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Sunday, November 19, 2017

Playmates No. 17682 Space Jam Marvin's Countdown Rock-O-Tron

Here's a set I've had for a while and I've been wantin' to take pics of but just never got around to it. It's a clever little basketball game for spacefarer's on the go. Starring Marvin the Martian as the key (and only) player, he's converted his spaceship, the "Martian Maggot" into an interplanetary hoops machine. I'm not really into basketball and have never seen the movie but I bought this because of the cartoon tie-in and - most important - that gorgeous retro spaceship with silver hull and red tip and fins. The ship alone is worth having the set as part of my space collection. Opening the box you get a set of peel-&-stick appliques', the instrcuction sheet, a mail-in offer, the ship, a cool Marvin the Martian figure, two basketballs, and of course Marvin's ship the Martian Maggot

The ship opens up to reveal a mini basketball court. The 'hoop' folds down, a ball is placed on the lever mechanism and when one taps the lever it sets the ball flying, hopefully, into the hoop where it is then fed into a chute to be re-used. Marvin has a hole in his foot which fits into a peg in his private compartment allowing him to shout orders even when upside down. But for me this whole set-up comes together when all the hatches are closed and the Martian Maggot is underway. That bulbous red tip, those exagerrated curved fins, and that big bellied fuselage make for a beautiful caricature of the classic 'pointy tube with fins' spaceship school of design. The ship measures 9 3/4" (24.76cm) H x 3 3/4" (9.52cm) wide at the widest portion of the fins. Marvin stands 2 3/4" H (6.98cm). Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina












































4 comments:

  1. I always wondered what that toy rocket looked like Ed. Gorgeous photography as always. Love the last two shots with our friends the Colourforms Outer Space Men!

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    1. Thanx Woodsy! I luve the rocket design, retro and toylike - great stuff that! The Colourform figures are actually repos, originals being gosh awful expensive.

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    2. Those repro outer space men turn up allover the place. Theres some in a set of figures which came in a black carry case and some in carded sets containing tbunderbirds 2,3,4 and 5! Go figure. Staying power though!

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    3. If I'm not mistaken, the set I bought came loose but was sold as 'new'. Their size makes them a good 'nuff match for Archer or Ajax sized spacemen - if and when I ever get around to pulling those out again.

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