(Via Atari Mania)
Archive for the 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' Category
Atari Raiders of the Lost Ark Promo, 1982
Published November 25, 2015 Atari , Home Consoles , Raiders of the Lost Ark , Video Games Leave a Comment
(Via Atari Mania)
Christmas Morning, 1982: G.I. Joe and Tron
Published December 18, 2014 Christmas , Christmas Morning , G.I. Joe , Pac-Man , Raiders of the Lost Ark , Tomy Toys , Tron 1 Comment
Compulsive Collector (see lots more Christmas toy cheer at the link) patrols the living room on his G.I. Joe Laser Defense Patrol Power Cycle. Coleco released a number of Joe trikes and ride-on vehicles starting in 1982, some of which you can see here.
There’s an empty Tron Light Cycle box on the ground to his right. The Light Cycle (orange) is on his left. In the second photo, he’s holding the Tron action figure and the Raiders of the Lost Ark Read-Along record. You can also see The Pac-Man Album (1980), a two-sided picture disc, playing on a Smurfs record player.
As toy and game vintages go, 1982 was extraordinary.
Kid Art (1982): Raiders of the Lost Ark
Published July 19, 2013 Kid Art , Raiders of the Lost Ark 3 Comments
Neil Whelan describes his fine work:
On 12 June 1981, Raiders Of The Lost Ark was released in America. Alongside Star Wars, it was a defining film for a generation and 30 years later it’s still one of my top three favourite films of all time.
As was the tradition back in those days before DVD and high definition, films stayed at the cinema for months [after] their initial release rather than being pulled from screens after a couple of weeks.
By the look of this old text book, I didn’t get to see it until 17 April 1982, eventually reviewing it the following Thursday. I think I summed up the plot pretty well and you can instantly see what my favourite scene was.
You have to admit, it is a damn good plot summary, and he nails the scene.
Kenner’s Raiders of the Lost Ark Toys: Map Room Adventure Set (1982)
Published July 19, 2013 Kenner Toys , Raiders of the Lost Ark 2 Comments
It’s hard to believe now, but no one anticipated how massively successful Raiders of the Lost Ark was going to be. Kenner picked up the merchandising gig late, and the Raiders play sets and action figures didn’t appear until the second half of 1982—after E.T. was released. By then it was too late. Yo Joe!
Apparently looking through the mini headpiece on the mini Staff of Ra revealed the location of the ark in 3-D.
(Images via eBay)
Fantastic Films #27 (January, 1982): Interview with Jim Steranko
Published July 18, 2013 '80s Movies/TV , Blade Runner , Comic Books , Fantastic Films , Jim Steranko , Magazines/Zines , Outland , Raiders of the Lost Ark , Sci-Fi Movies/TV 4 Comments
Comics and illustration genius Jim Steranko on his Raiders of the Lost Ark pre-production art:
The first Raiders painting I did established the character of Indiana Jones. There was really no actor discussed at this point, at least not with me […]
I got a note from George’s [Lucas] secretary describing Indiana Jones, which said that Indy should have a jacket like George wears. That was the only instruction. Fortunately, I knew what kind of jacket George wears. It all worked out very well. I perceived Indiana Jones as a cross between Doc Savage and Humphrey Bogart […]
The definitive image appears on Kenner’s 1981 Raiders of the Lost Ark Game.
Steranko’s Outland adaptation was serialized in Heavy Metal from June, 1981 through January, 1982. You can read the first few pages here.
The movie it’s based on, written and directed by Peter Hyams (Capricorn One, 2010), is generally dismissed as a heavy-handed retelling of High Noon (1952). That’s a mistake. As Steranko says, “[Outland] struck me as being the first noir science fiction film, somewhat in the ‘Chandleresque’ vein.” The film also verges on cyberpunk, and it came out a year before Blade Runner.
It’s fitting that Steranko, deeply influenced by the pulps, also did the cover for the Marvel Super Special Blade Runner cover.
2 Warps to Neptune 