blue fin sooner?

I couldn't help noticing the basic similarity of the blue rocket fin and base on this old 1960 German magazine* to that of the Project SWORD Apollo Saturn toy from 1967**.

I've put them together for you. Toy on the right.

What do you think readers?

*Fluech der Vergangenheit = Curse of the Past.

by Erle Van Loden

Utopia No.118

1960

** the earlier 1963/4 versions of this toy by Tomy/ Sears are partly blue.

black arrow rocket

This is Britain's Black Arrow Satellite Launcher circa 1966.

I find it reminiscent of so many of my old space toys like the red-tipped rockets of Project SWORD.

You can read more about Black Arrow and other British rockets like Blue Streak on the excellent Space UK org website, the source for the photograph.

You Tube also features some Black Arrow stuff and here's a short clip of the rocket's 50th Anniversary highlighting its connection with High Down on the Isle of Wight, now an abandoned launch site I was pleased to visit a few years ago.

S.H.A.D.O. CON - A DAY DEVOTED TO UFO

MAN ALL MOBILES...

INTERCEPTORS IMMEDIATE LAUNCH....

SKYDIVER  PREPARE TO SURFACE...

S.H.A.D.O. CON is GO!

SHADO CON is a celebration of  TV series UFO and takes place in Derby, 3rd June 2017.

It's being organised by a group of enthusiastic fans who are putting together a really nice package, with tickets due to go on sale any day now, 

Four guests have been announced so far, but more have been contacted so that number could well change.

The lovely Ayshea Brough has agreed to appear. She played Shado Technician, Lieutenant Johnson.

Keith Alexander  has also been confirmed. He played Shado Technician and Communications man, Keith Ford.

 Photo: ITV Studios

Photo:ITV Studios

Michael Jayston guest starred as showjumper, Russell Stone in the episode 'The Sound of Silence'.

Photo:ITV Studios

Photo:ITV Studios

Last, but certainly not least is writer Ruric Powell who wrote the episodes,  Conflict and The Dalotek Affair. This will be Ruric's first appearance at a UK convention.

Photo: ITV Studios

Photo: ITV Studios

I'll update things as and when I know more, but for anyone who fancies a nostalgic wallow in Uforia watch this space and don't be left behind...

a l i e n covenant anyone?

Have you seen the new trailer for Prometheus 2, ALIENS COVENANT?

Its on You Tube.

I must say that my first impressions are that it looks like ALIENS with its illuminated dropship and lots of battling troops.

What do you think?

NODDY IN TIME AND SPACE?

BABY,BABY,BAAABEE!....Perfect casting, eh!

There's already a tee-shirt for those who want everything including the tee-shirt!

castle keeps: collecting the punisher

I'm on a bit of a Punisher drive at the mo.

I wasn't aware of Marvel's man in black comics when I was kid I don't think.

My interest began when I came across a complete loose plastic Punisher Van at a Car Boot Sale around 1992. It was an impressive dark battle wagon and it looked great when I found a loose Punisher action figure to ride shotgun. 

Both were from the Toybiz Marvel Superheroes line 1991. 

Here's the same I saw on Ebay recently:

Captivated by the Punisher's long skull logo and no-nonsense no-powers approach I was thrilled to come across the 2004 film version starring Thomas Jane as the avenging wraith Frank Castle himself and John Travolta as his nemesis Howard Saint.

I enjoyed the film so much I've seen it several times more over the past 12 years.

So I was chuffed at the weekend to pick up the TV tie-in paperback, which I'm reading now. I doubt its collectable but I do like TV tie-ins.

I'm currently adding more to my Punisher experience by watching a 2008 film called Punisher: War Zone. The adversary is a crime boss called Jigsaw.

I can already tell that it lacks the build-up of the Thomas Jane movie and is altogether more violent. The jury's still out on this Punisher.

Have you been Punished readers?

thunderbirds ray gun mystery

The other day I noticed that the small silvery ray gun in the Major Matt Mason range is more or less the same as the one used by the Tracy Brothers in the original series of Thunderbirds.

Does anyone know of they are connected?

PETER CAPALDI STEPPING DOWN AS DOCTOR WHO

I've just read on Twitter that Peter Capaldi, the best Doctor since the BBC brought the series back IMHO, is leaving the show at the end of 2017.

I have to say, I'm sad about that. Being a fan of the classic series, I liked an older, more believable Doctor, rather than the hip youngsters which appear to be more popular these days  (my least favourite incarnation from the classic series was Peter Davison )

But, at least we can still  look forward to the new series with Peter starting in a few months time.