ALERT STATE AMBER • ALERT STATE AMBER

THETIS TEAM DISPATCHED FROM MARS BASE REPORTING FROM ASTEROID BELT. TWO PROBE FORCE FLIGHT 3 INTERCEPTOR CLASS AND SINGLE PROBE FORCE 2 CRUISER CLASS HAVE REACHED LAST REPORTED POSITION OF EXTRASOLAR ANOMALY. PF2 ONBOARD VISUAL SCANNERS REVEAL DISRUPTION TO LOCAL ARRANGEMENT OF DEBRIS AT INNER EDGE OF BELT. ALL PROBES ARE NOW FOLLOWING PROJECTED COURSE OF OBJECT TOWARDS INTERIOR SYSTEM. TECHNICAL REPORT ELECTRONIC SCANNING IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO INTERFERENCE FROM JOVIAN MAGNETOSHPERE. VISUAL CONFIRMATION OF ANOMALY TO FOLLOW.
MOONBASE CENTRAL IS MOVED TO AMBER ALERT STATUS.

MOONBASE OUT

SUMMER LOVIN': PROJECT SWORD STRIP 3 IN SOLO ISSUE 21, 8th JULY 1967

Despite the problems currently faced at Moonbase, the Summer of SWORD forges ahead! Philosophic Toad has kindly scanned all the installments of Project Swords strip in SOLO, which is simply wonderful. Big Big thanks PT! So without further ado, here is the third strip as it appeared in SOLO issue 21 July 8th 1967, 43 years ago in the summer of our childhood. Stay tuned for the next episode next Thursday! More excitement next week!

I dedicate this post to the memory of US grand space artist Robert McCall

Still to come this Summer of Sword weekend

• T MYSTERIES: Going round in T Circles, Wild Goose Go Karts and Radar Love
• SHIP OF DREAMS: one step closer to Nirvana as we fly past Shangri-La
• BOX ART ATTACK: Moon Prospector and Dyna Soar reveal the NASA artists' names
• and more if you can Swordin' well stand it!

LAZY SUMMER QUIZLET

OK Swordheads, what's this?

SUMMER HAMPER: QUICK BITES

HELP REQUIRED

"Paul, noticed on the blog youve got a pic of a toy truck called trick truck. do you have any more info on that? any more pics etc. btw, you dont recognise these wheels on the Helijet from any of the toys do you? pic below, cheers, Mike Delamar [Thunderbirds Fire Tender modeller]"

Any ideas readers - trick truck and/or helijet?

WHO ARE COUNTDOWN INC?

Noticed a few Saturn V toys and models by a US outfit called Countdown Inc. One looks a lot like the SWORD Cape Kennedy Playset! 

When was it made exactly? They've made a penholder and a card model too.

CHINESE TIN SPACE BOAT

Is this the origin or a clone of the T Space Vehicle?

SUMMERTIME CRUISE: T ARE THE CHAMPIONS

 

 

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the Tea Party up pops another T in a Circle plastic toy! And it's a beaut! CHAPION RACER model number 410B. I love the simple box art of the Porsche. And that looks like a Lambhorgini Marzal at the rear? The B in the model number suggests there was an A and I bet my last T and biscuit that it's the Marzal or maybe the yellow version of the Porsche. The racer is BIG, nearly a foot long and unusually for T it's remote-controlled [sadly part of the battery case is missing]. Now T made a living from cloning larger toy companies' stock so I wouldn't be surprised if this racer turns up in a Marx or similar box sometime. Watch out for even more T this summer - it'll be T-t-terrific!

SUMMER SENSATION: SOLO SWORD COMIC STRIP 2, Issue 20 JULY 1st 1967

It's July so I'm chuffed to be able to post this. The second instalment of the real thing - the original SWORD comic strip that graced the pages of the UK's SOLO comic way back in the Summer of 1967, 1st July 1967, 43 years ago today. After purchasing Issue 19 ont 'Ebay earlier in the year and posting strip one, luckily I found Issue 20 in my boxes of comics, bought in the 1990's sometime, which I'd simply forgotten. Anyway, enjoy it and watch out for the reference to 'Operation Sword' in the bottom border at the end. In those early days they seemed to be unsure whether they should call it Project or Operation SWORD!

[originally posted February 2010]

ALERT STATE YELLOW • ALERT STATE YELLOW • ALERT STATE YELLOW
CALLING ALL MOONBASE OPERATIVES
FOLLOWING THE COMMUNICATIONS OUTAGE PREVIOUSLY ON THE BLOG TECHNICAL HAVE ADVISED THAT DISRUPTION WAS CAUSED BY INCREASED SOLAR ACTIVITY AND MASSIVE CORONAL DISCHARGE. OPERATIVES ARE ADVISED TO INCREASE SHIELDING TO MAX DURING INNER SYSTEM ACTIVITY. ASTROGATION HAVE BEGUN LOCAL SYSTEM SCANNING AND HAVE WARNED THAT GRAVITATIONAL ANOMALIES MAY OCCUR AT ANY TIME DURING CURRENT CYCLE. RESCUE SERVICES ARE ON STANDBY.

MOONBASE OUT

UPDATE : ALERT STATE YELLOW
FLASH UPDATE - ASTROGATION REPORTS LONG RANGE SCANNING HAS REVEALED AN INBOUND EXTRASOLAR OBJECT BEYOND ASTEROID BELT
MARS BASE THETIS TO SCRAMBLE PROBE FORCE FLIGHT TO INVESTIGATE
CLARIFICATION TO FOLLOW

MOONBASE OUT