TOYLAND PARADE

I like this Toyland Parade.

I saw this on auction a while back.

It looks like fun.

Any idea of the maker?

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Postscript

Reader Antonio has kindly told us about Geyper's similar Walky-Son. Here's some You Tubery. Its not the same but similar, yep.

SIMILAR SYNDIC SYNCHRONICITY

Browsing Pinterest I came across The Syndic by CM Kornbluth on Jim Potter's fab pages. Its a book I know not and have never seen the various book covers before. Have you readers?

The cover that caught my eye first was this red one with these two classy modelling mannequins.

I like how the modeller has given them a sort of Star Trek look.

They are made from wooden mannequins like this one universally available. I made a similar sci-fi figure using one a few years back for Wotan's birthday. I made it to look like a Micronaut.

I can't help thinking there's a similarity between the gold head of the model and this Herbert Lom headed robot from the horror film Asylum! or am I seeing things again!

This next copy of The Syndic rang another bell. I would say that the furious soldier on the cover has been more or less lifted from .....

... Warren's Blazing Combat issue number 1, a Frank Frazetta cover I always loved and stared at for ages when I saw it in the pages of Creepy and Eerie. Alas I never got a copy.

What do you think?

My final Syndic is probably its original publication, as a story on Science Fiction Adventures from 1953.

There's just something Thunderbird 5'ish about that antenna sticking out of a space dome. And that looks like a small red Fireball XL5 zooming out of the exit shaft.

What do you reckon?

Have you read the Syndic?

SOMA IS HERE

Soma have featured on Moonbase many times, usually as a result of my fascination with their white Thunderbird 5 knockoff of the JR21 toy.

They liked a good knockoff at Soma.

Bit Soma did other space stuff too - like the Star Rider range. There are a lot of different Star Riders; figures, vehicles books and toys. Here's just two from the mid-1990's.

First up is the 8 PC Star Rider Play Figures, which seem to come housed in a rather neat see-through plastic display. I assume PC means PVC. Some of the rifled figures have a sort of GUTS look too them.

Anyone got any?

Second is Soma's Wrist Star Rider, a name which reminds of Wrist Racers. This looks like a sort of light-up sound-effect plastic spaceship worn on the wrist. The ship's design features in some of Soma's other spaceship sets. I quite like the card art on this blister pack.

Do you like these Soma sets? For more just google Soma Star Rider.

PS. The word Soma rang a bell generally and I knew I'd heard it before. I read about it in the Seventies when I read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Its the mood-altering substance the rich consume. Have you read it?

Drying Paint the Savage Way

Hi all,

           Here is a You Tube video by Adam Savage, formerly of Mythbusters, on how to dry paint or glue quickly. Make a drying over from a hair dryer and a cardboard box, although I do not think you would want to leave it running for too long, just until the air inside the box heats up, and do not leave it unattended. It looks useful, but I think you would need to be careful with it.

Adam Savage's Favorite Tools: Blow Dryer Oven! - YouTube

Paul Adams from New Zealand

UNCLE TIMS TOYS

I love the stock this fella has, Uncle Tim's Toys. I assume its a vintage toy shop in Hong Kong. Does anyone know? I saw this on Pinterest. Just look what he has in there!

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1c/9a/de/1c9adef1ddda6eab429ad3ed1a05685a.jpg

OLD TOY SHOPS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

This is an interesting site. Old toy stores at different times and in different countries. See if you know any of them readers!

https://www.ranker.com/list/old-school-toy-store-photos/mick-jacobs

A ZODIAC TOY STORE NEAR YOU?

Check out the address of the Zodiac store nearest to you back in the day in the UK. I was chuffed to see my own local shop in Preston on the list! Those were the days. Zodiac Toys! How I loved that place.

https://zodiactoys.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/summer83b.jpg

Have a look at the Zodiac Toys full site especially the toy displays, which appear to be mostly from the 1980's.

Did you go to Zodiac?

HG Toys Buck Rogers Playset

Hi,

                Here is an item from You Tube about the HG Toys Buck Rogers Playset. This has been covered on Moonbase Central before, but here are some good close-ups of the contents - figures, spaceships, flying saucer, and playmat. What do you think?

(3) Toy-Ventures: Buck Rogers Galactic Playset by HG Toys - YouTube

Paul Adams from New Zealand