GO FIGURE!

 A couple of excellent resin figurines from First Men in the Moon, and Quatermass and the Pit, on sale at Smallspace.

DON'T FORCE IT!

https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/toy-rocket-royalty-free-image/5988-042240 

Nice rear shot picture of the Task Force 2 on Getty Images but I wouldn't want to pay those prices! You?

BLOOD ON TALKING PICTURES

Tonight's UK Talking Pictures' Cellar Club offerings are fine fayre indeed.

8pm The Outer Limits : A Feasibility Study: a city block is abducted by aliens

9pm Blood on Satan's Claw - along with The Wicker Man and Witchfinder General, this is the part of the unholy Trinity of British folk horror from the late Sixties/ Early Seventies. From its opening scene of a strange furry skull found in a field to full-on manifestations of Satan himself, Satan's Claw is that rare thing which showcases the beautiful British countryside, in this case the Chilterns, juxtaposed with despicable village cults and witchcraft. A true Tigon gem.

11.05pm Carnival of Souls - a real American gothic postcard from an abandoned fun fair, Carnival is a wonderful swirling black and white swish of strangeness and alienation by director and chief ghoul Herk Harvey [What a name! Do you know a Herk?]. Made in 1962 and despite a shoestring budget it's now seen as one of the greatest horror films of all time.

12.45am The Screaming Skull - a film from 1958 set in the Southern States. There are lots of flying ghostly skulls in this black and white shocker, not to be confused with The Skull starring Peter Cushing.

There's more horror classics on Legend on Sunday night too.

What will you be watching?

CRATER SKATER

 

There's just something about this Kellog's cereal toy, the Captain Rik Crater Skater.

For a different generation than me, it recalls my beloved Joe 90 Macs car from the 60's. It must be the chunky positioning tyres and the overall shape. Those big engines too.

I loved my Mac's car. Captain Ric is an 80's character I imagine. 

Does he ring any bells with you?

RENTABUG!

Another excellent model displayed at Smallspace; the Moon Fargo buggy  from Moon Zero Two, scratch built by James Murphy.

I'd love to do a proper diorama photoshoot with this little beauty!

THE SANITARIUM TOY SOLDIER

 

Hi

         In 1962 the Sanitarium Health Food Company, of New Zealand, maker of various breakfast cereals, released a set of eight plastic figures. These depicted four European and four Maori figures from 19th Century New Zealand. Each figure came in several different colours. I only had one of these, the miner from the Otago gold rush, in orange.

MOONBASE CENTRAL: Sanitarium Miner (projectswordtoys.blogspot.com)

I recently visited a model shop that I seldom get to, and they had a 50 cent (25p) bin full of various plastic animals. Having a look through this, I discovered a second figure from this set, and snapped it up - it was the only such figure in the bin. It is a 19th Century British soldier or member of a local militia. This is the same figure that you found back in 2020, but yours was brown.

MOONBASE CENTRAL: WHAT A FIGURE! (projectswordtoys.blogspot.com)

My example is red. He stands 64 mm high, but is only half-round. Dressed in jacket, trousers, and boots, with cross-belts, and a small pill-box hat. He is holding a rifle or musket across his chest. This figure is actually in better condition than my original orange Miner.

These figures came in at least six different colours; blue, green, pink, orange, red, and brown.

Here are some more examples of NZ cereal toys, from the Museum of New Zealand.

Sanitarium | Collections Online - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Given that it has taken me over 50 years to add this second figure to my collection, at this rate it will take at least another 300 years to complete the set.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

ROCKY AT SMALLSPACE 9

 Here's the first of my Smallspace 9 reports: 

The Smallspace one-day event takes place in the sleepy village of Hanslope, Buckinghamshire, and plays host to some wonderful scale model displays mainly from film and TV.

This was the first Smallspace since Covid rules were relaxed, and to be honest, for me, as I'm not the most prolific emailer, this one was all about meeting up with people, who I hadn't seen for a while.

The theme of this years show was special effects, and featured several guests who worked in the film and TV industry, including Steve Begg, Chrissie Overs, Chris Trice and Lee Stringer.

As I mentioned, this was all about meeting up with people, and as I wandered about the hall marvelling at the model displays and chatting to the guests, a chap tapped me on the shoulder and introduced himself ; it was non other than our very own reader and contributor Mish aka Alan Marshall!

Now, I should point out that Mish or Alan, is better known to the actual attending guests as Rocky, as that's his nickname when working as a special effects technician too!

Alan's mock kit box cover showing the Covid virus.

His C.V. is impressive. Amongst other things, he's worked with Mike Tucker at The Model Unit on Red Dwarf, and with Steve Begg on Daniel Craig's first Bond outing, Casino Royal.

Alan's excellent painting of Stingray

Meeting up with Alan, who, I should add is also a brilliant artist, was certainly a highlight for me, and hopefully we'll get to meet up again at some point, heck, we might even swop emails!

STINGRAY DOUBLE

 

I had to look twice at this old carded set I saw online.

I thought the red and blue craft was Stingray!

That blue rear really looks like a ratemaster.

Has anyone got this toy?