PLASTIC SPACEMEN
A Christmas Tale From The Haunted Toy Box
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My vision of Christmas Future is still tethered to the invisible umbilical of Christmas Past.
The futuristic Christmas Past of the Space Race era. A time when kid's toys reflect man's ambitions to explore the stars.
Small plastic spacemen landed en masse around the planet like an army of invading aliens.
They came in all shapes, sizes and colours. They were cheap, imaginative and exciting.
Some were licensed, others were bootleg. Some were pocket money prices, and others were more detailed in design.
All offered adventure, igniting that priceless spark of imagination that fired kids into space.
Our plastic spacemen were tough and durable. They were designed to thrive on hostile planets.
We could deploy our spacemen as explorers, scientists, aliens, or even Martian military men battling rogue robots.
Their function was only limited by the limitless inspiration and untainted resourcefulness we had as kids.
These versatile plastic spacemen could be mixed and matched.
We could team them up with any number of friendly toys.
Or have them fight any number of foes for hours of futuristic fun.
Spacemen were always festive favourites for a generation of kids at Christmas, back then!
Our plastic spacemen waged galactic battles under the Christmas tree long before the Xbox changed the rules of engagement for kids, forever.
Like marooned spacemen, some of us have missed the ride home.
We're stranded here in Christmas Present, alienated in a world we hardly recognize.
Perhaps longing for the impossible return journey to the futuristic optimism of Christmas Past.
A place where imagination and adventure were the rulers of our world and plastic spaceman were the future.
Tony K
'SPACEMAN' by Babylon Zoo
