Book-Review: Fishtank Castle 1983 Annual by The Tarantulas
The FISHTANK CASTLE Annual 1983 has arrived! A publication from The Tarantulas (www.the-tarantulas.blogspot.co.uk), this is best described as "a mini hardcover tome of awesomeness featuring The Nibblers in a myriad of incarnations by a variety of artists, presented in the spirit and verve of old school "Annuals" from the United Kingdom".
One cursory flip thru the pages will more than enough quantify that claim, IMHO.
This publication is "unique" in the realms of the "art toy culture" as it not only functions as a a published-portfolio featuring toys released, it also showcases and embraces works from collaboration with other peer practisioners / artists / designers, and in a recognizable format (to folks like me anyways). This is not just a directory of products, but also of artists, and what the product/s are able to achieve, in print.
I am a huge fan of "Annuals" more specific to my youth, where my weekly/monthly comicbooks would see a companion publication in a hardcover book (a "luxury" in my childhood), whereby there will be standalone stories (unlike the massive continuity in the regular issues), and other artwork and "interactive" elements, whereby the attempt to involve the reader into "active" situations with the book itself, was pretty fun in itself!
The "Fishtank Castle" annual follows the spirit of that notion, and sees The Tarantulas' NIBBLER character being the common thread throughout and unifying the book - from the faux animation by Luc Hudson of Triclops, to the adventures of the Timetravellers by Ralph Niese, to the toys with A Little Stranger and custom-Nibblers and the toy catalog, this has indeed been a swell flip-thru!
Pre-orders for this book has since ceased, but there might be a few available at the coming ToyConUK in April, at The Tarantula's desk - so you'd just have to go bug him instead!
Did you know "Fishtank Castle" is also the name of his online shop? Need to ask Chris what that name means, one day :)
Thanks for the slice of memory-jolt with this issue, Chris! I LOVE IT!
