Dr.Who's Rifle Finished!

My DIY Anti-Dalek Neutron Exterminator bazooka is done.

Not perfect by a Dalek mile but it'll do.

Made from a toy bazooka and two hoover pipes. A few junky bits too.

The original colour was tricky to pin down. I opted for this blue, since I had it in.

More pictures to follow of it complete with brand new packaging on the blog's birthday! 

Now where's Davros?

TRIGGERED!

 

The Whozooka is coming together. I've just glued on the trigger. They won't work, just for show. I'm a bodger!

A little more painting and a clean-up of the metal barrels and bingo!

Skaro beware!

Alien Impersonator

It's downsizing time at Marsbase and clearing out the holds has uncovered a stack of old comics, including the very short lived Fleetway venture 'Wildcat'. Designed as a similar vehicle to 2000ad, Wildcat followed a team of adventurers in deep space aboard the starship Wildcat. Lasting just 12 issues before being subsumed into the utterly dire 'new' Eagle comic, it had some lovely artwork from aeronautical artist Ian Kennedy, as well as Judge Dredd regular Ron Smith and some great international line work from Jose Ortiz. Backed up with the usual filler rubbish from early reprints, sales weren't exactly stellar.

Looking through the issues prior to putting them on ebay, I was reminded of the similarity in Ron Smiths interpretation of the (presumably) cyborg character, named (ridiculously) Joe Alien. Joe has a robotic body with a detachable organic brain, but his visible innards and outfit bear more than a passing resemblance to our old friend Callisto.

It's especially noticable on this cover, where Joe has a distinct green cast to his limbs and shows the trademark high top boots.

The hairless head and heavy eyebrows are also a giveaway, so perhaps a Callisto figure was stood next to Smiths drawing board in the late 1980's?

'Jemima' from BBC children's television series 'Play School'

Do you remember Jemima readers?

Did you like Play School?

https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co8104659/jemima-from-bbc-childrens-television-series-play-school-toy-recreational-artefact 

WHO'S BAZOOKA!

With a project in mind, a while back I bagged a cheap toy bazooka at a boot sale.

I wanted to recreate the old Dr. Who Anti-Dalek Neutron Exterminator I got excited about the first time I saw it in an old Dr. Who merchandise book I have.

So, I began the project the other day.

The bazooka got new barrels courtesy of an old hoover in the shed and I turned one of its handles around. The basic shape is there but lots more detail to come.

In the meantime, I've a few Daleks trying to get upstairs. It should take them .... forever!

ALPHA:2014 GUESTS

 As it's getting close to 'Breakaway' day on the 13th September, and the first day of celebrations at the London Space:1999 Convention, I thought it's time to post a few Space: 1999 related  photos here.

Here's some photos I took of the guests who appeared at  Alpha:2014, the last big dedicated UK Space: 1999 event I attended .

https://space199950years.com/

Nick Tate who played Eagle pilot, Alan Carter

Anton Phillips who played Dr Bob Mathias 

Special Effects wizard, and creator of the Eagle, Brian Johnson.

Catherine Schell, who played the alien, Maya in the second season, and the Guardian of Piri, in the first season.

Scriptwriter and one the people behind Space:1999, the late Christopher Penfold.

Nick Tate, Catherine Schell & Anton Phillips

Nick Tate & Catherine Schell

The late Christopher Penfold & Nick Tate

Nick Tate

Back ground artist, Pam Rose  & Sarah Bullen who played Main Mission operative, Kate

Prentis Hancock who played Main Mission controller, Paul Morrow.

Focus puller, Robin McDonald, Barbera Bain stand in, Suzanne Peterson and stuntman, Paul Weston.

Suzanne Roquette & Prentis Hancock

The late German actress, Suzanne Roquette, who played Main Mission operative, Tanya Alexander.

;

ANDY PANDY PONDER

This Andy Pandy saucer came my way a few weeks back when I took Moonbase Junior to a local car boot sale. He was looking for Pokemon cards. I got Andy.

Andy Pandy was part of my early childhood, as he was I'm sure part of many MB readers'.

The saucer's cute picture shows Andy, Louby Lou and an unnamed teddy. I don't recall the teddy. Was the ted a regular?

Andy's show is a bit murky in my memory now. I'm pretty sure it was part of the black and white TV programme Watch with Mother. But what else was in the programme? Was Andy it?

For some reason I get Bill and Ben skipping into my Pandy memories too. Did Andy and the Flowerpot Men team up? Louby Lou and Weed?

I could Google all this but I'll ask you, the real experts! You were there too!

WHO INVENTED THE TERM MERCHANDISING?

 Me and the Missus watched the modern movie ELVIS last night, which we enjoyed. 

The leading man playing the King was simply amazing. O Huh huh!

However, it was something the Colonel said that caught my ear.

He described putting Elvis's face on everything; pillows, drinks, bags, games etc.

He then said 

"I call it Mer-chan-dis-ing!" emphasising each syllable; inventing the word.

Is this true? Did Colonel Parker invent the word 'Merchandising'?

Surely, there were many American icons older than Elvis that had lots of marketing: Captain Video, Roy Rogers, Frank Sinatra, Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon to name a few.

In 1995 I got a book on Space Adventure Collectables, which is more or less half-full of very early TV and radio marketing and premiums. Did they not describe this as merchandise in the 1930's 40's and 50's?