Zelda presents some of the coolest Martian stuff that you can find in the solar system!
Magnet mania! The Ata-Boy Company produced something
that'll keep the little Martians quiet on those long saucer
rides across the solar system: a Mars Attacks Magnetic Playset! The set comes
with a magnetic Martian and a magnetic Spy Girl with various costumes and weapons.
Dress them up and stick them on one of the two included magnetic movie scenes
(the war room or the flying saucer interior), or stick them on your fridge
or filing cabinet! Awesome!
The folks at Ata-Boy have also created two sets of 2
inch by 3 inch magnets. One set contains 16 different movie scenes; the other
contains 12 different artwork scenes, and look like mini-posters. They look
great AND they hold up important messages like your grocery list!
A company called Cinema Secrets has come up with a
great idea for Halloween. Known for their extensive mask and props line, they
have produced an oversize Martian mask you can wear. They have also created
a life-size (5 foot tall) posable Martians that looks like it came directly
out of the movie! They also have a non-posable ("autopsy") Martian
as well as a nice Martian display bust. The mask sells for about $40 to $60;
the bust sells for $100 to $120; the life-size Martian sells for around $400
to $600! If you don't want your Martian to go naked, you can buy him a blue
or red sequined cape for about $300. You could buy the mask and cape for
yourself, and start your own Martian invasion!
Tiger Electronics has released the ONE and ONLY Mars Attacks
hand-held video game! Actually, the game sits on the table, and you shoot at
the screen with a small hand-held laser gun. The game plays like its bigger shoot-em-up
cousins at the arcade. The object is to blast the Martians and saucers as
they come at you from the middle of the screen before they shoot at you.
There are 5 levels of play, and you can obtain 3 different weapons: a
revolver, a rifle, and a Martian Death Ray! Lots of action and raucous sounds
abound! The game sold for about $25 (it takes 4 x AA size batteries and
2 x AAA size batteries-not included) but is no longer on the shelves.
Ultra-hard to find now, but ultra-cool!!
Primal Lite introduced a whole line of Mars Attacks lighting
products! There are Martian string light sets, lightswitch cover plates,
a nightlight, and even a wall sconce (wall light)! Ward off Martian
attacks by hanging these indoor/outdoor lights all over your house!
Screamin', Inc. has come out with a series of
eight plastic (vinyl and resin) 1/8 scale Mars Attacks model kits. The models depict Martians
with ray guns, in flying saucers, and in dioramas hunting down hapless
Earthlings. When painted and glued together, they are incredibly lifelike
and scary. (It has been reported that well-done finished models have sold
for as much as $300!) Each kit also comes with a collectible card
depicting the model, with a story on back. Super!
Read a review of the Slaughter in the Streets diorama by
Brooks Peck, as seen in SF Weekly!
Comic Images, Inc.
came out with a line of T-shirts, stand-ups, and cloisonne pins. Their
stuff is really neat, but is now very hard to find. Ask your comic book
store to see if they carry them!
The Warner Bros. Studio stores came out with a whole
line of keychains, mugs, pins, T-shirts, and even some wacky stuff called
"Martian Goo". The only place to find this stuff now is from
other collectors, or dealers on eBay!
Some other companies also came out
with a number of T-shirts and other items with either reproductions of the
original cards, or entirely new artwork. Check your local comic book store
to see if they have any left.
Although not
strictly Mars Attacks, Bally produced a cool pinball game called Attack from Mars!
I played the game at a local arcade- it was great fun!
There's loads of action, a mini flying saucer to defeat, and 4-armed Martians
that vibrate wildly as you try to shoot them with the pinball! There's even
a "Multiball" feature that lets you play 4 or 5 balls at a time!
Look for it in your favorite arcade! (This page takes a while
to load, but it's worth it to see the 4-armed Martians!)
Be sure and
read Filmfax's "Outre" magazine, issue #7. The
cover is a copy of Zina Saunder's Martian attacking president JFK (from
the 1994 Archives set). Inside is a great article by David Rice
concerning the background of the cards,
their creators, and the artists. Also in the issue is an exclusive
interview with Zina Saunders, daughter of the late, great Norm Saunders.
A biography of Wally Wood is another fascinating article by David Hogan.
And, the back cover is a reproduction of Theakston's tribute to Betty
Page, "Mars Attacks Betty"! Don't miss this one!
