Science Fiction - 1970s
The first half of the 1970's was a fallow period for Science Fiction modeling. The Irwin Allen shows had all been cancelled. "Star Trek" lived -- but only in syndication. "2001: A Space Odyssey" had set the SPFX bar so high that no other movie-maker even attempted to hurdle it. We'd been to the moon, found nothing but a dead rock, and decided we'd rather turn our attention to aerobics and disco dancing. Mid-decade, there was brief hope for the genre with the 1975 debut of Gerry Anderson's "Space: 1999," but despite some cool-looking Kubrick-inspired spaceships (courtesy of "2001"-veteran Brian Johnson), the show had about as much impact as a dry spitwad.
And then, on May 25th, 1977, a modest $9 million homage to "Flash Gordon" as channeled through Joseph Campbell debuted in 35 theaters across the United States. Directed by "American Graffiti" creator George Lucas and featuring something called "motion-controlled" special effects courtesy of John Dykstra, "Star Wars" blew a hole in entertainment's space-time continuum so large that its reverberations continue to be felt to this very day.
"Star Wars'" Big Bang flung sci-fi's floodgates wide open. With dollar signs gleaming in its corporate eyes, Universal Pictures-TV immediately green-lit producer Glen A. Larson's "Adama's Ark" pitch, now re-titled "Battlestar Galactica." Over the Hollywood Hills at Paramount, where the 79 original "Star Trek" episodes had become its proverbial "Crown Jewels," the studio bosses deep-sixed their proposed "Star Trek Phase II" TV series and instead poured $40 million into the big screen "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," setting the stage for what would become 13 more feature films and five additional prime-time series (at last count).
As for Mr. Lucas, he immediately re-invested his "Star Wars" profits in his own studio, special effects company, two sequels and a merchandising empire that would quickly grow to become second only to Walt Disney's -- which ultimately bought Lucas' out to the tune of $4 billion in 2012.
Vehicles from virtually all of these movies and TV series became immortalized in injection-molded polystyrene, courtesy of AMT, MPC and Monogram.
For Fantastic Plastic modelers, The Force was indeed with us.
And then, on May 25th, 1977, a modest $9 million homage to "Flash Gordon" as channeled through Joseph Campbell debuted in 35 theaters across the United States. Directed by "American Graffiti" creator George Lucas and featuring something called "motion-controlled" special effects courtesy of John Dykstra, "Star Wars" blew a hole in entertainment's space-time continuum so large that its reverberations continue to be felt to this very day.
"Star Wars'" Big Bang flung sci-fi's floodgates wide open. With dollar signs gleaming in its corporate eyes, Universal Pictures-TV immediately green-lit producer Glen A. Larson's "Adama's Ark" pitch, now re-titled "Battlestar Galactica." Over the Hollywood Hills at Paramount, where the 79 original "Star Trek" episodes had become its proverbial "Crown Jewels," the studio bosses deep-sixed their proposed "Star Trek Phase II" TV series and instead poured $40 million into the big screen "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," setting the stage for what would become 13 more feature films and five additional prime-time series (at last count).
As for Mr. Lucas, he immediately re-invested his "Star Wars" profits in his own studio, special effects company, two sequels and a merchandising empire that would quickly grow to become second only to Walt Disney's -- which ultimately bought Lucas' out to the tune of $4 billion in 2012.
Vehicles from virtually all of these movies and TV series became immortalized in injection-molded polystyrene, courtesy of AMT, MPC and Monogram.
For Fantastic Plastic modelers, The Force was indeed with us.
SHADO MOON HOPPER FROM "UFO"
(1970) Fantastic Plastic 1:72 |
VALLEY FORGE FROM "SILENT RUNNING"
(1972) Garage Kit N/A |
EAGLE TRANSPORTER FROM "SPACE: 1999"
(1975-77) MPC 1:72 |
HAWK FIGHTER FROM "SPACE: 1999"
(1975-77) Airfix 1:72 |
IMPERIAL STAR DESTROYER FROM "STAR WARS - EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE"
(1977) MPC 1:4200 |
IMPERIAL STAR DESTROYER FROM "STAR WARS - EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE"
(1977) Bandai 1:5000 |
ESCAPE POD FROM "STAR WARS - EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE"
(1977) Fantastic Plastic 1:48 |
C3PO FROM "STAR WARS - EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE"
(1977) MPC 1:8 |
R2D2 FROM "STAR WARS - EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE"
(1977) MPC 1:8 |
DARTH VADER FROM "STAR WARS - EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE"
(1977) MPC 1:8 |
JAWA SANDCRAWLER FROM "STAR WARS - EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE"
(1977) Fantastic Plastic 1:144 |
IMPERIAL TIE FIGHTERS FROM "STAR WARS - EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE"
(1977) AMT/ERTL 1:51 |
INCOM T-16 SKYHOPPER FROM "STAR WARS - EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE"
(1977) Darkstar 1:72 |
DEATH STAR FROM "STAR WARS - EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE"
(1977) AMT/ERTL 1:1,000,000,000 |
MILLENNIUM FALCON FROM "STAR WARS - EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE"
(1977) MPC 1:72 |
X-WING FIGHTER FROM "STAR WARS - EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE"
(1977) MPC 1:42 |
Y-WING FIGHTER FROM "STAR WARS - EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE"
(1977) MPC 1:89 |
DARTH VADER'S TIE X-1 ADVANCED FROM "STAR WARS - EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE"
(1977) MPC 1:36 |
DARTH VADER'S TIE X-1 ADVANCED FROM "STAR WARS - EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE"
(1977) Fantastic Plastic 1:72 |
STARSHIP LIABE FROM "MESSAGE FROM SPACE"
(1978) Entex 1:160 |
GALAXY RUNNER FROM "MESSAGE FROM SPACE"
(1978) Entex 1:48 |
SPACE STATION FROM "BATTLE OF THE PLANETS"
(1978) Entex N/A |
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA"
(1978-1979) Monogram 1:4169 |
COLONIAL VIPER FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA"
(1978-1979) Monogram 1:32 |
COLONIAL VIPER MK.1 LAUNCH BAY DIORAMA FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA"
(1978-1979) Fantastic Plastic 1:72 |
CYLON RAIDER FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA"
(1978-1979) Monogram N/A |
CYLON BASESTAR FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA"
(1978-1979) Monogram N/A |
MINERAL SHIP FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA"
(1978-1979) Avery Model Products 1:4457 |
EASTERN ALLIANCE STAZI-CLASS DESTROYER FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA"
(1978-1979) Fantastic Plastic 1:288 |
PRISON BARGE AKA "THE ASTRAL QUEEN" FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA"
(1978-1979) TimeSlip Creations 1:4100 |
RANGER 3 FROM "BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY"
(1979-81) Fantastic Plastic 1:48 |
EARTH DEFENSE THUNDERFIGHTER FROM "BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY"
(1979-81) Monogram 1:48 |
EARTH DEFENSE THUNDERFIGHTER FROM "BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY"
(1979-81) Fantastic Plastic 1:72 |
DRACONIAN MARAUDER FROM "BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY"
(1979-81) Monogram 1:48 |
PRINCESS ARDALA'S LAUNCH FROM "BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY"
(1979-81) Fantastic Plastic 1:72 |
HAWK FIGHTER FROM "BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY"
(1979-81) Fantastic Plastic 1:72 |
CYGNUS FROM "THE BLACK HOLE"
(1979) MPC 1:4225 |
LIBERATOR FROM "BLAKE'S 7"
(1978-81) Comet Miniatures N/A |
U.S.S. ENTERPRISE FROM "STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE"
(1979) AMT 1:650 |
U.S.S. ENTERPRISE FROM "STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE"
(1979) Bandai 1:850 |
KLINGON K'TINGA-CLASS BATTLE CRUISER FROM "STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE"
(1979) AMT 1:650 |
DUAL BEE FROM "STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE"
(1979) ACENG 1:48 |
TRAVEL POD FROM "STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE"
(1979) Larson Designs 1:32 |
VULCAN WARP SHUTTLE FROM "STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE"
(1979) AMT 1:220 |
DECLARATION-CLASS ENTERPRISE FROM "STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE"
(1979) Fantastic Plastic 1:350 |
NARCISSUS ESCAPE CRAFT FROM "ALIEN"
(1979) Halcyon 1:114 |
ALIEN WARRIOR FROM "ALIEN"
(1979) MPC 1:10 |
EDF PATROL SHIP AVATAR FROM "STARBLAZERS"
(1979) Bandai 1:360 |
COSMO ZERO 52 STARFIGHTER FROM "STARBLAZERS"
(1979) Bandai 1:360 |
DESSLOK'S NEW COMMAND SHIP FROM "STARBLAZERS"
(1979) Bandai 1:360 |