Tweet
Johnny Astro was one of those toys you (I) "really wanted". The TV advert was cool and I wanted to be that space commander.A vari-directional fan propelled the lunar vehicle (balloon) into the depths of space and the closest you came to a black hole was when the fan could no longer cut it and you had to recover the lunar vehicle following a crash landing from underneath the sofa! Best described as Goonhilly meets the Montgolfier Bothers.Once you had mastered the controls (no space school necessary because it took no longer than 60 seconds tops) and successfully landed on that far and distant planet hooked over the top of your bedroom door, it was time for a career change. I'm glad Father Christmas never had room for it.Johnny Astro was produced by Topper Toys in the US, Triang Toys in the UK and Moldex. Ltd in Australia and was released just before the first man walked on the moon, when the US and Russia were caught in the space race hype. The Johnny Astro box contained a control centre, a launching station, three different space vehicles, two different under carriages and an astronaut and capsule.
More...
More...