1998 Cosmic Correspondence Archive

March 1998

From Beth Flood (3/20/98):

I am Lyn Osborn's sister. Both Lyn and I were born in Wichita Falls, TX, he in 1926, and me in 1924. We had no other siblings, and grew up in Michigan, after leaving Texas in 1929. I have the space ship model, Terra V (held by Ed in the first photo on your Space Patrol page), and it is displayed on my living room wall, along with a big painting of the crew, that Lyn originally owned. Down in the right corner of the painting is "VALENTINE"--- it's not a signature, but I assume it was the painter's name.

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From Allen Harris (3/23/98):

The communicators on the belt of the Space Cadets are called audiophones. Buzz Corry held the rank Commander, not Commander in Chief.... I think Captain Video had a light blue uniform with yellow lightning bolt trimmed in red. I saw Al Hodge in person (in uniform) in a movie theater in Philadelphia around 1954.... I think the Space Patrol uniforms are red and gray. I met Ed Kemmer (in uniform) in a department store in Philadelphia around 1953. He was not wearing his usual uniform, but a spare uniform (that had red and grey interchanged).

The Space Patrol helmet sold in department stores for $5. I bought one and I still have it. Originally it had a vinyl inflatable part with small air tanks, a neck ring, and tubes that went into the sides of the helmet near the ears. I thought this vinyl part was ridiculous, and I modified the helmet to look more like a Space Cadet helmet.

Captain Video was not originally a space show, but a [high-tech] crime fighting show. In the early segments that I saw they did not leave earth.... In one of his first space flights, they went to the moon. They wore bulky white coveralls and WWII gas masks. I know, because I also had one of those masks, with carbon cannister on the bottom, that I picked up for 19 cents. Much later I remember they wore rectangular helmets that were wider on top than on the bottom. The transparent windows were flat. I made a similar helmet out of cardboard and cellophane.

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From Beth Flood (3/23/98):

Regarding the color of the Space Patrol uniforms, the men's were orangish-red and green, Tonga's was green and grey, Carol's was red and white. These are the colors on the painting, and I also have color snapshots taken in the 50s. Lyn (Bud to his family) sent SP uniforms (dresses) to our oldest 3 daughters, and they were red and white, like Carol's. The girls wore them on our visit to the big Space Ship when it was in our little town in Michigan. Bud also sent plastic space helmets and other stuff, but almost everything was disposed of when we moved from Michigan in 1959.

[SpacEditor's note: (4/4/98). The only color TV appearance of Ed Kemmer in uniform that I have seen depicts a red and grey uniform, like the one described by Allen Harris. The two Space Patrol comics have painted covers that show red and green uniforms. Jean-Noel Bassior has one of Cadet Happy's tunics, which is orangish-red and deep ("forest") green. Chuck Lassen recently obtained some color snapshots taken on the SPACE PATROL set circa 1953; they show Tonga's outfit as greyish green, with white blouse, Carol's red with white blouse, and the three Space Patrol officers have deep reddish outfits (the shade seems to match Carol's outfit), with black or very dark green trim. Black and white photos I have collected over the years show at least three different designs for the uniforms, however, and it is quite possible that the color schemes were different from season to season, as well. Adding to the confusion, the uniforms worn by the cast in personal appearances were spares--- so that the wardrobe uniforms worn on the TV shows could be kept clean--- and these spare uniforms often differed from the TV uniforms, not only in color and cut, but even in overall design. So it is quite possible that, except in the case of TOM CORBETT, SPACE CADET, where the same uniforms were used throughout the series, there is no correct answer to the question of "what color were the uniforms?" worn on SPACE PATROL and CAPTAIN VIDEO.]

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From Chuck Lassen (4/8/98):

Here is something you may wish to add: In the letter I recently received from Ed Kemmer, he answered my question as to uniform colors as follows:

"We had several uniforms over the five years. One I remember...the jacket was red with contrasting green and the trousers were green with a red stripe. In the enclosed photo, the jacket was red with a gray contrast....the trousers...?..sorry, too long ago.

So I believe everything you have written [above] about the colors is correct.

[SpacEditor's note: (4/11/98). The remarks by Allen Harris about the early days of Captain Video refer back to a question I have been pondering on and off for more than 15 years. Exactly when did Captain Video get his own space ship? I have three episodes on video tape from the first season of Captain Video (1949-50). In one of these episodes, that I call "Dancing Bears of Shang-Hai," Video and the Ranger are in Shanghai trying to thwart a bank-robbing scheme of Dr. Pauli. In another episode, "The Sparrow Strikes," the Ranger and a comical sidekick have been dispatched to South America in a rocket plane, while unbeknownst to them a mad scientist called The Sparrow is creating storms in their path with an infernal machine. But in the third episode, which is the most widely available on video tape, the Captain and Ranger are on a distant planet attending a peace conference setting terms for an aggressor planet, Tiersen. Their host Permes Lykos makes clear in his dialogue that they have used transportation provided by the host planet to reach the conference.

[Based on this evidence, I would guess that in the first season, the Captain had no space ship of his own, and that his first space ship was a feature of the show's 2nd season (Fall 1950 to Fall 1951). This is plausible because the 2nd season began with a new Captain Video (Al Hodge), new uniforms, a new headquarters set, vand a new opening sequence, which showed the secret headquarters of the Captain perched on the very top of a mountain peak, instead of on the side as in the Richard Coogan days. Furthermore, in the new opening, the Captain was explicitly described as "Master of Space!" My best guess is that the Captain started using his first Galaxy space ship in September of 1950, and his first voyage was to the moon, as recalled by Allen Harris after an incredible nearly 50 years gone by.

[I have two Al Hodge episodes from about 1950-51 on video tape. In these days there were no special effects, but both episodes do feature the Galaxy control deck set I remember so well from these days, and sketched in my self-drawn comic books of 1951, as well as a second space ship control deck for the space ship operated by the bad guys.

[It is interesting that the Captain Video comic books published in 1951 reflect the "high tech crime fighting" days of the Captain, rather than his later space adventure days. I wonder if a scriptwriter from the first season, no longer actively writing TV scripts, was assigned to do these comic stories? The Captain Video movie serial, also from 1951, but prepared in late 1950, is firmly oriented toward outer space adventure, with the Captain piloting his own space ship to two distant planets.]

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From Jan Merlin ("Roger Manning") (4/8/98):

Chuck Lassen was kind enough to keep me posted on your imaginative efforts ["WHEN PARALLEL WORLDS COLLIDE"].... Needless to say, I was vastly amused and hope you will continue to publish more of the same on your website... something I fear I am not able to view myself since I have stubbornly resisted the modern age and refuse to own a computer.

I was particularly taken by the quality of the scripting.... You caught the characters very well... each being brought to life as they were on your ancient TV screen... and the sly humor throughout was right on the mark. (I wish you had mentioned something about the antenna atop each of our plastic bubble helmets... actually one of those rubber attachments for faucets to create a spray stream.) I still treasure one of the office binder clips from that bit of space equipment, which kept both halves of the helmet from parting to allow our Venusian atmosphere in...

Frank Thomas and I once appeared in Memphis a couple of years ago... and brought along a radio script to recreate an old show for the fans. Ed Kemmer of SPACE PATROL was there too, but preferred to watch us rather than take part. I think he enjoyed the show as much as we did, since we recruited local people to play the other roles. It was the first time I had ever met Ed Kemmer and I liked him instantly. I wish we had known one another earlier.

A later opportunity for the fans of TCSC came in October of 1993, when the FRIENDS OF OLD TIME RADIO held their convention in Newark, NJ. They assembled the ENTIRE cast of the show to do a recreation [of a TCSC radio program] for them... and it was the first time in 43 years that we had seen each other. You'll no doubt see photos of that occasion on the Ed Pippin website for TOM CORBETT [eventually], I think Chuck has [them] ready for one of his photo book displays. Those pictures, which I had my wife take of us, show the three Space Cadets and their stalwart Captain Strong as they are today.

Many thanks for your witty treatment of us all...

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From Richard Sparks (5/10/98):

Thanks for the memories of childhood, and clearing up some of the things I've wondered about since then. My brother and I sent away for the Captain Video space helmets. Jaded by the quality of most of the toys that came via special offers, I was blown away by these incredibly neat items--- much finer than the dinky Viking rockets, with launcher, that we'd sent away for. When we got the helmets, we tore outside to play with them and encountered the redneck family down the street. Grandpa Redneck said, "Whut kind of hats is them?" My recollection is that Captain Video finally did away with the helmet issue entirely by developing the Force Field Helmet. I was in love with Princess Aurora, one of the characters, I believe, who passed through the world of Captain Video.

[SpacEditor's note: To the best of my recollection, Princess Aurora had a Princess Leia-Han Solo-type relationship with tall, dark, handsome Prince Spartak of the Black Planet (Grant Sullivan). Adding this attractive couple to the program was an obvious effort to increase the percentage of teenage girls in the viewing audience. And, of course, teenage boys didn't object to the presence of the lovely, feisty Aurora!]

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From Richard Sparks (5/10/98):

Your recollection of the princess is in agreement with mine. I have a trace memory that the actress was named Georgeann Johnson. My mother, who was a decent artist, did me a painting, now long gone, of the character.

Another odd recollection is that Tobor had the name lettered on his "person" and the R was backward.

Evidently, you have better specific memories of the plots of these shows than I do. I'm 54 years old; maybe you just paid better attention. Both my parents were heavily into science fiction reading, and enjoyed Capt. Video and Tom Corbett; they particularly liked to laugh about the budget special effects. I remember Space Patrol, which they thought was junk, but also think perhaps something I liked better was on in competition---Smilin' Ed's Gang, maybe.

Jan Merlin was the only name of a principal character, other than Al Hodge, that I remembered of all the casts. This was because in my young life I had not encountered before a male named Jan. I'm sure much of what was done to put those shows on was invented as they went along. I hope he shares a little of just what that job was like and you can pass it on.

Incidently, my brother and I shared in one of those Marx Space Academy play sets. Since my youth was not characterized by lavish gifts, it never occurred to me to reflect it might have been expensive or perhaps lusted after by kids in other parts of the country. I guess I just thought it was kind of a logical extension to those lithographed stamped steel service stations (with elevators) that most boys seemed to have in those days. I don't know but what there may be a few tiny extraterrestrial figurines or pea-sized space helmets layered in with the rest of the junk in the basement.

I also got a kick out of the memory of the plastic car kits. We used a Zippo lighter to mushroom the axle ends--heat source and forming tool in one unit. And my one buddy used to pack his plastic airplanes with strike-anywhere match heads and stuff in a length of Jetex fuse to light before chucking them out the third floor window. It's a wonder that house is still standing.

[SpacEditor's note: One version of the Tobor story is that what was supposed to appear on Tobor's chest was ROBOT 1, but when the mighty robot saw himself in a mirror he thought his chest proclaimed his name, "I TOBOR." This doesn't explain why the R (and probably the B as well) was backward, however.]

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From Chuck Lassen (5/11/98):

I remember the story behind the backwards lettering on Tobor's chest! You are correct in that he was the first of his kind, built at the "Evil Robot Factory"--- it was explained that the last step on the assembly line was to have his designation, "Robot 1", stenciled on his chest. The worker, for whatever reason, (perhaps too much "Jupiter Joy Juice" the night before), applied the stencil BACKWARDS, hence the backward lettering, which led to the title of the first series of related episodes, "I, Tobor".

[SpacEditor's note: This makes better sense than any other explanation I have seen in print concerning Tobor's confusion about his name. Unsolved is the question of how Tobor knew what was printed on his chest, unless he did look in a mirror, in which case he would have thought his name was Robot 1! Tobor seems to have been the most popular character on CAPTAIN VIDEO, apart from the Captain and the Ranger themselves. I recall that Russell and Haberstroh made a film of a model Tobor (which did not match the full size Tobor at all!) standing on a desolate asteroid. At the end of nearly every daily program for weeks, this film would be shown while the announcer intoned that Tobor would soon be having new adventures, and Video Rangers should be careful not to miss a single broadcast! In one later adventure, a crook stole the plans for Tobor and constructed a duplicate, different enough in appearance that the kids could tell them apart. Naturally at the climax, Tobor, now working for the Video Rangers, took on the other robot in a fearful battle.]

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From Allen Harris (5/12/98):

TO: Chuck Lassen, Ed Pippin, Roaring Rockets
RE: Space Cadet uniforms.

I don't know what Jan Merlin and Frankie Thomas told you about the uniform colors, but you got it wrong. I saw Frankie Thomas in person in his uniform around 1952 and I was very surprised by some of the colors in the uniform. I always thought the circle in the insignia was red and it was red in comic books, comic strip, and view master slides. In person it was a dark blue. The dark yoke worn by cadets, but not by Solar Guards, was magenta. The studs on the collar and sleeve cuffs were a silver color, not gold as you have them. The general color of the uniform and collar was more or less correct.

Maybe you can get Frankie Thomas to send a color picture of the uniform that he still has.

[SpacEditor's note: Having Frankie send a photo sounds like by far the best way to resolve this ongoing puzzle! We'd love to see a shot of him, in uniform, taken in 1998.

SPACE FLASH!

Our Space SOS has been answered! Look in the Space Gallery to see these priceless photos.]

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From Marcus Couch (5/16/98):

Enjoyed your web page very much. I was fortunate enough to have been a fan of all the early 1950s space-adventure TV programs. I really enjoyed every one of them, after the day Dad brought home a little 7 inch picture tube Philco TV set so we had TV. I was interested in Captain Video memorabilia. Does anyone know what became of the miniature rocketship used in the special effects of Captain Video? I would love to have a good picture of it. Special effects for Captain Video in the last years of broadcast were very good, even state-of-the-art by today's standards. Noted science fiction writer Authur C. Clarke wrote for Captain Video and actor Ernest Borgnine (McHale's Navy) appeared. If by chance anyone has still photos of Captain Video and the Video Ranger and the Rocketship and would like to make a copy to sell, I would be interested in purchasing a copy.

[SpacEditor's note: So would we all! Contact Marcus directly at videoranger@webtv.net .]

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From George Carlisle (5/21/98):

What a great, memory-filled website you have for all us boomers. My goodness, were the dreams better than the reality? I suppose in some ways. But isn't it the most wonderful era to have lived through to see how those dreams became reality. I often wished while growing up in the 50s that I'd been born about 100 years later. Now, I know I've been fortunate to live when I did. Thanks for the memories of futures that once were.

Incidentally, Jack McKirgan mentions the availability of his plastic model kits at $15, but doesn't give any information about how to order them. I would love to have some of these. Also, I'd like to get a kit of the LUNA from DESTINATION MOON. Has anyone ever offered a kit of the winged Mars ship from another George Pal classic CONQUEST OF SPACE?

[SpacEditor's note: Contact Jack directly at his e-mail address, mckirgan@qn.net, for ordering information. I have never seen a kit of the Mars ship from CONQUEST OF SPACE; has anyone else? There have been Luna kits around since about 1990; Lunar Models of Texas made one back in 1992. Perhaps Jack McKirgan knows of a current source.]

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From Al Javel (5/30/98):

About 15 years ago Channel 5 in New York City braodcast a special about the history of the Dumont Network, called "40 years of Fine Tuning." Of course they included some reminiscences about the good Captain and his show, and Don Hastings, the Video Ranger, showed off his uniform. On my video tape of this show you can see that the uniform is gray, and the lightning bolt is gold with red trim. There is a red elastic waistband below. From my one video of the Al Hodge CV, he is wearing a helmet that for the life of me looks like it started out as a leather football helmet, a kind of product that had recently been made obsolete by the plastic kind and which, for considerations of price, would have made it fair game for the CV wardrobe department. Thanks for guarding the safety and freedom of the universe as we know it.

[SpacEditor's update: We have some photos, taken by Jan Merlin, of Frank holding one of the incredible Tom Corbett action figures hand-made by Allan Cohen. Jack McKirgan tells us that his model kits for the Space Patrol X-100 battle cruiser and Captain Video's Galaxy II (that one I have to have!!!) will be ready soon, and that he is also working on a revised Polaris, the Luna from George Pal's DESTINATION MOON, and the Von Braun Mars glider as depicted in the famous COLLIERS series.]

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From Charles J. Drapo (6/21/98):

My mom, Peggy Brooks Drapo, was a first cousin to Lyn and Beth. She, too, grew up in Wichita Falls, Tx and moved to Michigan during the Depression. I watched Space Patrol as a little boy and your site brings back fond memories. Cadet Happy and Space Patrol live forever in my memory as heroes!

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From Mager Thom (6/29/98)

I was born and raised in NYC 40's to late 50's. Visited CV studio. Mother knew one of the actors (can't remember name-- civilian character, with thin mustache and dark rimmed glasses); cockpit was plywood with aluminum paint-- pretty crude but cool.

Premium ring that was a film strip viewer? Maybe, never saw it. Either people are misremembering, misinterpreting, or I had a version that no one has seen. About the length of a quarter (roughly), it was grey and yellow --- I think--- was a whistle, also made small contact prints by holding up to the sun. Had a clear canopy lens. Anybody ever seen this model?

Do you have knowledge of somebody who has a collection of CV premiums? I would like to confirm the existence of the above. Any help would be appreciated.

Please feel free to post my inquiry. I would very much like to find that sunlight printer ring. I have no idea what it might remotely be worth but I am prepared to pay whatever is fair (assuming I can afford the price!).

I also had a space helmet when I was young, I don't recall if it was a CV model. It was round clear plastic with a square opening in front (and maybe in the rear also). I think it had blue inflatable airtanks and shoulder cushion all in one piece. If it wasn't CV anybody know what brand it was? Also had a uniform or space suit that went with it but I don't remember what it looked like.

[SpacEditor's Note: Thom's e-mail address is thndrbrd@doitnow.com. The premium he remembers is called the Rocket Ring, and just as he says, it was a rocket-shaped ring, and it was a whistle, plus it printed negatives to paper using sunlight! Talk about something every kid needs! In 1990 these rings were selling for $50 - 200 depending on condition and state of original packaging. The space helmet and suit Thom had is of course the famous Space Patrol helmet and suit, with the crazy inflatable blue vinyl.]

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July 1998

From Jack McKirgan (7/12/98)

Thought you'd like to know that the X-100 Space Patrol Battlecruiser is now available. The next (and most exasperating) kit will be the Galaxy II.

Thanks.

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From Howard Bond (7/18/98):

I was surfing the web today and stumbled onto your Roaring Rockets site, and I just wanted to say thank you thank you thank you! You sure brought back a lot of old memories of Captain Video, Tom Corbett, and Space Patrol (my favorite, but I loved all three).

I was 10 years old in 1952. Those shows got me interested in space and astronomy, and today I am an astronomer working with the Hubble Space Telescope. Every now and then I have to pinch myself to realize we are actually operating a huge telescope up there in space, and that at least some of my crazy dreams of 1952 have come true.

[SpacEditor's note: It seems to me an inordinate number of children who watched the space adventure shows in 1950-55 went on to scientific or technical careers. I'm a physicist, my brother is an electrical engineer, Chuck Lassen, who helps me with the site, is an engineer, Allen Harris is an astronomer, etc., etc.]

Yes, indeed. I hope the guys and gals who are still with us who worked on those old shows are hearing about the tremendous influence they had!

Do you remember one other old TV show from those days, which I believe was called "Atom Squad" or something similar? I seem to recall it was on Mon thru Friday at about 5pm, but didn't last very long.

PS--it's amazing how many ancient memories came back as I read thru your web pages...the Space Patrol clear plastic space helmet (with the crummy vinyl hoses that popped after a week); the ray gun that you loaded with talcum powder; the Marx Space Academy set with the remarkably realistic miniature figures of the Space Cadets, with helmets the size of peas; the Archer Plastics V2 rocket; the Space Cadets marching song (most of whose words I can still recall); and so forth...

Howard Bond
Space Telescope Science Institute

[SpacEditor's note: For a while ATOM SQUAD was the only science-fiction-related children's show on the air, and I would have mentioned it before except that it lacked a space-travel-related theme. Yes, I watched it religiously too. It wasn't all that exciting; most story-lines involved the Atom Squad, a team of scientists who specialized in detecting and handling radiation, battling secret agents from Iron and Bamboo Curtain countries, who had some sinister radiation-related scheme. The hero was played by the brother of Don Hastings, who played the Video Ranger; they looked amazingly alike.]

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From Don Petkus (7/28/98):

In Origins, you made a point about the Flash Gordon influence on the design of horizontal spaceships like those in the Space Patrol and Commando Cody universes. You might want to consider the influence of the Bell X-1 flight by Chuck Yeager in 1947 when he broke the sound barrier for the first time. With the exception of wings, his plane looked quite a lot like the horizontal, non-V-2 designs. In the late 1940's, the X planes got a lot of publicity and newsreel time. The vapor trail left by Commando Cody's ship looked a lot like the rocket-powered X-plane's performance. Really enjoy what you've done with this site.

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From Jan Merlin (7/27/98):

OK, for the benefit of your website readers and Space Cadet fans, I am sending you the text of the official song of the Space Cadets:

From the rocket fields of the Academy,
To the far-flung stars of outer space,
We are Space Cadets training to be
Ready for dangers we may face.

We are Space Cadets, and we are proud to say,
Our fight for right will never cease.
Like a cosmic ray, we light the way
For Inter-planet peace!

The songwriter or lyricist is uncredited, and only Mitchell Miller is listed as conductor of the orchestra and chorus. The recording was issued by Simon and Schuster, Inc., on a Golden Record, R89 in 1951.

Those recordings are still to be found at collector shows. The one I have was marked on the cover with a 25 cent price tag by somebody ages ago. I hope it's worth more today! The record is titled TOM CORBETT SPACE CADET SONG and MARCH.

I got printouts from Ed Pippin of the Tom Corbett Viewmaster reel stuff... had never seen those before! Should be a fine addition to his site. I understand he's completely redoing it and will relaunch it in August as http://www.solarguard.com.

[SpacEditor's note: Jan also mentions he is baffled by the song's final line's use of "interplanet" instead of "interplanetary." I remember marvelling over this as a child, myself. The explanation is that the music has only 6 beats for that last line. As a child, I found it impossible to remember the second verse anyway! By the way, there is at least one more verse, and it goes

Up in the sky, rocketing past,
Higher than high, faster than fast,
Out into space, into the sun,
Look at her go when we give her the gun!

[It may be no surprise that the composer of these lyrics is unknown!

[Yes, Ed Pippin is doing amazing things on his Space Opera web site and, boys and girls, if you haven't checked it out lately, you should. It will be moving in early August to the new address mentioned by Jan. By the way, the "Mitchell Miller" referred to above is better known as Mitch Miller! Finally, Jan says he greatly appreciated the comments of Howard Bond (see above).]

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From James Greenberg (11/9/98):

Is there such a thing as a ROCKY JONES fan? I do have the fond but distant memories of a 7-yr old. Wasn't there a recurring villianess, the Suzerain of something or other? Don't I recall a trilogy where Rocky played Odysseus and suffered the vicissitudes of the Argonauts, including Space Sirens and a Cyclops?

I was sad that CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT didn't qualify for your list. I guess they never left earth. Still, I was a loyal Ovaltine drinker for many years.

But Powerhouse candy bars were my favorites. How else could one get a secret decoder ring?

Your site sure takes me back. I am reminded that I had a CAPTAIN VIDEO board game, and I couldn't wait to be a Safety Patrol crossing guard in the 5th grade because the white belt worked as the perfect prop for the antigravity device from the BUCK ROGERS serials when jumping off the back porch.

Thanks for the memories and greetings from Planet X.

[SpacEditor's note: The Suzerain was none other than Queen Cleolanta of Ophiucius, the recurring villainess of the series. I too was a crossing guard in 4th, 5th and even 6th grade, having a #ffffff web "Sam Browne" belt to display my badge of office. It is incredible, looking back on it, that 10-year-old kids were sent out to direct traffic! I don't recall any accidents, but today five or six kids would be run down by distracted soccer moms in their hellish, high sport utility vehicles within the first 10 minutes the kids were let out there. I had forgotten the device from the BUCK ROGERS serial that let Buster Crabbe and his sidekicks jump from the weird flatiron-shaped rocketships, or from the tops of buildings, without harm. It would have come in useful to all us kids!]

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From Chuck Lassen (11/10/98):

James Greenberg's note brought back a lot of memories for me, too.

I remember that Powerhouse sponsored several neat Captain Video premiums. One was a plastic gun that you loaded up with six rubber bands, and if you did everything just right and were very careful, you could shoot them off, one at a time, with each successive pull of the trigger. You could also launch a plastic jet airplane that came with it, as well. (Another toy that could never be sold today, due to the possibility of "injuring" someone, alas.)

Then there was the great Captain Video space helmet--- does anyone remember if it was a Powerhouse premium, or a different sponsor who offered it? It was one of the neatest space toys of all, in my opinion!

I clearly remember enjoying "Rocky Jones", (I'm a few years older than James) but I don't remember the plot details as well as you and James. The names are coming back to me as I read more about it on this site. I do remember the plots being a lot more convoluted than Tom Corbett or Space Patrol, and were really more "intrigue" plots than they were "space action" plots.

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From Lee Parten (11/27/98):

Loved your site! The design is very nice, and visually attractive. Full of good information, too. I am 33 years old, so the only way I've seen these shows is on video tape, and I collect as many as I can get my hands on. "Space Patrol" is my favorite, and I "discovered" it on USA's "Night Flight" program years ago.

By the way, I'm well under 40, and I love old Movie serials. The first "Flash Gordon", "The Adventures Of Captain Marvel", "Phantom Empire" and "Secret Service In Darkest Africa" ( aka "Manhunt In The African Jungle" ) are particular favorites of mine. See? a few of us "young 'uns" still pick this stuff up from time to time! :)

Take care.

Lee

(Space Cadets are directed to My Marvel Scrapbook and Pulp Stories for debriefing.)

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From Bob Pickwoad (11/29/98):

Hi,

I just came across your site in a blast of nostalgic memories after seeing the mention of Captain Video recently. What a wonderful collection of stuff you have!

I was born in early '47 so when I started watching these early Space shows it probably wasn't until I was about 5 years old and we finally got a TV.

Specific memories are: TOBOR scaring me and giving me nightmares; my parents getting me a mail order Captain Video gun that shot little rocket planes with rubber bands (I believe the purchase required a certain number of "Powerhouse" candy bar wrappers); the Captain and Ranger on the flight deck of their ship and little rockets that I recall didn't look to dissimilar to giant acorns; and the best of all...being in a NY department store with my mother (maybe Macy's) and begging her for a Captain Video uniform that was being sold. I remember sneaking back to see it and becoming lost and terrified. Not only did I not get the uniform, I recall getting a good wack on the ass.

I also recall Tom Corbett and the Space Cadets. My parents bought me a "set" of figures and a sort of "fort" that one could assemble. The walls were made of interlocking tin pieces with little square holes for windows and there were plenty of buildings and such stuff. I also recall the "sleep gun" that they used and that a friend of mine had one. I remember it shot out a puff of powder and we were very disappointed that it wouldn't put anyone to sleep...just pissed them off when they got a lung full of flour or whatever was in it.

Of course, the Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers series on TV were a blast and I wish that they would put them on again...just to corny for today's sophisticated youth, I suppose. My friends and I would spend hours drawing the Art Deco type of rockets with all the rivets...just loved that stuff!

Bob Pickwoad

Phoenix, AZ (formally NYC)

December 1998

From Chuck Lassen (12/7/98):

I'm very glad to realize that, at long last, we can all see what the Space Cadet uniform looked like, in color! At the risk of belaboring a much overworked subject, I should state that there was a slight color shift in digitizing the photos. On the actual color prints, the fabric behind the studded collar and on the cuffs is almost pure blue, not blue green as it appears on the screen. The yoke is a bit more pinkish, or more of what I would call a "rose" color. The main body of the uniform looks about the same as on the prints.

I think the only way to get a more accurate impression of the uniform colors would be to visit Frankie's house, and ask him to wear it outside at high noon on a bright, sunny day!

Energize the cooling pumps...

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From Chuck Cosimano (12/18/98):

Hello,

I just stumbled onto your site and DAMN I FEEL OLD!

Seriously, I have four of the Archer space figures standing on my desk looking at me because for some reason they managed to stay in a safe place all these years.

I was a space toy nut as a kid in the 50's and this stuff is bringing back memories.

Thanks for a wonderful site.

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• 2001 click here
• 2000 click here
• 1999 click here