THE ACTION MAN SPACE CAPSULE - A childhood memory by Tony K

The Action Man Space Capsule is a classic toy from the era of the televised Space Race. Originally developed for GI Joe, the sales pitch claimed it was designed from the Mercury blueprints and was a close replica of Friendship 7 used by John Glenn in his historic orbit around the world. In Britain, the comic advert promised the Space Capsule could take Action Man to the Moon and beyond. 

The 1/6 scale hard plastic Capsule was large to hold and simple to use. It only required a kid's imaginative mind to launch it into space. 

There were no battery operated functions. The only moving component was a clear plastic canopy to give Action Man access to the craft. An orange plastic seat belt would strap down Britain's most successful action figure for Blast Off. The Space Capsule was a popular toy and according to Action Man HQ (link below), was sold from 1967-1970.

Today, it's still easy to find examples of the Action Man Space Capsule. There are plenty of cost-effective fixer-uppers around for those with the skills. Although finding an undamaged example is more of a challenge. The clear plastic sliding canopy was prone to scratches and fractures. The orange seat belt was easily ripped out. Delicate twin flight control handles were positioned either side of the seat and easily snapped off in the tight confines of the cockpit. The impressive instrument panel decal often suffered water damage from hot summer holiday Splashdowns in cool paddling pools and clear shallow duck ponds.

The Action Man Space Capsule has a special place in my memory. I had one as a kid!... well sort of... for a very short time. The location was the playground of Ragland Street Juniors. It was dinner time on one of those special end-of-term days when kids could bring in a favourite toy. 

I noticed Derek, a gangly lad I knew, who everyone affectionately called Plug. People said he looked like one of the Bash Street Kids. Even his mom called him Plug, or so he said. He was holding court, surrounded by a crowd of curious kids looking at the large Space Capsule in his hands. I orbited around the crowd until they lost interest, then I seized my moment and asked about his dream toy.

Turned out Plug had an Action Man Space Capsule. I'd seen it in the Action Man catalogues, but never before in real life. Plug allowed me to hold what turned out to be his birthday present. Excitedly I slid the canopy open to find an Action Man Pilot wearing an orange flight, inside. In Britain, the Space Capsule and Astronaut outfit were sold separately. By contrast in the US, GI Joe's deluxe boxed set included a Space Capsule and an Astronaut outfit, plus 45rpm soundtrack. The Sears version also included a yellow flotation collar and raft for safe Splashdowns.

I tried to remove the Action Man from the Capsule, but couldn't. Plug lied and told me the Pilot couldn't be removed. As a result, throughout childhood I wrongly assumed the figure was somehow riveted into the Capsule. I hadn't spotted the orange seat belt which secured the Pilot into place.

Without realising it I used what would later be defined as a Jedi mind trick. I somehow talked Plug into swapping his birthday present for the small vinyl Airfix HO/OO APC I'd brought in for the day. Throughout life I've often wished I could remember the psychological persuasion method I used, as Plug happily agreed to a swap? I owned that Capsule of most of the dinner break. As the dinner bell rang, we were stopped at the door by Mrs. Hill, a stern, stout teacher who liked to shout. No doubt tipped-off by a dinner lady informer, she rhetorically asked where I was going with Plug's birthday present tucked under my arm. I naively tried to repeat my proto-Jedi mind trick, but the power of the Force was stronger in her. Her red face demanded I return the Capsule to the birthday boy, immediately! 

 Looking back I guess ethics and fair-trade probably wasn't a key consideration... I was just a small kid and I wanted this particular piece of the plastic Space Race for myself! After school I waited in vain by the railings for Plug to appear. He didn't. Next day when I saw him briefly in the corridor where he sincerely promised to complete our swap after half-term.

I never saw an Action Man Space Capsule again until I became an adult and had an epiphany of sorts, becoming a keen toy collector. It was one of the first toys I advertised for and acquired - alas it wasn't the one belonging to Plug. I occasionally wonder what happened to his original Space Capsule which I temporarily owned? It was a lifetime ago, during dinner break, in a playground surrounded by noisy and energetic little people who still had their whole lives ahead of them.

Tony K

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Go-Pro Footage Action Man Space Capsule Launched - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd4jFPXZv88

Action Man HQ - http://www.actionmanhq.co.uk/action-man-vehicles/space-capsule/index.html

P R O J E C T M E R C U R Y E A G L E A N N U A L 1 9 6 1

 images supplied by Terranova47

USA

Tony P's Gemini Space Capsule Toy

Hi Woodsy

Further to your blog item a few days ago, attached are a couple of pics of my Gemini space capsules.

I have two of these – one that I've had since I was a boy, which is still in good condition; the other is a fully boxed and unused one that I picked up a couple of years ago. 

It's a great toy – I remember having lots of fun with it when I was little.

Hope you like the pics.

Cheers

Tony P

OF GEMINI AND PIPES

Hello Woodsy,

I came across some old negatives from my art college days.

The given project was a magazine spread about a current news event. As the moon landing was planned for later in the year, 1969, I chose a NASA back story. I have no idea where a sample of the finished piece ended up but these are the illustrations for the spread.

I do not remember the brand of the kit, it was I believe an astronaut floating on the end of an air line from part of a spacecraft. It may have been the Revell Gemini kit. I painted it silver and shot it on photo mechanical film to get a very sharp b/w contrast as in sunlight with no atmosphere.

This other photo is of some of my clay pipes. Shooting white clay is hard to light, so again I used photo mechanical film which is what printers used to copy b/w type layouts and transfer them to a litho plate. It was also used for x-rays. It has no grey tones.

I always had a fascination with pipes as Dan Dare smoked one! His were briar wood but the clays were a way of dating archaeology sites as they were taxed and the makers marks on the stem dated them.

Regards,

Terranova47

NYC

gemini nasa toy figures and jet ace logan surgery

Hello Woodsy

You asked for small spacemen so:

Two shots of 54mm figures.

I have a bunch of NASA Gemini 5" figures. They are a hard plastic and a number had broken limbs so surgery is ongoing. 

The intent was to create a Jet Ace Logan figure but the project is still not complete, mostly due to difficulty finds a suitable glue. 

Crescent Berserker is for scale.

Regards,

Terranova47

USA