Retro Ideas and Images for SF

Tchklinxa's picture
Tchklinxa
December 27, 2013 - 7:23pm
This is a thread for Retro stuff that might or might not be useful for SF: I am silly crazy about real old Sci-Fi so to get us started is the description of a Space Bouy from a trading card: I wonder what form the future "trading cards" for kids might take, and I did convert to metrics... I wish I could figure out away to upload the image from my computer it looks like it is retro enough for SF.  

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All American Space Fleet (1953 Skelly Oil Cards)

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Cosmic Radar Director

Director Finder Buoy

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Height: 408 Feet or about 124 Meters

Orbit:  200,000,000 Miles or about 321,869 Kilometers from Sun

Crew: 3 Sub-Radarmen, 5 Spacemen

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Direction Buoy sends constant radar and sub-space radar signals to all planes of space. Activitated Lifeboats are automatically beamed to nearest direction buoy in case of disaster. Directors also send to all planes of solar system constant reports of space condition. Facilities for 50 emergency visitors. Orbital velocity – 7860 M.P.H. or about 12,647 K.P.H.

 

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 "Never fire a laser at a mirror."
Comments:

Tchklinxa's picture
Tchklinxa
December 27, 2013 - 7:25pm
Humm... I guess I can not write 1st in word and then cut and paste... sorry.
 "Never fire a laser at a mirror."

Malcadon's picture
Malcadon
December 27, 2013 - 9:59pm
Tchklinxa wrote:
...I am silly crazy about real old Sci-Fi...

Same here! Foot in mouth

KRingway's picture
KRingway
December 27, 2013 - 11:55pm
Hundreds of sci-fi book and magazine covers:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/22742217@N00/pool/

And a few sites about similar things:

http://ski-ffy.blogspot.co.uk/
http://70sscifiart.tumblr.com/

Tchklinxa's picture
Tchklinxa
December 28, 2013 - 8:56am
http://s1091.photobucket.com/user/LauraVonSmurf/media/Sci%20fi/KGrHqRHJCoFJC3FC7BSStfg7JIQ60_57_zpsee95d835.jpg.html?filters[user]=112418376&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=4

Is a picture of a Space Bouy
 "Never fire a laser at a mirror."

Tchklinxa's picture
Tchklinxa
December 28, 2013 - 8:59am
KRingway wrote:
Hundreds of sci-fi book and magazine covers:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/22742217@N00/pool/

And a few sites about similar things:

http://ski-ffy.blogspot.co.uk/
http://70sscifiart.tumblr.com/

Nice links
 "Never fire a laser at a mirror."

jedion357's picture
jedion357
December 28, 2013 - 1:58pm
this cover is interesting:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoamateuer62/11561257256/in/pool-22742217@N00/

its very Star Frontiers- helicopter being shot at by people on ground with lasers and those lasers look very much like the pistol style phaser from the original Star Trek but since the Terra Astra dime novels started in '72 they were copying Star Trek not Star Trek copying them.

And another observation: the intersection of Dime novels and Egar Rice Burroughs gave us a lot of great (and sexy) sci fi art.

This was intriguing: Bride of Cthulu

I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!

Malcadon's picture
Malcadon
December 28, 2013 - 5:41pm
If you like retro sci-fi, then checkout this group I made called Age of Adventure — a retro-themed sub-setting set it the early years of the Frontier. Oddly enough, vary little conversion is needed with the basic Alpha Dawn rules — this is mostly do to the elements form Alien Worlds (the working title during SF:AD's development). I also recommend checking out Ragnarr's Ships & Bots for his Scoutship designs, as they have a great retro look about them.

Tchklinxa's picture
Tchklinxa
December 28, 2013 - 9:59pm
Nice sites... I think the design on SF ships really lends to an older feel to the game. The space ship in Forbiden Planet though a saucer is a stacked deck plan too, it has cool elevator poles for the crew to go up and down on. 
 "Never fire a laser at a mirror."

Malcadon's picture
Malcadon
December 29, 2013 - 4:13am
Forbidden Planet was great! It had the same space frontier feel as in the pilot episode for Star Trek. I really like the inside of the ship (of the United Planets Cruiser C57-D), the uniforms & insignias, the equipment, and how the crew carried themselves (as a bunch of red-blooded American yahoos).

This link has some great info about the ranks & uniforms used in Forbidden Planet and The Twilight Zone — its a good read!

Abub's picture
Abub
December 31, 2013 - 1:22pm

There is some awesome in this tumblr.  The stuff from Chris Moore is great.
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jedion357's picture
jedion357
December 31, 2013 - 5:27pm
Abub wrote:

There is some awesome in this tumblr.  The stuff from Chris Moore is great.


I like the Nick Fury, Agent of shield comic book cover  as really nailing SF in theme. Plus the John Harris material is great.
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!

Abub's picture
Abub
January 3, 2014 - 1:02pm
I believe I have that comic in my boxes.  Nothing in my collection is worth any money though as I bu "dollar books" which last time I was in the comic shop... are only 50 cents now.
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Tchklinxa's picture
Tchklinxa
January 16, 2014 - 6:19pm
Here is a collection of space suit images... I like the Italian styling in the Planet of the Vampires the best... every time I see them I can't help but say "chow"

 "Never fire a laser at a mirror."

ChrisDonovan's picture
ChrisDonovan
September 7, 2016 - 7:20pm
I like this cover for "Plutonium Police"

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rosemarienitribit/28898182921/in/pool-22742217@N00/

Look closely at the male figure...it's art from some Buck Rogers promotional material.  I'd recognize the cut of the uniform top anywhere.

How many distinct sub-genres of "retro" are there now?

40's retro - "pulp" or "serial" retro (Flash Gordon, BR [original])
50's retro - phallic rockets and surplus USAF pressure suits retro (Rocketship X-M, The Angry Red          Planet)
60s retro - Age of Irwin Allen ('nuff said)
70s retro - nehru jackets and pastel pajamas (UFO, Space: 1999, Logan's Run)
Late 70s/early 80s retro 1 - the Univesal look
Late 70s/early 80s retro 2 - the "industrial" look
90s retro - the practical but high-tech look (Outer Limits remake, seaQuest)
early-mid 70s retro -

ChrisDonovan's picture
ChrisDonovan
September 7, 2016 - 7:26pm
Tchklinxa wrote:
Here is a collection of space suit images... I like the Italian styling in the Planet of the Vampires the best... every time I see them I can't help but say "chow"



That link no longer works to go where you think it does.

Here's a good blog though with just about every spacesuit in SF going back to 1929

http://sayhellospaceman.blogspot.com/