'Take-off' - An Attempt at Some Old School Space Imagery

Been swamped here of late, but did get around to putting together this picture of a MPC astronaut filming the take-off of a fleet of Restoration Hardware Spacemaster X-7 starships. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

Unique Industries, Inc. Cake Toppers: #8859 Starship Set & #8889 Space Cake Set

In keeping with the whole LP / Imperial Toy theme of the past few weeks, here we have a couple of carded sets from Unique Industries, Inc. from Philadelphia, PA which utilizes re-pops from LP and MPC. The assortment of space ships is really and you get three different types in assorted colors. The Mobile Launch Pad in Set #8889 does not have wheels making it just a launch pad! From what I've seen, it appears as if the same three MPC astronauts were used in all the carded sets. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

This shot shows the company info a bit better

Exploring Space - Set of 4 Astronauts Unknown Manufacturer of MPC Knockoff's

Got this set in this week. I thought it was a nice set although there is no manufacturer listed anywhere on the packaing. The figures are clearly MPC/Multiple Toymakers  poses but there's an odd quirk in this set: the figure at the upper left is 50mm, all the others are 45mm! Hmmmm   Anywho - Enjoy! Opa Fritz

 

MPC Clones: Unique Industries No. 8889 Space Cake Set

While we're still on the subject of MPC 54mm astronauts (ahem, were we? I thought I finished that up yesterday - oh well). Here's an interesting set from Unique Industries, the No. 8889 Space Cake Set. It is cake topper set consisting of a combination of candle holders, an LP Mobile Launch Pad (minus the wheels) and three MPC Astronaut figures. The set is undated and at the moment I couldn't tell you if these are clones made from different tooling or made from the original tooling which apparently was still somewhere to be had in Hong Kong??? Anywwho - Enjoy! Opa Fritz

MPC 54mm Astronaut Color Variations

I haven't had a lot of time to take pics out in The Cave but thought it would be a good idea to cap off my series of MPC 54mm Astronaut photo essays by showing the various color variations.  These are all the variations I have and there may be more out there. I'm thinking yellow - did they make yellow? Yes they did - a quick search while I was typing this post revealed some yellow ones out there. I'll be on the look-out for anything different than what's shown here. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

1969 Multiple Toymakers Set No. 665 United States Spacemen

It's 1969 and Multiple is now a division of Miner Industries. Astronauts are now referred to as Spacemen - well, okay, at least in this particular set - and they've gone from 150 garishly colored figures to "Not less than 58 figures" in a more patriotic red, white, and blue. I don't know how many different bags and sets of figures were offered by Multiple during its lifetime but am willing to bet the two sample shown on the blog to-date aren't the only ones! Enjoy! Opa Fritz

MPC 54 mm Astronaut #10

This pose is essentially the same as #9 but with an outstretched arm. He's not a modified figure because I have a bunch of these purchased over the years from different sources (unfortunately I didn't have a lighter blue version of him to match all the others in this series. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

MPC 54 mm Astronaut #9

This astronaut is carrying a coil of rope and what appears to be a sextant. Okay, so if sextant's are used for celestial navigation then would his purpose be to map the Moon - or at least that tiny slivver he's exploring??? I can't imagine him wandering too far from his spacecraft so he wouldn't be getting lost where ever it is he landed. I dunno. Let's just chalk it up to cool astronaut figure. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

MPC 54 mm Astronaut #8

Here's a guy collecting samples with what appears to be a 'grabber' or third hand. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

MPC 54 mm Astronaut #7

Trying to keep steady, our intrepid explorer is crouched and holding a two-way radio should anything occur - after all, two of his comrades are carrying weapons and one already looks spooked by something he saw! Enjoy! Opa Fritz