JAPANESE KIT EXTRAVAGANZA

Here are a few japanese only kits showing the incredible diversity that the far eastern kit industry has. A Gemini Capsule Recovery model, a NASA Observation Vehicle and the wonderfully exotic Q-Land Moonbase type kit! Far out!

25th MOONLANDING ANNIVERSARY BOWL OF WEETOS

In the 1990's I started putting away cereal packets that I liked. I dug them out today - below - to see if I had any space-related ones. There were certainly lots of Spider-man and Godzilla!

But lo and behold, here we have a WEETOS Moon landing packet below. I couldn't believe that it was for the 25th Moonlanding Anniversary and its the 40th one now! I put it away 15 years ago!

On the back are all the great little free gifts that came in the boxes. I didn't get any more boxes for some reason. Probably because I ate the cereals as per normal and then stored the box! Come to think of it I really don't remember the 25th being that much of a big deal.

But I did get the little bagged-up blue plastic Saturn V in the box I got. It fell straight in my bowl like a milky splashdown! Anyone got any more of this set?

MIDORI 'LUNAR TRANSPORTER' KIT

Our man in Japan has delivered the scoop once more with this wonderful Midori kit of the principal vehicle from the B-Movie 'Green Slime'. Apparently the basis for the Spacex Lunar Transporter toy, this model is a large battery powered version - probably about 8-10 inches long judging by the pics. Even bigger is the current bid, almost £200 ! Those inscrutable japanese do love their vintage kits!

NEW PROJECT SWORD PROBE FORCE 2 DISCOVERY BY WOTAN: POP ROCKET,MISSILE AIRPLANE

Whilst browsing Ebay the mighty WOTAN discovered this, up till now, unknown PROBE FORCE 2 related toy, proceeding to win and donate two to Collecione a la Woodsy! May I introduce you to the POP ROCKET, MISSILE AIRPLANE, made in Hong Kong. The plastic rockets are about 2 inches long and obviously came in a variety of colours, though they don't really bare any resemblance to the fleet pictured on the header card.

7

And it's on the header - pictured up close below - where things really get interesting. Pictured is an instantly recognisable but unliveried Project sword PROBE FORCE 2 at lower left! Compare it with the original Century 21 PF2 box art - except for the livery, I would say it's a straight lift!

7

Interestingly there is also a Fireball XL5-esque rocket top right. WOTAN remembers this as the Spacebird toy in the 1960's - anyone else? Finally there's a Saturn V-esque rocket in the middle and a standard jetliner in the distance. The card is double-sided with mirror images. Unpunched too! Beautiful. If anyone wants a scan of the header (both sides) leave a comment. I have most readers' email addresses already.

ZODIAC TOYS ORIGINAL 1960's LOGO

This is the only ZODIAC TOYS item I still have from my younger days, the aforementioned 1968 Jason and The Golden Fleece picture book complete with the original slanted Zodiac logo'd price tags in old and new money! Anyone got any more Zodiac toys?

THE STARS OF THE ZODIAC: ZODIAC TOYS

I recently became a member of a wonderful website devoted to Zodiac Toys, the iconic UK 60's and 70's brand and chain of toy shops. Set up by ex-employee Roger Jones, it is a fabulous archive of shop fronts, displays and staff memories. The displays section is well worth sifting through for a glimpse of long-lost toys. I remember vividly going to the Preston Zodiac toy shop with my Mum, along with its rival Thomas Mears, looking for my next star buy. I have just one Zodiac - labelled item from my childhood now, a wonderful oversize picture book called Jason and the Golden Fleece, priced 7/6, by Purnell 1968 illustrated by artists Janet and Anne Graham Johnstone who were prolific back then giving a sort of elf-like quality to all the people in their paintings (who along with Pauline Baynes and Ron Embleton are my favourites childhood book illustrators).

Roger's site is a fine example of what a good company archive by ex-employees could be like. If only similar existed for Tarheel/Empire, T in a Circle, Tri-ang and JR21/Century 21.

Click on the piccy above (the Luton Zodiac shop) and support Roger's site.

COMPETITION TIME!

Okay folks, to add to all the current moongazing excitement, I've got one of the little plastic vintage speedboats below to give away to 4 lucky readers! Just email me the names of ALL the toys on the ground in the above TV21 (#177) reader's photograph and I will send one of the little boats to the first four I get! Email me here. The boats are about an inch long, made in HK and very cool! Closing date 28th July. That's one week. Get to it Swordheads!

WINNERS SO FAR!

1. Arto - 21st July

2. Wotan - 22nd July

3. Sean - 24th July

MOONGAZING

Tranquility Base has been established and Man has finally set foot upon his nearest neighbouring world. Lets hope that it wont be another 40 years before we watch such dramatic events live again. Probably, this time in 2049 we'll all have live feeds to our mobile 'phones' from Martian webcasts! Who knows what the future holds, but lets hope its bright and powerfully attractive just like our Luna. Meanwhile, heres my brief tribute to the bravest of the brave who set out into the unknown reaches and also to those whose courage was sadly spent in vain.

Pictured: Clifford Apollo 11 set, featuring LEM, Apollo Service module and two tiny astronauts - probably about half the size of the Spacex version, but very closely modelled apart from the inclusion of interior detailing on the Service Module, even though the capsule had been glued in place! Also gorgeous box art.
Next, LEM parade! How many do you recognise ? And finally, my own little part of Moon Week, a sketch of Eagle preparing for descent into history. Lets go again, soon....