Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Pop Art: Fundimensions Edition


In the bicentennial year of 1976, MPC (part of General Mills out of Mount Clemens, Michigan) released a whole line of Space:1999 plastic model kits under the brand "Fundimensions."

This line included several miniatures from "The greatest space adventure of them all," including the trademark "Eagle 1 Transporter," "The Alien" (never seen on the show, but a damn cool kit...), and also "Alpha Moonbase," an "entire scene model kit."

The Eagle and Moonbase Alpha kits were eventually re-released in 1999 with new artwork to celebrate the fact that fact had caught up with fiction. But for not entirely rational reasons I've always preferred the original Fundimensions artwork of the 1970s.

Just look at that logo for a moment: it practically screams disco decade.

And I still remember prowling the model aisle of Toys 'R' Us as a six-year old kit and spotting these kits. It was like...discovering a great treasure. Does Toys 'R" Us even have a model kit aisle anymore?

I know, I know, I'm showing my age...

Anyway, one look at the art of these great retro-futuristic model kits today brings back a wave of happy memories. And even though nostalgia is commonly "the most useless of emotions," it's also a nice, warm, cozy feeling from time to time.

If you owned these kits, maybe you feel the same way...

7 comments:

  1. I had both the Eagle and Moonbase kits back then and they were really decent in quality and detail. I don't remember ever seeing the alien because I definitely would have grabbed that one up as well (assuming I could have scrapped up enough money to buy it). Thanks for the memories.

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  2. Great finds John...the toys from my youth that I miss to this day were the Major Matt Mason ones. Long since lost/given away etc. but they bring back a lot of memories for this guy born during the height of the Space Race in 1963.

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  3. Hi folks,

    John J. Joex: these kits really are lovely. Glad you remember them. The 1999 "alien" shows up on E-Bay frequently...at tremendous cost! :)

    Indianhoop: I'm so glad you mentioned Major Matt Mason. I love those toys, and just wish I had a few.

    A weird memory, but in 1976, when Space:1999 was airing on television, there were Matt Mason toys galore in my school kindergarten! So I played with them there, and always loved them.

    best to you both,
    John

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  4. Anonymous10:21 PM

    I just gave you the 101 Blogger Award!
    http://trickortreatpete.blogspot.com/2010/08/happy-101-blogger-award.html
    Dreaded Dreams
    Petunia Scareum
    btw, I LOVE Space: 1999

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous11:13 PM

    Where oh where has Geoffrey the Giraffe gone???????
    I don't wanna grow up, I'm a toys r us kid, darn!
    Maybe one day Space:1999 will make a big screen appearance, what? It could happen
    Dreaded Dreams
    Petunia Scareum

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  6. Trick or Treat Pete:

    Another Space:1999 fan! Yes!

    I also wonder about a big-screen revival. I'm afraid it would get dumbed down in this day and age. Which means we just have to time travel to 1977 and prevent the series' original cancellation, or something...

    best,
    John

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  7. Anonymous2:21 AM

    Time travel....hmmmm...Ok, to do that, I will need an old carnival ride vehicle, a pot of tomatoes, Miracle Max, and tin foil. It should be ready by Friday.
    Dreaded Dreams
    Petunia Scareum

    ReplyDelete

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