TRAVELLER STARSHIPS AND SPACECRAFT: SWORD AND SORCERY

Just occassionaly, like the video game Moon Patrol I recently blogged, I stumble across a whole new sub-genre with a SWORDish edge I didn't even know existed really. Well, it's happened again. This time it's role-playing games and specifically JUDGES GUILD TRAVELLER. The particular 'booklet' which caught my eye is called STARSHIPS AND SPACECRAFT from 1979, pictured below. Now, if I'm not mistaken, that triangular spaceship looks remarkably like the Century 21 SCOUT 3 from 10 years earlier as shown beneath it. The Traveller ship could, admittedly, be copied from the same source as the Scout (see 'Scout 3 origin'), but I'd like to think the artist had his C21 toy out (and not any Star Wars usurper) when he drew that cover! Anyway, I love that old late 70's/early 80's simple fanzine art - things of beauty!

Googling 'Starships and Spacecraft' and 'Judges Guild Traveller' I was amazed at the number of sites there are. In fact it would appear that 'gaming' is immersed in Sci Fi as much as it is Fantasy. There's a comprehensive list of spaceships, which appear in role-playing games here and whole sites devoted to Traveller like this one. I've also seen mention of a 'SCOUTS' booklet but can't find any pictures. Could it be related in some way to our very own fleet of C21 scouts? Anyone into Traveller?

ALL TERRAIN EXCITEMENT

During the recent Geekstock festivities when Woody visited Wotan at the far flung Farside Lunar Outpost in darkest Lancashire, he brought along a rather fabulous find for the Wotan archives!

The 8 Wheel Drive Military Jeep fits right in alongside my current collection of Space Eight moon crawlers from Tomy, but despite the fact that it is cosmetically similar, theres no trademark on the jeep or the box. The build quality is excellent and the lower chassi could have been lifted straight off a Tomy toy, but even though the box has a japanese feel to it, theres no sign of any logo.

However, the jeep is a little cracker and sits well with the futuristic military vehicles I have already such as the Army Cricket and UFO Tank!

Big thanks again to the Woodmeister!

SWORD RANKS

Along with a SWORD scale, another grey area for my grey matter are the SWORD ranks. Not being an expert on the comic strip I rely on those which appear on the SWORD toys, each one having its own badge:

Astronaut, Captain, Commander, Supremo

These ranks appear to have been linked to the importance (size?) of the spaceships, for example, the Supremo grade is linked with the Zero-X. So I suppose logically in the SWORD universe there were many astronauts, fewer Captains, few Commanders and only one or two Supremo's ( called Sabre and Rapier in the early comic strip). In reality there were obviously many more than just one 'Supremo' badge as many Zero-X's were sold. But the ratio may still apply to some extent since the Zero-X was far more expensive than say, Scout 1, and as such will have sold in fewer numbers. But then again it may have been more popular so that particular train of thought has got us nowhere really.

Probably more interesting is a comparison of SWORD ranks with similar organisations. Looking at NASA's organisation it doesn't really help. The boss is called the Administrator, although the press often refer to the post as Supremo but this is probably in its more general sense as 'top dog'. More rewarding is a persusal of Military ranks, which Wikipedia have conveniently compared for us in a handy grid, to which I've added SWORD ranks on the right, where I think they go.

Looking at this and knowing SWORD was in effect an 'Air Force' in space, I would say that its ranks are most similar to that of the Air Force rather than NASA. Any other views welcomed.

Finally, here's a list of which SWORD ranks (badges) appeared with which toys:

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!