RISING FUN: VINTAGE JAPANESE TOY ADVERTS

This is fun, Skullbrain's huge online scroll of old Japanese toy ads from magazines and comics. So many Kaiju and cool things. 

What would you like in your Christmas stocking? 

http://skullbrain.org/bb/index.php?threads/revenge-of-the-retro-japanese-toy-adverts.48572/

More up to date, this whistle candy rang a bell. I love the little boxed premiums that came with it!

https://www.tofucute.com/coris-ramune-whistle-candy-with-strawberry~p12396.html

Rob's Monogram/Atlantis Orbital Rocket Redux!

Hi Woodsy!

Here is my latest model build, the brand-new Atlantis reissue of the 1959 Monogram Willy Ley Orbital Rocket. I had this one as a kid, and it was amazing to be able to build it again.

Monogram originally released two kits using basically the same molds, the Orbital Rocket (PS46), shown here, and a Passenger Rocket (PS47), with a slightly different Shuttlecraft. Both are excellent Sci-Fi designs from the glory days of NASA concept vehicles.

The Orbital Rocket kit came with two large fuel tanks, which I did not add, as they obscured the lower wings and (retracted) landing gear.

This terrific kit also came with four figures, which I declined to paint, as they are so tiny. Painting tiny figures is a young man's game!

Enjoy!

Rob C

USA

Pre-Holiday Greetings from Terranova47

Caption:

"I don't think those reports of Santa sightings were true sir"

"Just keep your eyes open Digby. Santa is around here somewhere"

*

Terranova47

NYC

Happy Christmas Moonbase from MJ!

Hi woodsy, to all the crew at Moonbase and to your families, have a great Christmas!

Best wishes

MJ

Southcoast Base

[click on the pic]

MOONBASE MR.ROCK: OUR MOCK SPOCK KNOCKOFF

 I've always loved Lincoln International's monsters and Mr. Rock, their Spock knockoff, is a member.

Fabulously rare, very few collectors will ever see one in the Vulcan flesh, never mind own one.

Here's a superb carded example as it appears on www.megocollector.com

This image by www.Lincolnmonsters.com shows in detail the turtle-necked pullover with its zig-zagged armbands and the thunderbird insignia.

The two accessories, both cheap knockoffs themselves from clones of Barbie and GI Joe, are pictured on the terrific www.Plaidstallions.com; a basic pink radio and a flare gun.

So, with a couple of custom Moonbase figures under our belts this Autumn I thought, why not have a crack at Mr. Rock!

First up I looked for the original accessories on Ebay and bingo! I found the radio in America and the flare gun in the UK. Result! All that was needed was a radio handle, which I added using a paper clip and painted it pink.

I paid $5 for the radio and $20 for its shipping. The gun was £1 and £2 postage.

Realising after a while that the jewel of the original toy is the figure itself, a figure that's nigh on impossible to find, I decided to cut my losses and buy a modern Mego Spock set. As it turned out, it was a real bargain at £15 and free postage.

I set about modifying the dressed figure to look more like Mr. Rock; Spock's hair was painted brown, the Star Trek insignia was coloured blue, the trousers were lengthened, a turtle neck was added to the pullover, double zig zag trim was put on each sleeve. and a new thunderbird decal was added to the pullover thanks to Bill.

Here's Spock Mr. Rocked.

Bill did wonders recreating the original Lincoln International card art, which I glued to card.

Here's our figure on the card.

So getting back to the original toy we began with, here's the real Lincoln International Mr. Rock.

Here's the blistered Moonbase International version [blister is temporary].

As soon as I get hold of a much better blister I'll bring the final article to show you.

Hope you like it so far.

Thanks to Bill for another fabulous bit of card art.

ISAAC NEWTON'S AUTOGRAPH!

Here's an interesting scout round the biggest sales in 2019 of rare books, papers and collectables from prestigious auction houses. They included Sir Isaac Newton's autograph, a dodo skeleton, an RUR, original NASA moon landing filmstock and Darth Vader's original helmet!

https://newatlas.com/2019-auction-science-sci-fi-technology-market/

What would you have bid on?

Sir Isaac Newton's handwritten pages! What a Christmas gift that would make!

Julie Stevens 1936-2024

I have just discovered that the English actress and singer Julie Stevens (1936-2024) died a few days ago. She played Venus Smith in six episodes of The Avengers, season two.

Her character was a night club singer, and she sang in each episode. Venus Smith was one of two alternative leads, before the series settled on Mrs Catherine Gale as John Steed's regular partner.

Her other TV work was mainly on children's programmes, such as Play School. She was also in the film Carry On Cleo (1964).

Obituary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efd0wO-ALEw

Wikipedia page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Stevens_(English_actress)

Very sad to hear this news. There cannot be many left now from the original version of The Avengers.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

STANDBY BY FOR EGG-TION!

This weekend my big sister and her family came over for a Xmas get together and as both mine and her birthday are near Xmas, we exchanged birthday gifts as well as presents for the big day. Knowing how impatient I am and still a big kid at heart, she insisted I open my birthday present while she was there. Inside was a set of three Thunderbirds egg cups, complete with International Rescue hat cozies!

To make it even more special, Carol had hand painted three wooden eggs with the likenesses of Scott, Virgil and John too! (Alan and Gordon were on a mission elsewhere apparently).

Shes knows that I have always been a Thunderbirds fan, but behind the idea of the painted eggs was another story.

When I was a boy and my sister was in senior school, she made a Thunderbirds puppet - a bit like the Pelham ones, with a tennis ball as Scott's head. He was strung and dressed in a hand made cloth uniform and looked amazing. When she brought him home, I made an immediate beeline for him, but given the weeks of careful preparation and fragility of the puppet, I was only allowed to admire him from afar.

Since then Scott Tracy has been a running joke between us and finding these lovely egg cups and cozies must have brought the old Scott puppet back for her, just as it did for me seeing the neat little hats! Its eggs for breakfast for me tomorrow!