The Tarzan Corgi Gift Set

Further to the recent Tarzan posts, here is a quick look at Corgi Gift Set 36, available 1976-78. One of the most magnificent in Corgi history.

It contained 22 pieces (not sure how that figure was arrived at ?), and came in a large window box. Jungle Land Rover; Animal Trailer with white plastic cage top; "Inflatable" Dinghy on Trailer; Tree House (in brown plastic); Tarzan (two figures, in different poses, both wearing a leopard-skin loincloth), Jane, Boy, and Cheetah figures; White Hunter (seated, driving the Land Rover); Elephant, Lion, Crocodile and Snake; 3 Swinging Vines (green cord); PLUS JUNGLE PANORAMA.

The Land Rover and Animal Trailer were a curious metallic green (metallics were very popular in the 1970s), with sand-yellow zebra stripes. The boat was brown and tan.

There was a large, full-colour diorama fold-out with trees, a river, road, and huge rocks – wow ! The vines could be attached to this, and the Tarzan figure with his arms above his head could slide along the vines.

This set is mentioned in The Great Book of Corgi, which states that 79,000 were sold. I bet they was expensive.

Paul Adams from NZ

Ed's Small Space Toy Photo Set-up

Woodsy,

Here's the set-up I use for a bunch of my small space toys.

Sometimes I use the Tri-ang Moonscape, other times the MPC Golden Astronaut Moonscape.

Those small plastic background hills are included in a lot of Little Green Army Men buckets as terrain pieces and have come in handy for these shoots. The background picture I painted myself many moons ago.

From Vegas Base

Ed

RISING GUN: THE JAPANESE TOY SUB MACHINE DR. WHO WATER PISTOL

 I recognised this as soon as I saw it online. A Japanese version of ....

... the 1960's Dr. Who Anti-Dalek Jet Immobiliser toy gun!

This Japanese version is green. My substitute "Billy gun" was blue.

This one is labelled Water Sub Machine Gun on the header ...

and on the toy body as well. Its got a bar code so its not that old.

Anyone got one of these?

KATHARINA STENBECK'S BARBIE AND GI JOE CREATURES

 

I like these creatures! 

So very Tomland!

Do you like them readers?

Kung Fu International*: my Custom Jager Kung Fu Doll

Recently I found my old Kung Fu figure header card, which Is archived in a frame with my old Kung Fuey crisp packet from the early 70"s when I was Kung Fu mad.

Alas, the figure I had is long lost in the Shaolin landfill but the header remains and reminded me that it was a cheapo male doll in a karate suit made by Jager [anyone know them?]

So what if I just remade the doll again? 

A few shuriken's later and hey presto! 

I give you my El Cheapo Enterprises Kung Fu figure rack toy with it's nice original header.

 Hi Ya! 

Did you have one of these readers?

I made the suit from a spare and battered 1990's Action Man Hasbro astronaut outfit languishing in the loft. A really rough and ready job, 'cos that's how I remember the figure; rough, ready and cheap. I loved it.

The doll is from my Hong Kong doll stash and suitably basic I thought. The belt is from the Missus's ribbon jar.

I've attached the header with double-sided tape in case I ever want to get it off. Originally it would have been stapled to the bag.

Looking up this figure online, I can only find a blister carded version by the US's Durham toys, with the same graphics however, but appearing in a kimono with a belt rather than a karate suit. 

I recall a suit on mine for some reason but I maybe misremembering. I know I had a life size Karate gi made for me by an aunt, before my Mum bought me a proper one!

I have no idea where A&O is as on the original price tag. Maybe the petrol station where I got my Kung Fu LP at the bottom of our road in Preston in the early 1970's? It cost 55p.

Now where are my nunchucks! 

*

* the title celebrates Salford's great John Cooper Clarke's poem of the same name!

Going Ape! The Custom Ahi Planet of the Apes Stunt Cycle Completed

 With Bill's wonderful graphics I've been able to box up my custom Planet of the Apes Stunt Cycle.

Unusually the backing card had a 3D footer, which Bill recreated perfectly so I could construct it as it was in the late 1960's.

Toy kings Ahi went to town on this box and besides the 3D footing, it had instructions on the back for turning the card into a stunt ramp! 

The plastic blister came courtesy of my Missus's old plastic case of blank business cards. It did the business alright.

The bike is an old Matchbox model, the rider an old tractor driver with an ape's head glued on and for a final garnish, a Playmobil rifle.

Our monkey business done. Hope you like this latest team effort.

GALAXY HUNTER

 

I like this Bravestarr knockoff, the Galaxy Hunter ball game.

I didn't really watch Bravestarr but when I sold vintage toys back in the day I was aware that it was popular like other 1980's cartoons.

I remember seeing the robot horse boxed in discount shops and wish I'd have bought a bundle but I got one. Years later I bought and sold a huge Fort Kerium playset. Happy days.

Did you watch Bravestarr?

MY WHITMAN TV TIE-IN BOOKS

 I suspect most readers of TV tie-in books will remember reading as a youngter at least one or two of the Whitman series of original television adventure hardback books, based on the popular TV shows of the time.

Whitman was associated with the Western Publishing Company which published the Dell and Gold Key comics, which between them produced dozens of TV tie-in authorized, adventures. My favourites were their science fiction and adventures comics and books based on my favourite TV series.

The books were unsurprisingly, aimed at young adults, and the plots and characters didn't necessarily  reflect what we saw on screen, which makes me think the authors hadn't seen the shows, or possibly  had only general synopsis  to work with.

While I have a fair number of Gold Key comics in the collection, I only have three original Whitman TV tie-in Authorized Adventure books.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea;

The Green Hornet;

Land of the Giants.

I did have the two Man from UNCLE books, and the Star Trek tie-in books, but they went AWOL during a house move.

Lucky for me the Star Trek: Mission to Horatius edition was reprinted by Pocket Books in 1996 to coincide with the 30^th anniversary of Star Trek.

Here's a few photos, along with their Gold Key contemporaries. 

As a point of interest, when AP Films merchandise director, Keith Shackleton went over to the United States to broker a deal giving Western Publishing the rights to do original Supercar and Fireball XL5 comics, as part of the deal he managed to secure the UK publishing rights for many of the American Gold Key and Dell titles which appeared it the City Magazines TV tie-in comics and books, like Burke's Law, My Favourite Martian, Bewitched and The Man from UNCLE.