PAUL MADE THE COVER!

I just got an update from Diecast Collector Magazine – the cover and contents of the February 2025 issue (I know, it is still 2024, but magazine publication is weird).

I have two articles in this issue – two pages on Star Car Monster Trucks, and one on the Wonder Woman Invisible Jet. Plus I made the cover. So I am a very happy owl!

Paul

Auckland

NZ

Hold the Line

 I had one if these as a kid I reckon. A toy payphone.

We had lodgers at our home in the Sixties. They worked for the GPO or GTO, not sure which. Telephones in Preston. One of them, Ray, got me one of these I'm sure.

Did you have a toy phone?

Xmas Surprises

A snapshot of some of my xmas gifts, excluding the drinkable and edible portions! I'm sure you won't want to see hand or foot cream, aftershave and the other necessities of daily life, so here is most of the fun stuff.

Star Wars is always on my xmas list, so it's 'Battles that Changed the Galaxy' and a cool Bestiary. Then a lovely Taschen edition of the Stanley Kubrick Archives, with excellent coverage of 2001 and a Clockwork Orange, two of my favourite films. Woodsy kindly showered me with gifts as usual, including our collaborative book and some vintage space books from Germany. These alongside a super rare mini jigsaw with the John Schoenberr Moon Crawler on! As always Hot Wheels put in a good show and a fabulous transformer like Crab toy.

A special gift from the ever generous Arto arrived early, in the form of a super delicate R&L cereal premium in the shape of a German Albatross biplane!

To top it all off, I also got some camera rig bits, a new runic necklace and some cool fake book storage boxes. It's been a lovely xmas all round and I am extremely lucky. I will show some of the highlights later next year on the blog, just need to recalibrate the man-cave to fit it all in!

Also treated myself to a couple of late action figure purchases, which I hope haven't got lost in the xmas rush!

Best wishes for a great 2025 everyone, from Marsbase Central!  Bill

 

THE 1978 STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL

 

It just wouldn't be Christmas without one showing of the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special!

Festive Wookie family fun and the first appearance of Boba Fett. There's cosmic prog rock and it even has Princess Leia singing Jedi carols! 

You know you want to watch it! I don't even think this is on Disney +! One and a half hours of vintage first trilogy Star Wars!

[viewers at the time on November 17th 1978 were expecting The Incredible Hulk on CBS but they got this instead!]

Enjoy and tell us what you think!

[this YouTube rendition by DJameyson]

POOLS VERNE: NEMO'S RC NAUTILUS

Wow! This RC Nautilus model by Essential RC really does submerge! Check out this clip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB1cPRzpLsk

What do you think?

Konga Diorama from Monarch Models

Hi,

Here is a new You Tube video from CultTVman, showing various kits that are coming out soon, or which are being re-issued. 

It includes a close-up look at the Monarch Models Konga diorama kit from Canada, which is now due in early 2025.

The kit shown, which is a test shot, is moulded in several colours – orange for Konga, pale yellow for the humans, green for the base, and brick red for the building walls. There are no clear parts for the windows.

Monarch Models are really expensive, and produced in limited numbers, so this is one for dedicated Konga fans only. It has been in the pipeline for several years.

One for you maybe?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLynOrJ-Q2k

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Just a Minic

Hello Woodsy

Here's my reproduction box for a Tri-ang Minic taxi. I bought it to display with the cab.

Terranova47

USA

Kong Skull Island

I caught Kong Skull Island again yesterday, probably the first time I've seen it since watching the cinema release in 2017.

The film itself is set in 1973 I think. Is that right?

All in all I enjoyed this titanic romp. The CGI is great and Kong himself looks fabulous. The water scenes were great and the designers have nailed splashing water. The battle with the giant squid was excellent and the wriggling tentacles on Kong's face were really well conceived. He is a beautiful rendition of the ape.

I'm still not a fan of the skull crawlers. There's something off about them, something unappealing. It could be the two legs and a snake tail thing or even the basic greyness of them. The heads seem basic too. I'll have to say it, they're ugly creations.

The 1970's tech - principally choppers - reminded me of Apocalypse Now and Samuel L. Jackson's napalm trick could well have been inspired by the surfing Colonel and his morning firestorm. 

As for the actors, it's a Marvel roll-call. Nick Fury, Loki and Captain Marvel all get some extra pocket money. Probably the only real character of any interest for me was the marooned GI stuck on Skull Island since WWII. I know Japanese fighters overran the end of it but this did make me wonder if Western allied soldiers did too?

What do you think of Kong Skull Island readers?