The Merchandise GuideJapanese Video and Laserdisc
Compiled by Martin Willey
The Merchandise GuideReleased both videotapes and laser discs of three movies, with stunning new artwork by Yuji Kaida (see ads on back cover of Supermarionation Graffiti books and the It's Thunderbirds Century Modeling Manual p97). Like Japanese LPs, CDs and books, when sold these had a verticak paper strip wrapped around one side, called a "tasuki" (Japanese for ribbon), although now more widely known as an "obi" (another Japanese word mistakenly used by foreigners). These are mostly covered with Japanese text (title, artist, track listings, price). These are usually discarded after purchase; consequently items retaining them have a greater rarity value.
Alien Attack:  |
Video: Art of Eagle (dramatic front view) over Alpha in darkness with lightning beyond. Video nbr 105 (15,800 Yen)
Laser disc: Art of Eagle (3/4 view) with explosion on Moon below. Photos on rear of both episodes, plus an Eagle from The Metamorph. Includes a glossy photographic sheet, one side profiling the series, the other "John Koenig's Private Diary". Serial number BELL-18 (9,800 Yen)   |
Journey Through The Black Sun |
Video nbr 106 (15,800 Yen);
laser disc LD 109 (9,800 Yen)     |
| Cosmic Princess: | Video nbr 107. No laser disc |
1st Season Set Set of four volumes, each with 6 episodes (on 3 laserdiscs). Released in 1993, price Y15,800 Discs are CLV, in NTSC with bilingual soundtracks (English and Japanese). High quality packaging, with artwork cover box (art from the videodiscs), originally sold with tasuki/obi paper strip. Enclosed are an "Annual File" with a colour photographic cover and 8 black/white looseleaf sheets covering series and production details (photos and art taken from the Tokuma Shoten "Complete Visual Encyclopedia" and Starlog's Technical Notebook). The disc sleeves used blueprints of Alpha hardware (the Moonbase, Eagle, Hawk, stun gun/commlock).
| Volume 1: | BELL 566 |
"Breakaway", "Matter Of Life And Death", "The Infernal Machine", "Dragon's Domain", "The Testament Of Arkadia", "The Last Enemy" |
| Volume 2: | BELL 567 |
"Mission Of The Darians", "The Troubled Spirit", "Space Brain", "War Games", "End Of Eternity", "The Full Circle" |
| Volume 3: | BELL 568 |
"Death's Other Dominion", "Collision Course", "Voyager's Return", "Alpha Child", "The Last Sunset", "Force Of Life" |
| Volume 4: | BELL 569 |
"Guardian Of Piri", "Missing Link", "Another Time, Another Place", "Earthbound", "Ring Around The Moon", "The Black Sun" |
Space: 2100 (CFX-9056): Destination Moonbase Alpha movie
BES 144. Japan
Laserdisc, featuring the title & credit sequences from Gerry Anderson ITC series, from "Supercar" to "Space: 1999" plus "The Prisoner", in the original English format. Includes a 12 page 15 x 30 cm brochure.
BEAL 334. Japan, released 1989?
Laserdisc, featuring the title & credit sequences as in the "Opening and Ending Titles Special" above, first in the original English format, then in the re-edited versions used in Japan. Opening sequence includes 5 seconds from the "Alien Attack" (Warren & Sparkman's Eagle crashing). The English title & credit sequences are from "The Troubled Spirit". The Japanese title & credit sequences are from "Ring Around The Moon" (the titles were identical to the English originals, except for an inserted shot of Eagles over the base from "Dragon's Domain" and a new, appalling theme tune). About 1 minute of footage of Koenig's Eagle in "Breakaway", & Eagles in "The Metamorph" and "Space Warp" (poor quality clips from "Cosmic Princess") are also included.
Cover featured colour photos from the series, including an Eagle & a Year Two posed shot of Koenig & Helena cowering in an Eagle doorway.
Copyright Martin Willey