MOONBASE CENTRAL

Sunday, 22 May 2022

WILL'S BROKEN DOME

Hi. Looks like Parker has rolled the Rolls again !

Will O.

What would you do readers?

THE SUPERIOR AMOEBA: A MODEL CITIZEN

Hi

This may not be the most exciting model kit ever, but it is one of the weirdest. Seriously, did anyone at Superior Plastics think this would sell?

The Superior Amoeba:

A strong contender for the title of least exciting kit subject in the entire history of the Universe - the Amoeba Model Kit. Over the years, this model has been sold by Superior Plastics, Educational Products, and Lindberg. It may be educational, but unless you want to recreate a scene from The Blob, with the giant Amoeba engulfing cars and people, it is just not very thrilling.

'Life in a Drop of Water...Enlarged More Than a Thousand Times Life Size !', 'Three basic science models of single cell animals - the Protozoa, fascinating visible dimensional model of Amoeba - plus placque models of the Euglena and Paramecium. Display Stand included'. Complete Unit 14" x 7" x 3 ".

This was one of the later kits by Superior Plastics Inc., and has the copyright date 1963 on the box lid, as well as 'Pat. Pending'. The address is still Chicago, Illinois. But below this the company is described as 'Custom Molders and Extruders' - which sounds very industrial. Suggesting a company that was not really focused on consumer products, such as hobby kits. 'Another Superlon Science Series Project !' Superlon being the type of plastic used in these kits. The triple-diamond logo appears in the lower left hand corner of the box. Kit number 3800-200.

The kit itself was moulded entirely in clear plastic, which is unusual. The central Amoeba is a multi-part model, while the other two are simple, flat, one-piece mouldings, with moulded-in detail. All can be painted to brighten things up a little. Even the stand is clear.

The Superior anatomy kits next went to Educational Products Inc., another Chicago company. The boxes are just about identical, except for the change in company name, and the removal of all references to Superlon plastic. There does not seem to be a copyright date on the boxes anymore - at least, not that I can see. Kit #3800.

Finally, the Superior/Educational anatomy series went to Lindberg, yet another Chicago company. According to Scalemates, they re-released the Amoeba in 1973. The box was mainly white, without the Lindberg name on the top, just Natural Science Series. Lindberg only appears on the sides of the box. Kit number 1316. The model is described as an Anatomically Accurate Plastic Construction Kit. It was still moulded entirely in clear plastic. This kit was still listed in the 1981 Lindberg catalogue, but had disappeared from the 1982 edition (Box Art Den).

There are not many listings to be found for these kits, and not many photos, suggesting that they were not big sellers back in their day, despite having been available for nearly 20 years.

The Scalemates entry

Amoeba, Superior Plastics Inc. 3800:200 (1963) (scalemates.com)

Superior kit

1960's Amoeba Model Kit Superior Plastics Open Box | #1899839539 (worthpoint.com)

Vintage Rare Amoeba Model Kit Superor Plastics 1963 Unused 3800:200 Superlon | #3763827604 (worthpoint.com)

Vintage 1963 Superior Plastics Amoeba Model Kit 3800:200 | #1867042323 (worthpoint.com)

Educational Products

Educational Products. AMOEBA 3 Models of single celled animals Educational DB-VJ | #1883575335 (worthpoint.com)

Amoeba ~ Life In a Drop of Water Science Biology Model | #150131861 (worthpoint.com)

Painted examples

AMOEBA MODEL FIGURE KIT EDUCATIONAL PRODUCTS INC. MONSTER LOOKING | #3764380619 (worthpoint.com)

H29 Amoeba model kit new in box science | #3783535792 (worthpoint.com)

Lindberg

Catalogue listings, Box Art Den

lindberg 74 04-960 (boxartden.com)

Lindberg 1977 (boxartden.com)

THE AMOEBA EUGLENA PARAMECIUM LINDBERG #1316 Anatomically Accurate Plastic Kit | #3843248810 (worthpoint.com)

Four photographs in total, in two batches, all from Worthpoint.

Saturday, 21 May 2022

PANE RELIEF

A trip around a local town brought us to this antique shop's windows.

There were some nice vintage die-casts nestled among the watches, James Bond's DB5 and others.

Apologies for the dodgy guy reflected in the glass!

Highly Sprung: Clockwork and Other Toys

Some more clockwork toy videos from You Tube. Short, but great fun. Do you like them?

A working zebra crossing.

Technofix 310 Zebra Crossing - YouTube

Busy city traffic.

Technofix 313 City Traffic - YouTube

Alpine railway and cable cars.

Technofix 320 Alpine Panorama - YouTube

A neat little railway shunting set.

Technofix Nova 245 Shunting Train Tunnel - YouTube

Mining train in action.

Technofix Modell 294 Förderbahn / Mining Train - YouTube

Battery powered Cola factory, with loading and unloading truck.

TECHNOFIX 340 COLA FACTORY , 1973 , KALAO 31 - YouTube

Europa soccer cup game.

Technofix 305 Europa Cup - YouTube

Soccer Training. Just two players, this one is not clockwork.

Technofix 323 Soccer Training - YouTube

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Rover the Moon!

I received this fabulous Moon Crawler from friend Paul Vreede for my birthday.

Paul did a wonderful job converting a SpaceX Surveyor. The detailing is superb!

I hope these photographs do it justice as I was and am literally over the moon!

Thanks Paul!

Scratchbuilt space station moon base was a gift from Wotan in 2010.

Friday, 20 May 2022

VANGELIS RIP

I heard on the radio the sad news that Vangelis passed away this week.

When I was a young man I was aware of Vangelis but I can't say I knew his music well, other than Chariots of Fire.

So I was amazed to find out that he'd composed the soundscape for Blade Runner. Yes, tears in the rain and all that great noise and sound.

There was an interview on the radio with the composer of the later Blade Runner [2049?], who had met Vangelis at his home.

He explained that the original and full Vangelis soundtrack was never released but Vangelis played him everything. He was gobsmacked.

Is the released Blade Runner soundtrack something that you have? How was it released at the time, LP?

Rest in Peace Vangelis.

A CENTURY OF T

As a Brit I love T.

This T in particular.

The T in a Circle/ Tai Hing Moon Prospector I aw a while back on auction, so I saved the snaps.

Of note is the design number usually seen on these boxes, here missing from its normal bottom right position.

This omission has been discussed before on MC in the early days when many early readers were involved in contacting the National Archives at Kew for patent details of various space toys.

These early T Prospectors and its stablemate the Moonbus paved the way for Century 21 Toys to licence it with a design number and slap on the Project SWORD kite brand.