News, Views Etc...Plastic Warrior No.168

A week adrift catches me almost totally 'on the ball'! Issue 168 is themed around civilian items this month but is still filled with all the usual goodies, and following the normal order;

Articles This Month

* Barny Brown begins a series on Cherilea farm animals with the 'from hollow-cast' mouldings (confirming my 'unknown' hen!)

* 'Comances' sees an investigation into the more realistic Indians produced to represent Southern States natives by Tom Stark

* The best article this month is Michael T. Hyde's 'Parade of Popes' which does exactly what it says!

* Converters Corner the one conversion this month; a rather nice paint-up of a Starlux figure by Eric Critchley to represent . . . still not subscribing huh? Try back-issues! Cleaver badge-technique too.

* Adrian Norman is also beginning a series, Scalextric Figures, with backgrounds and historical overview this issue and sets to come, a much-needed subject gets the PW treatment!

* The story of Total's golden footballer premiums ("Big League Football Stars of the 1970's") and the moulds is told by John Begg - the best article in this issue - since the last one!

* The reason for a shout-out by Colin Penn for information on F&G Products here on the Blog recently is revealed with the news the Crazy Clown Circus was boxed by them, as no one visiting here knew, let's hope the PW readership is more successful.

* Ashley Needham's piece on a Hong Kong set of Salvation Army bandsmen would get the 'best article of the issue' award, if we hadn't had two already!

* Ferrero's recent Kinder set of Barbie-doll figurines is itemised by Les White and I'm regretting ignoring the pink eggs as 'girly' now!

'What The !&*$?' has three question marks this quarter;

•       Some idiot wanting to know about a PVC sailor/'heavy' figure clearly forgot to tell the Editor it's got a Heimo 'Marx' mark on the base along with the Hanna-Barbera 1979 ©! I'm sure it's in the PVC book, but mine's in storage!
•      Brian Carrick shows a lovely little cavalryman he thinks may be Spanish
•      He's also looking for an ID on two quite lovely Ancient Greeks

* 'Stone Age News' from Andreas Dittman brings news of immigrants from the Neander Valley, via Tomy-Takara

* Yours truly delivers a Spear's Game - A Shepherd and His Dog [Adrian mentioned at the weekend just gone that the cover may have shown Britains originals, but the original shots aren't clear enough to tell, the sheep were grey though and the shepherd had a green base - both visible in the PW reproductions]

* Colin Penn closes the latest Plastic Warrior with two fine shots of the Britains zoo set Chimps Tea Party in reverse-colours

Regular Features

* 'NEWS and VIEWS and other stuff ' carries

•      News on a televisual presentation called Bargain Hunt, which seems to have been a bargain for the final buyer!
•      A correction of capiera to Capiepa from issue 167
•      More hysteria around the Timpo white-gloves (although as the previous hysteria was confined to the Internet; it's only fair!)
•      C&T Auctions have an important collection coming-up for sale on the 10th October [www.candtauctions.co.uk]
•      News on artist Volker Küne from Stephan Dance
•      A call for readers to grab the last few copies of Andreas Dittman's illustrated guides on German toy figure, novelty and premium manufacturers; Domplastic and Manurba, for UK readers only though. Although I notice Kent Sprecher's still listing both along with Andreas's Lefredo guide on his site Toy Soldier HQ

* 'Readers Letters' is a post-show follow-up with penned contributions from Ashley Needham, John Cross, Stephen Wood and Eric Keggans and images from Les White and Eric Kemp

* 'What's New' takes a sabbatical to help make room for everything else!

Plus all the usual small-ads

Front Cover is a recreation of the crowd watching James Hunt finishing the British Grand Prix . . . I think! . . . I counted over 150?

Back Cover - Comanche!

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Another vintage issue!