GIRLSLOVESCARS

Hi

               It seems more and more girls are now collecting what were once considered boys toys, including die-casts. I have just discovered  a series on You Tube called Girlslovescars (yes, I did spell that correctly). 

The young lady (German ?) does various videos, mainly on Hot Wheels, including how to restore or repaint models. This one is on a method of displaying models in photo frames. Although she is using Hot Wheels, this should work for any type of toy or model. 

The only problem I can see is that over time the models may drop off the displays, especially given the weight of die-cast models, so best not to hang them on a wall, but display them on a shelf perhaps. The finished result certainly looks good.

How to Create Your Own Hot Wheels Art - YouTube

Paul Adams from New Zealand 

Arkham Asylum Batmobile in Green

Hi

In the worlds of comics, movies, and television, most Batmobiles are black. But Hot Wheels, in an effort to sell more model Batmobiles, have released many of their models in several different colours. Some are plain, some have stripes, flames, or other markings. There are also variations in window colours, and wheels.

The Batman: Arkham Asylum Batmobile first appeared in 2011, and was based on a vehicle used in the video game Batman: Arkham Asylum. Most versions have been black, with an exposed chromed engine.

Hot Wheels do not release their models for a given year entirely within the stated year. They actually begin releasing models late in the previous year. This version of the Arkham Asylum Batmobile is part of the 2022 Batman sub-series of five models, yet it was in the shops in late 2021. That is just plain confusing.

The model is dark green, with chrome details, and a black plastic base. Copyright date on the underside is 2010. The wheels are black, with grey detailing. The only tampo printed details are the red taillights. Another colourful Batmobile to collect.

Hot Wheels Wiki entry.

Arkham Asylum Batmobile | Hot Wheels Wiki | Fandom

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Will's Shinsei Rock Cutter

Hi Woodsy. Seeing a similar item on the blog the other day, I found this and thought I would post it. Best wishes. 

Will O.

UK

COAL GARDENS?

I seem to recall making coal gardens.

I think it involved wetting coal with saltwater and adding coloured dyes but I really have no clear memory of this at all. Just a carboniferous feeling I made them.

Do coal gardens ring a bell with you readers?

THE BLACK HOLE MEGO 3 3/4" ACTION FIGURES

More Black Hole meanderings:  Here's a look at my 33/4" Mego Action Figure collection which would have appeared between 1979 and 1980.

As the film has become a bit of a cult favourite over time, some of the figures can be a bit expensive.

The initial series 1 release is V.I.N. Cent and Maximilian, Dan Holland, Charlie Pizer, Dr Kate McCrae, Dr Alex Durant, Harry Booth, and Hans Reinhardt.

Series 2 is a solo release of a Cygnus Robot Sentry.

I don't have any series 3 figures which can be ridiculously expensive, as they were only released in Canada and Italy.

They are Old BO.B, S.T.A.R. and The Humanoid.

Mego also released a Laserscope fighter vehicle in Italy which was originally part of their Buck Rogers toy line.

All the figures are all well made, nicely detailed with some good articulation, but over time they can become loose. The general consensus is they were some of the best little action figures made by Mego, which were better known for producing clothed 8" dolls.

Sadly, the film's lack of success meant the figures didn't sell well and ultimately got cancelled.

There was a Cygnus Bridge play set, and Palomino space ship advertised at the time, but sadly never released. 

TALES FROM MY TOPOGRAPHIC LAPTOP

I'm just catching up with blog emails and comments whilst listening to the album 'Tales from Topographic Oceans' by the one and only Yes [did I hear any Noooooo's!], so this post about them can still be considered official blog business!

So, Albums, deffo once the most important thing in my life. I suppose by buying them every week as a young teenager I used to 'collect' LP's as a matter of course - I still have a lot of them, now a vintage 'collection'!

Its hard to put into words how much 'Tales from Topographic Oceans' meant to me. I have a few ultra special LP's and this is one of them, which I return to over and over. Like a slice of Battenberg it never fails to cheer me up.

I first heard Tales in the early Seventies when I was a young teenager, It was either on my bedroom stereo or the house music centre in the lounge. The album may have even belonged to one of my older brothers and my older Sister may have had a hand in my Yessing as she's first introduced me to them through the equally magnificent Yes Album.

Being a double album with a brilliant gatefold sleeve illustrated by Roger Dean - a cover I attempted to copy with felt pens, which I still have somewhere! - its has four sides, two on each record. This is important with double albums, because Sides 1 and 2 were often played the most and 3 and 4 less so, remaining elusive grooves at the rear of the sleeve..

This is just how it was with Tales. I absolutely adored Side 1, the mood-altering Revealing Science of God and still do. Side 2, The Remembering is well, very memorable, Side 3, the Ancient, when I got that far, was a discordant mellotronic mess I wasn't keen on but Side 4, Ritual, made up for it and returned to them to their Yessy best. On 3 or 4 there is a fabulous Steve Howe acoustic madrigal, which is like a medieval sunburst and I loved it. But it was and is always The Revealing Science of God that means so much to me, taking me back to those monkey booted bomber jacketed days when prog rock and long hair were the sole reasons for existence!

OK, I know Tales from Topographic Oceans had and has its critics, the oft-quoted mohican moan about bloated excess and the 'no wonder Punk had to happen, just listen to Tales' tirade but prog was massive in the early Seventies. Tales went to number 1 and the cover art has been revered as one of the best, if not THE best cover art of all. Yes were young musicians of the highest quality and skill. Steve Howe was probably one of the best guitarists that ever picked up a guitar, never mind the soaring abilities of Anderson, Squire and Wakeman.

As a teenager I wasn't first and foremost a progger. Having first teeny-bopped to David Cassidy, The Osmonds, Mud, Bay City Rollers and K-Tel's 24 greatest hits, I crashed into adolescence idolising Bowie, Elton John and Marc Bolan, before discovering heavy rock one day and turning forever monstrous. The new Gods were Budgie, Purple, Sabbath and Rush. These were riveted with other riff masters like Skynyrd and Frampton and gaunt and garish agents of urban New York like Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and Talking Heads. Prog rock came along during all this feast and was a different chapter of my cookbook. Yes was that chapter's moogy main course.

Tales has finished now but I'll be playing it again soon for sure hoping for the Science of God to reveal itself once more.

Is it an album you like?

ELECTRICWAVE'S ADVENTURE 2000 FLEET

Hi Woodsy, here are better pictures of my Matchbox Adventure 2000..the Wheeler missile launcher Is dated 1975,other veichles 1977.. i spotted the date under the frame.

hope you like them.. all the best for you ! 

Ew

Have you got any Adventure 2000?

BLACK HOLE ACTION SPACESUIT

Remember those awful Black Hole outfits I blogged about a few days ago, well, stop press! Woodsy has managed to track down some photos on line,  showing one of the offending playsuits and photos of the offer on a Bird's Trifle packet. 

Judging by the photos someone sent away for one of the  Cygnus guards action suits. I wonder what they thought when it arrived?