After googling countless multi-wheel drive toys for today this has to be my favourite!
Its just awesome! Did anyone have one?
More crazy crawlers to follow this evening!
Saturday, 25 March 2017
mike noble and explorer 12
Mike Noble is an acclaimed artist and illustrator.
His most famous work was on Fireball XL5 for the iconic Sixties TV21 comic.
He also did one single black and white drawing of the Zero X for the Project SWORD stories.
However, Mike illustrated in many other publications too. In 1987 he was commissioned by BHS London to illustrate their Explorer 12 toy series, specifically four books and a promotional brochure.
Recently I had the distinct pleasure of corresponding with Mike about this and Mike has kindly given his permission to relay his thoughts to MC readers.
Dear Woodsy
I am surprised that anyone has picked up on my artwork as I don't think I signed any of it. Recently I learned that it appears on Wikipedia.
Alan Fennell I believe asked me to do some artwork for one or two of the publications BHS were bringing out.
Your sketch of Explorer 12 you sent me reminds me of that series, with a number of different types of vehicle withing a fictitious rugged landscape.
All quite interesting to do and scope for one's imagination. For reference I was provided with photographs of the actual toys.
There was an aquatic series of vehicles I recall doing as well as well ...
and some polar explorer ones too!
It is such a long tome ago now that any preliminary sketches or tracings that I might have done for the illustrations have long since gone.
It was quite recently that I was having a clear out of magazines I had accumulated over the years and came across the very BHS publications you are referring to. Needless to say I threw them out!
One is never aware that there is anything other than a mere fleeting interest by readers of these past magazines.
Thank you for your kind comments about my previous work,
Very best wishes,
Mike Noble.
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BHS book pictures: Joe Lange
bhs explorer 12 trademark
Some further googling has revealed some basic trademark information for the Explorer 12 range.
Sadly there is no pictured design included although further exploration of the trademark site might glean something [ a research opportunity there for someone!].
Its interesting how the registration date is in August 1987. This is also the date for an Explorer 12 launch event in London [see previous post on the Essex Record Office sound file]
The last known representative, Novagraaf, are an international intellectual property firm and are still in existence. I did write to them but not had a reply as yet.
new explorer 12 research: sound recording of the launch of the toys in 1987
Earlier in the year I came across an obscure reference to a sound file for what may have been Explorer 12.
I contacted the source, the Essex Record Office, and asked about the file. Martin Astell, the Sound Archivist, explained that it was a short recording of the launch event for a toy line with commentary by a reporter. The toy line was Explorer 12!
I was excited now and asked about publication costs. Alas, these ran into hundreds of pounds for a worldwide upload to Moonbase Central. I was deflated.
However, Martin kindly suggested an alternative! Essex Record Office were keen to grow their Soundcloud website of published recordings and if I was interested the Explorer 12 tape could be next!
Was I interested? Your'e darn tootin!
So, with the help of the Essex Record Office and their Soundcloud site, I can bring you for the first time on Moonbase Central the launch of the BHS Explorer 12 toy range in London in August 1987 with reporter Dennis Rookard. Its about 5 minutes long. Enjoy!
Click on the the third track below on the list, 'Explorer 12'.
Click on the the third track below on the list, 'Explorer 12'.
Moon Crawler 12
Could the inspiration for Explorer 12 lie deep in the aspirations of NASA?
The desire to traverse the hidden Earth and distant Moon in all-terrain vehicles has a long and honorable history in both science and art.
Perhaps my favourite painting in this vein is John Schoenherr's Moon Crawler.
With its balloon tyres and grim determination it embodies the pioneering spirit needed for exploration.
In 2011 John's son Ian was kind enough to allow Moonbase to publish his Dad's two preliminary sketches for this painting for the first time.
You can read more about them when they first appeared on MC in 2011
Above two images the property of Ian Schoenherr.
the evolution of explorer 12 toys
Explorer 12 from BHS was a re-purposed toy line based on a battery powered ATV like the red one shown above [SpaceX T5 shown for scale].
This was an unbranded 'space' vehicle which appeared on discount and beach shop shelves. It was a cheap alternative to the larger radio control trucks and buggies which began to proliferate in the 1980's following the advances in chip technology courtesy of the Silicon Revolution.
As electronics became much more complex and affordable, all terrain cars became popular and at the impulse end of the market, the Hong Kong toy makers went for a sliver of the market by making a variety of all terrain toys powered by batteries.
Some of the larger makers such as Tomy and Buddy L produced larger and more robust toys such as the yellow tank and the six wheel buggy above.
Other unbranded vehicles such as the large white six wheeler with grey conical wheels, which is amphibious in shallow water, were often seen in holiday shops and discount stores.
BHS seems to have acquired either the molds or the rights to produce a range of toys based on the 12 wheel chassis and developed a series of rescue and exploration toys on a pre-made motorised base.
Several basic version of the unbranded 12 wheeler were made and BHS took the base and remodelled the cab and trailer to accomodate a small figure.
Mini figures were popular with other lines at the time, such as Action GT/Schaper Stomper trucks and Tonka Legions of Power toys.
BHS maximised the appeal of the range with five different units, Rescue, Polar, Space, Ocean and Terrain.
Each unit had a distinctly colour coded vehicle and pilot, a definite nod to Thunderbirds.
Explorer 12 also included a female pilot, presumably to attempt to draw in curious girls on shopping trips in BHS!
A large and extensive range was developed, with many interchangeable trailers and cargo loads and a modular base unit made of simple panels and girders.
Probably the best vehicle design was the Ocean with large clip-on balloon tyres to give flotation and motivation in water.
The six wheel design was reflected in other cheap toys such as the long running Multimac and its endless spin-offs.
As action figures became more and more popular, the smaller less poseable fgigure fell out of favour in response to the onslaught of Star Wars and Gi Joe 3.5 " models.
Tandy or Radio Shack also took advantage of the popularity of the 12 wheel form and created a Mars Explorer with an additional two obstacle breaching front wheels and the addition of rubber tracks.
Woolworths also exploited the idea with their own cheaper version of the toys.
explorer 12 bell jars
Some Explorer 12 toy vehicles had clear plastic silos on their backs. It's a particularly interesting feature.
I can't think of any other toy line with these particular bell jar shaped silos.
Space safari has a sawn off top silo but not a rounded bell jar. Anything in the Deluxe Reading ranges?
Can you think of any readers?
Pic. Bill b.
I can't think of any other toy line with these particular bell jar shaped silos.
Space safari has a sawn off top silo but not a rounded bell jar. Anything in the Deluxe Reading ranges?
Can you think of any readers?
Pic. Bill b.
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Kenner A L I E N Evac Fighter: Brian's suggestion
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