MOON ZERO TWO

MOON ZERO TWO was one of the coolest films I saw as a kid in the 60's, just as the decade was fading and turning into the 1970's. I remember the distinctive theme music with the slightly screechy MOON ZERO TWO chorus. One scene scared me to death, where a astronaut trurned round to reveal a skull in the helmet! Cripes! I'd forgotten a lot of the detail but having read up a bit there's a lunar base called Farside 5 and even a Moon Ferry, which I'd love to see close up! Comparisons have been made with UFO and Space 1999. Why oh why don't they show iconic films like this on UK TV instead of the usual pap we get!

David Sisson, modelmaker, has put together a brilliant fan site for the film and an online feature about the film's spacesuits . Here you can see the above-mentioned "skull" shot and the brilliant MOON FARGO moon buggy, which reminds me of the SWORD ANT and Corgi's LUNAR BUG. Cool.

HOVER JEEP AND TRACTOR

Continuing the Jeep theme from SWORD-realted toy companies, here we have a fabulous HOVER SAFARI JEEP AND ROVER. the distinctive wings logo is clearly visible and the lidded box is very reminiscent of the HOVER PROBE FORCE 3.

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Far less appealing to me personally are tractors (although I had a large ride-on one as a nipper) but I like the box of this HOVER 5000 SUPER TRACTOR, as its even more obviously the same box style as HOVER's PF3.

And heres the same tractor in red and a different box.

All pictures can be found at VECTIS auctions

EMPIRE CHUCK WAGON JEEP, MR.STICKLER, PEE WEE SLUGGER SET AND THE TARHEEL QUESTION

I think I'm in love with plastic jeeps. Ever since I found the Century 21 Hurdler at the Pudsey Swapmeet this year I've been on the look out for more interesting makes. I blogged the GI Joe-sized Empire Jeep last week and here we have another spectacular boxed Empire Jeep or Chuck Wagon. On Ebay USA, as pictured below, there's no size given but it could be GI Joe-sized again so not ideal for the SWORD fleet. Still, a distant relative of Tarheel SWORD.

And further searching on the ever-fruitful Ebay USA revealed the Empire Plastics Corp MR. STICKLER boxed game below from the 1950's. The relationship between Empire Toys, Empire Plastics and Tarheel is more complex than I thought as I didn't expect to see such an old Empire toy. I would have expected it to have been Tarheel. It may be that Empire Plastics Corporation, unlike Empire Toys, are not related to Tarheel after all?

But then Ebay USA throws up this beautiful plastic Empire PEE WEE SLUGGER SET below. Dated 1960, the city of TARBORO, NC is clearly visible after the word EMPIRE. This is the same location as Tarheel. Again I would have expected such an early toy to have been branded Tarheel. So did Empire and Tarheel exist at the same time?

SWORD BLOG FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY COMING SOON!

Sunday morning and I'm suffering with one of my pesky migraines. My better half has gone to the boot sale without me! Drat and double drat. I'm in bed with a cold compress, codeined-up and typing myself back to sleep.

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Whilst still conscious, I was just looking through the Blog's 1st Birthday material so far and it's awesome! There's some really brilliant stuff from people who were at the beginning of Century 21 like Alan Shubrook, thier youngest modelmaker back in the 60's and Gerry Embleton, TV21 artist; from people at the heart of the second wave of interest in Anderson shows in the 80's and 90's like modelmaker Martin Bower and artist Graham Bleathman; from pioneers of Anderson research like Dennis Nicholson and Shaqui Le Vesconte and modern-day super-collectors like the mighty WOTAN, Ferryman and Steve of vintagethunderbirdstoys! Wow!

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And you won't beleive the competitions, prizes and special offers! Gobsmacking! Set your SWORD calender - the month-long party starts September 15th! Your'e all invited!

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From the counter at the bottom I see we have just gone past 29,000 hits! Well done Swordheads! Wonder if we'll reach 30,000 by the 15th Sept!%&*?!

BLUE STREAK

Blue Streak on TV

ANDERPUP, CHRIS LEACH, SCOUT 3 AND IT

Virtually all IT problems solved at Moonbase but some important messages from artists like Gerry Embleton and modelmakers like Martin Bower, for the 1st Birthday month celebration coming up, remain 'lost'. My old laptop is at the PC doctors in attempt to rescue these! Fingers crossed!

Meanwhile I'm sat in the garden on a sunny August Saturday enjoying the delights of a fully functioning brand-new Compaq laptop, which actually has a fully-loaded working battery! My old and first laptop, however much I was attached to it, just didn't do everything it should have. The battery packed up in the first of its five years of hard labour in the Sword Moonbase Mines, so typing outside involved an extension cable and a weak radio signal. One day I'll look back fondly on those hardships but for now I'm basking in the sunlight of technical brilliance surrounded by butterflies and bees! I just hope WOTAN's new wireless router is bedding in OK as well and then SWORD transmissions will be completely back to normal!

I've just taken possession of a wonderful bundle of Anderson ephemera. There's 1980's SIG's and Anderpups, Action 21's, 1990's Thunderbirds comics and 1980's Fanderson posters and fliers. Best of all are a set of 'Thunderbirds 6' looby (or lobby even!) cards from the 1966 cinema release. with one showing Brains working on a model. The early 1980's Anderpup fanzines are amazing too - done by a visionary called Chris Leach. They may have been simply typed, photocopied and stapled but they did the business years before the internet and fan blogs like this were even dreamt of! Where is Chris Leach now I wonder?

In one of the comics is a very strange craft, which sort of reminds me of the strangest of all SWORD vehicles, the Scout 3 or to give it it's full title, Scout FORCE 3, pictured above. I'll post the comic picture soon but I'm still left wondering where on earth did Century 21 Toys get that wedge-shaped design from years before we saw the Imperial Battle Cruiser in Star Wars?

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Out,

Woodster

MOON UNIT

Has anyone seen the film MOON? Trying to track it down in my area. The plot sounds interesting about a lone worker on the moon. It's made by David Bowie's son, who changed his name from Zowie Bowie to Duncan Jones. Wonder if Moonunit Zappa has changed his name? I thought Moonunit was the coolest name ever when I came acroos it in the 70's!

There are a few IT issues at the mo at Moonbase Central as hardware is updated. Transmission should be back to normal soon!

And remember, from the 15th September we'll be celebrating the blog's 1st Birthday! Be sure to tune in for fab ( and I mean fab) competitions, special articles, messages and cool blog offers! It'll be swordtastic!

EMPIRE PLASTICS JEEP

I really love this Empire Plastics (successor to Tarheel) Jeep on Ebay USA. Postage is too steep for me here in the UK though! "1976 Vintage Military Jeep with Cart: Empire Tarboro, North Carolina and could be used for GI Joe's"

Would look great with SWORD toys but, alas, it's too big! Maybe not the Saturn or Sears Apollo Rocket - it would stand in the trailer or lie atop the windscreen missile-carrier style!

TRI-ANG ELECTRIC SPEEDBOAT AND THE JR21 SUBMARINE AIRCRAFT CARRIER BOX ART

picture previously posted by Ferryman

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I decided earlier this year, when I first saw it on Ebay, the JR21 Submarine Aircraft Carrier is my favourite box art in the entire Century 21 fleet. Now I can't help noticing other box art, which look like it! I came across the Tri-ang Speedboat on Ebay and just feel that it has echoes of the Sub box. Probably the use of a left side-panel, well painted blue-green sea-water and good bow wave have something to do with it!

FLIP OVER MOON CARS

Two more Flip Over Moon Cars. The orange one has a slight look of the SPACEX Cricket body. Found on Ebay US.

TARHEEL ASTROIDS BY ARTO

Finnish Blog reader Arto has sent in these great pictures of Tarheel ASTROIDS Robots with cases. I've had one of these, just never knew it was Tarheel! It may not have been as Arto says these robots have been issued in many colour variations by different manufacturers. Tarheel robots were Made in Japan, while some other variations came from Hong Kong. Arto enthuses that there is a same kind of multiplicity with these robots as with the SWORD toys and that a whole production history waiting to be discovered!

SWORD FLEET

What's missing then folks?

TARHEEL ROBOTS

I never knew that Tarheel also made Robots! I've never seen any in the 'flesh'. Here's a couple I've tracked down online.

The pink and blue one below was found here.

This green and red beauty below can be found here.

And finally, another Empire toy, this one a Bandai/Empire Johnny tarheel Rifle seen here.

Any more Tarheel anyone?

TARHEEL RESCUE HELICOPTER

Unlike Empire Toys, the earlier Tarheel toys don't crop up very often but I'm pleased to report that this boxed RESCUE HELICOPTER will be part of the Woodsy collection in the next couple of weeks. It will join my only other non-SWORD Tarheel I have, the awesome Nova Rockets 1,2 and 3. I can't see which Tarheel logo is on this box but I will post piccies when it's landed at Moonbase Central. Anyone got any other non-SWORD Tarheel toys?

EMPIRE TOYS AND PLASTICS: LOCKHEED AND MORE

Empire Toys / Empire Plastics, as I've blogged before, was the 1970's/80's incarnation of Tarheel of Tarboro. As the space race waned, they manufactured a whole range of plastics. My favourite find of late is the Empire Lockheed plane above - soon to be part of the Woodsy collection! Below are a few more examples of Empire's back catalogue.

1977 Fort Defiance

Halloween Bucket

1978 Spider-Man bike siren

1991 Tyre Swing

1972 Snap 'n Spin Basketball

All pictures courtesy of Ebay USA

MOON EXPLORER CAR, X60 ROCKET LAUNCHER AND THE SPACE GUARD PILOT

Probably the only other toy that looks anything like the PROJECT SWORD MOONBUS, besides the Spacex Mobile HQ of course, the MOON EXPLORER CAR is the companion of the Space Explorer rocket I featured the other day. Are there any other variations of this Moon Explorer?

We've had the X-60 Rocket Launcher on the blog before and looked then at the different makers, but this is such a great shot that I had to post it. I still think its one of the best colour schemes of any toy or box around. The front cab is very Fireball XL5 too.

Tenuous as it is, I do think there's sort of a resemblence between the future car pictured above and the Spacex Salvage Ship. I said it was tenuous!

And finally above is the SPACE GUARD PILOT, one of several variations on this theme. I particularly like this box art medley of Gerry Anderson and Mattel's Man in Space: Major Matt Mason-lookalikes zooming around on Steve Zodiac-esque space sleds, whilst being guarded by a deadringer for Thunderbird 5! Wonderful! several other versions of this can be seen on the really excellent Alphadrome Robot and Space Toy Database.

All pictures shown with kind permission from Joe Morabito of the superb MAIN STREET TOYS. Thanks Joe.

MEGO FLIP OVER MOON CAR

Continuing my search for more MEGO space toys, I came across this cool FLIP OVER MOON CAR on the excellent site of MAIN STREET TOYS in Minneapolis USA. More Jeep-like than most, this design, particularly the distinctive wheels, has popped-up under different brand names over the years. I remember finding one in an old toy shop in Greece on my hols in the early 1990's! MAIN STREET also have a similar FLIP OVER TANK. I'm sure there's something like this on your display shelf too?

LP SPACEMEN, STAR ADVENTURER AND THE SPACE EXPLORER

I've always loved the Space Explorer rocket since first coming across it on the amazing Gasoline Alley Antiques website in the mid-1990's. I've owned and parted with several since then. I've never really associated it with LP spacemen though. That's changed as I recently came across this fabulous and clearly well-made STAR ADVENTURER boxed version - new to me - complete with white and green astronauts. They look distinctly LP-like, although I can't see the base. This neat rocket is available on through, Joe Morabito, the very friendly proprietor of the superb MAIN STREET TOYS online store. Joe has kindly given me permission to use the picture here. I can't help wondering if there is a boxed version like this of the related moonbus-like MOON EXPLORER?

Similarly this more cheaply-made and coventional blister-carded SPACE EXPLORER also has a series of chromed spacemen with it. This is in the public domain on Ebay US here. The Argentinian seller states clearly that the astronauts are marked on the base as LP.

Park on the Moon

Park Plastics probably more well known for their water powered rocket toys, made this neat range of space toys in what I assume was the early sixties. So far iv'e been unable to track down any further info about them and have only ever seen one other model on ebay in the last ten years. Based on what I have, im assuming they are pretty early as the little NASA sticker on some of the toys is not even close to the real version - it is almost art nouveau in style with tall, spindly letters and a swirly background. Also the box from the Lunar Dump is very basic in some ways, yet has a very seventies feel to the style. Theres no date, patent info or anything useable on the toys or the packing, so this is all guesswork! Either way, they are a very distinctively styled toy, having that 'jet-age' streamline appearance and lots of chrome vents and greebly. The tracks are for decoration only and each vehicle (apart from the dumper bucket) has a pair of one piece solid axle/tyre wheels underneath. Made from rigid plastic, they haven't survived the rigours of the lunar landscape and the Moon Cat bulldoxer has fared worst, losing an arm from the bulldozer blade, its original canopy and worst of all the driver has lost his helmet, so that him off site for a start! Somebody call health and safety!

I originally got all four of the toys in one auction, including a loose Lunar Dump, but some time after I came upon the rather well preserved version still in its pvc wrapper - and unlike me, decided to keep it in its pristine state! The dumper bucket has large hard plastic balloon tyres very akin to the Prospector. The Tank has a firing cannon on the front and the crane has a small telescopic jib. All in all a very pleasing set, but if anyone can shed any light on their provenance, please do!

COMET HYDRO PLANE

I knew I'd seen the design for my little Icelandic speedboat (bottom pic) before! Here's my COMET HYDRO PLANE from the 1960's, which has been lurking my loft. I remember letting my original Comet zoom around the bath when I was a nipper. I wouldn't do that now with this one! Looking at it again it's very SWORDESQUE too and would look great alongside the T Hydrofoil and the JR21 Submarine Aircraft Carrier!

Comet Hydro Plane 1960's

Miniature Speedboats found in Iceland - possibley Combex?

T IN A CIRCLE MOON PROSPECTOR INNER PACKAGING

The T in a Circle Moon Prospector, like it's Century 21 and Tarheel stablemates, came in a similarly-sized top-bottom tray box.

Inside mine is the Prospector body itself, the instruction sheet, the 2 legs wrapped in tissue, the antenna protected by card and rubber, the whole being wrapped in tissue and finally the white plastic battery cover.

So the inner packaging of my T Prospector is: 2 tissue pieces, a red rubber bung for the antenna neck and a corrugated card collar for the antenna rim. The instruction sheet is shown too.

Can anyone confirm if the Tarheel version was the same? Are there variations on the inner packaging in the T in a Circle/ Tarheel/ Century 21 Moon Prospector fleet? Are the T in a Circle and Tarheel instruction sheets the same?

SKYLON PLANE

Wow! the new European Hypersonic Passenger Plane concept art appears to be a hybrid of the SWORD fleet! There's some Probe Force 3, some Taskforce 1, a bit of Zero-X and a dash of Fireflash for good measure! Can't wait to fly in it!