U.S. SPACE MISSILES BY PAUL ADAMS

Atlantis is a US model company that specialises in re-issuing old and classic kits from past decades. One of their new releases for 2022 is the U.S. Space Missile set, containing 36 US missiles and rockets from the 1950s and 1960s.

This set started out in 1958 as the Monogram U.S. Missile Arsenal in 1/128th scale, 3/32 inch to the foot (this was once regarded as a standard model aircraft scale, and is half of 1/64th). The set contained 31 missiles, a display stand, and a 32-page booklet on missiles, which had an introduction by Willy Ley.

In 1959 the missiles from this set were also released in six smaller sets, in plastic bags.

In 1969 the set was revised, and re-issued under the title U.S. Space Missiles. Five of the older missiles were deleted, mostly the winged types, and ten newer missiles were added. This brought the missile count up to 36.

Actually, most of the missiles were military. They ranged from small tactical battlefield and air-to-air missiles to Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, so there is a vast difference in their sizes. Two human figures were included to give an idea of scale.

The display is 12 3/4 inches wide, and 10 1/2 inches to the tip of the tallest missile. Some of the missiles are one-piece mouldings, others contain up to six parts.

It is the U.S. Space Missiles set, with 36 missiles, that Atlantis is re-issuing. The Atlantis web site gives a US retail price of $39.99, and an expected release date of July 2022. Again, a booklet on missiles is included.

Atlantis Plastic Model kits Made in the USA! (atlantis-models.com)

The instruction sheet for the Monogram version can be downloaded from the Scalemates site.

U.S. Space Missiles, Monogram 6055 (1983) (scalemates.com)

Apart from the U.S. Missile Arsenal and the U.S. Space Missiles sets, Monogram did a U.S. and U.S.S.R. Missile Display set in 1984, to 1/144th scale, which today is a much more common aircraft scale than 1/128th. There were 20 missiles in this set.

Thanks to Max from Max's Models for mentioning this great set.

The photo of the Atlantis set is from the Atlantis site, while the rest are from Worthpoint.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Have you got a set like this?

TERRANOVA47's FORBIDDEN PLANET

I just noticed the Forbidden Planet post.

Here's the one I did during lockdown from memory of the scene, 

then I found the still from the movie on line.

I added Robbie and Morbius because the box looked empty! I don't have the display room Joseph Svec seems to have.

As you know I'm a fan of Dan Dare the full colour SF strip in Eagle during the 1950's. 1954 was a great time for full colour SF movies.

War of the Worlds; 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; Forbidden Planet. Every one a gem.

Lock down ended before I started my War of the Worlds diorama, the movie version Tripods were good but used special effects to show the force field legs which effectively meant on screen they didn't look like they were walking. 

They floated beautifully. 

I have a metal kit of the Classics Illustrated version which is what I read after seeing the movie, long before I read the book. Victorian England is the real setting not Los Angeles, USA.

Terranova47

USA

JOSEPH SVEC'S INCIDENT AT ALPHA 1 BASE CAMP DIORAMA

Here are photos based on the movie Forbidden Planet.

The space cruiser is homemade wooden. The space accessories and figures are reissue Marx. the ID monster is 3-d printed.

Here is an original scene, “Incident on Alpha-1 base camp”

It uses LOD Space Aliens, SCS-Direct, and Marx astronauts and accessories. The flying saucers are from the movie Mars Attacks.

The terrain pieces are reissue Marx.

I hope you enjoy the photos. 

Joseph.

THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN

 I have in my rather large Big Box VHS video collection a film called Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold from 1985, which I have yet to watch.

However, I've always been intrigued by this obscure Victorian super gent, a lost hero from another age and much older than the Golden age of comics and the likes of Namor and Batman!

Here's a potted history.

Quatermain first appeared in the 1885 blockbuster novel King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard, he of the later SHE.

An eon later Quatermain turned up in Alan Moore and Co's 1999 graphic comics The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen along with assorted meta-beings like The Invisible Man and Mina.

Moore's League was itself inspired by an earlier 1960 Jack Hawkins film, itself based on a 1958 novel called The League of Gentlemen by John Boland. Check out those balaclavas!

Coming right up to date, Quatermain next graced the screen in the form of Sean Connery in the oft-panned film The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen from 2003. Described as dieselpunk, I quite enjoyed this mash-up of monsters, Captains and mavericks. 

Connery-Quatermain is the obvious leader of this Victorian Avengers and I particularly enjoyed seeing obscure supernatural characters like Mina the Vampire and Dorian Gray in a modern flick.

There is also Captain Nemo and a new Nautilus to be had. More of a sword than a sub, its completely different to what's gone before. Do you like it?

Nemo has his own FAB1 as well, the Nautilus car! What do you think?

I may have to watch it again now I've written this!

There's naturally more to say about the Gentlemen extraordinaire and Allan Quatermain but for now I'm taking a drive to Royston Vasey and may never be seen again!

Do you like Quatermain and the League?

The Jules Verne Movie Reference Book

With all the coverage recently of the great Jules Verne, and his works, I thought this book might be of interest. I do not have it, but did borrow it from the library some time ago.

Hollywood Presents Jules Verne: The Father of Science Fiction, Brian Taves, University Press of Kentucky, 2015. Hardback, 370 pages.

This is a detailed look at all the film and TV adaptions of Jules Verne, from silent days up to the time of publication, and from around the world.

It can be a little heavy going at times, but there is a lot of information in here, which would be hard to find elsewhere in one place. Well worth reading.

One photograph, from Ebay

Paul Adams from New Zealand

THE NAUTILUS VERSES THE WHALER

I was so impressed with Terranova47's Nautilus v. Whaler shot that here it is again on its own. It's one of the best photographs I've blogged I think; so very cool and beautiful.

Terranova47 says that's the real sky behind the Nautilus sinking a whaler, natural sunlight.

MOONBASE VISITS 4EVERETRO TOY SHOP!

 

Last Saturday the mobile Moonbase family visited a cool bijou vintage toy shop in Bradford, England, called 4everRetro.

Yours truly had a Christmas gift voucher for the shop from Miss Moonbase, so we took Junior along for a mooch.

The small shop is stuffed with boxed vintage toys, a cornucopia of 80's gold and 90's treasure, there were some older morsels for baby boomers like me as well such as Action Man.

We talked with the ever friendly owners, who are using social media to the max in their quest to find, stock and sell toy collectables. the reminded me of the American Toy Hunter Jordan and there's two of them! That's a lot of fab toy finds!

In the livestream they did the day we entered the shop you can see me and the kids, well, entering the shop and moseying around! The timer is set as we walk in. If you wish to see the shop's whole stream just play it back on You Tube.

If you're ever in the Eccleshill area of Bradford then a visit to the shop is well worth it and I for one was chuffed to meet the next generation of vintage toy fans, who have had the courage to open a shop. Kudos guys!

WILL O's SUTCLIFFE SUBS AND TOY BOATS

Here’s some of my metal subs!

A few more Sutcliffes in the memorabilia vein: Sooty, Noddy, a couple of the Campbell’s Bluebirds and a 1953 Coronation toy, which must be in the same series as Terranova’s submarine.

Ken Sutcliffe was a friend of my old Dad. I can remember back in the 70's he and his wife used to visit us in his caravan when touring the country. He used to send us bits and pieces as we sold Sutcliffe boats in the family toyshop. 

If any of the readers want to see some more pictures of other Sutcliffes, I’d be happy to send them.

Will Osborne.

UK