WILL'S SIZZLERS

Some Sizzlers! 

I have a particular fondness for redlines and Sizzlers as Mattel was based around Rushden and Wellingborough in the late '60s and early '70s. 

The reason for this was for them to gain access to the UK market back then, they had to purchase an existing UK toy company. This was Rosebud of Raunds, who sold out to Mattel and became Rosebud Mattel. 

I’ll send some more pics soon if readers are interested. 

Regards. 

Will O.

UK

DAVID NIGHTENGALE AND THE SUBMARINE AIRCRAFT CARRIER

I have re-posted this post I did in 2009 as it was the very first time that David Nightengale was mentioned on this blog. 

David was one of the very few people who were lucky enough to own the elusive and wonderful Century 21 Submarine Aircaft Carrier toy. This article considers whom the box artists might have been, along with some other box art. 

Enjoy and let me know your thoughts as these box artists remain unknown to this day.

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JR21 SUBMARINE AIRCRAFT CARRIER: RON EMBLETON?

Continuing my look at JR21 / Century 21 toy box art I must admit I have been fascinated by the imagery on the JR21 Submarine Aircraft Carrier (pictured above) ever since I saw it for the first time when David Nightengale auctioned one on Ebay earlier this year. 

With its SWORD- like yellow side-bar and list of features, the illustration is beautifully composed. So who might the box artist be? The original comic strip was drawn by the late great Ron Embleton. I've posted three of these below, with pemission, as they appeared reprinted in the 1980's fanzine Action 21  by David Nightengale's Engale Marketing, where back issues are still available!

I contacted Ron's brother Gerry to see who he thought the box artist might be:

"I was never terribly involved with Anderson products, it was Ron's thing. The box artwork is certainly his. I did some annual work, some fill- in strips at holiday time and some colouring etc. all a long time ago. Gerry Embleton."

The last person to paint an official version of the Submarine Aircraft Carrier, in the 1993 Stingray comic (Issue 12), is renowned illustrator Graham Bleathman. I asked Graham for his ideas on the  JR21 box artist:

"This and other Project SWORD box art paintings were probably done either 'in house' either in Hong Kong or the UK, or by someone at an art agency given the task of packaging the Sword range for the manufacturers. 

They could have been done by a freelance artist operating alone (the equivalent of someone like me, for instance) of course... I remember doing quite a bit of Anderson-related packaging illustrations for various companies as a freelancer in the 90s! Looking at the Submarine Aircraft Carrier box art, I personally would not have said it was by Ron Embleton...its too sketchy to my mind, while Embleton's art is more controlled and precise!..

...There isn't much I can say about the Submarine Aircraft Carrier illustration that I did for the Stingray comic in 1992 or 3. With Alan Fennell's approval, I suggested doing the cutaway of the craft because the Ron Embleton Stingray strip was being reprinted from TV21 in the comic at that time. 

All of the interior was, as far as I can remember, made up, simply based on research into submarines and aircraft carriers, with a nod to any interiors that Embleton created. The toy predated the original strip, I would think, and I wouldn't be surprised to discover that Embleton was asked to include it perhaps as marketing gimmick that was - in hindsight - never followed through; after all there were no adverts in TV21 for the toy as far as I can remember! 

I first came across the toy itself at Dave Nightingale's house around 20 years ago prior to doing the illustration in the Stingray comic, although I have no recollection that there were pieces missing from it (the two Conning Towers)."

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JR21 THUNDERBIRD 1: PETER ARCHER?

Supercollector Jim Lewis contacted the blog about the JR21 Thunderbird 1 box art:

"Paul, I think I have pinpointed at least one of the artists CENTURY 21/ JR21 toys used for the box art. A guy called Peter Archer was used for most of the cover art in the Thunderbirds paperbacks (2 1960's examples below. Ed) and his interpretation of the vehicles is very similar to that which is seen on the boxes of the (two versions of the )Thunderbird 1 toys (pictured below). Just something about the brush strokes and the use of colour that is very similar. I think he was only responsible for certain artwork too and not all of it - mostly Thunderbirds including the inner plinth for the Dinky Thunderbird 2 too (pictured below)"

I asked Graham Bleathman to take a look as well:

"Paul, I've never heard of Peter Archer, but the art styles are similar comparing the paperbacks and JR21 toys! I'd say there is a good chance that the artist is the same".

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CENTURY 21 MAKE A MODEL BOOK HOVER TANK COVER ART: 

CHRIS HARRISON?

Fronts

 Backs

The two Project SWORD "cut out and make a model" books by Century 21 (pictured above) are less well-known than the toys, but equally popular with collectors wanting the whole range. 

Being able to 'make' models from these books makes them a combination of the comic strips, annual and toys and as such may have had artists other than those drawing the strips. 

As is stands, the number one online Gerry Anderson comics resource, The Gerry Anderson Complete Comics History (GACCH), classifies the Make a Model books' cover artists as unknown.

Illustrator Graham Bleathman contacted me regarding the Hover Tank and one possible artist:

Make a Model cover

Annual

"Paul, I'm not convinced that the hover tank illustrations in the SWORD press-out book and Annual (both pictured above) is by Eric Eden. I'm not certain about this, but I think they may have been painted by someone called Chris Harrison.

Its the same person who did some of the covers for the very early Joe 90 comics, and also some of the Saturn Probe illustrations in TV21. Eric Eden tended to use an airbrush in his Dan Dare/Century 21 work; these pictures are far more 'painterly', for want of a better expression. 

I can't remember whether the Hover Tank appeared in TV21 or not...if it did, it would have been as a single b/w illustration for a text story by either Ron Embleton, Don Lawrence or Malcolm Stokes (or D. M. Stokes, as he signed his name in the Thunderbirds comic, the 'D' being Derek, I believe). 

Not sure that Chris Harrison did any Sword illustrations for TV21 as such, as he was by then doing Saturn Probe pictures and those early Joe 90 covers. On the GACCH website feature about the TV21 coderoom, the 'Ivan Quant' picture that is featured there from TV21, I was led to believe, is Chris Harrison." 

(pictured below with permission from GACCH)

I would like to thank Graham Bleathman, Jim Lewis, David Nightengale (Engale Marketing) and GACCH for their contributions to this article and permission to use certain images. All other images from the Woodsy collection.

2009.

David Nightengale and the birth of Fanderson

Despite not knowing him that well at all, the death of David Nightengale last winter - which I have only just found out about - has really upset me. David devoted his entire life to celebrating Gerry Anderson's achievements. Its tragic that he died so young. Just 66 or 7 I think.

Decades before I'd even remembered watching Thunderbirds and playing with my Project SWORD toys, David was publishing SIG, the original Supermarionation fanzine, with Brendan Sheehan.. What a labour of love that must have been, to actually put together a magazine and publish it regularly in the late 1970's and right through the 80's and beyond. David didn't just do this once, he went on publish the magazines Timescreen, Century 21 and Action 21, all fabulous in their own right. I have quite a few copies of the latter two at Moonbase and have always enjoyed re-reading them.

David also co-founded Fanderson in 1981, all of 41 years ago! How amazing is that. In 1981 I was 20 years old, strumming my guitar and jobbing round Europe! It would be another 10 years before I even remembered I'd owned a Dinky SPV as a kid, when I found a carcass of one in a junkshop.

So it was bitter-sweet for me to find the actual minutes of the very first meeting of what was to become Fanderson [in the Fanderon online archive] in that far off year of 1981 and how David's magazine SIG became the club fanzine. Its a fascinating read to see the kernel of the idea form, captured in these typed minutes with familiar names contributing to the discussion of how best to celebrate Gerry's work. Gerry himself is there too, eventually being made President at the close of the proceedings.

Another fascinating facet of the minutes is the attendance of Chris Leach representing Anderpup, another supermarionation club and fanzine, of which I have a few copies. These were very simple and stapled A4 booklets and represented one of two other clubs around at the time, the other being the Century 21 Appreciation Society or something similar.

Have a read of the minutes. Its fascinating to see these 'rival' clubs come together for a common cause and form the original membership of Fanderson, with David's SIG, rather than Anderpup, becoming its pioneering club fanzine.

Let me know what you think.

https://fanderson.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/810820.pdf

ARE YOU A HAP P KID?

I posted this before, the Hap P Kid space ship, back in 2014.

Its a right 1997 frankenstein where they've thrown a bit of everything in!

Its a Thunderbird 5 - USS Enterprise lovechild!

But what is going on in the dome?

Here's one boxed. You got one of these beasts?

I received this email the other day concerning a prototype Angel Interceptor from 1979.

Dinky Toys TV Shows Space and Specials Blog reported on the upcoming auction. Have a read and click on the links.

Oddly enough I have seen something like this with very similar wheels and posted it some time ago.

https://toysfromthepast.blogspot.com/2013/06/unknownspanishspaceshipsfromthe80sdiecast.html

Despite being yellow it looks very similar. What do you think?

KO posted: " Lacy Scott and Knight are auctioning a Dinky prototype Captain Scarlet Angel Interceptor on Friday 24th June 2022. Their catalogue states: A very interesting prototype model of the Dinky Toys Captain Scarlet Angel Interceptor, is believed to be one of" Dinky Toys: TV Shows, Space and Specials Angel Interceptor Prototype up for auction KO Jun 14 Lacy Scott and Knight are auctioning a Dinky prototype Captain Scarlet Angel Interceptor on Friday 24th June 2022. Their catalogue states: A very interesting prototype model of the Dinky Toys Captain Scarlet Angel Interceptor, is believed to be one of the last prototypes of this particular models with leading authors suggesting it dates between 1979-1980. First evidence of the Captain Scarlet Angel Interceptor prototype was provided by The Dinky Toys Encyclopaedia compiled by Jacques Du Jardin. This model is part of the David Cooke Collection. (c) Lacy Scott and Knight More details can be found HERE Comment Like You can also reply to this email to leave a comment. Unsubscribe to no longer receive posts from Dinky Toys: TV Shows, Space and Specials. Change your email settings at manage subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://dinkytvspace.com/2022/06/14/angel-interceptor-prototype-up-for-auction/ Powered by WordPress.com

David Nightengale RIP

I was very sad to hear that Anderson superfan David Nightengale died last November. 

David was a co-founder of Fanderson and the publisher of pioneering Anderson fanzines and magazines like SIG and Century 21. He was publicly celebrating Gerry's TV shows before anyone else had thought of it.

I corresponded with David about Project SWORD and various other Anderson topics over the years and he was always generous with his knowledge and enthusiasm.

Through his Blackpool shop Thunderbooks I subscribed to the US Toy Shop newspaper by mail order. David always got me my toy fix every month without fail. I adored Toy Shop.

David also stocked many fine comics and books and over the years he supplied me with lots of Eeries and Creepys and Anderson books.

The world of Gerry Anderson fandom is far less than it was with David's passing and we are all in some way indebted to his vision and pioneering spirit.

ROAR TALENT

There's a peculiar roar that occurs in some fantasies.

Its a monster's roar, which is slightly trombone-like.

Here's a good example, the Monster from the Id in Forbidden Planet.

https://youtu.be/IYFr3UyVpRA?t=146

The Cyclops in the 7th Voyage of Sinbad has a similar roar.

https://youtu.be/wnRf9MX2ros?t=3

and here's Ymir from 20 Million Miles to Earth

https://youtu.be/xrO40BZf5RM?t=315

Other fave roars include the beasts in the Lost World from 1960 and the similar monsters in Journey to the Centre of the Earth 1959.

Can you think of any more decent film roars readers?

YOU'RE OUR ONLY TROPE

Its always fun spotting similarities in our fave fantasy films. Everyone will know the famous scene in Star Wars, where Princess Leia projects a film from R2D2 speaking the iconic line, Help Me Obi Wan, You're our only Hope.

https://youtu.be/zGwszApFEcY?t=44

Well, I heard something very similar in a much older flick this week, the fabulous 7th Voyage of Sinbad, where Sinbad asks the Princess to move a large bolt.

Its a very similar line involving a Princess! 

Have a listen. Its at 52.20.

https://archive.org/details/ClassicSciFiThe.7th.Voyage.of.Sinbad.1958/%5BClassic+Sci-Fi+%5D+The.7th.Voyage.of.Sinbad.1958.mp4#

What do you think?

Could there be more only hopes? Is it a trope?

Do you know any more similar lines in films?