CONTEMPLATING MOONBASE

I'm just drinking my Sunday morning coffee half-watching the news, which is dominated by the looming and historic breakaway of Scotland from the UK.

Contemplating  far less weightier matters, its the sixth year of the blog as of tomorrow, which is hard to believe. Where does the time go? I was in my Forties when it started. I'm not now!

Over the years there have been many many highs, a few lows and also these persistent chin-rubbing grey areas:

1. Monetisation - Blogger do offer this but I have resisted this particular Borg. Personally I can't stand adverts popping up allover the place on blogs and websites. Am I missing a trick?

2. Social Media - I've been approached a few times to put Moonbase on Facebook, but again I've declined, for a two reasons: I work in a School full of facebooking kids and all my blogging energy goes into the blog. What do you think?

3. Website V Blog - should Moonbase be a website rather than a blog? I decided years ago that a blog would be better for me 'cos I get to write something every day. Yay! Bit like a fun newspaper. Websites tend to get finished. And then what? The blog goes on and on and on and ......What are your views?

4. What Next? - I'm always asking myself this? What should we do next on the blog? Change everything? Shift the focus? Stay the same? More than anything, what do you think about this one readers, 'cos without you it's just dead web!

COLLIDING GALAXIES!

ITS NEARLY THE BLOG'S SIXTH BIRTHDAY!

ALL THE MEVS GALLERY

All the MEV's

Left to right:

Sitap Jeep Selenite,

SpaceX MEV2 [ aka Golden Astronaut Moon Prospector],

Futuristic Space Vehicles chromed Moon Explorer

and controversially, the Corgi 007 die cast Moon Buggy, which I consider to be related to the MEV2.

Missing:

Clifford M5 - I can't find a piccy of a loose one!

For a detailed look at them all then check out Wotan Bill's post, from whence the top picture hails, from 2011, MEVOLUTION.

GORGO, CAPTAIN LAZER, EMMA PEEL AND ACTION MAN: PHOTOGRAPHS

I love unusual photos of icons from my childhood and rambling round the web I've found a few over the years. Here are my favourite four so far.

Gorgo Convoy, London, 1961

The British Godzilla, Gorgo, being trucked through London on a Dorking Circus trailer. How humiliating! In classic monster film style, the Metropolis pays dearly for dissing the Gorgster! I wonder if anyone remembers being in London when it drove past? Bill's mate, Ken Holt, was involved in making this iconic creature feature in the Sixties.

Huge Captain Lazer, Germany 1969: 

We've seen this before on the blog and discussed it's many fascinating and controversial points. I still love it 'cos the Captain deserves to be twenty feet tall!

Emma Peel and Toy Robot 1965.

A beautiful shot of Diana Rigg delighted by a toy robot. from The Avengers episode The Cybernauts.

Action Man 2010

A truly gorgeous cameo of the Man from Palitoy by the gifted Finnish photographer Vesa Lehtimäki known as Avanaut on Flickr. Look and gawp!

MOONBASE ALPHA KIT

My first purchase  at Alpha. The reissued MPC kit with the extra landing pads, plus I got the free card that came with it signed by Brian Johnson - result!

PROJECT SWORD SCOUT 1 BOX REPAIRS AND TOY CLEANING: FINAL PART

Final Part

ALPHA 2014 FIRST PANEL

First panel last night at Alpha was Nick Tate aka Alan Carter, Cathy Schell aka Maya, Pam Rose  and Sarah Bullen who both played Moonbase Alpha operatives and last but not least, stuntman Paul Weston.

Renato Fratini - Cover Artist of the Project SWORD Annual?

I wonder if anyone can shed any light on the artist Renato Fratini? I noticed online that Mr. Fratini may have illustrated the cover of the Project SWORD Annual in 1968 [GACCH].

A quick look on the web shows that Renato did covers for loads of pulp novels. He was also a very famous cinema poster artist in Italy in the 1950s and worked for the UK in the 1960s and 1970s.

Wonder how he might have come to paint the cover of the SWORD Annual?