Mobil X-30

1956 magazine advert. The craft is similar to the 1960's JR X-30 Space Explorer toy.

Copies of the Ad available on Amazon and Ebay.

The Skeletons in My Cupboard

When I was a little horror in the Sixties I was monster mad. I drove my poor parents crazy with my dark penchant for Dracula, Frankenstein and all their Universal fiends. Like many monster kidz one of my earliest ghoulish Christmas goodies was the Airfix Skeleton, realistically jointed and able to move like a proper 'scalliwag'! [piccied above]. Not satisfoed with simply making the model I then proceeded to create a small theatre by removing the seat from a dining table chair, blocking off the back and sides and dangling the skeleton on cotton strands! It was joined by somewhat stiff Pyro Dinosaurs like Anklyosaurus, my favourite. Rubber monster jigglers completed the gothic stage and I put on performances for friends and family on dark winter evenings![ Is that strange?]. My older brother's collection of Aurora monsters was for me the peak of monsterdom, which included the creepily boney Forgotten Prisoner of Castle Mare. Ugh!

When I started to read about vintage toys in the early 1990's I got hold of the great Bill Bruegman's books [I once wrote to him and got a reply!]: Aurora Models and Toys of the Sixties, where I learned about more skeleton kits I would have LOVED as a kid but somehow they passed me by, MPC's Pirates of the Caribbean [example above]. I also discovered the ultra-rare Creature from the Black Lagoon by Penn Plax [below]. Penn Plax were the kings of fish tank thingies or 'action aerating ornaments' and the combination of monster toys and aquariums is irresistible. I'm unsure if they are actually toys but I do love their plasticcy looks now. I'll never have the dabloons for the awesome Creature but I have owned a beautiful Fishing Boy and red Frogman [below]. Penn Plax also brought outer space to the bottom of the sea with UFO's and Zoid-like craft. I particularly like their version of the LEM, which they've cleverly re-badged the Sealab Explorer [below].

Anyone else like skeleton toys, Aurora/ Pyro models or Penn Plax and other aquarium ornaments? Stories and piccies welcomed!

Bingo's Sunday Morning Cartoon Cavalcade

For Toad
Sir Prancelot
http://youtu.be/ZuHz8I7sohQ

For Yorkie
Top Cat
http://youtu.be/ykRZbOb1c5c

For Andy B
Noggin The Nog
http://youtu.be/pTcStBUW2Ao

For Mike
Rocket Robin Hood Opening
http://youtu.be/6MfisiGqtEM
and episode 'Dementia 5'
http://youtu.be/K8_2GUXnPu4

and For Me!
King Arthur and the Knights of the Square Table
http://youtu.be/q7O7NgjWPeM
[never knew it was Australian!]

....and now go and fill up your bowl of cornflakes or ricicles or puffa puffa rice or ...can't remember any more cereals! Can you? [have most lasted?]

Things of Plastic

It's not often I come across another site which covers our friends Spacex and Apollo Moon Exploring but here's one, Things of Plastic. There's some great close-up piccies. Enjoy.

http://thingsofplastic.blogspot.com/2011/04/lw-tri-ang-space-toys.html

Oxy Gum Anyone?

The opening credits of Saturday morning cartoons were often as enjoyable as the main events themselves. One of my favourites was Marine Boy, particularly the red metal spider crab he faces on the ocean floor [above]. Another great one was The Rhino smashing through a biulding wall in the opening of the original Spider-Man cartoon ["...catches theives just like flies!"... you remember!]. Puffa Puffa Rice never tasted so good!

Have you a favourite cartoon opening credit [or fave breakfast cereal]?

Kiddy City R2

I was intrigued when I saw this old AHI carousel toy on Fleabay. The description clearly stated that its from 1962 and the Disney Moonliner rocket on the box art backs this up. The toy sold for nearly £1000.

It wasn't any of this that I found interesting though. It was the pilot bays in the flying rockets as you can see below. Am I dreaming again or do they remind you of R2D2 sat in Luke's X-Wing [pictured below]? A whole 15 years earlier!

Thunder Freighter 2

Excuse me for apparently stating the obvious but I did enjoy creating the post.

WOTAN informs me that the Linda knockoff of the NF2 even had a horizontal tail bar. Anyone got a picture?

NEWSLASH!

Reader Paul Vreede has kindly sent me this fab picture of his Linda NF2 copy, in which you can clearly see the rear tail bar [left hand toy]. Wonderful! Thanks Paul.

Book Sale

Reader and Anderson Memorabilia Guide author Dennis Nicholson is currently selling various publications on Ebay and thought they might be of interest to readers here:

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/tv21/m.html?_dmd=1&_ipg=50&_sop=12&_rdc=1