Ocean Glide

Hi,

Not sure why, but this is my favourite picture of my TB2 scratchbuild.

Flying off.

Kevin

UK

Thunderbots

 Juniors window bots get rescued by Virgil Tracy! 

Have you a favourite Thunderbird 2 pic? Pictures welcomed! 

RICHARD'S SEASTAR 5 COMIC BOOK LAUNCH SEQUENCE

I'm in the process of putting together a full Comic Version of my Children's Storybook Series " SEASTAR 5 INVADERS FROM THE ABYSS" , which is available as a download on Amazon Kindle with the first book in the series at the present time .

The new Comic release will be later this year....artwork in production at my studio currently....the Comic Book will be available via mail-order from my Studio....details on that later in the year.

Thought I would show your followers a full version of the SEASTAR 5 Submarine launch sequence that will be appearing for the first time in the Comic Book Release....an exclusive for you mate....

Enjoy Supermation Retro Images Photography from me....

Best Regards 

Richard Dixon

UK

*

The Launch sequence consists of eleven images.....also further images will be added with the interactions of the crew of the submarine as they follow work to launch the submarine when the Comic is released. These are the model animation shots of the submarine .

We start on Omelek Island with the Lavelle Marine Lab....on the island surface....below that is STAR KEY Base....a secret submarine facility for the Aquanaut Marine Rangers Command ......the island forms part of the Kwajalein Atoll group in the Pacific Ocean.....

In Hanger One ....the SEASTAR 5 , the world's first submarine Carrier Battle Cruiser class of supersonic speed capable super submarines .

The super submarine on its launch vehicle transporter prepares for launch on its first patrol mission.....power systems on the super submarine come to life....the power up has started.....the Airlock doors are opened......

.... to be continued!

TERRANOVA47'S WOLSELEY POLICE CARS

Here are photos of the of Budgie Wolseley 6/80 Police Cars.

My large one on display behind a blue Brian from Magic Roundabout. The smaller ones are on my present train layout, outside the Police station and by a Police call box.

Terranova47

USA

ED'S AUBURNS

I have another contender - less fancy, but one that also reminds me of the good ol' days: Auburn's #576 Police Car. I have these in several colors.

Ed B

Nevada

USA

THE EXPLORERS ARE EXCITED

Woodsy,

So I’m going through piles of old papers, and out pops this near-mint bubblegum card, of which I have no memory! “Mysterious Mars.” Apparently from a series called “Space Cards,” but other than that it’s a mystery to me!

Rob C

USA

ED'S PATROL CAR

Woodsy,

Growing up in the '50s & '60s, I remember having a Japanese tin-litho police car very similar to this. My recollection is that the dome light was more rounded though. Back then, tin-litho toys were budget friendly. Today, they're budget busters. Enjoy!

Ed

Las Vegas

USA

MAC AND ME

 Picked these up on a Charity trawl today,

a neat 1973 Matchbox MAC [Mobile Action Command] orange ATV and a lovely Hot Wheels space car from 1988.

What do you think?

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE POLICE CAR?

I had a few police cars as a kid. I remember revving the friction drive of the white plastic Z car that came in a neat box based on the TV show. I also like the small blue Lesney American police car with fins at the back like the Z car, It could have been a Cadillac or an Impala - before Superfast anyway. It may have even been a Husky brand.

There will have been simple plastic police cars too like Blue Box and Lucky brands, which were everywhere, but I just can't remember them.

I do recall more solid fayre like the German Polizei VW, which was green and white and the blue and white Ford Anglia, that classic Panda [not sure why it was called a Panda].

Without doubt though, my own favourite was the Dinky Ford Transit van Accident Unit. I adored that chunky white van and played with it constantly, adoringly setting up the street furniture on my bedroom carpet. There were two or three traffic cones and an elevating camera on a pole in the roof. I don't think there was a policeman.

But by far the best accessory were the two Police Slow street signs in blue with white lettering. Setting those two things up was pure heaven. Storing them was fab too, as they slotted neatly into a rack in the rear of the van. Blimey, that takes me back.

What was your fave toy cop car readers? Any memories? Pictures welcomed.

RICHARD'S ACTION MAN PHOTOGRAPHY 3

Just sending over some more images from my Archives....this time some more Action Man The Hero images....from my work on Action Man Comic with Marvel Comics UK and Panini Comics UK.....all photography and set designs by myself...." realistic background landscapes images" were all done by myself as well....

All the work was created in my various studios based in Lancashire during the nineties and 2000's .

Hope your MC viewers like these....

More to follow.

Best regards 

Richard Dixon

UK

TUESDAY QUIZ: GET YOUR HEAD ON.

Its Quiz time so lets get quizzical. Answer a couple at once, there's loads of questions from the very dregs of my waning id.

1. Which man do Palitoy, Schildkrot and Geyper all have in common?

2. How many Sarah Connors did the Terminator get to before the real Sarah Connor?

3. Which insect-based toy is Schaper most famous for?

4. Who's the odd one out: Kang, Falcon, Steppenwolf, Loki, Juggernaut.

5. Which film ends with It Was Beauty killed the Beast?

6. Which is the highest rank: Colonel, Brigadier-General, Captain, Field Marshall.

7. What was the problem with Clackers?

8. Which TV show ended with If it hadn't have been for those Meddling Kids?

9. Which military rank does Russel Crowe's character hold at the start of Gladiator?

10. Which Hong Kong actor appeared in Longstreet, Batman and Marlowe?

11. What does the collectors' abbreviation OOAK stand for?

12. Name the odd one out: Callisto, Orbitron, Scorpio and Captain Lazer.

13. What is a Code 3 model in the world of Die-Casts?

14. Who shouldn't be on the list? Henry Hull, David Naughton, Peter Cushing, Jack Nicholson and Oliver Reed.

15. Which monster is this referring to? I tried to think of the most harmless thing. Something I loved from my childhood. Something that could never ever possibly destroy us.

16. In the world of die-cast collecting what is a Black Wall?

17. What do Luke's Uncle and Aunt farm in a New Hope?

18. What is often missing from the top of second hand 1979 Kenner Alien 18 inch toy figures?

19. What are these terms all referring to: tricky, mystery and non-fall?

20. In the first X-Men movie what does Logan say must be Prof. X's nickname when he first meets him?

YOUR CAR'S NOT QUITE READY YET SENATOR

 

I picked up these second hand goodies the other day. All for a little sprucing up.  What do you think?

The plastic HK hovercraft is unmarked but I guess its the same as the Telsalda one I often see on Ebay like this complete one on auction now:

The bog and gorgeous saloon next to it is the blue Corgi Opel Senator, a car I'm unfamiliar with, but I do like 1980's saloons like this. I used to drive a Vauxhall Cavalier, which was similar.

I'm looking forward to sprucing up the Senator.

Here's the original TV slot for the real Vauxhall [Opel] Senator from 1989, being compared to a swan!

DEAR DIARY ....

 

I caught Wampa wondering what to put in his diary.

What should Wampa write readers?

TANKS FOR THE MEMORIES

Here are some photographs of my armour models, which I thought you might like to see. All are either 1/76th or 1/72nd scale tanks and other types of armoured vehicle, built from various plastic kits. All these examples are WW2, photographed against different backgrounds.

Matchbox Humber Mk.II armoured car, in desert sand. The background is autumn brown clump foliage by Woodland Scenics.

Airfix Churchill Crocodile flamethrower tank in action. It took me ages to figure out how to model the flames, I ended up using a hot glue gun. Base is wood, with papier mache for texture, and a little model railway foliage and grass.

Matchbox Sherman Firefly (with the British 17-pounder gun). With added crew figures, and painted as a captured vehicle used by the Germans. Lots of extra crosses to make sure they did not get fired on by their own side. Peco model railway backscene.

The new Airfix Tiger I kit in winter camouflage. The background is scrapbook (photo album) paper, which gives a nice night-sky effect. Textured ground is a sheet of Tamiya diorama paving stones.

Nothing too complicated, but all good fun.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Somethings Bugging Me

Having a little time on my hands courtesy of the summer break, my thoughts turned creative and I got the urge to whip up a small model. I had a box of old wireless mice and the scroll wheels on a lot of them have tiny rubber tyres, which have always reminded me of the Project SWORD Scramble Bug.

Finding 6 identical ones was tricky, but as the Bug has two different types of tyre, I scraped together 2 central drive wheels and four for the rest. A couple of highlighter pens for the body, a few bits of scrap and I was away!

 At around 10 cm, its technically Spacex scale and even boasts a Golden Astronaut pilot! The wheels aren't free rolling, but it sits nicley on a moonscape, thanks to the flexible joints between the units.

Watch out for more Scramble Bug news very soon..

SHEDBASE ALPHA

I've got to that stage in life, when you are supposed to put advertising signs for petrol and motor oil on your shed. Since I'm not a fan of cars, I've gone with the Command Centre logo from Moonbase Alpha.

It's a sign....

Kevin D

UK

HARRY BROWN AND THE HOODIE HORRORS

Whilst avoiding ads on TV watching the Terminator last night I switched often to Harry Brown on another channel.

Harry Brown, played by Michael Caine, is a 2009 film about Britain's feral youth and old aged pensioners and the fatal results of them meeting. Its also about quiet determination in the face of adversity - that 'make do' and 'can do' spirit of the War generation and the one that followed, suffering the rigours of ration book Britain after saving the world. Its sad really seeing Harry in his small place, alone after his beloved wife dies, tying his shoes slowly and accurately as he does with his tie to meet his chess partner len.

When Len is stabbed by said Feral Youths the scene is set for a lethal confrontation between the drug-addled yobs and the once law-abiding Harry. You can guess the rest.

Harry Brown is part of that film sub-genre called Hoodie Horrors, itself a tiny part of the much bigger Rebellious Youth theme, which has been around as old as film itself.

Hoodie Horrors seemed to have been the exploitative end of a drip-feed process of demonising young people in the UK the last few decades, to the point where Yobs, ASBO's [anti-social behaviour order], Chavs and SUS [stop under suspicion] became everyday language.

The sub-genre, unsurprisingly, has thrown up some extremes, from the gory Eden Lake set in the woods to Attack the Block, set in, well you know. All exploit the seemingly stark border between the morally-bereft children of the working class with the clear moral-compass of the either the older generation or the middle class. You can just see the headlines, which the film-makers were tapping into.

Another twist on the sub-genre is what you might call the Guiding Hand or the One Man Army, where the protagonist, eyeing the trouble from the porch, eventually steps in like Rambo to save at least one of the brazen teens from certain immoral oblivion. 

Two films spring to mind, the American Gran Torino, 2009, with Clint himself constantly polishing his classic car,, keeping what he has worked hard for in tip-top condition, whilst simultaneously cleaning up the neighbourhood of unruly, lazy, never-done-a-proper-days-work gangbangers and rescuing his chosen 'good boy' from the needle-strewn abyss.

The Equaliser, 2014, fills the same brave shoes, with Denzel breaking off from his spartan 'make do' life of reading Moby Dick and washing up his one knife and fork to going head to toe with anyone and everyone who hurts his chosen youth-worth-saving, in this case a Russian-mafia American call-girl who eats soup with him at his midnight diner night-owl style

I'm sure you can think of many more Hoodie Horrors and Rebellious Youth movies and maybe even novels across the decades. Let us know readers.

Right, I'm off to polish my dinky cars.

WE WERE THIS CLOSE TO GOING OUT .... FOREVER!

 I saw The Terminator again last night from way back in 1984 when all things felt Orwellian.

Personally I think its a great Sci-fi film, up there with Predator and ALIEN. After all Stan Winston was involved so what's the worst that can happen! Arnie is like Marmite I know. I think he's great and adore all his early stuff.

The music by one Brad Fiedel [born on Long Island and was the erstwhile keyboardist with Hall and Oates]  is sublimely futuristic and menacing and I would recognise it anywhere. Very Tubeway Army.

Linda Hamilton is excellent as the legendary Sarah Connor, as is the serious Kyle Reece character played by Michael Beihn [ of ALIENS and the Abyss too]. Traxler and Hal, the two cops, played by Paul Winfield and Lance Henriksen, have a comical relationship, with Traxler stopping Hal before he can tell another one of his stories! Between them they drink coffee and smoke fags like they're going out of fashion. I always wanted to try out Traxler's 'comfortable' couch after hearing him describe it! And who can forget Silberman the shrink, dreaming of the book rights to Reece's' mad story of the future.

As for the future in the film .... was it 2039?, the HK's  - Hunter Killers - look like a superb chrome war craft as do the huge machine tanks. I wonder if they ever made it as toys, but then again, its certainly not a kids' film is it, so its surprising there were any toys at all.

I picked up the Terminator board game in the early 1990's at a boot sale, along with a large plastic action figure of Arnie from T2, with half of his chest mangled. I think he spoke. It might have been 18 inches tall that figure and looked great on my toy stall.

image: Ebay

I never really saw any smaller action figures but I did see a presentation DVD set [or was it VHS?] in a chrome tin, like a biscuit tin. Come to think of it it may well have been T2 as well and not the first flick. Did anyone get that presentation set? What was in it?

Do you like the Terminator?

RICHARD'S STAR ROCK ISLAND

Please find enclosed some imagery from something I'm currently working on that you and your followers might like to get a preview on....

Its a concept idea at the present....it has elements of model animation with set production design ...and a narrative that I'm writing around a new Children's storybook fantasy idea .

Its early days but so far it is coming together as an illustrated pilot storybook .

The supermation artwork style of mine using digital art software combined with painted sets and cut-out characters has worked out well with for my previous SEASTAR 5 project storybook series....now trying to use the style again on a follow up project....we will see how it goes....keep you posted.....

Some publicity material attached that I have put together to show my followers on my website .

Hope you like it.

Best Regards

Richard Dixon 

TPD STUDIOS , 

Lancashire UK .