Well, I haven't focused much on nostalgia and toys here for a while (since before Christmas 2009, and my post on Kenner's Super Powers Line, I believe.)
But, as you may or may not recall, I have been endeavoring to get for my boy, Joel (age 3) the entire Big Jim toy line that I had as a kid. Of course, this occurs as time and budget permits...or whenever the mood strikes and I get a few minutes alone on E-Bay. Don't tell Kathryn! (Kidding, Honey, really...).
I have already acquired for Joel the Big Jim Camper, the Sky Commander playset and the Big Jim Safari House. But just this week, I nabbed one of the most well-known vehicles from the Mattel line: The Big Jim "Rescue Rig" from 1971.
The rig, though made from the same mold as the sports van, is a bit longer than the camper, and originally sold for about $13.00 back in the disco decade. The huge vehicle, described as "a large mobile unit," features an "Adjustable Rescue Boom" cherry picker, plus such accessories as a fire-axe and hook pole. The Rescue Rig came originally with a remote control "communications center" that could "relay six emergency calls" too. Unlike the camper, the Rescue Rig's entire aft section opens up to serve as a kind of first-aid station.
Replete with intensive care unit and rescue basket, the Big Jim "Rescue Rig" is quite the cool 1970s toy actually, and Joel's arrived yesterday afternoon in the mail (in a huge box.)
As of 8:30 am this morning, The Rescue Rig has already done approximately 100 "rescue runs" down our long drive-way...and is no doubt bound for further adventures in the wilds of our back yard.
Back in the mid-1980s, I discovered this Heavy Metal "illustrated story" in a clearance bin at a small book store in Boston. It was in that bin with a stack of about a hundred other copies, each selling for just a dollar. I picked one up (I should have picked up ten...) and have kept my copy in my book collection ever since.
Heavy Metal's Alien: The Illustrated Story by Archie Goodwin and Walter Simonson was distributed by Simon & Schuster, and it's a graphic (and I mean GRAPHIC) re-telling of the landmark 1979 horror film...down to all the chest-bursting, gory details. Character likenesses are good; and even the "tech" (of the Nostromo, Narcissus and the Derelict) exhibits a tremendous fidelity to the movie's production design.
The comic-book adaptation opens with a quote from Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, "We live as we dream - alone," and then launches into the story of the Nostromo's encounter with a hostile life-form. The comic follows the details of the theatrical release very closely. For example, it doesn't feature the famous deleted scene with Dallas's transformation into Alien Egg.
There is, however, some alternate/new dialogue in the Narcissus coda, particularly Ripley's conversation with Jones: "Funny Jones, you what I think I'll miss the most? The smell of Kane's coffee when I first wake up..."
Alien: The Illustrated Story originally sold for $3.95, and it's a pretty sturdy book. Hell, it's held up well for thirty years now (about half as long as Ripley's hyper-sleep journey back to Gateway Station...)!
I still haul my copy out every now and then to admire the gonzo, blood-soaked, highly-detailed art work. I thought it would be fun to share a little of that gruesome good stuff today, especially as Alien celebrates a thirtieth anniversary this year.
Just gazing at this books with the drawings of the Space Jockey and the alien itself, I'm reminded of how Ridley Scott, H.R. Giger, Sigourney Weaver and Dan O'Bannon pushed the frontiers of space horror in a frightening new direction here. The haunted house in space concept had been seen before Alien on several occasions, but never with such visual aplomb and naturalism. I still remember talking to friends and family members about the film, and in particular the harrowing chest-bursting sequence. Today, we know it's coming, and we sort of take it for granted. But back then, it had people puking in the aisles.
Red alert:The Playmates toys from J.J. Abrams' upcoming Star Trek(2009) are beaming down to store shelves now. I was in Target with Joel yesterday trying to explain to him that there were no toys available for Thundercats (his new favorite characters...). He was disappointed, but quickly spotted the "starship Enterprise" (from the Galaxy Collection...) at his eye level.
I successfully resisted l my urge to spend a lot of money and settled for the Enterprise and the Original Spock action figure. I then channeled some self-discipline and exercised extreme will-power. Yep, I left the communicator, new phaser, the transporter room diorama and other figures (Chekov, Sulu, Pike!) hanging there...untouched. But wow, these toys are gorgeous. Better not go back to Target anytime soon. At least not till I get my next royalty statement...
Just in time for Christmas (or my belated birthday...) arrives this new Hallmark Star Trek "keepsake" tree ornament for Stardate 2008. My mother-in-law in Richmond, VA, sent this gift to me yesterday, and Joel and I have been playing with it since. (So much for keeping it in mint condition...).
From the back of the box:
If you had to invent a futuristic communications device, what would it look like? Decades before flip phones became commonplace, the visionary prop artists of STAR TREK created this convincing, portable, and highly desirable method for 23rd century Starfleet crew members to keep in touch with each other."
When you open the communicator's golden grill, this ornament makes the trademark "clicking" sound from the original series.
Then, when you press the lower-left-hand button on the small device, you activate an array of Capt. Kirk (Shatner) quotes, including: "Bridge, this is the captain," "As you can see, we have another problem," "Kirk to Enterprise." "We're beaming up. Notify transporter room," "Standby, no one is to leave the ship," and a classic from "The Doomsday Machine:" "Never mind about me, protect my ship!!!"
The button on the right-hand side activates remarks from other Enterprise crew members. Mr. Spock says: "Captain, shall I beam down an armed party?," "Spock here, are you all right, Captain?" "Getting strange readings from the planet surface, Captain," and "Your signal is very weak. Can you turn up your gain?
Scotty declares: "We're putting everything but the kitchen sink into the impulse power, sir," "Enterprise to Captain Kirk," "Condition Red! Condition Red! and "We can't make transporter contact, sir!"
Uhura also hails Captain Kirk, "Enterprise to Captain Kirk, come in captain..."
You know, I'd swear she;s hailing me, personally....
It was Christmas morning in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. The year: 1978. The big present of the season (and, perhaps, my of my young life...) was the Atari VCS that my wonderful parents had purchased for my sister and me.
But also lodged under the Christmas tree with care were two small boxes with my name on them. I opened them and was perplexed (but happily so...) at what I found.
The toys were Japanese. So I couldn't read the labels. But that's okay, I could see through the "bubble" and was enticed by what I saw.
One toy was a little white metal robot named "Qonto" (known as Tonto in some circles.) In the other box was his silver-and-gray metal "space saucer" which could fire missiles. Both were made by Bandai.
I didn't know it at the time, but these two unique toys came from a Japanese Star Wars rip-off movie entitled Message from Space.
Now, even at the time, I knew of the title. I had seen commercials for the movie on television and become sotra obsessed with it. For one thing, it looked like there was a space pirate ship in it (replete with solar sails...) I had desperately wanted to see the movie for my ninth birthday (December 3rd, 1978), but I remember that when we arrived at the theater (the only bloomin' theater in New Jersey showing the Japanese import...), the movie had already mysteriously left the premises. It seemed I was destined never to see it...
Still, I had Qonto and his space saucer to play with. I never knew how they fit into the film's plot, yet the toys were cool enough on their own. Qonto had removable hands, for instance, and you could "plug" in various attachments, such as laser weaponry. And you could open up the robot's skull and there was a cooling fan ensconced there, over a circuitry decal. Which again, I thought was neat.
I haven't thought much about Qonto and his space saucer in years, but last week, I ventured up into my attic -- I'm attempting to weed through my collection.
And what should I find?
A very worse-for-wear Bandai Qonto and his space saucer. These days, Qonto is missing one arm and all his attachments, but boy did these toys bring back some serious memories.
Anyway, below is a youtube video of a variaton on the Qonto I owned. Below that is the Message from Space trailer, and if I'm not mistaken, you can catch a glimpse of old Qonto there too.
Finally, I have to add that Joel -- who has shown more interest in cars, trucks, tools and sugar harvester combines (!) -- than in my toys, has become absolutely consumed with Qonto too. He can say "Qonto" and "saucer" and keeps asking me to see "robots."
