Dinosaur Playsets

[bigbud]

Okay, now for the truth. This is actually a custom set I put together from all the best extra original Marx pieces that I had accumulated over the years of dinoing. I made up the background for the set, it's all fictitious. I drew the box and the cardboard pieces and put the set together. It's fun to create a custom background for a custom set, as long as you come clean at the end. 

Yea.....you may have fooled some, but that box was just too fresh and clean to be from 1963. What a trickster!

[horrorhunter]

Yea.....you may have fooled some, but that box was just too fresh and clean to be from 1963. What a trickster!

I figured the box would give it away to most of you guys, if not the new condition then my less than accurate lettering. I drew this thing over 10 years ago and just recently colored it. I tried to make it in the style of the old playset boxes, but any Marx playset collector could tell right away it's a custom. The main reason I fessed up at the end there is for the benefit of new collectors who might be confused by the possible existence of such a set that isn't recorded in any of the info on the history of Marx dinosaur playsets. I wasn't trying to mislead, just have a little fun. 

[horrorhunter]

Interesting that a playset as recent as 1992 is now prized by collectors! Comics, cards and model kits from the nineties that are prized by collectors are very few and far between.

It is inconsistent with other "collectible" items from that time. Just about anything in the image of the original Marx/MPC toys are desirable, even some of the recent recasts you see on eBay. Almost all of the newer dinosaur playsets are very poor quality junk made in China and similar places. Those After-Marx sets are like toy dinosaur gold compared to the new crap. Of course, I'm talking about cheap dino playsets here and not high end prehistoric figures. I have several recent figures by Safari, Schleich, and Papo which are excellent, but the cheap dinosaur playsets of decades ago (Marx, MPC) are like high art compared to the detritus they crank out in China and the like.

[Hepcat]

I figured the box would give it away to most of you guys, if not the new condition then my less than accurate lettering.

It did. Partially because it reminded me of your Haunted Graveyard Playset:

I have several recent figures by Safari, Schleich, and Papo which are excellent....

Yes. I'm familiar with the Papo figures, dinosaur and non-dinosaur, and they're fabulous!

Papo Dinosaurs

[horrorhunter]

It did. Partially because it reminded me of your Haunted Graveyard Playset:

Man, those pics of that Haunted Graveyard Playset are terrible. That thing looks so much better in person. I recently reposted pics of it right before I got my new camera so I'll wait for awhile before posting it again (maybe until Halloween). I've added a few things to it, also. When I do repost it you guys can actually see what it looks like for the first time. 

BTW, I buy those boxes at the UPS store. Those are the closest ones I can find to the old flat playset boxes. Sure is a right beyotch trying to draw and letter on a freakin' corrugated box. Not only is it bulky and hard to get to the area you're working on for the rest of it, but you also have to deal with the corrugated ridges. It's a little slice of drawing hell. 

[Mord]

 Hey, your box art is better than that of some who actually get paid for it.

[horrorhunter]

Rocketship To Venus Playset (Chaos Toys, 2015) is a pulp era sci-fi set involving an exploratory expedition to the hostile jungle planet Venus.

Earth Base:


On Venus:










CONTENTS:

1 USAF Venus Expedition Rocketship (Green & Yellow, Engine Lights Up/Flashes)

1 USAF Atomic Bomber Rocketship (Blue & Silver, Engine Lights Up/Flashes)

1 Venus Expedition HQ Building

1 Atomic Fuel Depot

1 Launch Control Blockhouse

1 Launch Ramp

1 Muroc Testing Area Sign

1 Mountain (Light Blue Soft Plastic)

2 Rock Arches (Light Blue Soft Plastic)

1 Bi-Level Cave (Brown & Red Hard Plastic)

1 Venusian Swamp (Neon Green w/Various Nasty Things)

1 Chaos Beast

15 Venusian Dinosaurs & Giant Mammals

4 Giant Crawlers (1 Scorpian, 1 Spider, 2 Beetles)

6 Energy Ogres (Beige Plastic)

11 Person Exploration Team (30mm Figures in Gray Soft Plastic, 4 Spacesuited Humans, 1 Android, 6 Aliens)

12 Double Venusian Jungle Trees (Tan & Green Soft Plastic)

2 Double Carnivorous Trees (Green Soft Plastic)

3 Rock Piles

1 Background Information Sheet

Rocket Engines Light Up & Flash:


                                                                ROCKETSHIP TO VENUS PLAYSET (Pulp Era Sci-Fi)

Earth Base: Muroc Testing Area is the secret launch base for Venus Expedition VE1. The expedition is an eleven person crew consisting of five United States Air Force personnel (four humans and one android), and six aliens working under orders from the Air Force. The aliens were scouts from various planets sent to spy on the Earth. They were captured over the last few years and mentally reconditioned by the Air Force to use their greater than human abilities of telepathy, telekinesis, heightened strength and toughness, and enhanced senses to aid the Venus Expedition in exploring and mapping Venus. Small explosives were surgically implanted in the aliens' heads to insure loyalty.

Venus Expedition Personnel: Commander: Col. Trip Travers, Doctor: Maj. Lucy Buff, Pilot: Capt. Hunt Ripper, Pilot: Capt. Crash Connors, Mechanic: TechSgt. Andy Handy (android), Jelik of Venus, Throk of Mars, Kalin of Saturn, Elikarr-Kaas of Alpha Centauri B7, Bel of Luhman16 A4, Rayz-El of Sirius B9.
The expedition will travel to Venus on two rocketships, the VE1 and the VE2. VE1 is a green and yellow rocketship which will carry most of the personnel and equipment, and is piloted by Capt. Hunt Ripper.  VE2 is a blue and silver experimental bomber with heavy weaponry including conventional 2K lb. bombs and four atomic bombs (in case things get really nasty), and is piloted by Capt. Crash Connors. The primary mission is to explore and map Venus. Secondary missions include making diplomatic relations with any civilizations of intelligent life forms, and destroying any advanced technological weaponry of any hostile groups.

Arriving on Venus: Venus is a deadly Green Hell planet with steaming jungles and swamps, as well as giant predatory animals very similar to many that existed in Earth's prehistoric  past, only usually bigger and meaner. It's constant hyper bloodletting on a grand scale, eat or be eaten. In addition to the Venusian dinosaurs and huge mammals there are poisonous insects and arachnids bigger than cars called Giant Crawlers. Also there are hulking humanoids called Energy Ogres who absorb solar energy and can briefly expel it in a deadly heat blast. The top of the food chain is the towering Chaos Beast. Only the most powerful predators or groups can challenge it. Most of the vegetation resembles palm trees, but there are also carnivorous trees and plants in abundance. And, the glowing swamps have a type of floating algae-like growth which can strip the flesh off of more vulnerable life forms in seconds. Welcome to The Bloody Jungle Planet.

                                                                       CHAOS TOYS
                                                                       Route 666
                                                                       The GREAT ABYSS

This is a custom playset conceived and put together by me. The Earth Base pieces are by Clyde Childress. The box and illustrations are my work except for the illustration in the center of the box which is a '60s sci-fi paperback cover I found the art for on the internet. Artist is unknown.

Chaos Toys name and logo are by me. The company is fictitious, created to be the producer of this playset. The company may be an ongoing thing for more custom toys in the future.

[Hepcat]

Hey, your box art is better than that of some who actually get paid for it.

Box art? His playsets are better than almost any of the originals! Look at the contents of the Rocketship to Venus!

[horrorhunter]

Box art? His playsets are better than almost any of the originals! Look at the contents of the Rocketship to Venus!

Thanks, Hep. I'm glad you enjoy them. 

Hey, your box art is better than that of some who actually get paid for it.

Thank you, Mord. 

Most playset art is styled to appeal to children (and some Monsterkids  ), so I try to emulate that style for my own box art.

[horrorhunter]

Some further info on the Rocketship To Venus Playset:
Jelik of Venus is a Venusian savage captured by a Martian raiding party. Instead of killing him the Martians used him in a Martian scouting party to Earth since he has mutant telepathic ability. After he was captured by the Air Force, along with Throk of Mars, he was reconditioned to serve the United States. He could advise USAF Intelligence about local flora, fauna, and mineral content, in the area in which his tribe lived, but he doesn't know much about Venus as a whole except for a few tribal legends.

Some thoughts on the stereotypical sci-fi characters in the playset, and the what if casting of a Rocketship To Venus '50s sci-fi film:

Craig Stevens as Col. Trip Travers (Cool commander with a great presence, but also a guilty secret past involving the accidental bombing of a Chinese village in World War II. He also has a fear of large bugs...OOPS, watch out for those Giant Crawlers on Venus!)

Julie Adams as Maj. Lucy Buff (Consummate pro until she has a couple of drinks, then watch out! Can you say nymphomaniac?)

John Agar as Capt. Hunt Ripper (Crack pilot, nice guy, and war hero who's secretly in love with Lucy Buff.)

Peter Graves as Capt. Crash Connors (Wise cracking upstart who is an excellent pilot in spite of being a showoff. And, guess what, he's got a crush on Dr. Lucy Buff (who doesn't?)).

Lon Chaney Jr. as TSgt. Andy Handy, the android (Loyal to his superiors, but loves to fight. Excellent mechanic with training in many other skills thanks to his advanced computer brain. He still acts like a stubborn sergeant, though. His android body is much stronger and tougher than a normal human's.)

[Hepcat]

CONTENTS:

1 USAF Venus Expedition Rocketship (Green & Yellow, Engine Lights Up/Flashes)

1 USAF Atomic Bomber Rocketship (Blue & Silver, Engine Lights Up/Flashes)

1 Venus Expedition HQ Building

1 Atomic Fuel Depot

1 Launch Control Blockhouse

1 Launch Ramp

1 Muroc Testing Area Sign

What did you use for those pieces? Are the rocketships tinplate toys from the early fifties?

[horrorhunter]

What did you use for those pieces? Are the rocketships tinplate toys from the early fifties?

They're custom wooden models. The same guy made them as made the Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea custom playset which I posted a few days ago.

Here's the eBay link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/301450934851?_trksid=p2060778.m2749.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I saw that he had a cool model set based on a '50s style Venus expedition so I decided to buy them and turn it into a full blown playset with dinosaurs, monsters, and the whole bit. Like we were discussing before, too bad 30mm amazons were never made by anyone. They would have been a perfect addition. I could have used painted 25mm metal gaming miniatures, but those just don't seem appropriate for a Monsterkid style playset, and they would have been a little too short. "Short" and "amazon" don't mix well.

[Hepcat]

This is one of my squarebox sets, Prehistoric Times #3394 (Marx, 1959). My parents bought me one of these at a small Mom&Pop strip mall hobby shop in Athens, Ga. back in 1963 when I was 4 years of age.

A pic of my #3390.

One of the things I like the most about those Marx playsets from the late fifties/early sixties is that the boxes absolutely scream baby boomer toy goodness from the days when getting anything at all from the toy department was an absolute delight.

[jimm]

You still have a lot of fun with these playsets HH that's what its all about :-)

[horrorhunter]

One of the things I like the most about those Marx playsets from the late fifties/early sixties is that the boxes absolutely scream baby boomer toy goodness from the days when getting anything at all from the toy department was an absolute delight.

So true about the classic baby boomer look, Hep. Actually, I need to repost both of those sets with better pics now that I have a better camera. When I see how bad those old pics were it makes me want to repost everything I shot pictures of with the old cheap camera. Maybe I'll eventually get around to all that.

Also, I have another Marx longbox set (#3392), and another Marx squarebox set (#3388) that I'll be posting at some point, as well as some other dino sets and items I haven't posted yet. I wish another dino enthusiast would join in and post their stuff. That guy who said he wrote a book would have been able to post some really nice stuff. Too bad he just showed up briefly to advertise the book.

You still have a lot of fun with these playsets HH that's what its all about :-)

Yeah, these dino toys were a huge part of being a kid for me, jimm. I was really excited when I discovered eBay a few years ago and found that I could reconstruct the original sets from original parts bought from eBay listings. It was a little difficult to accumulate the necessary knowledge to properly reconstruct them since there isn't a great deal of info easily available. One of the reasons I painstakingly list each set with pics and contents lists is because I know there is someone out there who loves this stuff like I do and eventually they will find this info and be happy to finally know how to accurately reconstruct some of their favorite toys. When you buy playsets off eBay they are incomplete about 99.9 % of the time, and usually contain parts that didn't even come with that set when new. Someone is going to find this info I've posted at some point and it will make their day. 

And then there are the custom playsets I post. Those are just for fun.