WILL OSBORNE'S PROTOTYPE ELF TOYS TRACY ISLAND

Hi Woodsy,

This is the first prototype of the Elf toys Tracy Island . 

It was made circa 1965 by Philip Hall, who designed for Elf toys, after a visit to the AP studios of Gerry Anderson to look at the Tracy Island film set and agree licensing terms. 

I’ve put a couple of dinky toys Thunderbirds in to give some scale. The finished production model was bigger, with separate buildings to fit the JR 21 plastic Thunderbirds toys. 

The original toy islands were painted at the local mental hospital as part of the patient’s rehabilitation. The original production run was probably less than 500, according to Ted Hall of Heritage Playsets (formerly Elf Toys) who is Ted Hall’s nephew. 

They were on general sale through toy shops, although many used them as window displays for the J.Rosenthal plastic Thunderbirds toys. 

 Regards, 

Will O.

SIXTEEN 12 MICRO EAGLE TRANSPORTER & LAUNCH PAD

Sixteen 12 have announched that their Moonbase Alpha Micro Eagle Launch Pad which features lights and sounds, is now in production. The pad has a motorised docking tube which connects with a Micro Eagle 1 Transporter, and features original dialogue and sound effects from the series. The Micro set range will also feature a Rescue Eagle,Laboratory Eagle with Booster rockets, V.I.P.Eagle and Eagle Freighter, which will be sold seperately. There is also a hope to add and expand the range to include other ships seen in Space:1999, like the Hawk and the Swift, as well as other classic Space:1999 guest ships. Here's some photos of the prototype models.

IDEALLY YOU'D HAVE A BIG DOME

 

I saw this Ideal Emergency Truck online and thought yes, I like that dome!

Its such a big red dome for a fire engine!

It immediately calls to mind any number of domed space toys but its the Space Command Tank that Rob C sent in pics of that really rings a bell!

Can you see a resemblance readers?

GEEK SALAD: NOT LIFE AS WE KNOW IT

Its a dark time for sure. Lockdown. Coronavirus. Masks. Staying at home. 

Still, it can get young minds thinking. My grandson Moonbase Junior asked me if the virus was on other planets. I said I don't think so as there's no life on other planets in the solar system that we know of. 

But then again viruses aren't strictly alive are they. Could they live on other worlds? They need hosts though. Hosts! It very quickly gets you thinking about shake and bake colonists in Aliens! Oh my God!

Then of course there are the giant viruses, which may have even given cells a boot up the nucleus to start complex life as we know it! https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/7/140716-giant-viruses-science-life-evolution-origins/

Its all enough to make you go running for your DVD collection and watch War of the Worlds. Wells famously begins his apocalypse with sobering clarity and contains a line which still sends shivers up my spine:

"intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us". 

This is countered at the end with the final arresting celebration: 

"By the toll of a billion deaths man has bought his birthright of the earth, and it is his against all comers; it would still be his were the Martians ten times as mighty as they are. For neither do men live nor die in vain".

Seems saddeningly apt right now.

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I was reading on the throne room my old copy of Comic Collectables and their Values from 1996 and as usual another pearl of wisdom floated to the surface. A long admirer of the 1984 DC Super Powers range of action figures from Kenner, I was amazed to learn that three of the characters were completely made up: Golden Pharaoh, Cyclotron and Samurai.

I find it strange that Kenner decided to go for custom characters when the house of DC had so many old heroes and villains to choose from. Has anyone got any Super Powers action figures?

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I remember in a previous life driving past an amazing building in Holbeck in Leeds, Temple Works. Looking like an Egyptian temple I always thought what a great facade it would have made for a Hammer Horror. 

Alas I never went inside so I can't say if the illusion continued. Looking at it again online it immediately makes me think of that wonderful half column at the rear of the Aurora Mummy kit that I adored as a kid. Is it a kit you had?

WILL OSBORNE'S TERRIFIC CORGI AUTOGRAPHS

Here are my 3 signed corgi toys. William Shatner. Robert Vaughan. Adam West. 

The autographs were obtained over the years at various Autographica events and memorabilia events. 

I thought it would be cool not just to get the autographs but to have them on the relevant toys also. 

When I met Scott Carpenter and he autographed the Thunderbird one and various other things he didn’t realise that Scott Tracy from Thunderbird’s name was derived from his. At the same event was Shane Rimmer who as you know voiced Scott Tracy, so I introduce them to each other which was quite nice!

If you have any other questions or clarifications about any of the pictures just contact me and I will do my best to answer them. 

Will.

PRODUCT ENTERPRISE MOBILES

Before I get to work on some new photos of Sixteen 12's latest UFO TV series model releases, here's a reminder of their SHADO Mobile selection, when the company went under the banner of Product Enterprise.

Recurring Dream

 Just been for the big shop and the local supermarket had finally restocked the toy section! Managed to pick up the blue variant of the Hot Wheels 21 Mattel Dream Mobile, a much more photogenic colourscheme than its red original.

Once more I tried to go for the retro future look as typified by General Motors in the early sixties.

LIGHT WORK FOR STINGRAY

As a follow up to Kevin D's comment on my Dinky Mobiles, here's a couple of quick photos showing the LED lighting on one of my Comet Miniatures Stingray models. I've not got round to taking proper photos of this model yet, but as I like to take pictures from lots of different angles the battery and switch are hidden inside the model, behind a removable panel, so I don't have to concern myself about wires on show.