Fantastic Plastic - Science Fiction

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-lighted 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 11 more feature films and four 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 the venerable Walt Disney's.

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.

Click Photos to Enlarge

VALLEY FORGE FROM "SILENT RUNNING" (1972)

EAGLE ONE FROM "SPACE: 1999" (SYNDICATED 1975-1977)

HAWK FIGHTER FROM "SPACE: 1999" (SYNDICATED 1975-1977)

IMPERIAL STAR DESTROYER FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)

ESCAPE POD FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)

C-3PO FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)

R2-D2 FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)

DARTH VADER FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)

IMPERIAL TIE FIGHTERS FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)

JAWA SANDCRAWLER FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)

T-16 "SKYHOPPER' FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)

DEATH STAR FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)

MILLENNIUM FALCON FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)

X-WING FIGHTER FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)

Y-WING FIGHTER FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)

TIE FIGHTER ADVANCED FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)

TIE X-1 FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)

STARSHIP LIABE FROM "MESSAGE FROM SPACE" (1978)

GALAXY RUNNER FROM "MESSAGE FROM SPACE" (1978)

SPACE STATION FROM "BATTLE OF THE PLANETS" (1978)

GALACTICA FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA" (ABC-TV 1978-1979)

VIPER FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA" (ABC-TV 1978-1979)

COLONIAL VIPER MK. 1 LAUNCH BAY DIORAMA FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA" (ABC-TV 1978-1979)

RAIDER FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA" (ABC-TV 1978-1979)

CYLON BASESTAR FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA" (ABC-TV 1978-1979)

MINERAL SHIP FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA" (ABC-TV 1978-1979)

PRISON BARGE FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA" (ABC-TV 1978-1980)

EASTERN ALLIANCE "STAZI-CLASS" DESTROYER FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA" (ABC-TV 1978-1980)

RANGER 3 FROM "BUCK ROGERS " (NBC-TV 1979-1981)

STARFIGHTER FROM "BUCK ROGERS " (NBC-TV 1979-1981)

EARTH DIRECTORATE THUNDERFIGHTER FROM "BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY" (NBC-TV 1979-81)

DRACONIAN MARAUDER FROM "BUCK ROGERS" (NBC-TV 1979-1981)

PRINCESS ARDALA'S LAUNCH FROM "BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY" (NBC-TV 1979-1981)

CYGNUS FROM "THE BLACK HOLE" (1979)

LIBERATOR (COMET MODELS) FROM "BLAKE'S 7" (BBC 1987-1991)

U.S.S. ENTERPRISE FROM "STAR TREK - THE MOTION PICTURE" (1979)

KLINGON K'T'INGA-CLASS CRUISER FROM "STAR TREK - TMP" (1979)

DUAL BEE FROM "STAR TREK - THE MOTION PICTURE" (1979)

TRAVEL POD FROM "STAR TREK - THE MOTION PICTURE" (1979)

VULCAN WARP SHUTTLE FROM "STAR TREK - TMP" (1979)

DECLARATION-CLASS ENTERPRISE FROM "STAR TREK - TMP" (1979)

NARCISSUS FROM "ALIEN" (1979)

ALIEN FROM "ALIEN" (1979)

EDF RECON CRUISER FROM "STAR BLAZERS" (1979)

COSMO ZERO 52 FROM "STAR BLAZERS" (1979)

DESSLOCK'S COMMAND SHIP FROM "STARBLAZERS" (1979)

1900-1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s
1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s
2010s


VALLEY FORGE FROM "SILENT RUNNING" (1972)	EAGLE ONE FROM "SPACE: 1999" (SYNDICATED 1975-1977)	HAWK FIGHTER FROM "SPACE: 1999" (SYNDICATED 1975-1977)	IMPERIAL STAR DESTROYER FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)

ESCAPE POD FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)	C-3PO FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)	R2-D2 FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)	DARTH VADER FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)

IMPERIAL TIE FIGHTERS FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)	JAWA SANDCRAWLER FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)	T-16 "SKYHOPPER' FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)	DEATH STAR FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)

MILLENNIUM FALCON FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)	X-WING FIGHTER FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)	Y-WING FIGHTER FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)	TIE FIGHTER ADVANCED FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)

TIE X-1 FROM "STAR WARS" (1977)	STARSHIP LIABE FROM "MESSAGE FROM SPACE" (1978)	GALAXY RUNNER FROM "MESSAGE FROM SPACE" (1978)	SPACE STATION FROM "BATTLE OF THE PLANETS" (1978)

GALACTICA FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA" (ABC-TV 1978-1979)	VIPER FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA" (ABC-TV 1978-1979)	COLONIAL VIPER MK. 1 LAUNCH BAY DIORAMA FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA" (ABC-TV 1978-1979)	RAIDER FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA" (ABC-TV 1978-1979)

CYLON BASESTAR FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA" (ABC-TV 1978-1979)	MINERAL SHIP FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA" (ABC-TV 1978-1979)	PRISON BARGE FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA" (ABC-TV 1978-1980)	EASTERN ALLIANCE "STAZI-CLASS" DESTROYER FROM "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA" (ABC-TV 1978-1980)

RANGER 3 FROM "BUCK ROGERS " (NBC-TV 1979-1981)	STARFIGHTER FROM "BUCK ROGERS " (NBC-TV 1979-1981)	EARTH DIRECTORATE THUNDERFIGHTER FROM "BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY" (NBC-TV 1979-81)	DRACONIAN MARAUDER FROM "BUCK ROGERS" (NBC-TV 1979-1981)

PRINCESS ARDALA'S LAUNCH FROM "BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY" (NBC-TV 1979-1981)	CYGNUS FROM "THE BLACK HOLE" (1979)	LIBERATOR (COMET MODELS) FROM "BLAKE'S 7" (BBC 1987-1991)	U.S.S. ENTERPRISE FROM "STAR TREK - THE MOTION PICTURE" (1979)

KLINGON K'T'INGA-CLASS CRUISER FROM "STAR TREK - TMP" (1979)	DUAL BEE FROM "STAR TREK - THE MOTION PICTURE" (1979)	TRAVEL POD FROM "STAR TREK - THE MOTION PICTURE" (1979)	VULCAN WARP SHUTTLE FROM "STAR TREK - TMP" (1979)

DECLARATION-CLASS ENTERPRISE FROM "STAR TREK - TMP" (1979)	NARCISSUS FROM "ALIEN" (1979)	ALIEN FROM "ALIEN" (1979)	EDF RECON CRUISER FROM "STAR BLAZERS" (1979)

COSMO ZERO 52 FROM "STAR BLAZERS" (1979)	DESSLOCK'S COMMAND SHIP FROM "STARBLAZERS" (1979)