Screech and Screech Again!

I've posted about my rubber monsters many times on the blog, but besides the usual 'Teachers Pets' and rubber insects and dinosaurs, there were other much smaller toys that I used to collect. About an inch long, they would often appear inside gumball machines, stuck to a card, showing what you could win inside one of the little plastic capsules, along with cheap necklaces, keyrings, whistles and other tat. However, when I lived in Liverpool, when I was about 7, there was a sweetshop at the top of the road, which sold other novelties along with the sweets. On the way to school, a few doors down, I wet in with my pocket money and saw in the glass case a little try laden with little rubber monsters - probably about 1p each (standard Teachers Pets were about 5p - pre decimal). So every day,  would run in, choose a couple from the tray and go into school to show my friends. Although most of the monsters from the photograph above have survived to this day, the little tiny one have long since disappeared.

Image via Ebay

However, back in 1974, I saw a game advertised on Christmas tv for something called 'Screech' by Parker, which involved a plastic owl and a small bag with the very same little rubber creatures in it! Although it immediately went on my xmas list, I never got a copy of the game, or ever saw it in a shop.

Contents of the Ebay item box

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/30322/screech

As always ebay provided an image and Board Game Geek, a description to jog my memory.

I was however amazed to find the little blue bag complete with the 16 little rubber monsters in it just this week, so I grabbed it. Each one was as I recalled them and even more interesting was the fact that one or two are based on their larger cousins, the Teachers Pets.

Teachers Pets themselves came about from a series of Topps cards, called Ugly Stickers - based on art by Basil Wolverton, Wally Wood and Norm Saunders. See here for the full breakdown:

https://whosoutthere.ca/2020/01/07/tentacle-tuesday-ugly-stickers-uglify-the-world/

You can clearly see in the Screech bag, the tiny versions of 'James', 'Iris' and 'Steve' along with possible inspirations for other monsters too. 

 

WILL'S MOVING FLIGHT ATTENDENT

 

Will O has kindly sent me this footage of his amazing tin airliner with its moving stewardess! 

Now how cool is that!

I'll have an egg nog please!

Have you got any toys in which things visibly move inside readers?

WHEN GIANTS PASS BY

Only the yesterday when we were driving to a tree farm did I say to the Missus that we never see anything massive being transported on the roads anymore. Like huge machinery or god forbid, missiles like we did in the Seventies.

No giants on the roads.

Then I saw this on the BBC Scotland news and had to smile. Now that is BIG!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-67696665 

Have you seen anything ginormous being transported readers? Do/ did you have any toys that would have done the job?

Ed's Tin: US Army Vertol 107 Tin-Litho Helicopter (Haji)

At 12" long, this is another big Hunk 'O Tin from the Age of Tin. The rotors rotate via gearing to the friction motor when it's pushed along.

From Vegas Air Field

Ed

SHADO MOONMOBILE KIT

 

Some photos of my Fantastic Plastic, SHADO Moonmobile resin kit.

It’s 1:72 scale, and around 7” long. To the moderately skilled modeller, it’s a relatively simple build, although it does need some preparation. The main body is cast in solid resin which needs plenty of sanding, and the fragile components which make up the framework for the landing pads need gently bending into shape. I did have to replace the landing pads with some scratch-built ones, as the ones that came with the kit were far too damaged to use.

As the overall colour of the Moonmobile is white, painting is fairly straightforward. Then it’s down to some subtle weathering, and a first coat of sealer prior to applying the decals.

The decals that come with the kit are very good, although I altered some of the red stripes, and added a few miscellaneous decals from my spares box for a little added detail.

A final coat of sealer and the Moonmobile is ready for a lunar patrol!

The Moonmobile used in the UFO TV series was originally designed by Mike Trim, although an earlier similar Moonmobile design did feature in the Captain Scarlet episode, Lunarville 7. In the episode, the vehicle uses hydraulic legs to slowly ‘hop’ up and down across the lunar surface. (The SHADO Moonmobile was initially going to be called a ‘Moon Hopper’ as can be seen on Mike Trim’s drawing. In the UFO episode, ‘Flight Path’, Gay Ellis requests a ‘Moon Hopper’ to pick up injured astronaut, Roper. I imagine that would have just been a script oversight)

The updated SHADO Moonmobile moves across the lunar surface more like the Rocket Moonbus as seen in the feature film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. The insect-like design obviously takes plenty of inspiration from NASA’s Lunar Module, with possibly a nod to the Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig aka The Flying Bedstead!

In the UFO TV series, the Moonmobiles are apparently housed in a natural crater near Moonbase, and are used to transport men and equipment across the lunar surface.

They travel using a hovercraft principle, using vertical take-off and landing. The hydraulically sprung legs enable the vehicle to compensate for uneven surfaces.

MORE EAGLE MODELS ON THE WAY FROM A.E.

 For anyone who's pre-ordered these two new items of Space: 1999 merchandise, Anderson Entertainment have announced that they now have their exclusive Eagle models in stock.

They also have plans to release even more versions next year.

Not having seen one in the flesh yet, I can't say how they'll compare with the excellent Sixteen 12 die-casts, or even the less impressive Eaglemoss models.

Hopefully, I'll get the chance soon.

HOT GOTHAMS: THE BATMAN FIVE-PACK

Hot Wheels begin releasing their new models before the end of the old calendar year. That means that the first 2024 models are in the shops in late 2023.

This Batman 5-pack is part of the 2024 range, but I got mine this December - in time for Christmas. These Batman 5-packs are in addition to the normal Batman sub-series within the Mainline.

Each pack usually contains one or two actual Batman models; a Gotham City Police car; and two or three fantasy models in the colours of various Batman villains. Thankfully, Hot Wheels now identify the models on the back of the packet.

Arkham Asylum Batmobile in black and grey. From a video game.

Boom Box in dark grey, with Gotham City Police markings.

Power Pistons in white, with markings for Harley Quinn.

Hi-Roller in purple, with a clear green top showing off the engine. Markings for the Joker.

Batcopter in semi-metallic blue, with black plastic, and clear orange parts.

The Gotham Police cars and villain cars are unique to these sets, and some of the Batman models also come in colours unique to the sets.

Is this a pack for you?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

MAKING A MRS. TOPO GIGIO

 My latest fixer-upper from Bill is a Century 21 Toys Topo Gigio Ice Cream van.

Before I attempt the van I've been down a rabbit hole, one marked 'creating a figure'.

The van needed a female Gigio sat in the back serving.

As luck would have it I had a spare rubber Topo kicking about.

Making it up as I went along, this was about half-way in the transformation. Topo's now got long Papier Mache hair and after going under the knife, bent knees! The Christmas clown looks pleased anyway!

and so, the final result.

I give you Mrs. Topo Gigio!

I've never doctored an existing figure to make a new one before so it was a steep learning curve and it took ages, It was also a lot of fun! Have you done anything like this readers?

Now to the Ice Cream Van!