The Candlemaker

A seasonal nostalgic cartoon for Christmas.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL: THE CARTOON 1969

 

A little bit of Dickensianimation!

Arthur! and the Square Knights of the Round Table - It's The Gift That Counts!

One of my favourite cartoons as a nipper, appropriately about a gift!

T O T H ' S S P A C E A N G E L

 I've never seen Space Angel but I've always thought that Alex Toth's designs for the show were ahead of their time. They remind me of more adult artwork, what with the shapely tight-fitting suits, the rotund chap's enormous gut, the gorgeous gal and the hunk's the eye patch. It has a sort of French look too, altho' I don't know why.

Toth's ships are wonderful too.

The Starduster is just superbly simple.

As is this gorgeous yellow plane with an array of tanks close by.

There are many fans of Toth's ships online and here's just one, The Land of Nod, who has researched them describes them much better than I can.

 https://landofnod.blog/tag/space-angel/

Do you like Space Angel?

Your Favorite TV Shows and Movies Go Mini with Basic Fun's Tiny TVs - The Toy Insider

These are super cute cool! What do you think? Which show would you miniaturise readers?

https://thetoyinsider.com/basic-fun-tiny-tv-launch/ 

Miraculous Pussycats!

 I caught a glimpse of Miraculous on TV, a new kids show. As soon as I saw it I thought of Josie and the Pussycats from 50 odd years ago! What do you think?

Did you watch the Pussycats?

*

Postscript from Terranova47 in the US of A:

I had not heard of Josie and the Pussycats before now. A few months ago impressed by the fact our four year old grandson watched something other than Godzilla videos I purchased for him two 6 inch figures representing the main characters of Miraculous, Cat Noir and Ladybug.

He rejected the figures out of hand and as far as I know has never watched or mentioned Miraculous again.

He is back with his Godzilla obsession!

FRENCH CARTOON QUERY

I received this email today from an interested reader. Does anyone recognise this French? TV show at all so I can inform him what it is. Thanks!

Hello again and I hope you're fine. Now I was wondering if you got any idea about this French cartoon about teenagers who have adventures to save the environment. It's called

فرسان بلا حدود or knights without limitations in Arabic. Here are some clips to remind you.

http://www.dimakids.com/49248370-1491214837-29312.html#29312

So any idea about this cartoon in French or English please? It was fun and useful. Thanks for your help.

SCOOBY AND THE PUSSYCATS

Someone recently mentioned that Scooby Doo made a guest appearance in an episode of Josie and the Pussycats! Is this a fact known to you readers?

GIANT STEPS: THE INVISIBLE MONSTER

American reader Lance commented on my Giant Steps post. I liked his entry so much here it is as a proper post. Lance says:

"Jonny Quest episode The Invisible Monster [above]. I think mainly because I saw this as a child and Hoyt Cirtin's music makes it stick in your mind. The use of a Theramin for it's cries adds to its otherworldly spookiness."

I agree with Lance, this is starkly spooky animation and i think its very reminiscent of the monster from the id in Forbidden Planet. All very creepy indeed!

Did you watch Jonny Quest readers?

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS

I was thinking back to a cartoon I loved as a kid, the Harlem Globetrotters. I remember the bald funny guy called Curly the most. It was a lot of fun even though I'd never played basketball in my life. The theme music has just come to me too, a lot of doo-doo doo-doo's. Did you like it readers? I wonder of there were collectables from it?

I know it was based on the real-life team The Harlem Globetrotters, but I don't recall them that much. They were on the telly and for some reason i think they toured England. Were they a real basketball team, say, in the American NBA?

SKELETOR WALKING

I've been watching old episodes of Masters of the Universe with Moonbase Junior. he's nearly 5 and totally hooked!

Watching this 80's cartoon it struck me how similar some of the movements were to much older cartoons I was watching when I was a kid in the 60's and early 70's. Or am I seeing things?

Here's Skeletor walking.

and here's Rocket Robin and his merry men walking

and I'm pretty sure the cartoon Spider-Man walked like that back in 1967.

Boy how I enjoyed looking back at these old cartoons.

What was your favourite?

LIGHT UP, LIGHT UP

 

You wouldn't get this now, all your favourite cartoon characters smokin' like a chimney! Not only that, they blow smoke rings!

I had a small plastic monkey that did this when I was little.

Did you have any smoking toys?

DODO THE KID FROM OUTER SPACE

This is an odd one. I've never heard of it. Dodo the Kid from Outer Space. A cartoon with the voice talent of one Ed Bishop! Anyone know it?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DoDo,_The_Kid_from_Outer_Space

US Cartoons based on R-rated Movies!

Hi all,

               Here is an interesting film from Laura Legends - a selection of children's cartoons that were based on R-rated movies aimed at a mainly adult/teenage audience. In America the R rating means no children under 17 admitted unless accompanied by an adult. Things like Conan, Rambo, Starship Troopers, Robocop, and even the Toxic Avenger film series from the lunatics at Troma. Some of these were classified 18 (no one under 18 admitted at all) in Britain. Ideal fare for the little ones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzUVu4zyEIk

Have you seen these cartoons?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

CADILLACS AND DINOSAURS

Very very occasionally I see Cadillacs and Dinosaurs carded toy figures. A few turned up a few summers back at the local car boot sale and I saw stacks of them in a vintage toy shop a while back. I've never found any loose ones I don't think.

I've never succumbed to their prehistoric petrolhead charms but I am always interested in obscure action figures generally, so I thought I'd scratch the surface of this range.

It appears to be based on the TV cartoon of the same name. It's premise is almost Project SWORD with Jurassic Park thrown in! Its based on earlier comics called Xenozoic Tales from 1986 [thanks Wotan!] and maybe a video game by Capcom.

All the Earth's ages have melded - cities have crumbled, and the dinosaurs have returned to reclaim the earth. Jack Tenrec and Hannah Dundee stand alone to defend humanity and protect the dinosaurs in a world gone mad.

You can watch the first episode of the TV series on You Tube from 1993 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHJUNueFjr8

The range of carded figures and toys came out in 1993 too. Tyco had the licence. Here's Hannah Dundee's blister and the card back as shown on theangryspider.com:

Here's the TV ad.

.

Is this something you watched and do you have any of the toys?

MORTAL KOMBAT AND MORE LEGENDS

Hi Woodsy,

Laura Legends has been busy again, this time a video featuring five cartoons, video games, and live action shows that were turned into live stage shows. Masters of the Universe, Mortal Kombat, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Pokemon, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Strange, but fun.

5 Live Action Tours Based on 80s/90s Cartoons...say whaat?? - YouTube

Paul Adams from New Zealand

YET MORE FORGOTTEN TELLY AND CARTOONS

Another Lockdown's making me ponder much more than usual and even more cartoons and telly are surfacing through the house-bound fog! Howsabout.....

1. Wait till Your Father Gets Home: I can still hear the theme tune of this US toon but I've no idea what the plot was. Sort of reminds me the later Simpsons! Remember this old show?

2. Crystal Tips and Alistair: I recall this being animated in a shaky style as if they were simply moving bits of paper. Crystal's voice was sort of croaky I think. What was Alistair?

3. The Three Muskateers: Oh Wow, I adored this US cartoon. I assume it was Hanna Barbera, who probably influenced me much more than Disney as a kid. You too?

4. Mr. Ben: I think this tailor stepped through a mirror and became someone else, a bit like Stars in theor Eyes ..."Tonight Matthew!". Did Mr. Ben have adventures?

5. "We don't do duvets" was a catchphrase used in a launderette by one of two zany human characters in a live action show in the Eighties. They played guitar a lot and sometimes dressed as hippies. Any ideas?

6. Hong Kong Phooey: I loved anything to do with Kung Fu in the early Seventies and this was kickin! No idea if Phooey had an enemy and I always get this show mixed up with Inch High Private Eye! Any insights readers?

7. Woobinda: I reckon this was about flying vets but that's all I can recall, 'cos Daktari pops into my head as soon as I start to concentrate! I adored my die-cast Daktari Landrover and the toy figures! Do you know Woobinda?

8. Please Sir! When I think back the kids in this TV show seem really mature and savvy for High School kids. Were they much older actors? I think I was in love with some of the girls! The teacher, John Alderton? was a good actor and played a great part. Did you like Please Sir?

9. Timeslip: all I can see when I think of this kids' sci-fi show is a kid with specs on and a thick wolly polo neck. What was it about?

10. My daughter watched a kids' show in the early Nineties about a dog that was really a human. No idea what it was called but she loved it and its catchy theme tune. Any ideas?

EVEN MORE HALF-REMEMBERED TELLY AND FILMS

Even more films and TV series I half recall, can't recall or have never seen but should have done. Ring any bells readers?

1. Firefox. I had this as a hardback book with a jet plane on the cover. Was it a TV series too?

2. Banshee Chapter. Never seen this modern horror but some folk rave about it. Do you? I get it mixed up with Blue Thunder and Airwolf.

3. Star Crash. I think its a Star wars rip-off. Any good?

4. Warlords from Atlantis. Never seen this either. Versatile Doug McClure maybe in it.

5. Humanoids of the Deep. I have this on VHS but never watched it.

6. Chimera. I really enjoyed this sci-fi TV series back in the day but I've never seen it since. You?

7. King Arthur and the Knights of the Square Table. This cartoon was brilliant but I've not seen it in donkeys' years. You?

8. Double Deckers. I loved this as a kid but can't recall a thing about it except for a cute kid and a London bus.

9. The Impossibles and Frankenstein Jr. I had annuals for these two cartoons as a kid but did I see them on the telly? Can't remember when they were on.

10. The Belly or Mark of the Beast. A film I've heard of byt never seen. About a beast on the Lancashire moors during the Thatcher years. Know it?

IT'S THE WOLF!

 

Remember this?

from 1969.

MOTORMOUSE AND AUTOCAT

 

I adored these guys! You too?

Where there any toys and games?