P R O M E T H E U S

My film buddy Welby and I can't stop talking about PROMETHEUS, the upcoming 'prequel' to ALIEN by Ridley Scott. Here's the You Tube Trailer in case you haven't already seen it.

ALIEN is as important as STAR WARS in re-defining the Sci-Fi film genre and it's prequel just as eagerly awaited, if not moreso, than The Phantom Menace was. Will it be the most enjoyable film of the year? For me that depends on how Avengers Assemble pans out. I know some readers are already getting excited about the 1st of June release date. Will PROMETHEUS be the biggest movie event of the decade for our generation? What are your expectations?

All My DUKWS In A Row

Tony P's beautiful Telsalda [aka Telsada?] rocket firing tank toy posted the other day inspired me to scan my photo archive for similar toys posted over the years for readers on the blog. Pictured is a medley of, clockwise, two Marx amphibious Military Vehicles showing colour variations, boxed example of the Marx vehicle, JR21 Missile Launcher and box and the same toy showing the box end flap.

I was sure that Telsalda had done their own version of the Marx amphibious vehicle but can't find it in my archive. Any more amphibious or rocket firing toy vehicles out there?

Pump My Ride: The Amoco Petrol Booster

There's some fabulous space ephemera around from the 1950's. Here's an example, the Amoco Venture into Space Fold Out Map from 1957, recently pointed out to me by Wote and Paul V. Graced with many wonderful early rocket concepts, I particularly like the Booster Rocket shown above in close up [is it an Ehricke design?]. The Amoco map does turn up on Ebay from time to time. If you want to know more about this particular map and "Petrol" maps in general here's a beautiful site by Ian Byrne I found on the subject, Petrol Maps.

[picture: Petrol Maps]

Tony P's Telsalda Rocket Firing Amphibious Tank

Hi Woodsy,

I recently picked up this little beauty - a Telsada Rocket Firing Amphibious Tank, with a lovely mixture of sci-fi/military themes. Not sure how amphibious it would be, as the bottom is not sealed - I expect that many 1960s boys who tested its "amphibious" feature would have found that it turned into a submarine!!!!

My example has an interesting Telsada "sample" sticker on the box - not sure what this means but it's obviously a piece of Telsada history. I've attached a few pics, including one where it's battling its way through my jungle back lawn. I've resisted the temptation to clean off the dust, as it gives it a nice "dirtied-down" look.

Hope this is of interest to you and readers of your excellent blog.

Cheers

Tony P

Zero X Specs

We can't get enough of the Zero X on this blog. Our favourite Interplanetary Mars ship and Guest Star of the SWORD range and the only toy in the series to have it's own movie! Reader patron Zero reminded me how cool the cutaway is in the 1968 SWORD Annual.

Blogger may not give you very good zoom on the cutaway so check out the graphic on this Super M Zero X page, which allows you to hover over the numbers on the illustration to reveal the spec. Cool your jets Mars man!

Fab 1 Callisto 0

I used to love mixing toys together for big space adventures on the Living Room carpet when I was a kid in the Sixties. Epic battles and grand manouvres, SWORD toys, Dinky TB2, UFO Shadomobile and Interceptor, Major Matt Mason and Callisto all thrown in the mix and a whole battalion of Airfix soldiers surrounding the lot of them! Sometimes Action Man waded in too like a giant and only Captain Laser could stop him [or my Sister's Sindy!]

What were/ are your favourite toy combos?

The Hunger Games

I have just seen the Hunger Games at the cinema and have come away feeling depressed, appalled and livid in equal measure. What I saw was quite simply a sick thing as it flagrantly breaks one of the last remaining taboos in the West. To add insult to injury the film was rated 12A and obviously aimed at children. I've even heard that toys are available. The very fact that this is mainstream cinema for kids and appears very popular is disturbing, The fact that adults made it for kids is utterly depressing. What the hell has happened to our view of childhood?

LUNAR EXPLORER: A LOVE AFFAIR

One of my absolute all time fave space toys, the LUNAR EXPLORER. Had it as a kid. Have one now [minus box and antenna]. Still in love it. Anyone else have a fave tin space toy? Is tinplate as popular as plastic? [Picture: Bergin Toys]