BLUE BOX YONDER

As there's appears to be a bit of interest in the old Blue Box space toys we've featured here quite a few times over the years, here's few old photos of the four I have.

SPACE DISC (S.D. 2)

SPACE CAR (S.C. 3)

SPACE ROCKET (S.R.4)

SPACE JET (S.J.1)

I have to admit I do like the Space Disc and the Space Car which do look like cut-price SWORD toys, but I can't say I'm mad about the Rocket and the Jet, as they do look a bit too much pre-school to me. Still I'm sure Blake 7 fans will have all these in their collection.  

payva and blue box space vehicles by paul v

Morning Woodsy,

RE: Recent Payva Post

Attached is the cardboard rider to a baggie that contained the Blue Box cruiser. You'll see that the three Payva toys shown in your blog piece are derived from these toys.

Since Blue Box appears to've made these toys over a longer period in time (also sold in boxes iirc), it might be they were the original manufacturers. Can't immediately recall another brand that did all four of these toys, but would be happy if another reader would know.

As you state in your blog piece, the cruiser was a popular design with all kinds of copycats. Including LP who made the familiar smaller copy in red, which then turns up in their own packs and many other brands' packs including Imperial's Apollo Moon Exploring series.

Hope that helps

--

Paul Vreede

*

Woodsy recommends: Paul V's own fabulous SpaceX website recently launched including an excellent LP space cruiser toys section here

"DANGER WILL ROBINSON!"

Some photos of a couple of models I have of theB9 Robot from Lost in Space, the first being a Trendmasters  toy which I bought around 1997.

This is a really nice toy for the money, it’s well detailed, has flashing lights and utters two phrases – “Danger Will Robinson” and “My sensors indicate an intruder is present”.

As most LIS fans will know the B9, or just ‘ Robot ‘as it is generally  referred to in the series, didn’t  originally appear in the unaired pilot, along with the sneaky Dr. Zachery Smith.

The B9 Robot was designed by Robert Kinoshita, whose credits include Robby from the film, Forbidden Planet.

It was built by 20^th Century Fox prop maker Robert S Stuard, known professionally as Bob Stewart.

There were two props made.  One was a static prop, used for towing around the set, and the other was the ‘hero’ prop in which actor and stuntman, Bob May would ‘wear’. As the prop was difficult to get in and out of, Bob would stay in the ‘suit’ during breaks, even having an ash tray fitted inside. 

There’s a story that producer Irwin Allen saw smoke billowing out of the robot and thought it was on fire, however it was just Bob having a ciggie break.  So any smoke coming from the robot on screen was down to Bob having a drag.

The distinctive voice of the robot was down to actor and announcer, Dick Tufeld, who actually reprised the role for the 1998 feature film.

My second model is one of four classic Lost in Space die-casts released by Johnny Lightning, to coincide with the release of the feature film.

Again, plenty of detail, with a movable upper body, this is a nice little collectable.

Oh, and if anyone is interested the full title of the B9 Robot is Class M3 General Utility Non Theorising Environmental Control Robot!

poster paints: did you?

One of those mysterious but creative gifts we got at Xmas in the Sixties was poster paint.

I've absolutely no idea what it was.

Was it really paint for posters?

I think they came in plastic pots with lids. For some reason I'm seeing the brushes already stuck in the lids, impaled through a hole! Can that be right?

The plastic lids I seem to recall had curled-in holes in the middle for the brush. Maybe these were non-drip in some unfathomable way.

What did we paint on? poster sized paper?

All in all poster paints remain a mystery.

Remember them?

gene cernan has passed away

Gene Cernan, the last astronaut to set foot on the moon, has died.

Gene was a true space traveler who has now gone back home.

We dedicate this blog to Gene and his monumental achievement.

RIP

PRODUCT ENTERPRISE SHADO INTERCEPTOR AND UFO

Continuing on from my previous post on the P.E. Eagle, these are a few photos I took at the same time featuring the Product Enterprise SHADO Interceptor and it's nemesis, the UFO. Like the Eagle these are superb die-cast models and perfect for a few snaps.

P.E. EAGLE TRANSPORTER

A few new photos I've taken of my Product Enterprise Eagle Transporter.

The  Eagle Transporter was the first of the Gerry Anderson P.E. range that I bought way back in 2004.

I remember being very impressed with it's build quality and it's price of just under forty quid. Since the demise of Product Enterprise a few years ago, like most of their range the price for these lovely models is now considerable higher.

That being said it's still a great die-cast model, and for those folk who aren't model makers, or who want something of quality ready made, it's perfect, which is one of the reasons I never tire of taking snaps of the thing.

Until I get round to putting together my 22" Round 2 kit, this , and the others in the range will more than keep my camera busy.

ideal astro base origin of the project sword moon ranger pilot and dome

In Winter 2015 I did some research into the likely origins of the Project SWORD Moon Ranger pilot, cockpit and dome released by Century 21 Toys in in 1967

I concluded that they were first seen on the space car of the Astro Base by Ideal 1961 and blogged my findings at the time in  new origins. A few weeks later I blogged a link to a picture of the Ideal pilot's mould.

Eighteen months on I hope to further help visualise the connection between the two toys. I have posted here two short films showing the pilot and dome being lowered onto each toy.

This first clip, top, shows Ideal's Astro Base in action and the how the pilot and dome was lowered [and raised] via the battery-operated winch on the tower. It is an original 1961 US TV commercial courtesy of You Tube.

This second clip above shows the Century 21 pilot and dome being lowered into the Project SWORD Moon Ranger. 

This does not usually happen but has been used to show the similarities between the two pilots and domes.

This film was kindly shot by Bill B of his own Moon Ranger and I edited the final video making it black and white as well. 

Its interesting to start both films at the same time and watch the two lowering sequences together.

Hopefully this mini film project has been of some interest.

Let me know what you think.