Blast Off! Rockets, Robots, Ray Guns, and Rarities from the Golden Age of Space Toys

Rating:
Summary: A Solid-Fuel Rocket Ride
Review: BLAST OFF is a tasty fusion of pictures and narrative that'll more than satisfy any fan of the Golden Age of space toys.

Young, Duin and Richardson attack the subject matter the way only true fans are capable. Their words-and-pictures coverage of the fantastic 1925 War of the Worlds diorama by Henri Mignot, for example, reveals a fascinating bit of work whose existence is not even mentioned in the otherwise excellent book, THE COMPLETE WAR OF THE WORLDS. Yet, here was the first major space toy, produced the year before Buck Rogers debuted in "Amazing Stories."

How about a first-person, kid's-eye account of ninety minutes inside the fantastic Ralston Rocket, an experience usually limited to 10 seconds per tyke? The mind boggles.

Get a copy of BLAST OFF and be sure to block off plenty of uninterrupted browsing time. The text is fascinating, and the photos will keep you up past midnight with visions of airships and supersonic aces streaking through your head.

- JOHN MICHLIG, author of IT CAME FROM BOB'S BASEMENT, GI JOE: THE COMPLETE STORY OF AMERICA'S FAVORITE MAN OF ACTION, and creator of THE GI JOE MASTERPIECE EDITION

Rating:
Summary: You'll love this book.
Review: Blast Off! is a fun and fascinating read for any fan of science fiction, space toys, or comic books. It's a beautiful coffee table-sized book with sexy images of robots, ray guns, and toys of all types that make you feel nostalgic even if you don't remember these toys from the first time around.

This book offers a history of "in the know" type stories about specific toys and the personalities who created and purchased them. There's the Buck Rogers XZ-31 rocket pistol that led Macy's and Gimbels into their most vicious price war ever, dropping prices by the hour to support the most successful toy promotion the world had ever seen. And there's the collector Bob Lesser who pays double the sticker price to win dealer loyalty. And there's a never-been-published story of the untimely death of Flash Gordon creator Alex Raymond. Plus the authors offer insight into how toys have affected history, entertainment, and the space program.

If you're a fan of Buck Rogers like I am, you should also check out Blast Off! author S. Mark Young's interviews with Erin Grey in Filmfax (Oct/Nov 2002 and Feb/Mar 2003) for a sensitive rendering of a sensational story.

Rating:
Summary: a rare gem
Review: More than merely a definitive catalogue of the subject, Blast Off is a socio-historical journey. Toys offer provide the prism through which the authors examine fascinating sociological phenomenon. Make no mistake this is the definitive book for this topic, but it becomes a tour de force by examining the history, economics, and sociology implied by these fascinating products from our recent past.