CARGO ANYONE?

Anyone seen the sci-fi flick CARGO readers.

A Swiss release from 2009.

Any good?

CYBERMEN FIGURINES AT SMALLSPACE

Amongst the props and models at Smallspace were these excellent 1/3 scale figures of Cybermen  made by the talented Janet-Elizabeth  Black, and based on the designs seen in original comic strips for Doctor Who Weekly in 1980.

They are based on the art of Steve Dillon who illustrated the stories, ‘Throwback  - Soul of a Cyberman’, and ‘Ship of Fools’.  Both featured the character Junior Cyberleader Kroton.

A variant of the design drawn by David Lloyd featured in two other stories, ‘Death World’ and ‘Black Legacy’. The featured character in those was Cyberleader Maxel.

I remember reading and enjoying these comic strips at the time, so unsurprisingly, I recognised them instantly.

Janet-Elizabeth also created a Cyberman based on the book cover illustration by David Mann on the American Doctor Who paperback of ‘Revenge of The Cyberman.’ (Pinnacle: 1979)

Another creation by Janet-Elizabeth are these ‘Kaldorian Robots’, based on the Robots seen the Doctor Who story, Robots of Death, these reworkings are inspired by Japanese pop culture, combining manga, anime and tokusatsu.

BRIAN'S DUNGEON DRAGON

Hi Woodsy. After reading your article on Dungeons & Dragons I thought I'd shoot you some pics of my Tiamat by LJN toys.

I understand these are getting hard to come by.

Brian F 

NJ, USA

KISSING THE CORONA: NASA'S NEW SUN PROBE

Just picking up on NASA's new mission to graze the sun.

The delayed Parker Solar Probe will launch tomorrow [not today].

The fastest man-made object in history, the rocket will launch from Cape Canaveral and send its sun probe into the solar atmosphere.

Bringing Science Fiction to life, this sun mission reminds me of Thunderbirds, Project SWORD, Doppelganger and the buzz of all those other fabulous visions we grew up with.

Here comes the Sun!

What do you think readers?

REPORTING ON EUROPA REPORT

Blog friend Arto recently mentioned a film he liked called Europa Report. Last night I checked it out.

Fortunately it was available on You Tube as one of their pay-per-view movies and being relatively older it was just £2.49 to rent.

Europa Report is a film about a future space mission which travels to Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, to check for signs of life.

I enjoyed the film a great deal. The acting was good, the space hardware very believable and the dialogue propelled the film along really well.

As with all space travel its dangerous out there and Europa is no different. Covered in ice sheets and blasted by radiation in the movie, the task to find signs of life requires the mission team to drill through the frozen crust.

As Arto said it's very reminiscent of the recent real discovery of an underground lake of water on Mars and the questions that such a find poses for both space missions and humanity overall.

Less grisly than contemporary movies like LIFE and PROMETHEUS Europa Report is an enjoyable and convincing trip to this distant moon.

Have you seen it?

ARK LIFE ART

Another doodle done on Paint.

UNLOADING HECTOR'S HOUSE WHEEL-BARROW

I used to love Hectors House as a kid.

For some reason I can't recall much now although I remember there being a cat.

Seeing this toy over on Worthpoint reminded me that I've sold a loose one of these in the past.

Its by Marx, clockwork and possibly from 1971.

Its one of those classic plastic and mechanical toys often released by Marx. I didn't think Hector's House was that big a show though.

In the trade magazine Toys International dated 1973 the barrow design was showcased by Marx

but as the much better known Disney characters Goofy, Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse.

There is also a Charlie Barrow, although I'm unsure who Charlie is and whether its a Marx original, although it sure looks like one.

Have you a Marx barrow?

Or a Hector's House collectable?

DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS ON VHS

I recently found this in our attic and as unwanted* VHS it has to go. I've listed it on Amazon, which still fortunately offers such a selling category.

Its Dungeons and Dragons: the Night of No Tomorrow

I know virtually nothing about Dungeons and Dragons except for TSR inventing it I think. The whole role playing craze passed me by as did the video game craze.

However, I do like the cover art of this video and if the animation is similarly bright and sharp I would like it too. It has a sort of Ralph Bakshi look to it and even a book of  cartoony Middle Earth illustrations I had as a teenager but the name escapes me.

Does anyone like these Dungeons and Dragons animated cartoons?

Anyone got the old action figures and gaming pieces?

_

*I have lots of VHS I'm keeping