set or a colour by numbers toy.
Anyone any idea what I'm on about?
japanese space models
Check out this amazing Japanese thread about vintage space models!
See anything you like?
Tuesday, 28 March 2017
cryptic quiz: toy companies
More cryptic capers for you readers! This time they are all toy companies.
A / means there's a second word. One answer per reader to start with. Ta.
Let's Corgi!
A / means there's a second word. One answer per reader to start with. Ta.
Let's Corgi!
- Yours truly/ leave
- Town garden/ German He
- Learner Plate/ Godfather
- Lower limb/ sound of surprise
- Door rug/ inform
- Breathable gas/ mend
- Pitt's name/ garden entrance
- Doubting disciple/ book of psalms
- baby half-sound/ lubricant
- the menace/ angler
- stuffing/ heavy weights
- and Engels
- Perfect
- Large African country/ dale
- Extra comfortable/ looking at a book
Bookworms
Inspired by Woodsy's post, heres a comparative shot of our bookshelves. Woodsy's busy taking a pic of his treasures in the Moonbase, some years back and mine is from just now, showing the mess accumulating on my desk and the two Stormtrooper bookends at top left. A small proportion of my current collection and a dusting of models and trinkets, including my prized Apex Rocket courtesy of the Davis shipyards!
childhood book ends
Books filled my childhood as much as toys in the Sixties as I'm sure was the case for many MC readers.
I adored owning books back then and still do.
Two sets of books represent two ends of my childhood really. Book ends no less!
One was a series of glossy paperback non-fiction books by Hamlyn or Collins during the Sixties and early Seventies. Each book covered a different topic. I recall having Guns and Natural History on my shelf as well as my favourite, Black Magic, which I still have. I was crazy about monsters as a kid and this was a natural fit. I found the book very unsettling especially the paintings of modern day witches. I adored it though and still occasionally flick through it because its like an old friend now.
The other set of books are far less pleasant when I look back. They were GCE O Level revision guides for Fifth Years sitting final exams at Secondary School. They covered every exam subject and those for English Lit covered each book being studied.
I remember having guides for Macbeth and David Copperfield. They were yellow and black and may have been called McMillan's Notes. I disliked them a lot and have no fondness for them now. My final secondary school year, 1977, was the year my Mum died suddenly at the age of 55 and the fun of childhood was sadly over forever.
Its odd how inanimate objects like books can stir past memories and take us back to former times. I suppose like our toys and records they represent a certain moment in our lives and depending on how we felt at the time freeze that feeling for always like flies in amber. Its a sobering thought that the books I still have from back then are as old as me now but I am still the same person thumbing through them now as I did when I got first got them. Its just the setting and the people around me that have changed.
Do you have books which are significant to you readers?
abandoned rocket sites on tv tonight
There's a TV programme on tonight about abandoned engineering. The clip featured old rockets pads, soviet monoliths, launch areas and secret bases.
One for MC readers?
UK Channel: Yesterday 8PM UK time tonight
spruesflash! Kevin's War of the Worlds Kit Dioramas
Hi,
Just made this kit of the Martian War Machine from the 1950's War of the Worlds film. Always loved the design.
Take care,
Kevin
Monday, 27 March 2017
cryptic actors quiz
Something a bit different, which is fun for me to write and hopefully fun for you to do!
Below are cryptic clues to the names of actors and actresses e.g. Boris Karloff [not one of the list!]
The / means that the two sounds are connected.
The - means they are all part of a single word.
Have a go folks! Just ONE per reader for now. Ta!
*
- Wealthy/tough Ratchet
- Dragonslayer Hint/patella
- Persistently attack/our star River-crossing
- Transport Angler
- British-Queen Outfitter
- John's nickname Five Cents /our star
- Water-carrying-saint Wind-sheltered-side
- Spanish-Yes/body trolley Loom-worker
- Scottish-church Manx-Capital
- French Wine-euro hundredth Value
tony k's austin cowboy toys
Hi again Woodsy,
I've attached a second pic which you're also welcome to use as well if you wish.
This time, by way of contrast, the figures are modern plastic cowboys which I won on ebay about a year or so ago. They're very well detailed and classic Old West gunfighters by Austin Miniatures 2013.
All the best, Tony K
tony k's cherilea daleks and marx spacemen
Hi Woodsy,
Really enjoyed reading your latest article about plastic soldiers, cowboys and knights. Here's is a pic of my vintage Marx Spacemen ambushing Cherilea Daleks!
All the best,
Tony K
Mergin' soldiers: cowboys, knights and little green privates
Small figures don't feature much on MC apart from small astronauts.
It's odd really because toy soldiers in the widest sense filled my own childhood and I imagine many others.
Staples were normal Airfix soldiers and the HO versions of them too. I used to pack them into the uber-cool Airfix Alvis Transporter and blast the whole lot with my die-cast UFO Interceptor missile and SHADO 3. Great fun!
Little green men were joined often by those other plastic warriors from earlier epochs: cowboys and knights in armour.
The cowboys were small plastic figures stood on plastic bases. I assume that they were Timpo. Maybe Britains? All the body parts came apart and could be re-assembled as another figure. I remember finding the plastic scalp stump on their un-hatted heads hilarious as a kid.
There were some beautiful small plastic parts: stetsons, neckerchiefs, belts and holsters. Above all of these though were the tiny silver revolvers, which slotted into the holsters. I adored those little pistols and would recognise them a mile off!
Another favourite plastic fighter was the knight. I loved knights in armour and had loads of the small chunky silver fellows. Many were on horseback replete with halberds and lances ready for the joust. There were standing figures with axes, standards and swords too. It's hard to explain just how much I liked these knights in armour as a kid. Again I assume that they were Timpo but they may have again been Britains. Not sure. I have often thought about collecting these chaps again and maybe I will in my retirement in four years!
Thinking about my old plastic chums has stirred memories of other figures with die-cast metal bases which I had. I think these were Britains and came in window or even open fronted boxes. They were in fact small dioramas. There was a brilliant mortar unit featuring two soldiers and a working mortar. I also had a Karate diorama with two fighting Karateka.
A final stirring of the grey matter has netted another Britains toy. Not a figure as such but rather a Police Motorcycle. It may have had a figure sat on but for me the memorable feature was the small telephone and an aerial on the bike. It stood up too by way of a small stand. A true thing of beauty! Ah, those were the days!
Did you like toy soldiers, cowboys and knights readers? Your memories and pictures welcomed!
It's odd really because toy soldiers in the widest sense filled my own childhood and I imagine many others.
Staples were normal Airfix soldiers and the HO versions of them too. I used to pack them into the uber-cool Airfix Alvis Transporter and blast the whole lot with my die-cast UFO Interceptor missile and SHADO 3. Great fun!
Little green men were joined often by those other plastic warriors from earlier epochs: cowboys and knights in armour.
The cowboys were small plastic figures stood on plastic bases. I assume that they were Timpo. Maybe Britains? All the body parts came apart and could be re-assembled as another figure. I remember finding the plastic scalp stump on their un-hatted heads hilarious as a kid.
There were some beautiful small plastic parts: stetsons, neckerchiefs, belts and holsters. Above all of these though were the tiny silver revolvers, which slotted into the holsters. I adored those little pistols and would recognise them a mile off!
Another favourite plastic fighter was the knight. I loved knights in armour and had loads of the small chunky silver fellows. Many were on horseback replete with halberds and lances ready for the joust. There were standing figures with axes, standards and swords too. It's hard to explain just how much I liked these knights in armour as a kid. Again I assume that they were Timpo but they may have again been Britains. Not sure. I have often thought about collecting these chaps again and maybe I will in my retirement in four years!
Thinking about my old plastic chums has stirred memories of other figures with die-cast metal bases which I had. I think these were Britains and came in window or even open fronted boxes. They were in fact small dioramas. There was a brilliant mortar unit featuring two soldiers and a working mortar. I also had a Karate diorama with two fighting Karateka.
A final stirring of the grey matter has netted another Britains toy. Not a figure as such but rather a Police Motorcycle. It may have had a figure sat on but for me the memorable feature was the small telephone and an aerial on the bike. It stood up too by way of a small stand. A true thing of beauty! Ah, those were the days!
Did you like toy soldiers, cowboys and knights readers? Your memories and pictures welcomed!
tarzan and the astronaut
I like this photo taken by Toyboytycoon on Flickr. Its called Evolution of Man.
There's a nice LP astronaut in there and Tarzan. Not sure if he's LP or not. It has a sort of 2001 Space Odyssey feel to it.
Do you like it?
Have you any plastic figure photographs you can share with us?
Sunday, 26 March 2017
promethean bus depot
Saw Prometheus again last night.
As usual I loved it.
I particularly like the ATV vehicle RT01.
It reminds me of various toys.
The Project SWORD Moon Bus is one and it performed a similar function. bussing personal round the moon.
Another doppelganger is this STAR FORCE Mobile Ground Support in my garden.
Can anyone think of anything much closer in appearance to the Prometheus RT01?
Maybe something from the worlds of Gerry Anderson or another toy or film?
Do Gerry Anderson toys have headlamps?
Just thought - do any Gerry Anderson toy vehicles have working headlights?
I mean toys rather than the models in his shows.
I can't think of any plastic or die-cast. Maybe tin?
Perhaps headlights were just too twentieth century for Century 21?
I mean toys rather than the models in his shows.
I can't think of any plastic or die-cast. Maybe tin?
Perhaps headlights were just too twentieth century for Century 21?
Saturday, 25 March 2017
Explorer 12 Farewell
To round off Explorer 12 day you might want to listen [maybe again] to our recent radio show, the SWORDcast,
In the second half Bill and I discuss Explorer 12 and Bill goes into a bit of detail.
galoob giant command: explorer 12 on steroids
After googling countless multi-wheel drive toys for today this has to be my favourite!
Its just awesome! Did anyone have one?
More crazy crawlers to follow this evening!
mike noble and explorer 12
Mike Noble is an acclaimed artist and illustrator.
His most famous work was on Fireball XL5 for the iconic Sixties TV21 comic.
He also did one single black and white drawing of the Zero X for the Project SWORD stories.
However, Mike illustrated in many other publications too. In 1987 he was commissioned by BHS London to illustrate their Explorer 12 toy series, specifically four books and a promotional brochure.
Recently I had the distinct pleasure of corresponding with Mike about this and Mike has kindly given his permission to relay his thoughts to MC readers.
Dear Woodsy
I am surprised that anyone has picked up on my artwork as I don't think I signed any of it. Recently I learned that it appears on Wikipedia.
Alan Fennell I believe asked me to do some artwork for one or two of the publications BHS were bringing out.
Your sketch of Explorer 12 you sent me reminds me of that series, with a number of different types of vehicle withing a fictitious rugged landscape.
All quite interesting to do and scope for one's imagination. For reference I was provided with photographs of the actual toys.
There was an aquatic series of vehicles I recall doing as well as well ...
and some polar explorer ones too!
It is such a long tome ago now that any preliminary sketches or tracings that I might have done for the illustrations have long since gone.
It was quite recently that I was having a clear out of magazines I had accumulated over the years and came across the very BHS publications you are referring to. Needless to say I threw them out!
One is never aware that there is anything other than a mere fleeting interest by readers of these past magazines.
Thank you for your kind comments about my previous work,
Very best wishes,
Mike Noble.
*
BHS book pictures: Joe Lange
bhs explorer 12 trademark
Some further googling has revealed some basic trademark information for the Explorer 12 range.
Sadly there is no pictured design included although further exploration of the trademark site might glean something [ a research opportunity there for someone!].
Its interesting how the registration date is in August 1987. This is also the date for an Explorer 12 launch event in London [see previous post on the Essex Record Office sound file]
The last known representative, Novagraaf, are an international intellectual property firm and are still in existence. I did write to them but not had a reply as yet.
new explorer 12 research: sound recording of the launch of the toys in 1987
Earlier in the year I came across an obscure reference to a sound file for what may have been Explorer 12.
I contacted the source, the Essex Record Office, and asked about the file. Martin Astell, the Sound Archivist, explained that it was a short recording of the launch event for a toy line with commentary by a reporter. The toy line was Explorer 12!
I was excited now and asked about publication costs. Alas, these ran into hundreds of pounds for a worldwide upload to Moonbase Central. I was deflated.
However, Martin kindly suggested an alternative! Essex Record Office were keen to grow their Soundcloud website of published recordings and if I was interested the Explorer 12 tape could be next!
Was I interested? Your'e darn tootin!
So, with the help of the Essex Record Office and their Soundcloud site, I can bring you for the first time on Moonbase Central the launch of the BHS Explorer 12 toy range in London in August 1987 with reporter Dennis Rookard. Its about 5 minutes long. Enjoy!
Click on the the third track below on the list, 'Explorer 12'.
Click on the the third track below on the list, 'Explorer 12'.
Moon Crawler 12
Could the inspiration for Explorer 12 lie deep in the aspirations of NASA?
The desire to traverse the hidden Earth and distant Moon in all-terrain vehicles has a long and honorable history in both science and art.
Perhaps my favourite painting in this vein is John Schoenherr's Moon Crawler.
With its balloon tyres and grim determination it embodies the pioneering spirit needed for exploration.
In 2011 John's son Ian was kind enough to allow Moonbase to publish his Dad's two preliminary sketches for this painting for the first time.
You can read more about them when they first appeared on MC in 2011
Above two images the property of Ian Schoenherr.
the evolution of explorer 12 toys
Explorer 12 from BHS was a re-purposed toy line based on a battery powered ATV like the red one shown above [SpaceX T5 shown for scale].
This was an unbranded 'space' vehicle which appeared on discount and beach shop shelves. It was a cheap alternative to the larger radio control trucks and buggies which began to proliferate in the 1980's following the advances in chip technology courtesy of the Silicon Revolution.
As electronics became much more complex and affordable, all terrain cars became popular and at the impulse end of the market, the Hong Kong toy makers went for a sliver of the market by making a variety of all terrain toys powered by batteries.
Some of the larger makers such as Tomy and Buddy L produced larger and more robust toys such as the yellow tank and the six wheel buggy above.
Other unbranded vehicles such as the large white six wheeler with grey conical wheels, which is amphibious in shallow water, were often seen in holiday shops and discount stores.
BHS seems to have acquired either the molds or the rights to produce a range of toys based on the 12 wheel chassis and developed a series of rescue and exploration toys on a pre-made motorised base.
Several basic version of the unbranded 12 wheeler were made and BHS took the base and remodelled the cab and trailer to accomodate a small figure.
Mini figures were popular with other lines at the time, such as Action GT/Schaper Stomper trucks and Tonka Legions of Power toys.
BHS maximised the appeal of the range with five different units, Rescue, Polar, Space, Ocean and Terrain.
Each unit had a distinctly colour coded vehicle and pilot, a definite nod to Thunderbirds.
Explorer 12 also included a female pilot, presumably to attempt to draw in curious girls on shopping trips in BHS!
A large and extensive range was developed, with many interchangeable trailers and cargo loads and a modular base unit made of simple panels and girders.
Probably the best vehicle design was the Ocean with large clip-on balloon tyres to give flotation and motivation in water.
The six wheel design was reflected in other cheap toys such as the long running Multimac and its endless spin-offs.
As action figures became more and more popular, the smaller less poseable fgigure fell out of favour in response to the onslaught of Star Wars and Gi Joe 3.5 " models.
Tandy or Radio Shack also took advantage of the popularity of the 12 wheel form and created a Mars Explorer with an additional two obstacle breaching front wheels and the addition of rubber tracks.
Woolworths also exploited the idea with their own cheaper version of the toys.
explorer 12 bell jars
Some Explorer 12 toy vehicles had clear plastic silos on their backs. It's a particularly interesting feature.
I can't think of any other toy line with these particular bell jar shaped silos.
Space safari has a sawn off top silo but not a rounded bell jar. Anything in the Deluxe Reading ranges?
Can you think of any readers?
Pic. Bill b.
I can't think of any other toy line with these particular bell jar shaped silos.
Space safari has a sawn off top silo but not a rounded bell jar. Anything in the Deluxe Reading ranges?
Can you think of any readers?
Pic. Bill b.
*
Kenner A L I E N Evac Fighter: Brian's suggestion