A SWORD SCALE ANYONE?

Just what is the SWORD scale? It's taxed my addled brain for a while. I always start with what I think is easy, the biggest spacecraft in the SWORD fleet must be the Saturn V rocket, especially when sat on the mobile crawler, which we know when both together, were the 'biggest vehicle in the world'. But that's the real world, not Century 21. Just how big was Zero-X, the Nuclear Ferry or the Booster Rocket? Going to the source must be the answer, an understanding of the comic strip you would think. Not so. Take a look at this illustration below from SOLO 20, June 1967.

Lots of SWORD for sure: PF2, PF3 (below) and NF and Booster Rocket (above). But the size comparison is impossible because of perspective. So, based on what I think I know, here's my best guess  at a SWORD scale - in diagrammatic and font size representations below. Any other ideas/scales would be welcomed particularly anyone with any graphic skills whatsoever unlike yours truly!

 Scout 1,2,3

Prospector Bug Ranger TF1,2,3

PF1 PF2 PF3 

Saturn V Zero X Nuclear Ferry Booster 

THUNDERBIRDS OR UFO?

As I had been a particularly good boy last year Santa Sword saw fit to bring me the IMAI BOX ART of Komatsuzaki Shigeru book this Xmas just gone. Choc full of  stunning paintings, there are also some fabulous renditions of SWORD vehicles and in  particular the SURVEYOR. There is also a Japanese webpage dedicated to the artist (use the google translate button). Despite a whole section in the book on Thunderbirds, it's on the boxart for UFO KITS where SWORD vehicles show up. Is UFO the right setting for SWORD? Why not Thunderbirds or Captain Scarlet?

KALI

I think I've just died and gone to toffee Heaven.  On the amazing Quarterof online sweet shop not only can you still get Spanish Gold Sweet Tobacco but also, wait for it .... KALI! This was THE stuff of my Sixties'childhood! I can't believe it! Me and my mates would go down the 'penny shop' bursting with excitement to buy sticks of spanish, chewy snakes, sherbert-filled liquorice and everlasting chews. But above all we wanted Kali, bags of the stuff, which we devoured like ravenous beasts deprived of essential minerals! Like Peter Griffin would say, this is even better than the time my brother pointed out Vesta Chow Mein in the local Booths last year! Wonder if anyone named their kids after the stuff? Kali Woods has a certain ring to it!

T IN A CIRCLE APOLLO - X BY ARTO

Hi Paul,

Here is the T (in a Circle) 425 Apollo-X! This is the same toy as the previous APOLLO - 11 and the SATURN 5 in a German box, only the upper side fins differ in colour. It works too. The box graphics are so into Moonflight '69 that it must date from the early 70's. Curious is the glossy finish on the box, which is much more shinier than the other, more matte - like "T" boxes. Makes me think this is later than the other SWORD-related boxes. Or is there still an earlier "T" box variant of the same?

Cheers, Arto

Thanks for sharing Arto. That's real beauty and in marvellous condition. One more for the T in a Circle Checklist! Swordtastic! (words in italics inserted by me. Woodsy)

POSTCARDS FROM GEEKSTOCK

 

Recently WOTAN and I spent a happy carefree afternoon messin' with lots of vintage toys! Biulding on the one hour we managed last Summer in a cafe, our Toy-in was 4 hours of Swordtastic fun at WOTAN's lovely home, reminiscent of a Christmas morning back in '67! Yep, it's official, we're just big kids! The pork pies were delicious too (and yes, we ate all the pies!). As befits such a meeting of friends, christened 'Geekstock', gifts were also exchanged and here's a picture of  Pig my Guinea Pig eyeing up the latest in rodent space transport courtesy of Wotan. Pig's only concern was were he puts his veg!

MOON PIE ON MY WAGON

Ever since I heard a reference to MOON PIE in a film ( The Green Mile?) I've been secretly fascinated as to what they taste like. Why I never though of looking on Wikepedia before, I don't know but it turns out I've been eating Moon Pies forever! We have them here in the UK. They're just called WAGON WHEELS instead as pictured below! Mmmmmm. Deelicious. I'm sure they've got smaller though (or have I got bigger?). Nowhere near as many flavours as the Moon Pie comes in though! Sound fabulous.

BAZOOKA JOE'S SECRET SIREN RING

Who mentioned sweets! Now we're talking! I remember this little plastic ring so well I can hear it now - a sort of zzzzswooohhhuh! And ahhh, that delicious pink slab of gum that came in a cool waxed wrapper with a little comic inside! Bazooka Joe for president! Anyone got that cool ring still?

Hold the press! You can still buy Bazooka Joe gum here! Aaaagh, it's out of stock!

IN SPACE NO ONE CAN HEAR YOUR ICE CREAM

The Space Lunch Box got me thinking about what sweet I would have in there - Ice Cream! The treat of choice would be a "Screwball", the upturned Dalek sundae with secret gumball! Mmmmmm. Can you still get them? It's even made it onto Wikipeadia!

But the goodies I'd really like in my box came in their own neat packaging - an Ice Cream in a plastic football and, even cooler, would be the ice cream that came in an Apollo command module complete with opening hatch top! For the life of me I can't find anything on either of these Sixties and Seventies yummies. Anyone else? Or am I dreaming?

In the meantime I'm stocking up on toffees at this amazing online sweet shop! including one of my old favourites, Gold Nuggets Gum in those lttle hessian bags! Hee hee.