P.W.O.R

One of my most profound experiences of Anderson must be Stingray. I grew up with the early shows all around me and Stingray probably made the earliest impression - Commander Shores voice booming over the speakers as Marineville descended underground to Barry Grays evocative music, still makes me sit up and watch every time.

Stingray toys mostly passed me by as I was a little too young at the shows height, but I did receive the nifty Lone Star elastic powered bath toy, which I still have today.

When Vivid Imaginations and Carlton rolled out a new series of toys a few years back, I was gratified to see they were fairly accurate. I still need to pick up the Matchbox Marineville playset though!

From top we have simple Lone Star model, missing the prop, then the large action figure Stingray, with firing missiles, the clockwork version with one inch Troy and the Matchbox diecast Stingray/Terrorfish set.

And a no-prize for telling what PWOR stands for - - but not you Scoop! ;-)

NEW ORIGINS 1: SPACEX LAMA

Readers who have followed the blog for some time will know that I am particularly interested in sci-fi art and the possible influences that it had on SWORD and SPACEX toys and box art. During one of my regular forays into the cyber wilderness I came across this paperback cover of SINISTER BARRIER by Eric Frank Russell. This particular edition is from 1966 and was painted by none other than SWORD and SPACEX pioneer artist Ed Valigursky.

 

 

SPACEXers amongst you will immediately recognise the strange contraption on the cover as the LAMA or Lunar Anti-Meteorite Attacker. The toy appeared as part of the SpaceX II range circa 1970. Below is an example of the toy from the Ferryman collection, together with backing card art and a black and white illustration from a SpaceX comic-advert.

Comparing Ed Valigursky's original art with the Tri-ang backing card art reveals just how similar they are. What do think?

If you want to find out more about the plot of SINISTER BARRIER then look here on Wikipedia. If you want to find out more about the possible artistic background to Project SWORD toys box art then you might want to get hold of my book, The Art of S.W.O.R.D. Email me for details.

Kevins Spacex Shipyards

It seems  even xmas doesn't slow up Kevin Davies building - heres the very latest in his series of 'real life' Spacex creations - the Prospector!

Project Sword Land Craft

The year  is 3031 :

A SWORD Moon Bus makes it's way through the charred remains of what was once the English countryside, transporting essential supplies to Sword protection camps.

 

In close pursuit, the mighty Scramble Bug.

 

Further ahead a lone Moon Ranger uses it's powerful shovel to create a path.

A quarter of a million miles away a SWORD Prospector attempts to find traces of water ice sealed under the dusty surface of the Moon in preparation for the building of a new Lunar settlement. 

 

As Long As There Is Project S.W.O.R.D. - There Is Still Hope!

Thunderbird 3

Kevin Davies has just shared these shots of an early scratchbuilt TB3. Wonderful stuff!

GERRY ANDERSON'S ETERNITY

 

 

With an imagination as creative as the late great Gerry Anderson's there were bound to be projects which fell unfinished to the cutting room floor. One such unscreened gem was ETERNITY, which I discovered on You Tube a few years back. I particularly like the vast sweep of space the main clip depicts, a space bristling with stations and craft. The epic music fits the images perfectly. The above three clips were posted by SB111058 in 2008/9 [you can turn off his notations on the main You Tube site], who describes ETERNITY as follows:

 

 

"This is part of an animatic created in 2001 by Steve Begg in After-Effects to be used in the sales pitch for a proposed live action sci-fi tv series by Gerry Anderson, John Needham and Begg involving the appearance of a new planet in our solar system. Although the main thrust of the series is about the action/adventures of a group of elite Police/Swat officers trying to govern this 'new frontier' the backstory is....Unbeknown to us this new planet is actually a huge sentient life-form, which after being plundered by mankind starts to retaliate.

 

 

Unfortunately the series was never made. It would have been a colossal epic on a Babylon 5/ Star Trek scale dwarfing Space 1999 for sure, and would have cost a lot to make. Easily Gerry Anderson's most interesting and cerebal show. So far it only exists as these short clips from the promo film and some concept/design work which will be posted soon."

 

 

After admittedly only a quick search I've not been able to find any concept work for ETERNITY on You Tube. I sense a little Project SWORD in it! Does anyone know anything more about ETERNITY or have any other favourite unaired programmes or films?

Free Inside Every Box

Being a compulsive collector, I always liked the free toys you used to get in breakfast cereals years ago.

The Gerry Anderson inspired stuff is well documented, and nowadays avid collectors with more money than sense will pay an absolute fortune for these tiny pieces of plastic. Well, who am I to judge!
But there was a wealth of other little gems from around the same time that still jog my sense of nostalgia. I don't possess any of these items these days but I do like to be reminded of them through the adverts of the time.

I'm sure you all remember the atomic subs and frogmen that were powered by soap detergent.

 

 

Anything connected with outer space was a must have.

 

And it didn't matter if they broke or got lost, because you knew that the next packet of Wheety Bangs of Sugar Crunchies would contain a fresh toy.

 

The only downside was if there were several in a set, in which case you'd always have an illusive one that neither you or  your mates had, apart from the one spoilt snivelling brat at school that no one liked. But if he was prepared to do a swap you'd be his pal!

 

 

 

For the larger giveaways you had to collect boxtops and send a postal order.  If you got your parents to take the trouble to sort it you could end up with a cracking little toy.

 

 

I think I'd like some Puffed Wheat for breakfast tomorrow, Mum!

 

 

 

Power of 3

Thunderbird 3 is a beautiful craft, eminently 'rockety' but managing to look completely unique too. Testament to the unsurpassed design genius of Derek Meddings, it has several classic retro future elements including large boosters and the central radiator vanes. Graham Bleathmans FAB cross section book confirms Kevin D's suggestion and shows that the atomic fusion generator lies at the centre of this area and the grey fins shed the excess heat. When Thunderbirds was relaunched in the late nineties for a new audience, large versions of the craft were released complete with new play options such as mini figures, sound chips and other ideas. I picked up the large TB3 on ebay a few years back as it was the least distorted of the toys and was a fair representation of the ship. It features a central lift and two large incongtuous hatches, but still looks quite nice on the shelf next to its old cousin.