MYSTERY MEGA CAPTAIN LASER

 

This is a photo I've found in my archive from a few years ago. I will have found it online but don't know where from now [hope it's OK showing it if it's yours!]

 

 

The picture is of a German toy fair in 1969. You can see a large rocket with MATTEL written on it. But the main point of interest is the huge Mattel Captain Laser seemingly dangling from a crane. You can see how big it is compared to the people below.

 

 

I'm unsure what to make of this photograph. The argument for its authenticity is the Mattel rocket next to it. The arguments against, I would say, include the fact that no-one appears to looking upwards at the huge attraction and that the figure doesn't appear attached to the crane.

 

 

Is it genuine or has it been photoshopped? What do you think and does anyone know?

BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY'S MYSTERY SPACESHIP

 

Found this in my attic the other day. It's my Mate Marks. Somewhere is the window box too. The main orange rocket packs a helluva punch - a rocket punch, as I found out aiming it at my hand! For the life of me I can't remember the name of this die-cast toy. Is it Zylon Marauder? Its probably written on it's undercarriage but I shoved it back in the attic now! Der! What's the story behind this toy? Anyone know?

THE ANASTASIA

Some pictures of Dan Dare's personal spaceship, The Anastasia which made it's first appearance in the second Dan Dare story, The Red Moon Mystery.

This picture drawn by Bruce Cornwall is taken from Dan Dare's Spacebook..

An Eagle issue showing an installment from The Red Moon Mystery. Frank Hampson and Harold Johns both shared art credits on the strip.

This cutaway appeared in an original issue of Eagle although I took this scan from the centre pages of  the 40th Anniversary Southport exhibition souvenir brochure. It's not credited but I suspect it's the work of Eric Eden,  however if anyone knows different please let me know.

SWORDCAST SPECIAL: In Search of Eden

Last weekend was a very memorable occasion for the blog, as it was a rare chance for all three of us, Woodsy, Wotan and Scoop to get together in person. Even more pertinent was the chance for us to visit Southport and have a chat with resident Scoop about Dan Dare. Dan was 'born' not far away in a little backyard shed in Churchtown, where the first 14 issues of Eagle comic were produced.

Neither I or Woodsy are Dare or Eagle experts, so it was really informative to be able to pick Scoops brains  on the subject! One of the big questions for Woodsy was the connection between Eagle artist Eric Eden and Project SWORD.

Eric had famously produced a series of illustrations in TV21 in 1966, which predate the Project SWORD series, but show what are clearly the basis for several of the SWORD and Spacex designs. 

While we were visiting Glenn Field Base and grilling Scoop, we prepared a special outside broadcast version of the regular SWORDCAST programme for Celtica Radio. You can hear the programme tonight at 8pm on the Celtica  Radio website. Just click on the links at the side of the page or check in here. 

THE SHOW IS NOW AVAILABLE AS A PODCAST DOWNLOAD FROM THE SIDEBAR LINKS.

BEYOND THE STARS BOARD GAME 1964

Cruising cyberspace this Sunday morning and I've come across this cool vintage space game I've never seen before. Being a big fan of old board games I was intrigued. I'll check my Rick Polizzi Board Games books when I get home. In the meantime this is what I've found out.

Made by Game Partners in 1964, it was a House of Ideas Game for 2- 6 players. The objective was very Star Trek, to travel through space designated by the board safely, acquiring points by the successful accomplishment of missions, until you are declared the winner by one of three methods possible to win.

Looking at the contents list [below] the groovy red balls would appear to be planets. I can't make out what the spaceships look like though. Does anyone have this cool game?

'Contents: playing board, score board, 52 regular mission cards, 6 special mission cards, 30 special situation cards, 6 general situation cards, 6 bases, 6 ships, 5 planets, spinner (metal spinner arm is rusted and has left a rust stain on the spinner base), 5 planet bases, 6 warships, 6 speed ships, 6 freighters, instructions book, 12 pegs, and the inserts' [Vintage Game World. Com]

The Day The Telly Stood Still

I'm spending the weekend with my daughter at Moonbase Junior. One of my pastimes is to channel surf on the TV, which has far more channels than mine at Moonbase Central. The Horror and Syfy channels are two I check in on.

Alas, they were both showing rubbish films yesterday. This got me thinking. Why show useless, badly-made modern trash when they could pick from thousands of classic movies, many of which are in the public domain?

OK, a lot of classic Sci-fi and horror is in black and white, films like Dead of Night, War of the Colossal Beast, Night of the Eagle, The Day the Earth Caught Fire, but they are incalculably more interesting and better produced than the abysmal Vaseline-smeared silvery crap churned out in the last decade for the telly. Do you agree?

Why don't they simply have a channel called Classic Monsters: No Crap, Just Classics. One for Sci-Fi too. Proper Sci-Fi: No Guff, Just Proper Stuff.

What would your ideal TV channel look like readers?

FIFTIETH EAGLE EXHIBITION - 2000

The success of the free Dan Dare and Eagle exhibition at the Southport Atkinson Art Gallery in 1990 spurred the local council on to stage another display to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Eagle comic.

A smaller lower key affair than the previous exhibition, Sefton, the local council decided to charge an entrance fee to cover their display costs.

The programme booklet for 2000 was much simpler than the 1990 version which was a  facsimile of an Eagle comic.

 Eagle society members donated many of the exhibits including large displays of original memorabilia  and artwork.

Models built by master modeller Martin Bower and owned by various members were also shown. Some lovely stuff, I wish my Kodak  Instamatic camera at the time could have been a little better.

One thing on display I hadn't seen before was this original painting by Frank Hampson.  

Although it was by no means the success of the 1990 exhibition, it was none the less a fun, well attended and informative display keeping the heritage of Dan Dare and Eagle alive in Southport.

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU