SWORD DREAM FACTORY - MOON BASE BOX ART II

Like two secret teams working on thier sinister plans, by cosmic coincidence WOTAN and I both created moonbase masterpieces at the same time! New box art no less for the fabled Project Sword Moon Base! WOTAN's was posted earlier today in all it's splendid glory and clearly created by someone who knows what they're doing! Mine on the other hand, shown here for your viewing pleasure, is what in the artworld I think is called impressionist (or a mess)!Still the intention was true!

I have opted for a larger box that would house the entire playset. The picture is a blend of the rear cover art from the Project Sword Annual and a fabulous image off the net of a lunar module. It sort of works. The Scramble Bug and Moon Prospector actually appear in the only known Century 21 artwork for the proposed toy, the picture in the Project Sword Manual (bottom picture above).

Clearly the biggest problem in creating box art for this set is not knowing the scale of the thing. Did Century 21 intend to include pre-existing toys like the Bug and Prospector? That would have made the LEM's huge and the box ginormous! WOTAN's idea of several boxes could get round this at such a scale. Perhaps they intended to use SPACEX - sized toys? We can see what this looks like with the SPACEX's own Moonbase ( courtesy of Mike Burrows) which is too small for Project Sword standards.

My own view is that Century 21 wanted a scale somewhere half-way between the two, but this would have required re-sizing the Bug and Prospector and creating the LEV, LEMs, housing unit, lunar surface and the unwieldly-looking dashbaord from scratch. It all sounds very expensive and as sales of the range inevitably dipped towards the end of the Sixties, as Moon fever waxed and waned, I imagine a complex design like the Moon Base was just too costly. But one intriguing question remains, did they make a prototype?

Well, there are some intriguing rumours! More on this.

SWORD DREAM SHOP III - WOTAN'S MOON BASE - THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE!

WOTAN's Dream Factory shows us the way:

Seeing a good bandwagon, i jumped on! Sword Moonbase Module - heres an
imaginary toy from the 'What if ?' Sword Factory. Supposing the Moon Base was
sold separately as individual modules, four in the set like the Probe Force,
Task Force or Scout series. As the Moonbase model was clearly based on existing
NASA designs, i've used the Nasa concept for the Lunar Tug as the basis of the
box art. Its not too close to the 'actual' toy as the box art so often promised
much and delivered something else with Hong Kong toys, but near enough to be
recognisable. For the toy, I've used the Spacex LEM as the basis and
photoshopped-in various odds and sods from other pictures! A little fun for
an otherwise dull Friday afternoon!

I'm standing on the shoulders of Giants! A fable comes to life before our very eyes! Woodster

SWORD DREAM SHOP II - TAXI 2

Struggling to concentrate on anything on the box, even the highly- acclaimed series set in my home county, Red Riding, burbling currently in the background, I find myself once again doodling around in the Sword Dream Shop! Tonight's Toy That Never Was is the cute TAXI 2 as seen in the 1968 PROJECT SWORD ANNUAL. I have used this original artwork on the box. The blue toy underneath is the nearest I can find to anything resembling the taxi, the Whomobile, a CORGI concept car featured earlier on the blog. A vague resemblence I know but it does the job!

Any one got any more?

KELLOGS MOLAB OLD AND NEW BY WOTAN

Continuing the blog's Kellogs thread WOTAN writes: Kelloggs Molabs - heres a pic of my collection, showing my original green Molab straight out of the cereal bowl circa 1970, covered in glue, endlessly repaired and painted. Next to it are three recent models from Australia and a picture of the Convair Space Station that the green model is based on. Astronit informs me that the 'Molab' was referred to as a shuttle at R & L (makers of the cerial premiums) and was a custom design, loosely based on NASA imagery.

Nice one Wotan. Did you really have glue on your cereals!

SWORD DREAM SHOP - TOYS THEY SHOULD HAVE MADE

Mucking about with SWORD box art, here's the first of an occasional series of Project Sword toys I wish Century 21 had actually made. Both part of the SWORD stable, we have here the wonderful MOON CRAWLER. The picture I've used is the classic double-spread seen in the SWORD Annual and due to my limited skills it looks a bit squashed. I've lost half of the SWORD logo's too! It captures the spirit of the thing though! The Moon Crawler is a bit of a pin-up really - it appears on loads of toy and model boxes - like the brilliant unlicensed UFO TANK and the Imai UFO Star/ Doom Base series, in which it appears as a small model (anyone got a picture?)and is the basis of the SPACEX SURVEYOR toy too. But it has never been made in a larger scale with its own big box. Until now! The beautiful toy pictured is a customised Spacex Surveyor by the multi-talented WOTAN, which was showcased in an earlier posting.

The lower picture is of what PROJECT SWORD called the BEETLE or the SNOW TRAIN and later re-named THUNDERBIRD 7. This one is in armoured mode where the heat-shields are up making it look like a yellow pupa (continuing the BEETLE theme). In an attempt to link the box art to an actual existing toy I have opted for the Imai Thunderbird 7 model kit as the source. You can see the Japanese artists's signature. I think it works really well largely because it's full of action. I particularly love the BOOSTER ROCKET flying out of it's back. The Imai TB7 biult-up model kit came with a remote control, which I feel sits well in the SWORD range. It even came with a small plastic BOOSTER ROCKET (section 14 on the model sheet)! The BEETLE/SNOW TRAIN/TB7, in its more commonplace unshielded mode had its 15 minutes of fame in the 1968 MAKE A MODEL book-kit by Century 21 but a proper plastic toy would have been sooooooo much better. I'll settle for the Imai model with a SWORD box!

Now, what else should they have made.....?

MORE APOLLO EXPLORATION - BOXED SET

Pictures as they appeared on Ebay in 2005. I've only recently acquired my first few Apollo Exploring pieces - described by the seller as cake decorations ( which is an interesting link in itself - to be explored later!). There's a blue apollo capsule on Ebay at the mo but it's a bit steep. Got my copy of Playset Magazine #17 last week - it's great to see colour pics of these toys in a glossy magazine. There's a super article about Marx Man From Uncle guns/playsets too. A real steal at $6 plus postage. The price will shoot up to $20 soon, if not already, so hurry if you want one! (see Blog Exclusive 4 in the side panel). Anyone actually got this beautiful boxed set in the pics?

CENTURY 21 MERCHANDISING TRADEMARKS

I recently wrote to Leeds Central Library about Century 21 Trademarks. This is their reply:

We have checked the patent records but nothing was found (for Century 21 Toys). However, there were some trademarks by Century 21 merchandising Ltd. They are all lapsed trademarks though so there is not much information. The central library in Leeds does not have archives of Toy journals but the British library does. Tel: 020 7412 7676. www.bl.uk the catalogue can be searched at this link: http://catalogue.bl.uk/F/Q75SC31L4S6N7666DF5MSCJJ2A9S77R8YCNYUFJI1E34M9AMC3-00647?func=file&file_name=find-b&local_base=blac
Hope this helps.
Regards Andrea
Business and Patent Information ServicesLibrary and Information ServiceLearning and Leisure DepartmentLeeds City CouncilTel: 0113 2478266Fax: 0113 2478268
http://www.businessandpatents.org
http://bapisleeds.blogspot.com
http://leedsinventorsgroup.blogspot.com


Trade Mark Service Report

JAZZERCISE UK B1,122,641 Classes 9 Lapsed Application Date: 19 Oct 1979 Registration Date: 19 Oct 1979
Class 9: Sound and video receiving, recording and reproducing apparatus and instruments; instructional and teaching apparatus and instruments; cinematographic and photographic projection apparatus and instruments; discs, tapes and filaments, all for recording and reproducing sound and video, and cassettes for use therewith; spectroscopic apparatus and instruments; sound amplifiers; radio and television receiving apparatus; electronic amusement apparatus adapted for use with television receivers; and parts and fittings included in Class 9 for all the aforesaid goods; all relating to instruction in and the recording and reproducing of, jazz music.
Owner: Century 21 Merchandising Ltd Pinewood StudiosIver HeathBuckinghamshireSLO ONH Agent: W.P. Thompson & Co 55 Drury LaneLondonWC2B 5SQ
Journal: 5405,864
Week Ending Recent History 19 Oct 1979 Registration

STARCRUISER UK 1,091,677 Classes 16 Lapsed
Application Date: 28 Feb 1978
Proceeding under Section 29 (1) (b).
Class 16: Kits comprising posters and colouring materials included in Class 16
Owner: Century 21 Merchandising Ltd Pinewood StudiosIver HeathBuckinghamshireSLO ONH Service: W.P. Thompson & Co 55 Drury LaneLondonWC2B 5SQ
Registered Users.
Device: 1.5.24: Saturn Device: 1.5.25: Other planets Device: 26.3: TRIANGLES, LINES FORMING AN ANGLE Device: 26.13.25: Other geometrical figures, indefinable designs.
Journal: 5618,1111
Week Ending Recent History 30 Jul 1993 Proprietor-Details 05 Mar 1999 Status:Lapsed

JAZZERCISE UK B1,122,642 Classes 16 Lapsed
Application Date: 19 Oct 1979 Registration Date: 19 Oct 1979
Class 16: Printed matter, printed publications, stationery, photographic prints, graphic reproductions, instructional and teaching materials (other than apparatus), posters, all for use in connection with or relating to jazz music pens and pencils (stationery).
Owner: Century 21 Merchandising Ltd Pinewood StudiosIver HeathBuckinghamshireSLO ONH
Service: W.P. Thompson & Co 55 Drury LaneLondonWC2B 5SQ
Journal: 5411,1162
Week Ending Recent History 19 Oct 1979 Registration

STARCRUISER UK B1,083,128 Classes 28 Lapsed
Application Date: 2 Sep 1977 Registration Date: 2 Sep 1977
Class 28: Toy space vehicles, games (other than ordinary playing cards) and playthings, all relating to the exploration of outer space.
Owner: Century 21 Merchandising Ltd Pinewood StudiosIver HeathBuckinghamshireSLO ONH
Agent: W.P. Thompson & Co 55 Drury LaneLondonWC2B 5SQ
Journal: 5264,1235
Week Ending Recent History 02 Sep 1977 Registration

STARCRUISER UK B1,095,441 Classes 28 Lapsed
Application Date: 11 May 1978
Proceeding under Section 29 (1) (b).
Class 28: Kits of parts included in Class 28 (sold complete) made of plastics materials for the construction of toy space vehicles.
Owner: Century 21 Merchandising Ltd Pinewood StudiosIver HeathBuckinghamshireSLO ONH Service: W.P. Thompson & Co 55 Drury LaneLondonWC2B 5SQ
Registered Users.
Device: 1.13: ARMILLARY SPHERES, PLANETARIA, ASTRONOMIC ORBITS, ATOMIC MODELS, MOLECULAR MODELS Device: 26.3: TRIANGLES, LINES FORMING AN ANGLE
Journal: 5363,1505
Week Ending Recent History 14 May 1999 Status:Lapsed

CHATTERBOX UK B1,113,559 Classes 28 Lapsed
Application Date: 1 May 1979 Registration Date: 1 May 1979
Class 28: Toys, playthings, and dolls, all incorporating talking devices and/or intercommunication apparatus, and parts and fittings included in Class 28 for all the aforesaid goods.
Owner: Century 21 Merchandising Ltd Pinewood StudiosIver HeathBuckinghamshireSLO ONH
Service: W.P. Thompson & Co 55 Drury LaneLondonWC2B 5SQ
Journal: 5420,1708
Week Ending Recent History 01 May 1979 Registration

CENTURY 21 MERCHANDISING UK 2,043,555 Classes 9,16,28 Abandoned Application Date: 3 Nov 1995
Class 9: Records, (vinyl), audio tapes (prerecorded), audio recordings on digital formats, 8mm cine film (exposed and processed), calculators (electronic), cameras, construction kits (moulded plastic scale models), photographic prints. Class 16: Die-cast iron models (toys), card games. Class 28: Magazines, playing cards, photographs. Owner: Robert Alan Poole 26 Dordrecht RoadLondonW3 7TF

WOTAN'S MOLAB

Paul,

Heres my grubby Molab again from my original collection way back in 73. Bought this along with the LAMA. Book cover of Rocket Stories, a short lived (5 issues) fiction pulp from 1953, illustrated by Alex Schomburg. Card back picture for the molab shows original spacex one style wheels, small windows under the front and an aerial - none of which made the final design. Card back courtesy of Will Osborne.

Wotan.