About Me

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No Fixed Abode, Home Counties, United Kingdom
I’m a 60-year-old Aspergic gardening CAD-Monkey. Sardonic, cynical and with the political leanings of a social reformer, I’m also a toy and model figure collector, particularly interested in the history of plastics and plastic toys. Other interests are history, current affairs, modern art, and architecture, gardening and natural history. I love plain chocolate, fireworks and trees, but I don’t hug them, I do hug kittens. I hate ignorance, when it can be avoided, so I hate the 'educational' establishment and pity the millions they’ve failed with teaching-to-test and rote 'learning' and I hate the short-sighted stupidity of the entire ruling/industrial elite, with their planet destroying fascism and added “buy-one-get-one-free”. Likewise, I also have no time for fools and little time for the false crap we're all supposed to pretend we haven't noticed, or the games we're supposed to play. I will 'bite the hand that feeds', to remind it why it feeds.

Thursday, April 4, 2019

R is for Robin's Roustabout Rebels - Part 2 - The Figures

I also grouped the earlier post's figures by character/thematically, for closer comparisons, and this post is the result of those shots, in the course of preparing this pair of articles, they all got put away and taken out again several times, and one of the archers has migrated to another set!

Alan-a-Dale, Archer, Australian Robin Hood, Australian Toy Figures, Bagged Toy Robin Hood, Blondel, Canada, Cereal Giveaways, Cereal Premium Robin Hood, Cereal Premiums, Derwent, Friar Tuck, Kellogg's Canada, Kellogg's Premiums, Kellogg's Robin Hood, Kellogg's Sugar Smacks, Little John, Maid Marion, Marksmen Robin Hood, Marx Figures, Marx Robin Hood, Marx Toy Soldiers, Marx Toys, Merry Men, Minstrel, Much the Miller, New Zealand Robin Hood, Post Cereals, Post Robin Hood, Premium Toy Figures, Premiums, Quentin, Rado Industries Robin Hood, Ri-Toys Robin Hood, Richard Green, Robin des Bois, Robin Hood, Robin of Loxley, Rubenstein Plastic Toys, Rubenstein Robin Hood, Rubenstein Toy Soldiers, Sheriff of Nottingham, Sherrif de Nottingham, Small Scale World, smallscaleworld.blogspot.com, Sugar Smacks Robin Hood, Timothy, Toy Minstrel Figure, Will Scarlet, Will Stutley,
Robin Hood's above and Will Scarlet's below, along with the guy I used to think was falling or sitting, but who I can only picture hiding in a tree now! The guy middle-bottom is an unnamed character - one of the Merry Men - but could pass for Robin or Will!

Now, there is no discernible difference between the two smaller Will's, and in the course of taking these mages I came to the conclusion I'd had the Down Under version all along, which means I need to find a Canada one at some point, just to satisfy myself as to their differences/similarities, as all the other figures do have clear differences between the sculpts and I believe the Canada issue is an unnamed figure?

Alan-a-Dale, Archer, Australian Robin Hood, Australian Toy Figures, Bagged Toy Robin Hood, Blondel, Canada, Cereal Giveaways, Cereal Premium Robin Hood, Cereal Premiums, Derwent, Friar Tuck, Kellogg's Canada, Kellogg's Premiums, Kellogg's Robin Hood, Kellogg's Sugar Smacks, Little John, Maid Marion, Marksmen Robin Hood, Marx Figures, Marx Robin Hood, Marx Toy Soldiers, Marx Toys, Merry Men, Minstrel, Much the Miller, New Zealand Robin Hood, Post Cereals, Post Robin Hood, Premium Toy Figures, Premiums, Quentin, Rado Industries Robin Hood, Ri-Toys Robin Hood, Richard Green, Robin des Bois, Robin Hood, Robin of Loxley, Rubenstein Plastic Toys, Rubenstein Robin Hood, Rubenstein Toy Soldiers, Sheriff of Nottingham, Sherrif de Nottingham, Small Scale World, smallscaleworld.blogspot.com, Sugar Smacks Robin Hood, Timothy, Toy Minstrel Figure, Will Scarlet, Will Stutley,
The Maid Marion/ian's; Marx's 'ian is Rubenesque sexy in a Viking-court sort of get-up, the antipodean 'ion is a bit Hippy-chick sexy in plain Anglo-Saxon villager's garb, the Canadian 'ian sculpt looks like a rather dry Mother Superior or a 'Flanders mare' in full Norman aristocratic finery and Robin would be a fool to get involved with her, she's just gonna' whine alot!

Alan-a-Dale, Archer, Australian Robin Hood, Australian Toy Figures, Bagged Toy Robin Hood, Blondel, Canada, Cereal Giveaways, Cereal Premium Robin Hood, Cereal Premiums, Derwent, Friar Tuck, Kellogg's Canada, Kellogg's Premiums, Kellogg's Robin Hood, Kellogg's Sugar Smacks, Little John, Maid Marion, Marksmen Robin Hood, Marx Figures, Marx Robin Hood, Marx Toy Soldiers, Marx Toys, Merry Men, Minstrel, Much the Miller, New Zealand Robin Hood, Post Cereals, Post Robin Hood, Premium Toy Figures, Premiums, Quentin, Rado Industries Robin Hood, Ri-Toys Robin Hood, Richard Green, Robin des Bois, Robin Hood, Robin of Loxley, Rubenstein Plastic Toys, Rubenstein Robin Hood, Rubenstein Toy Soldiers, Sheriff of Nottingham, Sherrif de Nottingham, Small Scale World, smallscaleworld.blogspot.com, Sugar Smacks Robin Hood, Timothy, Toy Minstrel Figure, Will Scarlet, Will Stutley,
'The Tuck'; my kind of priest - a godless one! I prefer the Marx sculpt, if he's got a staff he can get fightey-bitey, but the smaller ones have him holding a scroll or torch/brazier - it's not clear? This is the other pose (after the archer, if mine are of different sources) which has little change beyond base markings between Australian and Canadian issues - the Canada one is better detailed/etched and slightly taller maybe?

Alan-a-Dale, Archer, Australian Robin Hood, Australian Toy Figures, Bagged Toy Robin Hood, Blondel, Canada, Cereal Giveaways, Cereal Premium Robin Hood, Cereal Premiums, Derwent, Friar Tuck, Kellogg's Canada, Kellogg's Premiums, Kellogg's Robin Hood, Kellogg's Sugar Smacks, Little John, Maid Marion, Marksmen Robin Hood, Marx Figures, Marx Robin Hood, Marx Toy Soldiers, Marx Toys, Merry Men, Minstrel, Much the Miller, New Zealand Robin Hood, Post Cereals, Post Robin Hood, Premium Toy Figures, Premiums, Quentin, Rado Industries Robin Hood, Ri-Toys Robin Hood, Richard Green, Robin des Bois, Robin Hood, Robin of Loxley, Rubenstein Plastic Toys, Rubenstein Robin Hood, Rubenstein Toy Soldiers, Sheriff of Nottingham, Sherrif de Nottingham, Small Scale World, smallscaleworld.blogspot.com, Sugar Smacks Robin Hood, Timothy, Toy Minstrel Figure, Will Scarlet, Will Stutley,
The two sheriffs' (Nott's & Darby!) and tree-climber/falling guy again! He's actually the most dynamic pose of all four sets (I haven't shown/got the other Marx set), but this may have meant he was a bugger to manufacture - lots of weird undercuts, not in the pose per se, but in relation to the layout of the other cavities/rest of the tool?

Alan-a-Dale, Archer, Australian Robin Hood, Australian Toy Figures, Bagged Toy Robin Hood, Blondel, Canada, Cereal Giveaways, Cereal Premium Robin Hood, Cereal Premiums, Derwent, Friar Tuck, Kellogg's Canada, Kellogg's Premiums, Kellogg's Robin Hood, Kellogg's Sugar Smacks, Little John, Maid Marion, Marksmen Robin Hood, Marx Figures, Marx Robin Hood, Marx Toy Soldiers, Marx Toys, Merry Men, Minstrel, Much the Miller, New Zealand Robin Hood, Post Cereals, Post Robin Hood, Premium Toy Figures, Premiums, Quentin, Rado Industries Robin Hood, Ri-Toys Robin Hood, Richard Green, Robin des Bois, Robin Hood, Robin of Loxley, Rubenstein Plastic Toys, Rubenstein Robin Hood, Rubenstein Toy Soldiers, Sheriff of Nottingham, Sherrif de Nottingham, Small Scale World, smallscaleworld.blogspot.com, Sugar Smacks Robin Hood, Timothy, Toy Minstrel Figure, Will Scarlet, Will Stutley,
Little John; the difference between the two smaller ones is clear here with heaver sculpting of the thin parts obvious, while the dagger on the Canadian chap is longer. Neatly; both/all three issuers have gone with a taller sculpt for the man whose name was a play on his notable height, he's half-a-head above Robin and has a good [scale] six-inches on everyone else.

Alan-a-Dale, Archer, Australian Robin Hood, Australian Toy Figures, Bagged Toy Robin Hood, Blondel, Canada, Cereal Giveaways, Cereal Premium Robin Hood, Cereal Premiums, Derwent, Friar Tuck, Kellogg's Canada, Kellogg's Premiums, Kellogg's Robin Hood, Kellogg's Sugar Smacks, Little John, Maid Marion, Marksmen Robin Hood, Marx Figures, Marx Robin Hood, Marx Toy Soldiers, Marx Toys, Merry Men, Minstrel, Much the Miller, New Zealand Robin Hood, Post Cereals, Post Robin Hood, Premium Toy Figures, Premiums, Quentin, Rado Industries Robin Hood, Ri-Toys Robin Hood, Richard Green, Robin des Bois, Robin Hood, Robin of Loxley, Rubenstein Plastic Toys, Rubenstein Robin Hood, Rubenstein Toy Soldiers, Sheriff of Nottingham, Sherrif de Nottingham, Small Scale World, smallscaleworld.blogspot.com, Sugar Smacks Robin Hood, Timothy, Toy Minstrel Figure, Will Scarlet, Will Stutley,
Alan-a-Dale/Minstrel, a close-up of the base marking differences, the 'Canada' sculpt is on the right. I find red plastic a bugger to shoot (so don't know why I concentrated on this one!) but with a black & white filter and some stopping-down it seems to show what's needed. The unnamed 'minstrel' could used as/taken to be the Coeur de Lion's lover; Blondel?

Alan-a-Dale, Archer, Australian Robin Hood, Australian Toy Figures, Bagged Toy Robin Hood, Blondel, Canada, Cereal Giveaways, Cereal Premium Robin Hood, Cereal Premiums, Derwent, Friar Tuck, Kellogg's Canada, Kellogg's Premiums, Kellogg's Robin Hood, Kellogg's Sugar Smacks, Little John, Maid Marion, Marksmen Robin Hood, Marx Figures, Marx Robin Hood, Marx Toy Soldiers, Marx Toys, Merry Men, Minstrel, Much the Miller, New Zealand Robin Hood, Post Cereals, Post Robin Hood, Premium Toy Figures, Premiums, Quentin, Rado Industries Robin Hood, Ri-Toys Robin Hood, Richard Green, Robin des Bois, Robin Hood, Robin of Loxley, Rubenstein Plastic Toys, Rubenstein Robin Hood, Rubenstein Toy Soldiers, Sheriff of Nottingham, Sherrif de Nottingham, Small Scale World, smallscaleworld.blogspot.com, Sugar Smacks Robin Hood, Timothy, Toy Minstrel Figure, Will Scarlet, Will Stutley,
Much the Miller; I seem to remember him from childhood stories, although Marx haven't named theirs, they all share the same hood and similar kilt/surcoat tails, so they were all watching each-other or the Saturday-matinee's for their fashion leads, rather than historical sources, although they can all be painted-up for medieval armies!

Alan-a-Dale, Archer, Australian Robin Hood, Australian Toy Figures, Bagged Toy Robin Hood, Blondel, Canada, Cereal Giveaways, Cereal Premium Robin Hood, Cereal Premiums, Derwent, Friar Tuck, Kellogg's Canada, Kellogg's Premiums, Kellogg's Robin Hood, Kellogg's Sugar Smacks, Little John, Maid Marion, Marksmen Robin Hood, Marx Figures, Marx Robin Hood, Marx Toy Soldiers, Marx Toys, Merry Men, Minstrel, Much the Miller, New Zealand Robin Hood, Post Cereals, Post Robin Hood, Premium Toy Figures, Premiums, Quentin, Rado Industries Robin Hood, Ri-Toys Robin Hood, Richard Green, Robin des Bois, Robin Hood, Robin of Loxley, Rubenstein Plastic Toys, Rubenstein Robin Hood, Rubenstein Toy Soldiers, Sheriff of Nottingham, Sherrif de Nottingham, Small Scale World, smallscaleworld.blogspot.com, Sugar Smacks Robin Hood, Timothy, Toy Minstrel Figure, Will Scarlet, Will Stutley,
Down Under this one's Will Stutley, another one I recall from tales told to me as a child, or read in comics, elsewhere he's the anonymous 'signaller'! One of the missing Marx versions has the green guy shouting with cupped-hand and no stowed-bow!

Alan-a-Dale, Archer, Australian Robin Hood, Australian Toy Figures, Bagged Toy Robin Hood, Blondel, Canada, Cereal Giveaways, Cereal Premium Robin Hood, Cereal Premiums, Derwent, Friar Tuck, Kellogg's Canada, Kellogg's Premiums, Kellogg's Robin Hood, Kellogg's Sugar Smacks, Little John, Maid Marion, Marksmen Robin Hood, Marx Figures, Marx Robin Hood, Marx Toy Soldiers, Marx Toys, Merry Men, Minstrel, Much the Miller, New Zealand Robin Hood, Post Cereals, Post Robin Hood, Premium Toy Figures, Premiums, Quentin, Rado Industries Robin Hood, Ri-Toys Robin Hood, Richard Green, Robin des Bois, Robin Hood, Robin of Loxley, Rubenstein Plastic Toys, Rubenstein Robin Hood, Rubenstein Toy Soldiers, Sheriff of Nottingham, Sherrif de Nottingham, Small Scale World, smallscaleworld.blogspot.com, Sugar Smacks Robin Hood, Timothy, Toy Minstrel Figure, Will Scarlet, Will Stutley,
♪♫♪ Stick-fighting Maaaaaaaaaaaaan! ♫♪♪ The best candidate for converting/repainting to court jester or fool!

Alan-a-Dale, Archer, Australian Robin Hood, Australian Toy Figures, Bagged Toy Robin Hood, Blondel, Canada, Cereal Giveaways, Cereal Premium Robin Hood, Cereal Premiums, Derwent, Friar Tuck, Kellogg's Canada, Kellogg's Premiums, Kellogg's Robin Hood, Kellogg's Sugar Smacks, Little John, Maid Marion, Marksmen Robin Hood, Marx Figures, Marx Robin Hood, Marx Toy Soldiers, Marx Toys, Merry Men, Minstrel, Much the Miller, New Zealand Robin Hood, Post Cereals, Post Robin Hood, Premium Toy Figures, Premiums, Quentin, Rado Industries Robin Hood, Ri-Toys Robin Hood, Richard Green, Robin des Bois, Robin Hood, Robin of Loxley, Rubenstein Plastic Toys, Rubenstein Robin Hood, Rubenstein Toy Soldiers, Sheriff of Nottingham, Sherrif de Nottingham, Small Scale World, smallscaleworld.blogspot.com, Sugar Smacks Robin Hood, Timothy, Toy Minstrel Figure, Will Scarlet, Will Stutley,
The other three! Australia/New Zealand give them all names, Canada doesn't bother, but they still make-up the numbers. The rock guy needs a siege-engine, but there are plenty around to chose from, and Will Stutley would make a good No. 1 to this chap's No. 2. While you can never have enough medieval archers, for Crecy, Agincourt or the other one where we gave Frenchie a good spanking!

Alan-a-Dale, Archer, Australian Robin Hood, Australian Toy Figures, Bagged Toy Robin Hood, Blondel, Canada, Cereal Giveaways, Cereal Premium Robin Hood, Cereal Premiums, Derwent, Friar Tuck, Kellogg's Canada, Kellogg's Premiums, Kellogg's Robin Hood, Kellogg's Sugar Smacks, Little John, Maid Marion, Marksmen Robin Hood, Marx Figures, Marx Robin Hood, Marx Toy Soldiers, Marx Toys, Merry Men, Minstrel, Much the Miller, New Zealand Robin Hood, Post Cereals, Post Robin Hood, Premium Toy Figures, Premiums, Quentin, Rado Industries Robin Hood, Ri-Toys Robin Hood, Richard Green, Robin des Bois, Robin Hood, Robin of Loxley, Rubenstein Plastic Toys, Rubenstein Robin Hood, Rubenstein Toy Soldiers, Sheriff of Nottingham, Sherrif de Nottingham, Small Scale World, smallscaleworld.blogspot.com, Sugar Smacks Robin Hood, Timothy, Toy Minstrel Figure, Will Scarlet, Will Stutley,
Done did!

The lack of available information on the 50mm set from Down Under leaves questions still outstanding, for someone to follow-up, somewhere, sometime;
  • ·         Which cereal were they issued with?
  • ·         Were they Australian or New Zealand-issued, first?
  • ·         Who made/manufactured them?
  • ·         Did Canada issue a license or are they pirates
  • ·         Was there a Sherriff or 'tree-hugger'!?
And - to be honest similar questions remain over the 50mm 'Canada' figures!

Many thanks again to Glenn Sibbald for revealing the antipodean versions and donating a set to the blog - New to Hobby/Internet - cheers Glenn!

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