F is for Follow-up - Marx Romans

Regular contributor and Loyal Reader Brian Berke from the Big Apple over there, sent this as a memory trigger (just as real life was getting frisky again here), off the back of the recent Marx Romans post, so here - in his own words - is that story, illustrated by Brian, by way of a follow-up!

"A few years ago I contacted Paul Morehead [Editor of Plastic Warrior magazine] with a sketch of a pose that I remembered from the 50's.

It was of a figure that was sold in Woolworth for 3d unpainted as part of their Romans. Back in 1957/58 I had converted with craft knife and Plasticine this figure into the character 'Wulf the Briton' then appearing in Express Weekly comic. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Express_Weekly]

Paul identified it from a Marx catalogue and I found it reissued in Russia in a set of Romans [by DZI or now; Ark Models]. Luckily for me it was a few years ago as now I avoid anything Russian.

Attached is the figure in contest with a Roman recreating the scene from 1958, this time using modelling putty not Plasticine."

Many thnaks to Brian for sending this; the figure works well and  that hair is rebelliously distinctive!

I don't remember Wulf the Briton at all, yet it's drawn by one of my favorite commercial artists; Ron Embleton, of Fleetway's famous Trigan Empire strip, so I will try to catch-up, now - Google informs me - the stories have been reissued in bound volumes. I've bought the bound Trigan Empire, a present to myself with a small portion of my father's legacy a while back.

And I should note that there is no consistency throughout the blog with my choosing of colours, fonts or size of text when trying to differentiate or highlight other people's contributions or quotes!

F is for Follow Up - Soviet-era Napoleonic Russian Cavalry

Moskovskiy zavod plastmassovykh igrushek  (МЗПИ  - MZPI)

ДОСААФ is for the Volunteer Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Navy

Or; DOSSAF is for Добровольное Общество Содействия Армии, Авиации и Флоту! 'Dossaf' was a semi-civilian or paramilitary organisation, technically centrered on sports, but probably best described as a Soviet version of the Hitler Youth (a parallel some Russians will hate me for, but history is history!), membership went a long-way toward your later progression in society or through the 'party'.

Like most State-owned (or in this case 'regime' specific) organs of the Soviet system - as practiced in both Russia and China - they ended up with a few industrial plants, among the output of which were toys and playthings.

The plant at Odessa being best known [by us collectors'] for their Timpo 'Swoppet' clones, slightly comical for being more African than Eurasian/Amerindian in the old skin-tone . . . have to be careful what I say here (readers in the future will need to reacquaint themselves with the March 2021 appearance of Prince, Duke the posh, his ex-Majesty Harry the Harry-not-Henry, and his missus, on the Oprah Winfrey Show) . . . , but were available in a lovely palate of 'toy' coloured legs and - more importantly from my fandom point of view - bases.

I also have a number of mixed loose figures (upper shot) while the packaging has a lot in common with the aluminium set we looked at here from Gidromana, being vacuum shrunk-wrapped onto a piece of card.

Among the loose ones are (or is?) another pair of running legs, giving three types; just off the base (white), leg near-parallel with the plane of the base (green) and a bit of a donkey-kick (pink and yellow), but there are other differences.

One of them has a separate weapon (top left), you may have noticed some alternate weapons in the second image (a club, a spear, a Barberry pirate's cutlass!), but others differ (top right, rifles) and the base on one is very different, while I have yet to find the figure for the bigger bows (which may be unconnected) and a third rifle also comes as a separate moulding.

This all points to at least three sources of these figures, whether or not they were all Dossaf facilities or some other collective outfit/s is unknown at this time, but as-per those Progress flats we've looked-at before, there would have been duplicate moulds for other sources or other makers . . . and it makes collecting them more fun!

K is for Kulikov, the Battle of Kulikovo

We looked at these briefly a while ago when Mark (Serge) sent us a shot I couldn't resist putting-up, but I did say at the time we would return to them, as they are quite simply some of my favourite figures / one of my favourite sets. And while I'd always intended to show them, and knew all about them from 2009, it's taken a while to do them the justice they deserve . . .

. . . as for the longest time I only had the three, two bought from Chris Smith back in the Queen Charlotte Hall days (probably - from the subsequent correspondence - 2008?) of Plastic Warrior Magazine's show in South West London, the third coming in since?

He had one of those 'bar meal' baskets with a load of them and being a tight-wad (and STILL - at the time - a small-scale only collector) I chose one each from either side in two of the nicer colours (I now wish I'd chosen one of the putty grey ones as they seem the least common!), because I'd gone 'over-scale' with Russian flats a few years earlier!

This autumn, I got into the habit of buying one or two stand-out pieces every fortnight on feebleBay, and one of those purchases was the latest iteration on the Kulikov set, which are currently available in 'Army' bags from Plastmaster in Russia and this is how they arrived, the one; short and fat the other; long and thin (shades of André Maurois' Patapoufs et Filifers!), both half-empty . . . but complete!

Header artwork differs on the two, and the crinkly, card-less bags with a metallic-foil like printing is very Chinese and redolent of other rack toys prepared for European jobbers and the bazaars of the Middle East, I've found a few now and Peter Evans has sent some to the Blog (see RTM's passim).

Here they are from one side . . .

. . . and the other!

Issues over the years seem to follow this order, but it's not necessarily accurate or definitive, and there may be a step missing, in addition, TSC (Toy Soldier Company) seem to have been the main source for them in the USA and I don't know if they went-out lose, in Russian or Chinese packaging or re-packed in TSC bags?

LKZ / Leningrad Carburetor Factory - Original Issues (1980's)

• ·         Red/Blue
• ·         Red/Charcoal
• ·         Red/Navy Blue-black
• ·         Turquoise/Orange
• ·         Yellow/Sky Blue
• ·         + Chalk-marl/Putty Grey, Brown, Dark Turquoise, Gunmetal (and others?)

Alisa / 1-Toy (Moscow) - Interim Issues (1990-2000's)

• ·         Gold/Orange

Plastmaster - Recent/Current Issues (parent was Playdorado, now Knopa-Knopatoys)

• ·         Gold/Silver

Vita Productions (Hong Kong) - Holder of the Tool/s? They also re-issue one of the 1917-1922 Civil War sets with a tchanka-wagon and seem to re-bag Supreme/SP Toys Knights and Saracens sets

Which gave me a nice battle, with the three extra chaps!

While I waited for the overdue set from the USA, and as the Blog post (you are now reading) started to take shape, I asked Chris if he had any left, and he sent me a shot of his in nice subdued/pastel shades of pale blue and yellow.

As mentioned above, Mariya translated these back in 2009, and I sent it to Chris, who'd provided copies of the inserts to any interested customers.

[I have a literal translation, but this is the grammatical one]

HISTORICAL NOTE

At the beginning of the 14th century, while [as?] the power of Moscow grew, the wider Russian people began to fight against the Mongol/Tartar hoards for their freedom from slavery.

On the 8th September 1380 at Koulikov in the fields by the banks of the river Don a decisive battle was fought between an army of the 'Golden Horde' under Mamai Khan on the one hand and a Russian army led by the great Count Dimitri Ivanovich Donski of Moscow on the other.

The Battle - where the Tartars were defeated - became known as the Battle of Koulikov

History states that the battle began with a dual between two 'champions', one from each side, being Peresvet, a warrior monk for the Russians and a Mongol warrior named Chelubei, both of whom died in the course of the battle.

"Koit", Narva. 4272-1991.20.000 [probably village of Koit/town of Narva?]

The other insert translates thus;

Manufacturerd [by the] Leningrad Component Factory [Possibly 'metal-fabrication factory']

Named Koybishev [Koybishev is a famous General]

Name [of game] "Kolikov Battle" [Battle of Kulikovo]

Item [Art.No.]: IPI-0231891

Price 10 Rubles. 00 Kopeks [Expensive for a toy of this type]

Standard Number 17-296-75       Technical Control No. 37.306.011-91

For children between the age of 7 - 12

[The next two pertain to the over-printed stamps]

Quality Control Stamp:   [18-OTK-22 ] Date of Issue: [26 Dec. 1991 ]

Contents List
1. Mamai Khan [x]1 [Leader of the defeated Mongols]
2. Hun warrior with saber [x]1
3. Chelubei [x]1 [Personality]
4. Hun Standard  ['bunchuk'] Bearer [x]1
5. Hun warrior with bow and arrows [x]1 [Composite] [this is the two-man vignette]
6. Hun warrior with bow [x]1 [simple] [this is the rear-shooter]
7. Hun warrior with shield on his back [x]1
8. Russian mounted warrior with sword and shield [x]1
9. Russian warrior with bow [x]1
10. Russian flag bearer [x]1
11. Russian 'Opalchenets' warrior with horn [x]1[militiaman with a bear-spear]
12. 'Peresvet' [x]1 [Personality]
13. Russian mounted warrior with sword [x]1 [raised?]
14. Count Demitri Donski [x]1 [leader of the victorious Russians]
15. 'Box' [carton/case/liner]
16. Box [outer]
17. Historical reference sheet

"Koit", Narva. 4271-1991.20.000 [Repeated]

Leningrad
Manufacturing
Alliance

'Toy' (Igruschka)

In the meantime, I had found another colourway, in the US, these matching the ones I'd originally procured from Chris all those years ago; 'aqua' blue and Chinese orange. But . . . these have a carbon footprint you wouldn't believe, well you'll have to! First is their trip to the 'States (which may have been back in the 1990's when these were suddenly available about the place, such as Chris's little basket of mixed colours), they then came to London . . . where they sat in a Royal Fail cage for three or four days before . . .

. . .being sent to Thailand for Christmas! So fuckwitted, and when I eMailed them they claimed no knowledge of the act, nor that they had even/ever been in possession of them, lying shitbags!

Well, if ever a seller deserved the feedback "Top eBayer . . . A++++" it's lg_minis, who finally got his money on the 20th January, for an item he'd posted on the 3rd or 4th of November! In the meantime, and despite much co-operative eMailing from him and I and the USPS (not our lying Parcel Farce though!) he had given me a refund when we basically gave up all hope of ever seeing it, only for it to turn-up about two months late!

While all that was happening I was having (ongoing) problems with Paypal, and despite ringing them and requesting several new passwords I can't get into my account, so he had to list something crummy for the full price so I could BIN, I suggested he list a stick or a chewed pencil, but he listed some tatty ('ish, but rather nice!) aviator sunglasses, which despite my paying within an hour or two; already had a watcher!

Oh Dear! It really was a 'mini adventure' and I register my thanks to LG again here!

All of which gives us a current total as seen above. And thanks to Chris, and Mark/Serge for their part in this story over the years!

I've seen a note that Chinese pirates copied the set, dropping one of the foot poses, but every set I've seen is complete, the author of the note didn't identify which pose was left-off the piracies and with the mould in China (Hong Kong) and in general use, there's no real need for a knock-off set?

The internet is full of them, and they aren't particularly rare, but they are really nice! A link to Lev Razumovsky (the artist's) pages is to be found on the original 2017 article, where you will find the hard-plaster moulds, sketches and other toy stuff he was behind.

P is for Polish Plastic People-Parcel Plus . . .

. . . a bit of Russian-should-be-Bulgarian stuck on the end of the post!

I received a lovely donation from Grzegorz Maciak the other day, of rare, unusual, new-to-Blog or much needed Polish polymer, which we are to look at right now!

As it arrived; The figure top left is a PZG, from the larger scale sets, probably later production (unpainted) and the officer from the Cold War set, next to him a lovely horse from the PZG set of 'Golden Horde'; those from the era of the Mongol invasions . . . indeed, with both rear feet of the ground, possibly the most dynamic and 'best' horse-pose in the set. Both are believed to be manufactured in Nylon-66.

Next to them is what I think is a home-made modelling-clay/craft clay figure of a medieval warrior with his shield slung on his back, the rest are hard polystyrene flats in two sizes/from two sets and from or based-on the German Schneider's home-casting moulds, some marked ZW.

The figure (which you may remember was in a donation from Chris Smith back at the start of lockdown) is the Hetman from the Golden Horde set, I suspect Hetman gives us, or gave us many centuries ago - the terms 'Headman' in English and Hauptman in German, or that they all share a common-root? His horse was much needed!

I have somewhere a pot of gold ink (from my days as a calligrapher! Pelican Plaka or something?) which is the same dull shade PZG used, so when I find it I'll try giving them both a heavy dry-brushing to get them back to something of their past glory and get them to match; the original set were all-gold, horses and riders.

The larger flats, originally designed as infantry of the Franco-Prussian war, pass just as well for the uniforms of Russian, East European and Balkan forces in the wars with the Ottomans (and each-other!) in the 1870's - link in a minute.

The smaller figures are more WWII/immediate post-war period (if assumed to be Polish Infantry) but are based on the original WWI/Inter-war period German/generics of Schneider's moulds, while the Cavalryman could be Polish, but is wearing a helmet while their 'last ever' cavalry charge was probably conducted with the soft Czapka headdress?

A footnote to the previous paragraph - for years Poland claimed the last ever cavalry charge in 1939, but the Australian Light Horse charged the Japanese later in the war, while Cossacks on both sides in the 'Great Patriotic War' will no doubt also have claims to that record - it's not a debate though as the Poles then charged German positions at Schoenfeld in 1945, cementing their claim!

It's the mounted lancers who carry the only mark on all these, a small 'w' sitting on the tail of a larger 'Z'. It could be something as simple as 'Zakład Warsaw' (Warsaw Plant/Factory), but I have no evidence for that or anything else and there is nothing in Garratt's encyclopaedia?

The new polystyrene figures compared to the two older soft polyethylene figures Paul (from Moonbase) gave me years ago and which were recalled by Yori as being Polish and - what we now know as - 'Kioskowce', the older two are probably also from Schneider moulds.

There is a current Schneider in catering/silicon moulds, but it was only formed in 1977 and has no link to the 1913 Schneider Brothers of flat-mould fame,that I'm aware of. Although - calling all these Schneider is an 'old school' practice, they ceased production before the 2nd World War, and most of the moulds you encounter these days may be/are more likely to be St Louis Lead, Greiner or Agasee to mention the better-known of many inheritors/copyists.

While all the above was going on I managed to pick this up on feebleBay, it's a Russian tourist trinket I think, commemorating the battle of Shipka Pass (which was several battles over some time), where actually the Bulgarians played the greater part in manpower.

It's a large lump of polyethylene with a rubber plug in the breach, as the trunion-bar runs through the barrel and out both sides it's not missing a firing mechanism, so I guess the rubber-plug is original. That bar and three others between the trails are heat-welded closed/shut as are both axle ends so there is a robustness to the chunky thing!

I say Tourist Trinket because while I can't imagine many 'western' tourists asking to visit the sight, it is a curated site, now in Bulgaria, and must be a draw to many in the region or with connections to the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878). Also its large scale points to an infant's carpet or beach toy, rather than its being part of a larger, or more serious set, or series?

(picture credit - Wikipedia)

Above are the guns upon which the toys seems to have been based.

Another minor connection with this addition and the preceding shots is that it was in the wars surrounding the Russo-Turkish fight, some earlier, some later, which lead to Poland's loss of independence and partition between Russia, Prussia and Austro-Hungary. Sad face.

And thanks again to Chris Smith, Grzegorz Maciak and Paul 'Woodsy' Woods for all the interesting figure donations!