PANDORUM

I'm currently reading Michael Moorcock's Black Corridor published in 1969. Short and thought-provoking it's a very good read and quite SWORDesque, describing, as it does, a dying Earth. It is essentially a novel about the decay of society and the deep personal and social isolation this has caused, and tells of a man fleeing through interstellar space from Earth, where civilisation is collapsing into anarchy and wars [Wikipedia - alert! its full page contains spoilers!].

 

 

Given the plot it seems only right that an edition by Mayflower even featured SPACEX toys on its pinky cover, shown below right. Try as I might, I have been unable to find a copy of this particular paperback and on two occasions mistakenly purchased the more common black Mayflower cover, below left, despite the Amazon listings showing the SPACEX cover. Drat!

 

 

The story of the man suffering alone in deep space reminds me of the plot of Duncan Jones' film MOON. This solitary slide into mental breakdown is a popular idiom in Science Fiction.

 

 

The malaise is in fact real and called Pandorum, which is defined as "a disease founded by emotional triggers, usually found in deep space missions, a feeling of fear. Thinking you can't be saved, you may find yourself in a state of Pandorum, or extreme fear of being alone". There is a film of the same name from 2009, which I have yet to see. Have you?

 

 

What books or other publication are you reading at the moment?

Shades of Timpo

From uber-collector and Scarlet expert Terry come these stunning shots of the rare Timpo realease of Captain Scarlet figures. The line-up clearly omits Captain Blue in favour of Lieutenant Green, but Terry does say that a canadian custom figure was briefly released recently.

As I mentioned earlier, these figures passed me by as a child and I actually thought that a good friend who said he had Scarlet as a boy, was pulling my leg!

Rocket Launcher Mk II

Another favourite toy from my childhood is the Jeep inspired Rocket Launcher Mk 2 made by Haglon.

I know the Haglon Rocket Launcher MK2 has been seen on the blog several times before, along with it’s larger brothers made by Codeg ,but I figure you can’t have too many pictures of this tidy little friction drive.

While it’s implied that it’s smaller Spacex cousin, The Cricket  P-1 is based on the Moon, I always imagined that the Mk 2 was an Earth bound vehicle with futuristic aspects.

Being a military vehicle , and prompted by Wote’s earlier post  on small plastic figures I thought I’d add some infantry to the mix.

2001 Make Up Artist Dies

I read that make up artist, Stuart Freeborn has died at the age of 98. Being a big fan of 2001: A Space Odyssey I felt I should mark his passing.

His career spanned six decades and his work can be seen on some of the cinema's most famous films including The Empire Strikes Back where he was responsible for the creation of the Yoda make up.

He worked with Stanley Kubrick on the Cold War satire Doctor Strangelove providing Peter Sellers with three different faces. This led to further work with Kubrick on 2001: A Space Odyssey when Stuart designed the apes seen in The Dawn of Man sequence of the film.

Stuart Freeborn Make-Up Artist 1914 - 2013

Wotans Radio Space Opera

 The second installment of my science fiction series of radio stories will be available tonight  on Radio Celticas 'Squaring the Circle' show, hosted by Dave Carrington. The first part of the tale will be available for download until 20:00 hrs tonight, when the second part will air.

The story so far... Commander Wotan has been directed to investigate a missing ship out of Anvil Base in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Arriving at the last reported position, Wotan discovers a huge apparently hollow asteroid and proceeds to investigate. In a cave deep inside the rock he disturbs a lone figure at work on something apparently embedded in the interior...

Tune in this evening to find out what happens next!

ACTION MAN CAN MAKE THE STUFFING!

Bill's memories of his Sister's tennis ball headed Action Man [on the radio SWORDcast] stirred misty recollections of Prestonian antics I thought long lost in my flocked brain pan.

At Christmas in the late Sixties I would seat all my Action Men on small chairs round a little dining table! I kid you not! An Action Man Christmas Dinner! I've no idea where I got the table and chairs from - they could have been Sindy handmedowns from my older Sister Rene. Knowing me I will have made them out of cardboard, which was a passion I had as a kid - making stuff from cardboard!

 

 

Anyway, my Action Man Xmas lunch took place on the carpet of my bedroom. It was an all male doll affair - no cissy Barbies or Sindy's allowed on my watch, much to the 'men's' utter disgust! I think everyone had their gunmetal grey billy cans and mugs on the table - brimming with Tizer - and possibly camping plates and mess cutlery, all gently placed in their battle-worn but ever-gripping hands.

 

 

As for uniform, we accepted all nations at the table: Australian Jungle Fighter ["you pommy bast*rd"], German Stormtrooper ["Ordnung Englander, Bitte!"], Gemini Astronaut ["Preston we've got a problem!"], Grenadier Guard ["Leave my beaver alone!"] and Frogman and his Shark ["got any toothpicks men?"]. Tommy Gunn and the other clones were usually late on account of stiff joints and premature greying.

 

 

By mutual consent small side-arms were allowed on the table - pistols, flares and lugars -  together with maps, medals and stick grenades, which were often mistaken for crackers! Bigger weaponry was kept away from the turkey in handy racks at the side: Flamethrowers, Sten Guns, Harpoons and  Schmeissers [that's schmeissers!]. Helmets were removed and pesky dog hairs and lint combed out of  "real" hair, a cut popular at the time with the diminutive soldiers.


With my obsession for making things I probably made the men presents but I'm glad to admit I can't remember! All I know is that their eagle eyes will have darted round the table scrutinising who got what to the sound of whispered "Spiffings" and "Scheisses" [that's scheisses!]


With a platoon of Arctic Commando's patrolling the snowy wastes of my window sill we were safe to enjoy our plastic truce. What twelve inch fun we had round that festive table! Only a kid could get away with it!


And once the feasting was over it was back to some serious war games, which was always hard on a full stomach of plasticine sprouts!


It all reminds me somehow of the current TV and cinema ad starring Kevin Bacon and all his selves in the Bacon Movie Club. If you've not seen it it's a classic!

I'm surprised they let this guy in!

MYSTERY IMAI MODELS

I recently saw this lovely loose bundle of Japanese model goodies on Yahoo. Described as Unknown Imai Prospecting Equipment, the only one I recognise is the silver Mogura Mole. Anyone know what the others are?

COWBOYS VS ALIENS

Aside from the usual collection of stuff in the early Wotan toybox, rockets, tanks, cars and soldiers, there was always a small contingent of another classic toy, which I suspect everyone reading this will have come across at some point, either by playing with them, or standing on them barefoot in the dark!
Britains and Timpo made some wonderful toy figures in the sixties, along with Herald and Crescent. Besides the usual soldiers, my dad encouraged me to play with Cowboys and Indians. Probably predating my army toys, these few figures have survived a little better due to their lack of wear. I especially loved the interchangeable Timpo Swoppet mexicans, with their bright colours and odd poses. The indian camp would introduce me to the totem pole, something which would obsess me in later life too...
But in a knockdown, dragout fight, it would always be the aliens won out for me!