And . . . Glenn lives literally yards from
the epicenter of the horrendous atrocity which struck Christchurch the other
day, so please spare a though for him and his neighbours, as I don't think
anyone expected the 21st century to visit the fair lands of 'The Shire', so
soon, or so violently.
I did cover this topic back nearer the start of the blog due to a lucky find of the smaller figures from Canada, and the larger figures
being in the 'Big Purchase' or a tubbed PW Show purchase, I can't now remember
- which are mostly the Ri-Toys re-issue
figures also supplied to Marksmen.
At the time, I told the story as it was
presented elsewhere on the Wibbly Wobbly Way, but the story seems to have
changed once or twice since then, and still doesn't seem to be set in stone, so
we'll ramble though it and each can draw his own conclusions!
The total extent of my sample with the
previously-seen Marx/Rado 60mm's at
the top, the new figures from the Antipodes in the middle and the Canada set -
also seen previously - below them.
Now a complication in this, is that the Canadian/Southern
Cross set/s are based on the Marx
54mm set, of which I have no examples! The 60mm are from Playsets I think (I'm
missing all four of the original 'pose variations') while both the smaller sets
were issued as Breakfast cereal
premiums.
Another complication is that the smaller
figures (specifically the Canadian issue) are also credited to Rubenstein, in the 'States, after the
Canadians had finished with them (?) but I have never seen them in Rubenstein packaging, nor any empirical
evidence for the accreditation, or for the link between Rubenstein and the Tatra
'Soldiers/Warriors of the World/Through the Ages'?
Knowing - as I'm sure by now you do - how
much I like my empirical evidence for statements of fact, I'm maintaining a
healthy scepticism of the Rubenstein
link until I see something more concrete, but it's credible.
However and having said that, my sample -
in multi-colours - is supposed to be Rubenstein
not Breakfast cereal, which were [apparently] all-green, and an apple green not
the jade-green of a couple of mine? Mine are mostly marked 'CANADA' though,
which would suggest that even if Rubenstein
handled them; they handled them as a wholesale jobber (Erwin's "...so called joggers"!) or a contractor,
not as a manufacturer/mould-tool holder.
Or it means the apple-green ones are Kellogg's US Suger-smacks (and/or Rubenstein) while the multiple coloured
ones are Canadian Kellogg's? Kent
Sprecher's site says unmarked are from Canada and marked ('CANADA') are from
the USA, but doesn't mention the unmarked Aussie/NZ ones? But then there are
other colours, and I've seen half-and-half apple-green/orange-brown lots/sets
being offered which seem to have come together?
Upon posting this - it's changes again! Colours are less of a 'set-in-stone' now and apparently the Canada-marked are Canada-issued, the opposite of two years ago . . . like I said, draw your own conclusions it'll likely have changed again in two years time!
The Marx/Rado-Ri
Toys/Marksmen set, from the top-left to the bottom-right;
- · Robin Hood
- · An unnamed 'Merry-Man'
- · Main Marian
- · Friar Tuck
- · Sheriff of Nottingham
- · Little John . . .
- · . . . and three more unnamed Merry Men.
I am missing the four 'adjusted poses' from
the original 60mm set which are on Kent Specher's site here (just over half-way down the page), but my 'guy blowing
horn' seems to be my only Marx
original - the more astute of you will have noticed he had some 'work-done'
half-way through preparing the articles - he's as brittle as hell!
The Rubenstein-via-Canada-whoever
set was a fourteen count - with the missing archer now in the Antipodean line-up
below (see note on next post), these are the slightly finer-detailed of the two
sets, but really only noticeable in the thickness of weapon-handles/bow-strings
and other thin elements.
Base markings are on one or two circular depressions
and are also reading from top-left to bottom-right are thus;
- · Canada / Robin Hood
- · Maid Marian Canada (single ring)
- · Friar Tuck / Canada
- · Canada / Sheriff of Nottingham
- · Little John / Canada
- · Minstrel / Canada
- · [large release-pin mark but no text]
- · Canada / [blank]
- · [blank] / Canada
- · Canada / [blank]
- · [blank] / Canada
- · [blank] / Canada
- · [blank] / Canada
- [other 'Will Scarlet' archer unknown]
The new kids on the block! An apparent set
of twelve poses; the Canadian 'Nottingham has seemingly gone 'walkabout' (with
a teenage Jenny Agutter?. . . Who wouldn't?) along with the
falling-back/sitting guy, who Glenn suggested might be hiding in a tree, which
I thought was a lovely idea. Glenn hasn't seen them Down Under and I don't know
if the two were part of that issue?
Again - left-to-right, top-to-bottom
- · Robin Hood
- · Maid Marion
- · Little John
- · Will Scarlet
- · Alan-a-Dale
- · Friar Tuck
- · Much the Miller
- · Will Stutley
- · Derwent
- · Quentin
- · Timothy
- · Archer
They are all named with the exception of
'Archer', understanding - of course - that the modern surname (much encountered in
Borsetshire!) is based on the old occupational title!
One should also note that while the
Canadian set carries a scaled-down version of the Marx 54mm Main Marian (as the whole set is copied from the Marx 54mm set), the Australian/New
Zealand issue uses a new pose as Marion - which I've seen credited to
the Marx 60mm 'Richard Green' TV
tie-in set's version, but she seems to be actually a wholly new sculpt.
The Ri-Toys
packaging; Marksmen used a variety of
their own header cards and the guys who ruined the market by going direct to Ri-Toys (Rado Industries would only sell in large quantities) sold loose. Note
the additional colours (over my sample) of red, blue and white figures. They
only seem to have carried the nine poses, not the 'conversions', so a separate
tool for the other four?
I can't find anything on the Australian/New
Zealand end, or - at least - not on-line; there's nothing on Astronit and
nothing on Crater Critters, so I'm assuming we have Mr. Sibbald to thank for
bringing them to us as 'new to hobby' or 'new to Internet'. Cheers Glenn!
