MORE THOMAS TUDOR ROSE SPACEMEN

Further to the Thomas Spacemen post here in the centre is the one with the spiked helmet. Mine were by Tudor Rose when the moulds were used in England. Several of these figures were based on SF magazine cover art.

Terranova47

USA

Anyone got any?

THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES

I'm currently re-reading the Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle. Its a novel I return to at least once every couple of years. Yep, I like the hound a lot.

In fact its the only Conan Doyle book I've ever read despite owning several different copies of the Lost World with the formidable Professor Challenger.

My first encounter with the Baskerville hound, like many of my generation I suspect, was the 1959 Hammer horror film starring Peter Cushing and Andre Morell. Its depiction of the deranged Hugo Baskerville at the start stayed with me, especially his dreadful call to 'release the pack' on the unfortunate village girl who escapes from the Hall only to perish on the Moor. 

It was and is a terrific film and Peter Cushing's depiction of Sherlock Holmes, along with Morell's Dr. Watson, remained my favourite movie adaptation until I saw a modern version from 2002 with Richard Roxburgh and Ian Hart. This is truly fine film-making and I always enjoy seeing it again and again. 

There are countless TV and film versions of the Hound and I admit I have yet to see many of them including the famous Basil Rathbone outing. There are films akin to the spirit of the curse too and one that springs to mind is the Brotherhood of the Wolf, which struck me as a similar and equally exciting period piece mixing moorlands and hell hound werewolves. 

Hammer's own screen Hound was part of that genre-defining flurry of late fifties/ early sixties films they made, directed by the likes of Terence Fisher, which helped to spark the monster craze in Britain, when monster mania landed on our shores from America, itself kicked off by Forry Ackerman's Famous monsters of Filmland and Universal's re-run of classic monster movies. I adored the monster craze and it made me who I am today and who I've always been. A monster nut. 

Despite its obvious horror chops and Hammer credentials, the Baskerville Hound never made it as a toy or game as far as I can tell. I certainly didn't have any merchandise as a kid. I know there was a comic version done, maybe Classics Illustrated who covered Frankenstein too. The Hound would have made a great Aurora model kit, the crazed mastiff drooling over Hugo Baskerville on the moors. But we will all have favourite books and films which we think Aurora should have captured in plastic I'm sure - what's yours I wonder readers?

There are some Baskerville inspired figurines I found online. Sarum Soldiers offer a small set of painted figures ....

and fellow blogger's Toy Soldier's and Dining Room Battles own custom diorama of the hell hound.

As regards books, the first edition is a thing of beauty with its gothic swirls and solid lack hound which, alas, most of us can only see online as a copy can cost a King's ransom.

My own favourite ands far more ownable is the 1961 John Murray published paperback, which I have in the Moonbase collection.

My siblings kindly got me this cool 2014 graphic novel of the tale as well for my 60th.

I couldn't find any vintage games based on the Baskerville curse, which I was surprised about. I did have this Tri-ang Sherlock Holmes board game at Moonbase for a good few years. I found it at a car boot sale and it was in excellent nick, complete with the inner tracing paper. Alas, like everything I sold it as part of a my monster and mystery board games sell-off on Ebay when I had shop. All in all a beautiful game from 1967.

So I await bedtime to read another chapter of the Hound of the Baskervilles and follow the progress of Holmes and Watson as they wander the moors at night when the powers of evil are exalted.

Are you equally Baskervilled as I am readers?

WILL OSBORNE'S TRIANG LUNA-CY

This Triang Luna-cy game has a hemispherical moon that you fire the rockets into.

A Few Days Until NASA’s Mars Rover Landing

Will you be watching Moonbasers? Anyone got any toys or dioramas that could recreate/celebrate this rover landing? This is from NASA: Get Ready to Watch the Mars Landing Show On Thursday, Feb. 18, NASA's Mars Perseverance rover will touch down on the Red Planet. Tune in to watch the landing broadcast starting at 11:15 a.m. PST / 2:15 p.m. EST / 19:15 UTC.  Try NASA's home simulation! Have fun, and help us celebrate Perseverance's arrival on Mars! mars.nasa.gov Follow our newest rover, Perseverance: NASA Mars NASA's Mars Public Engagement Team 4800 Oak Grove Drive Pasadena, CA 91109

WILL OSBORNE'S MARX MOON SETS

Some pictures of my Marx toys moon sets.

Will.

FOUR THOMAS SPACEMEN

 I saw these on Etsy or Ebay earlier in the year and thought I'd save the pics because these spacemen are new to me.

Described as Thomas Spacemen I really don't think I've seen them before. They look intriguing too.

This first one is like a gunslinger with cowboy style trousers.

This one has a sort of duck face, almost Tusken Raider. The weapon looks like a Third Reich stick grenade!

This third one is more classically Buck Rogers-ish or Flash Gordon.

This final one has a lovely blue sheen and looks female, with a hint of Metropolis's Maria maybe.

Anyone know anything about Thomas spacemen?

THE VERY FIRST ANIMATION?

Just watched Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs with Moonbase Junior. Its an amazing animated cartoon considering how old it is. I can't imagine that Disney ever made a more nasty villain than the evil queen. My young grandson covered his face!

Collectables from that original film must be scarce as hen's teeth. I wonder if there was an animated feature before it anywhere?

I HAVEN'T GOT A CLUEDO

Hi Woodsy,

I just came across these two items, a history of the board game Cluedo, or Clue in America, and its variations, some of which were based on various TV shows. This covers the different suspects, murder weapons, and rooms that have existed over the years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4b2mFHB20A

and a review of the film of the game - Clue (1985).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBjYfSh7tZw

I have never played the game.

Yours Sincerely,
Paul Adams from New Zealand

Have you got a Clue or Cluedo board game? Did you have one as a kid?