Tales of Terra

The old German pulp mag Terra [and Utopia] was a treasure trove of great covers. Like many other mags, we find similar images and names on toy box art. Here's just a few Terra tasters:

1. Top left 'Turme strahlen den Tod' [Towers beam down Death]. The cool jet design was a staple for Gakken toys and also turned up on the Space Ship X-5 box. But what is that jet design? Is it a stileto or complete fantasy?

2. Top right: "Atombrand am Sudpol" [Nuclear Fire in Antarctica]. I suppose artists everywhere loved to capture the blast of jet engines. I've thrown in two drawings by SWORD artist Malcolm Stokes for good measure.

3. Bottom: the trouble with titles! The Terra title 'Mond Prospektor' means Moon Prospector but is actually a re-titled 'The Trouble With Tycho". There was a 'Moon Prospector' in the english-speaking pulps, one we've seen before on the blog - the fabulous laser tank cover by the great Kelly Freas and words by William B.Ellern. The story was an official part of the Lensman universe.

More pulp art welcomed folks!

Turn't Telly On Mum

As a Sixties anklebiter in England the TV was ruled by Thunderbirds. But despite us only having three channels [how many did our US and European friends have then?] there were tons of other great kids programmes all vying for our attention: Scooby Do, Marine Boy, Top Cat, Flintstones, Herculoids, Frankenstein Junior and my own favourites, Spider-Man and the Impossibles on Saturday mornings. Here's my treasured Annual that went with the show.

The Seventies were just as good: Hong Kong Phooey, Wacky Races, Spot the Pigeon, Star Trek, Children of the Stones, Rhubarb, Hair Bair Bunch and loads more [please insert your own!]. The cop shows from the US were required viewing too as I turned teenager in 1973 and could stay up till 10 I seem to recall. My top six would be 6. Kojak 5. Ironside 4. Canon 3. Harry- O  2. The Streets of San Francisco and easilly at number 1, Columbo. I was saddened to hear that the superb Peter Falk died over the weekend aged 82. Feels like a whole generation has gone.

The Eighties weren't my decade for TV as I was busy growing facial hair. I did notice a few cartoon shows though: Brave Starr, Masters of the Universe and Thundercats. I suppose for Eighties kids the debate rages on as to which was the best!

Everythings a blur after that as I switched off!

What were your favourites in your part of the world?

Pyro C

More cool X-300 Cruisers!

Pulp covers and

Interplanet Cruiser tinplate, circa 1955 Made in Japan [Ebay 2011] price tag approx. $1000!

Damocles Arrives Today

Well life imitates art once more today as you may recall my serialised 'strip' mockumentary about an asteroid strike on Moonbase and our very own Mr Woods being MIA. But today apprently a real asteroid about the size of a large bus is due to skim Earth at a mere 7,500 miles distant. 2011 MD as it is named was discovered just last Wednesday on close approach and should be visible to amateur astronomers using moderately large telescopes on 27 June.

Well its been fun, so long and thanks for all the fish...

Nice and Tender

Hong Kong toys were eclectic affairs. Case in point is the cool JR21 Airport Crash Tender.  Owner Ferryman takes up the story: "My JR Crash Tender is marked Lucky Toys. I also have Telsalda and NFIC boxed versions which are slightly smaller and friction driven. These friction drive ones are both marked NFIC."

So that's JR21, Lucky and NFIC! Did JR21 at least do their own box art [above] or is that from another toy as well? Anymore for anymore?

Crash Tender Pictures courtesy of Ferryman and Lucky horseshoe logo - inset - courtesy of Ebay.

Gattlestar Balactica

Next on my summer reading pile, after Batman, is Battlestar Galactica, the novelisation of the film. Anyone read it? What's the basic plot?

Art of Toys

Well it was a humid Friday night on Moonbase and the space curry was cracked open to celebrate another lunar weekend. My favourite post-dinner pastime is searching for space toy box art with SWORD or SpaceX connections. My new offerings from cyberspace are:

Cosmic Water Gun: a large plastic water rifle made in China in the 1970's. On the header card you can just make out the black silhouette of the MOLAB as featured on the cover of Rocket Stories [artist: Alex Schomberg]. You can see the original on the cool Main Street Toys site. No other image found of this toy.

Metralleta Rayo Spacial: a 37 cm-long tinplate space rifle seen on the cool Mark Bergin Toys. Made in Spain by JYE. It's not often that our pal the X-20 Dyna Soar gets a look in on box art but here's one - top right corner of the box side. Here's a close-up below.

Deutsche Tee: the German T Saturn 5

Blog reader Ferryman has sent in these great clear shots of his German T in a Circle Saturn 5 Rocket from the 60's. The logo and model number (425), top picture, appears on the underside of the rocket but not the box. There are two other versions of this toy that I'm aware of, the Apollo X and Apollo 11, made by a variety of manufacturers including T in a Circle. I remember passing one up years ago at my favourite little vintage toy kiosk in Whitby - I didn't know what it was at the time! Got one now though!

Saw one at the Isle of Wight Toy Museum in Godshill last month too, along with a really fine collection of mint boxed JR21 Anderson toys. Well worth a visit!