Spain's PAYA released two old toys that are of interest to SWORD and SpaceX collectors, the mustardy Zancudo and the blue Jeep Lunar.
Here they both are in catalogues circa 1971.
You got anything like this?
Tuesday, 30 April 2019
BATTLES OF THE PLANETS KNOCKOFF
We don't often feature Battle of the Planets on Moonbase for some reason but when it comes to knockoffs we love 'em!
Here's a nice Battle of the Planets 'inspired' 'Laser Pistol in Space'.
The toy pistol looks sorta familiar. Any ideas?
Monday, 29 April 2019
BOOKMARKS AND DOGS EARS
Did you like bookmarks as a kid?
I used to like getting them from the library. There were usually loads.
Sometimes they were laminated and given to me as a gift.
I also enjoyed using the string bookmark that was stitched into bog books like the Readers' Digest Book of Myths and Legends. Very handy those stringy ribbons.
Nowadays I've got into a bad habit of turning over the corner of a book I'm reading, especially old paperbacks like a dog's ear.
I can't imagine bookmarks being collectable but you never know. Did you use them readers? Do you now?
I used to like getting them from the library. There were usually loads.
Sometimes they were laminated and given to me as a gift.
I also enjoyed using the string bookmark that was stitched into bog books like the Readers' Digest Book of Myths and Legends. Very handy those stringy ribbons.
Nowadays I've got into a bad habit of turning over the corner of a book I'm reading, especially old paperbacks like a dog's ear.
I can't imagine bookmarks being collectable but you never know. Did you use them readers? Do you now?
Sunday, 28 April 2019
SPANISH SPACE BUS: RE-FOUND!
Sometimes my old photo archive surprises me.
A while ago I blogged about a a Spanish catalogue showing a Spanish series of chromed LP-style toys by JP.
Los Vehiculos del Espacio.
Around the same time I blogged an actual example of one the toys, the Tractor Espacial.
I'd never seen any of the Spanish toys before 2018.
Or so I thought.
Lo and behold, I had another picture of one of them as far back as 2012, when I saved this one from some now forgotten auction [I may have blogged it at the time without knowing what it was. The LP Space Bus was still a bit of a mystery back then!]
So, here we have the Autobus Espacial!
Two down.
Three to find!
You got any of these Spanish LP's?
ANIMAL FILMS OF MY SIXTIES CHILDHOOD: AS FREE AS THE WIND BLOWS
I've always been an animal lover.
In the Sixties I enjoyed seeing all the animal movies.
Music was important in these films and two theme songs have stayed with me since, both of them haunting and melodic:
Born Free sung by Matt Munro and Ring of Bright Water sung by Val Doonican.
Listening to these songs always brings a tear to my eye as it reminds me so vividly of my parents and their life with me in the 1960's.
These films were fresh, sunlit and hopeful, like the decade itself. OK there were problems and tragedies but overall the films recall a message of hope I think.
Although Born Free is the more famous film and made stars of Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, who would starred in Ring of Bright Water as well three years later, I became a great admirer of the actual book Ring of Bright Water [1960] in later life and I have an old early edition on my shelf now with lots of photographs of the house Camusfearna, where Gavin Maxwell lived with his Iraqui otter Mijbil.
Camusfearna became a sort of symbol of a purer, simpler life for me in my later years, in the way that Findhorn, the Scottish commune had when I was in my late teens [I was an avid reader of Undercurrents magazine].
I have read Ring of Bright Water a number of times and have recently picked up a sort of sequel, Island of Dreams, by a fellow fan, who actually lived at Camusfearna, one Dan Boothby. Its part of my Summer reading pile.
Many other people lived at Camusfearna during Maxwell's tenure. One was the late Terry Nutkins, TV presenter on Animal Magic [along with the great Johnny Morris] in the 1980's among many other TV shows.
Terry was just 12 when he joined Maxwell to look after his otters and eventually Maxwell became his legal guardian. Ring of Bright Water was written whilst Terry was a resident of Camusfearna.
Sadly Terry Nutkins died young, aged just 66 as did Gavin Maxwell himself, aged just 55. This post is dedicated to them both and their remarkable lives.
Two other wildlife films from my childhood have made an indelible mark.
Spencer Tracy's existential battle with the Blue Marlin in The Old Man and the Sea was cinematic drama par excellence. I will never forget the huge fish being strapped to the side if his boat. It may have been eaten by sharks as well but I'm unsure. Fishing films always seem to end badly for the fish.
I was always impressed that there was a Dinky or Corgi die-cast called a Marlin as well after seeing this film. I think i bought a beat-up one in the 90's and restored it for my toy stall.
The other film was Moby Dick.
Starring Gregory the Peck, this was Kaiju. Ahab Kaiju. Cap'n Ahab's epic struggle to tame the beast was also cinematic cream. I can see that huge white whale now as it breached next to the tiny Ahab dressed with his tall black hat in his rowing boat. How they did that I don't know.
I must have seen it on the telly as it was made in the 50's before I was spawned. A forgotten classic really, I have never seen Peck's Moby Dick on the box since.
Did you have fave animal films as a kid readers?
Saturday, 27 April 2019
CONTRAIL IN BLUE
The fields under a blue sky.
Someone going somewhere.
albeit a filter enhanced blue sky.
ORANGE TOY SPACE CAR
We've seen this uber-cool Space Car before - but in lime green - from old blog contributor Ykessa.
This orange version I've seen recently on Worthpoint is new to the blog I think.
Its a smart design embracing batmobile fins and Lancaster Bomber bubble gunpits.
Friction drive. Made in Hing Kong. Make unknown.
Its a plastic cousin of the Yanoman Space Scout S-17, a toy described in detail, along with variations, on Brian Haye's brilliant Alphadrome site
Anyone got one?
Any other colours?
Picture from Worthpoint.
YONEZAWA ATLAS 7 1965 ROCKET
There is just something abut this toy rocket I saw on Ebay that reminds me of the Project SWORD Apollo Saturn Rocket and its relatives below.
I thinks its the overall shape, the bottom fins and in particular the nosecone.
What do you think?
Here's the complete toy on Alphadrome showing the spinning rotor and the box.
Anyone got one?
Friday, 26 April 2019
BARBARA REMINGTON'S WORM
I saw this modern magazine cover online - above - Locus - and was immediately reminded of a an old paperback I've had in my book collection for decades. Since my late teens in fact.
The Worm Ouroboros
by E.R.Eddison
This wonderful cover with the encircling 'worm' was by artist Barbara Remington.
You will instantly recognise her style when you see it.
She did many Ballantine Books covers including Tolkien's Lord of the Rings like this one,
Amazingly Remington hadn't read the trilogy before she illustrated the covers!
Having said that, I still haven't read the Worm Ouroboros!
Have you any of Barbara Remington's cover art?
KEITH SHACKLETON 1929 -2019
Very sad to hear AP Films and Century 21 merchandise
director, Keith Shackleton has sadly passed away. He died on Wednesday 17th
April at the age of 90.
I was lucky enough to have a brief chat with Keith and see
him talk about those early days working at AP Films at The Future is Fantastic Fanderson convention in 2015.
For me and my fellow attendees it was a highlight of the
convention, and I have to say that meeting and seeing Keith, he came across as
well spoken, very genuine, and as honest as the day is long, in fact, quite the perfect gentleman.
Keith first met Gerry Anderson during their days as
non-commissioned officers in the RAF. After they left the air force, each went their
separate ways, although both remained friends.
In 1960, Gerry persuaded Keith to join A.P. Films as
merchandise director, during which time Supercar was being made at the Slough
studios in Ipswich Rd.
Keith mentioned that Supercar was popular in America, and a
company over there wanted the publishing rights. As part of the deal Keith was
able to secure the UK publishing rights for several American series like The
Man from UNCLE and Dr Kildare (He said
was quite pleased with a series of pulp
Dr Kildare paperbacks that sold really well in the UK and made the
company a fortune)
Remaining on the subject of publishing, Keith got on well
with Alan Fennel, who at the time was deputy editor of TV Comic. In 1961 Keith
sold the licence for the Supercar comic strip to TV Comic which was to be
written by Fennel. They soon formed the Supercar Club and within three weeks it
had 70,000 members, all paying the membership fee of half a crown.( 2/6) Supercar was a lucrative commodity. By 1963 merchandise sales for the show was
over a quarter of a million pounds.
He also spoke of his advice to Gerry not to sell AP Films to
Lew Grade and ATV. The cinema
advertising company, Pearl & Dean had offered to buy half the firm, with
what Keith considered a much better deal, but Gerry stuck to his guns, feeling
that ATV was the way to go.
He talked about TV Century 21, which was something he was
proud of. He’d approached Lew Grade with
the idea of a publication called Century 21, a name which had been bandied
about for a while, particularly with regards to Fireball XL5’s original title.
The company itself, needed a new more slick name and Century 21 sounded right.
(It has been suggested that Keith came up with the name, although he did
dispute that)
It was intended that
this new publication would promote A.P.Films’ new Thunderbirds series, and
Keith eventually struck a deal with City Magazines who were very enthusiastic,
however they opted to alter the title to TV Century 21, which more accurately
described the content.
With this new series now in full swing, Jack Rosethal’s toy
company which was naturally doing very well producing the Thunderbirds toys was
eventually bought out by A.P. Films in
1965. Although, Keith did make special mention that he was particularly pleased
with the Dinky toys being produced by Meccano in Binns Road, Liverpool.
Following Thunderbirds, Keith became a little disillusioned
with the new series, Captain Scarlet, which he felt was too dark for a child
audience, a difficult to pitch.
Eventually, Keith left Century 21 Productions. However, he
did return but as part of a separate company called Century 21 merchandise
which later became Century 21 Ltd. With this company he would licence products
for, amongst others, ABBA, The Power Rangers , and Kate Bush.
He also continued to work with Gerry Anderson under the
Gerry Anderson Merchandising banner.
Prior to his talk on stage I did manage a brief chat with
him and asked the question, did he remember Project Sword?
He did remember it, as a totally separate merchandise
venture which owed its creation to Jack Rosenthal , whose toy company by that time
belonged to ATV. However, as Gerry
Anderson considered himself the ideas man he subsequently had no interest in it
at all. Keith also had no recollection
of Solo comic, which might have been something that City magazines themselves
came up with under licence.
Keith retired sometime during the early 2000’s and was the
last remaining company director of the AP Films and Century 21 Group.
This true gentleman will, of course be sadly missed, and our
sincere condolences to his family and friends.
JAPANESE THUNDERBIRDS SHAMPOO CONTAINERS
I love these Japanese Thunderbirds shampoo plastic bottles.
They're ultra cool. I saw them on Yahoo japan.
There is also a Zero-X 'bottle' as well but its not shown here.
Anyone got any of these?
Thursday, 25 April 2019
RARE UFO CAR ON DINKY TOYS TV SHOWS, SPACE AND SPECIALS
Cool die-cast blog Dinky Toys TV Shows Space and Specials has announced a rare Dinky UFO die-cast opportunity. For more information check that blog:
https://dinkytvspace.com/2019/04/24/for-sale-very-rare-108-sams-car/
https://dinkytvspace.com/2019/04/24/for-sale-very-rare-108-sams-car/
KEITH SHACKLETON R.I.P.
Sad to hear that AP films and Century 21 merchandise director Keith Shackleton has sadly passed away.
Our sincere condolences to his family.
A full report to follow.
Wednesday, 24 April 2019
MYSTERY STELCO ROCKET
This is a neat toy. I saw it on an auction listing ages ago.
We've seen it before
but I think the bubble card is new to the blog.
It was originally a toy released by West German company Stelco.
Its numbered 12 and Made in Hong Kong but I'm unsure who released this bubble carded version pictured.
You?
Tuesday, 23 April 2019
KEVIN'S NEW SPACEX MOLAB
Hi
Very pleased to have finally got my first ever Spacex II toy, the Molab above.
I have never seen one in the plastic before, despite being a huge Spacex fan from the moment I saw them as a child.
I have all of the Spacex I range mint, carded etc. yet it has taken me 57 years to get my first in the Spacex II range! I want to collect the lot now!
Re. the Molab, I needed to make a new rear panel, engines and stickers for it - see below - but I've got it!
Very excited!
Kevin D
PIRANHA MADE ME LUNCH
I'm a voracious fan of the old film Piranha.
I even have a huge original cinema poster of it hanging on my bedroom wall!
So I was thrilled and a little terrified when I cam face to face with the critters in their tank at Tropical World Leeds!
I was convinced they were eyeing me up ..... for dinner ... when I took the above shot!
Have you seen Piranha, the film or the fish?
Monday, 22 April 2019
Hot Wheels - Still Smokin ?
DEVIL'S DOMAIN
Just south of Leeds point, the supposed birthplace of the Jersey Devil, is a lonely wooded trail that ends in a hauntingly desolate salt marsh.
It is a protected nature reserve, although I saw no wildlife stirring there.
But,wait,what was that behind that tree?
Brian F
New Jersey
USA
