COMING SOON: SMALLSPACE 10

 With just a week to go before the next Smallspace event, I thought I'd share half a dozen photos from last year's show featuring a few shots of the main guests and others, all of whom have had successful careers behind the scenes in the world of television and film special effects.

Lee Stringer, Chrissie Overs and Steve Begg.

Gary and Jan of Model Behaviour model store who had brought along an impressive model of a Rebel Dreadnought, being presented with their winning award for best  model on display.

Presenting the award: Chris Trice, Chrissie Overs & Steve Begg.

Mega modeller, Richard 'It's An Ashton' Ashton  who always brings along a good selection of models. He's been recently working on a studio scale 'Liberator' from Blake's Seven, which might well make an appearance next Sunday.

Alan 'Rocky' Marshall a.k.a. Mish: a fine artist and another special effects expert,  who, all being well will be attending Smallspace as one of the guests at next Sunday's event.

The special guests open their presentation gifts - an exclusive Smallspace mug.

Here's my post giving a fuller account of last year's event :

https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2022/07/a-look-at-smallspace-9.html

A link to the Smallspace 10 website:

http://www.hamex.co.uk/smallspace/smallspace-gen/smallspace-gen.html

THE FAIRYLITE FIREBALL XL5 AND BOX

This is a toy I've never seen in the flesh, the wondrous Fairylite Fireball XL5. 

It's as rare as hen's teeth and we first saw it, on the blog, in 2009 via super collector Jim Lewis, who owned a loose example, one of only several known.

https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2009/07/fairylite-fireball-xl5.html

It would appear the box was not known until recently judging by some of the custom fantasy boxes for this toy on Ebay.

Here's one with its super rare original box, the first I've seen, as it appeared this year in May on auction at C&T:

Beautiful!

https://bid.candtauctions.co.uk/m/lot-details/index/catalog/134/lot/46467

Look at the final price!

Have you seen one? Have you got one!

*

I had thought it had appeared in this old clip too, about the Phil Rae - Mick Hall Gerry Anderson collections on Noel Edmond's Telly Addicts in the 90's, but its the huge American Fireball XL5, so I was mistaken.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aXMOSwfQKU

Anyways, have a go at Noel's Gerry Anderson quiz! How did you do?

TEARS FOR SEARS

 Years ago the blog's focus was on Project SWORD toys and their many relatives.

One such relative was the wondrous US Rocket Base released by Sears in the mid-Sixties. Its an early version of the Project SWORD Apollo Saturn. There are Japanese versions too. Bill has one of those.

I don't 😥

I've just found this short video on YT about the Sears Rocket Base. Have a gander. Do you have anything like this? What do you think?

GO SHOPPI SPACEX AND MOONBASE SCAM?

This is weird. I've just seen an image I recognise as my friend's Paul Vreede's online. Its on a shopping site! In fact Go Shoppi appears to be using many images of Paul's and also of Moonbase Central's to sell what I assume is just fresh air!

See what I mean https://www.cyonnelly.site/ProductDetail.aspx?iid=367972573&pr=40.88

Is this AI at work or human scammers? Maybe I should delete this post?

LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

 

I was gobsmacked to see ciggy lighters on an old vending machine pack I saw on auction.

Or am I misreading this? Are they toys do you think?

WILL'S BRADGATE Z CAR

Hi Woodsy. Another late entry to the police theme. I think z victor 4 is a z cars call sign, and it looks like the car is a triumph 2000. The copyright is BBC 1973, so it probably is a Z Cars product.

Will O.

UK

Woodsy adds:

Remember this TV series? Here's the memorable theme tune and intro!

I've always assumed Z stood for Zephyr, as in the car. Am I wrong?

DeSaad: Darkseid's Bouncer

 

Here's the 1985 DeSaad action figure from Kenner's Super Powers line seen on Worthpoint.

Classed by many ardent figure collectors as the best action figure range of all time, the Kenner Super Powers range, like Slurpee cups did, gave many a lesser known DC hero and villain their day in the sun.

I only came across DeSaad - what a great name! - as a DC character - a few years ago as an adult film fan, when I saw him bossing Steppenwolf round in the magnificent movie that is Justice League.

DeSaad is seen as a sort of lacky for the omnipotent Darkseid hell-bent on taking over Earth. DeSaad uses a large rock spike as his window, from which he leans and tears a strip off the ever-faithful Steppenwolf. At least for a while until Steppenwolf get's his Mother Box!

I wish I'd read more comics as a kid. Did you come across DeSaad in old comic books or in the modern film like me?

A REALLY TALL GREEK GOD

Watching X-Men Apocalypse tonight I noticed something I recognised.

On a TV screen in someone's room, Storm's cellar, I saw a Star Trek episode playing. It was the one with Apollo in his temple, like Apocalypse the false God. I can't recall the name of the episode but it s musical motif was a two-note fanfare, which has stayed with me. The fanfare wasn't played in Apocalypse.

Completely coincidentally the fanfare was played tonight before X-Men, in Star Trek The Original Series, in an episode about a mineral which made people aggressive. The fanfare played when the huge citadels were shown.

Do you know the Star Trek Apollo episode I'm on about?