BATMAN: DEAD END

This short clip was sent in by superreader MJ from South Coast Base. If you like Bats you'll like this. And I didn't see the surprise coming!

King Kong '76

Hi

         I just came across this short video on You Tube, from the Junkman, on 1976 King Kong Merchandise. Included are the board game you recently mentioned, a target game, cups and plates, metal lunch-box, a couple of model kits, a playset, View-Master reel, an amazing King Kong drinking straw, and even a Bop Bag (thanks to you, I now know what this strange item is). Some of it is a bit bizarre, but all great fun.

The King Kong 1976 Merchandise - YouTube

Also, from the Mego Museum, is a page on various King Kong toys. According to this, only one of the Kong kits was actually produced. The Kong battling a giant snake was not released, even though it features in a TV ad, which is included in the Junkman video.

King Kong Gallery: Mego Museum

Paul Adams from New Zealand

OGRES AMONG US

I'm laid up with the dreaded lurgy looking for online space vampires when an ogre showed up.

Said ogre is a memorable nasty from my monstrous childhood, namely the baddie in Ogre's Castle, a 6 page terror tale in the second issue of Creepy comic, April 1965 by the great house of Warren.

I would have been 4 at the time and unlikely to have languished in Uncle Creepy's wisdom just yet and waited a a couple of years whilst my big bros gathered a decent stack. I devoured those black and white stories on the floor in a room my parents called the lounge. So I lounged a lot.

Ogre is a very specific beast. A man-eating giant no less. Shrek's an ogre I think, a tame one. His Wife's an Ogress. In my mind Ogres often have tusks, a huge broad back and little legs. Oh, and carry a massive club. I might be thinking of Shrek again!

My next Ogre after Creepy was a small metal fellow, which I sent off for with a postal order [remember them?]. He arrived with a posse of miniature cast Samurai and somewhere they battle across the centuries in my loft. I might even still have the delivery note for that Ogre, unless he ate it.

I'm not sure if Hammer covered ogres. I can't recall a man-eating giant in Karnstein. Sinbad probably ran into one along with its buddy the Cyclops. 

By and by I became a teenager and my next Ogre was a furious one, a warring one. Well, a few really. Yes, it was Queen's thunderous Ogre Battle, when Freddie and co were still heavy metal in 1974. I could at this point use Ogre Battle as a cue for mentioning the altogether more magnificent monster skirmish that is By Tor and the Snow Dog by Rush [1975] but I won't as it doesn't contain an Ogre.

Rolling boulders along to 1978 and I started the daily grind aged 17. Yep, work work work, the tiresome toil of the human lot. By day I was an insurance office clerk. By night I was a hippie headbanger and I had trouble keeping my two halves apart. OK I wore patchouli and cheesecloth shirts on non-public Saturdays in the office doing overtime to save up for an amp but it wasn't enough. I needed some solid sorcery during the working week as well. It came in the form of Lord of the Rings, which I read secretly from my desk top drawer. Who knows how many insurance claims I stamped 'Accepted' whilst Frodo was heading slowly for Mordor!

Lord of the Rings is the Worlds Fair for mythical beasties. Everyone's there: dragons, orcs, goblins, giants, wraiths and trolls. Lots of trolls. However, I can't recall a specific Ogre. It could be the fog that's settled over Middle Earth but nope, I'm ogreless. Can you recall one readers?

My final Ogre before Shrek made them plush returns to its salivating roots and lives once more in a castle. Its Castle Freak from 1995, which I saw on VHS rented from the fish shop nearby. There's shocks aplenty as new owners attempt to make a des res out of the old place and the resident 'freak' living in the dungeons ain't too happy.

Thinking about it this may not be an Ogre film at all. The freak isn't that big and returning to my definition they should be, not might be [pop reference there!], giants.

Obviously in the modern world of mythology there is some fluidity between monsters. When is a Zombie a Ghoul and when is an Ogre a Troll for instance? Even so, we all know an Ogre when we see one: in a castle, a cave, the workplace, a home and on film.

Sticking to my guns, that Ogres are always man-eating giants [tusks and club optional], I would say that they have had a poor showing on the big screen in particular. 

A wiki search found just three films; The Hobbit, the Spiderwick Chronicles and the brilliant Time Bandits. There is also a 2008 movie called Ogre as well, which I've never seen. Four films, that's all. Shameful. They deserve a blockbuster.

Now to combat further lurginess I shall take two paracetamol, sleep some more and hope Blue the Moonbase Mutt keeps those auditioning Ogres at bay.

I have left out some chews.

A Familiar Alien

Hi

I came across this tinplate and plastic Spacecraft Ranger toy with magic orbit-track on Ebay. It is made by Alps of Japan. 

The box says Battery Powered, Automatic Shuttling, Use 2 "AA" Penlite Batteries. Looks to be 1960s or 1970s - tinplate is not my area. My first thought was that the flying saucer looked very familiar. 

It is clearly based on the famous Lindberg Flying Saucer or UFO kit that goes all the way back to 1954. This has also been issued by Glencoe and Atlantis. The engines have been made a lot bigger. 

The Alien pilot has been changed over to a racing car driver wearing an open-faced helmet, but it is still recognisable.

 

Here are two photos for the Alps Spacecraft Ranger toy, including a Lindberg Flying Saucer kit box.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Aircraft Box Art

Hi,

               Here is an item from You Tube, showing a mix of vintage aircraft kit box art, and built-up models. All are US, from the 1950s up to the 1970s. Some great old kits, many to odd 'fit the box' scales.

MODELS - The exciting world of vintage aircraft model kits. - YouTube

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Loki Likey?

 A bit of a departure for me, writing about superheroes and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but I have to say that I am becoming much more of a fan recently. I grew up with Marvel and DC comics, initially just random issues of US comics that my sisters or parents would buy me from a really dodgy looking book shop in Liverpool - I learned later that he did a roaring trade in under the counter porn - these comics provided a window into the world of superheroes and villains, Plasticman, Metamorpho, The Creeper, The Thunderer, Fantastic Four, Blastarr etc. Much later I would pick up the british reprints with Mighty World of Marvel and Spiderman Comics Weekly. 

So when the first iteration of the new Marvel Cinematic Universe came out, I was greatly impressed with Iron Man. I found it a bit odd, that there had already been Spiderman, Hulk, Daredevil and Elektra films previously, that bore no relation to the MCU, but really enjoyed Iron Man and the following franchise. Similarly, the first Fantastic Four film was brilliant, but again existed outside the MCU due to issues with film rights - I must say that the rebooted version is appalling, too.

Now, some years later, the MCU is a massive, unwieldy beast comprising over 20 films and loads of tv series, with more arriving shortly. The scale and scope of later films such as the Avengers Infinity Saga, is staggering, with cross overs and appearances by so many different characters, it necessary to take notes!

Recently, the TV series available on Disney Plus have extended and broadened the storylines, with mini-series focussing on individual characters, such as Scarlet Witch, Captain America and the Falcon. the latest series revolves around Loki, the God of Mischief from the Thor/Avengers franchises.

At first, i wasn't that taken with the TV series in general, Wandavision was a bit odd at first, before settling down into an involved storyline, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was a bit too real in its focus on terrorism and political maneuvering. Loki on the other hand, which as i write is halfway through its run, is charming and funny and very well written. Again, it features themes and characters from the Marvel comic universe, but now Loki is in trouble with the Time Variance Authority for interrupting the flow of time with his apparent meddling. The series, along with Wandavision is clearly setting up the new theme of the Multiverse in the Phase Four and Five releases, with frequent easter eggs and references to other series and films tucked away in the storyline.

After each show, the net is alive with speculation and analysis of the plotlines which can spoil the surprises, but does show where the series is headed and provides insight into who the next big villain will be.

As always, Marvel and Disney are keen to be seen to be inclusive and in this plotline, it has included a gender-fluid version of Loki and implied that the titular hero is in fact bisexual. Comics have come a long way from wearing underpants over the tights and fighting caped villains, it seems.

Still, the writing is tight and clever and the effects are brilliant. Loki doesn't take himself too seriously and the series looks set to be rounded off with a spectacular finish, leading up to the next round of big films - Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, Ant Man Quantumania and The Eternals. I for one, will be stocking up the beer and popcorn in advance of the big finish. Nuff Said!

The Final Frontier: A Sloe Day in Space

Hello Woodsy

I just passed an expensive antique store on Park Avenue in Manhattan.

The centerpiece of the window should be of interest to readers of the blog.

I'm going to think of it as representing Britain's Space Program.

Stay well,

Terranova47

WILL'S MONSTER CARABO

Hi. Seeing the carabo picture on the site the other day reminded me of the Italian r,c car that I got in the early 70s. It's only a single channel, takes a cart load of batteries and is a monster at 17 " long. Regards. Will O.