Dark Star

This week I plan to watch a film I've just never seen, John Carpenter's Dark Star. I've been aware of it for years and had it in my video collection for ages. I'm currently reading the film tie-in novel Aliens by Alan Dean Foster and it's put me in the mood for some classic sci fi. Anyone seen Dark Star?

[Disaster = Dark Star?]

TWO T'S PLEASE

I recently saw a variation of the normal Tarheel logo on an American Moon Prospector box. The logo most of us are familiar with will be the T with the Globe. The variation is the more unusual T with two children behind it [what I call T with Kids]. I've placed both logo panels together for easy comparison below. You can see that the 'with kids' version [left] has dropped all reference to Project SWORD, which we see clearly in the T Globe panel. Is it fair to assume that this 'with Kids' box  is a later version, which lingered on after interest in SWORD waned in the US?

 

and here's the two different boxes in full

Anybody else got any other T with Kids Tarheel SWORD toys?

Probing Around

Posting those Pop Rockets again got me thinking. I reckon the Century 21 box art images of Probes 1 and 2 are the only ones that have ever been lifted and used on NON-Sword/Anderson items - as you can see below [the 'lifters' removed the SWORD livery at least]. Just Probe Force 3 missing on something somewhere. Or?

Above: Randy Rayder record by See Disc with it's 'FM ATHENA' rocket lifted from the PF1 box beneath.

Below: Unbranded 'Pop Rocket's with a straight lift of the PF2 image from the box below.

What are those other rockets and missiles on the pop rocket header card? Anyone know?

Summer of SWORD Hatchett's ID Competition

OK, here's one of the final Summer of SWORD competitions. And this one has a prize too! So you can't afford to miss it! Early on in the blog's life bloggers Toad and Darth at the time sent in info like the magazine clipping below about an obscure SWORD toy display at Hatchett's Night Club in London during the 1960's. It was all part of a joint promotion with the Kubrick 2001 movie running at the time.

 

Here's the picture a bit bigger.

So, the competiton: the first reader to email me [here] with a list of all the toys in the above picture [and locations in the picture please] will recieve one of the rare Pop Rockets shown below with it's cool PROBE FORCE 2 header card! Phwoarrr! Don't send in answers via comments please guys as this just make's it easier/ less fun for everyone else! Get to it Swordheads! Closing date this Saturday 31st July at noon!

[colours may vary]

Summer of Sword Nostalgia Trip Comp

This was my favourite Board Game when I was a nipper.

What was it?

What was Yours?

Your Toast

Since re-watching V for Vendetta the other week I have been ruminating over exactly what said Mr. V cooked in his frying pan and which [or 'sand which!'] recieved the the exclaimation 'Mmmm delicious' from his partner in crime. Having just googled this it would appear that I am not alone and the film sparked a world-wide interest in his small fried repast. On viewing the movie I thought it was a piece of toast covered in syrup or marmalade with a peach inserted into it, all warmed up in a frying pan [I should invent it!]. I don't know, it sort of looked very sweet. But sadly I was way of the mark. It's actually buttered bread with a hole cut out into which an egg is poured and the whole thing is slowly fried on both sides [V flips his like a pancake meister!]. What I mistook to be syrup/marmalade was in fact butter and/or fried egg yolk. It appears to have a variety of names around the globe: Egg in a Basket, Toad in the Hole [not in the UK, where this requires batter and sausages!] and Yoast. Variations appear where no hole is cut and the egg is simply laid [not literally of course, which would require great aim!] on the toast [Bullseye?]. My own family favourite when I was a wee anklebiter was Egg Bread [Lancastrians didn't go in for fancy titles!], where white bread was dipped in whisked eggs and fried and any leftover mixture being heartily poured over! In posher circles this is French Toast or in Germany Arme Ritter [Poor Knight]. What's your egg bread favourite?

Summer Sundae Caption Comp

What's this Bug Pilot saying to himself?

Mars Stars

Space is on the summer grapevine this month. I recieved an email saying that Mars will appear as big as the Moon on August 27th. Sounding like a scene from 'When Worlds Collide' I naturally checked it out. Alas it turns out to be an inflated story on an annual loop with a tiny grain of truth at its core. Mars does fly close to us every 2 years but not that close and not this year. Or?

I also picked up the 'the largest body in the Universe' had been found! I can't find any current intel on this online. It depends what 'body' means? As far as I'm aware the biggest 'body' in space is Antares? Or?