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August 2003 Archive

8/28/03 - Space 1999 Eagle Transporter
Picked up the latest edition of Diamond's Previews Catalog.  Two words:  Slim Pickens.  The only thing listed worth mentioning is this die-cast Eagle Transporter from the TV show Space 1999 (pictured above).  Here is the description:

Originally aired in 1975-1978, Space 1999 was classic science fiction television.  Although live-action, it was created and produced by Gerry (Thunderbirds) Anderson, so it contained some great models.  Foremost among them was the transporter ship Eagle.  This 12" die-cast toy is a detailed re-creation of that workhorse ship and comes complete with detachable pod.  Scheduled to ship in January 2004.  $65.00

8/28/03 - Simpsons Die-Cast on eBay
Apparently, Johnny Lightning's The Simpsons series is hitting stores now, judging by the auctions that have suddenly sprung up on eBay.  The photo above is from one such auction.  Try to find these in stores before caving in to the scalpers.  I believe I ordered a case through my local comic book store.  Hopefully, they'll arrive soon.

8/24/03 - OTHER Hot Wheels Batmobile
I found a nice close-up photo on eBay of the OTHER Hot Wheels Batmobile.  This one comes in a triple-pack of cheesy Batman cars.  I didn't realize until now that these HW Batmobiles started showing up on eBay in early August.  I haven't seen them at retail stores yet.

8/24/03 - New JL Dioramas Unveiled
Photos of Johnny Lightning's upcoming dioramas have turned up at Hobby Talk.  Tinywheels posted the photos that includes dioramas from Ghostbusters and The Love Bug.  Interesting side note:  The background depicts the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from the first Ghostbusters film, but the Ecto-1A in the diorama is from the second movie.  You can visit Hobby Talk by clicking on the link located in the right column of this website.

 

8/23/03 - Hot Wheels Batmobile Arrives!
Hooray!  Went to my local comic book store on Friday to pick up this week's loot, and Mike hands me the 100% Hot Wheels Batmobile from the 1989 film.  I have to tell you this thing is beautiful.  It's a must-have for any TV and movie car collector.  Unfortunately, I thought I had ordered a CASE, but it seems I only ordered one.  Click here to check out the pics.

Update:  Bonus!  I just found out it actually fits in my display case.  The ERTL version was too big.  Thanks Hot Wheels!  You heard my prayers!

8/20/03 - Batman "Shields Up!"
Aha! I was right.  In an earlier post, I mentioned that Diamond's Previews Catalog was soliciting a Hot Wheels Batmobile 2-pack called "Shields Up" but showed a photo of the Batmobile from Batman Forever.  Well, I found a pic of the "Shields Up" 2-pack and it does indeed include the Batmobile from the FIRST film with and without shields.  I found the pic at www.1stopdiecast.com where you can pre-order the item if you'd like.

8/18/03 - Charlie's Angels Van in Stores
Reader Metro Privratsky sent me pics of the Racing Champions Charlie's Angels van.  It's similar to the vintage van made by Corgi Jr., but for some reason, they decided to go with black.  It actually looks pretty cool.  Metro placed the van next to the Hazzard County Sewer Van for comparison.  Thanks Metro.  Visit the Charlie's Angels page for more pics.

8/13/03 - James Bond Exhibit at The Henry Ford
The good folks at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan were kind enough to let me come in to videotape their James Bond exhibit.  Greeting me at the entrance of the exhibit were three cars from Die Another Day.  I can't tell you what a thrill it was to see the Vanquish up-close with it's weapons exposed.  Inside was an innovative walk-through exhibit showcasing props, models, costumes and art from 40 years of Bond films.  It was also neat to see James Bond die-cast cars in the gift shop, including cars from Johnny Lightning and Corgi.  The exhibit will be at the museum through December 31.  I'll post more photos and info soon.  In the meantime, you can visit The Henry Ford's website:

http://www.hfmgv.org/museum/bond/default.asp

 

8/8/03 - Update to My Collection
I'm sure you've noticed the display of cars pictured in the top right corner of my website.  That is my personal collection of 1:64 TV and movie cars.  I've updated the photo to include some of the new releases I've picked up.  I know some of the cars are hard to see, so now if you click on the pic, you will get an enlarged pic followed by a list of cars in the display.  Keep in mind that the cars in my display represent cars from films or TV shows that I've personally enjoyed from childhood through adulthood.  I started out with a display that held 24 cars.  Soon, I expanded to 36.  The display you see now holds 70 cars (plus 5 along the top) and now even THAT is getting too small.  It pains me to remove a car to add a new one.  I've been looking into picking up a 100-car display.  I'll post pictures when I decide to go that route.  Until then, enjoy.

8/8/03 - ERTL/RC Munsters Koach Re-Released
I came across a new find at Target today.  It seems ERTL has re-released the Munsters Koach as part of its Racing Champions line, but this time they've included a mini Herman Munster figure.  I also spotted a Custom Mercury with a Grandpa Munster figure.  The back of the package says to keep an eye out for cars that include figures of Lily, Eddie and Marilyn.  Click here to see pics of Herman and Grandpa and their hot rods.

8/4/03 - An All-New Q&A for August
I have once again selected 5 questions to tackle in Q&A.  This month's subjects include:  Swordfish, Grease, ERTL, Bullitt and a desperate search for Dean Jeffries.  Please keep the e-mails coming.  If I don't know the answer, I really enjoy tracking down the information for you.  Check out this month's Q&A.

8/3/03 - Would You Believe ...
.... Maxwell Smart also drove a VW Karman Ghia, a '69 Opel GT and a Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet???  The red Sunbeam Tiger (shown above) was used during the opening credits of Get Smart during the first and second seasons of the series, and the car Johnny Lightning chose to include as part of Hollywood on Wheels 4.  But to see stills of all the other cars Agent 86 drove during the series' run, visit:

 http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Underground/9798/gslocation.htm

For other interesting Get Smart tidbits and info, visit:

 http://www.wouldyoubelieve.com/faq.html.

8/3/03 - Let's Compare, Shall We?
Just for fun, I decided to compare the Johnny Lightning Ecto-1A from the Frightning Lightning series (top) to the Ecto-1A from the Hollywood on Wheels series (bottom).  As you can see, there are not too many differences.  The major difference, of course, is the wheels.  I actually preferred the original car, so that's the one that remains in my display case.