Author Topic: Space Patrol HQ  (Read 6647 times)

Offline JPSA

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Space Patrol HQ
« on: May 12, 2020, 12:38:07 »
Below is an illustration — a collage panorama — I did in Photoshop of the "Space Patrol" Headquarters, during the coronavirus confinement.

Note: You may need to download the image to see it whole, as the preview might be truncated, depending on your screen resolution / browser zoom setting; although, if you click on the image, it should zoom you in, and then you can click-drag on the middle mouse button to pan around.



Space Patrol HQ is located in Future Valley, on West-most side of Playmobil Island ( note: my own made-up paracosm, with the support and punctual feedback of my young nephew / no relation to the Playmobil movie ).  This is their main base, on Earth ( note: they have a few other bases elsewhere in the galaxy, naturally ).  Space Patrol runs a big fortress/expedition ship called "The Lightning Bolt", currently docked and being unloaded on the main — fully retractable — landing platform.

Several branches are part of Space Patrol:
  • Space Patrol proper, which manages the base and runs the Lightning Bolt
  • NASA, aka. Geo Mission: explorers and scientists, mostly
  • Playmospace: terraformers  / long-term off-world settlement builders
  • Galaxy Police
  • Space Rangers: a mercenary force responsible for day-to-day base security ( one-off space guys from Playmobil )

Mars Mission's Earth HQ sits directly adjacent to the West ( not shown ), and is much more modest, and still undergoing construction.  Currently, the Mars Rover is being delivered on Level 1, to be loaded into the main hold of the Lightning Bolt, courtesy of Space Patrol ( the rover being much too large, and heavy, to fit into either the Mars Mission rocket, or their habitation module! ).  Space Patrol also provides space rides and supply deliveries to Future Planet guys, from time to time ( along with defense against Darksters ).

Notes:
  • This type of illustration is known in German as a 'Wimmelbild', and are typically found in children-oriented books called Wimmelbilderbuch ( literally: "teeming pictures book" ).
  • The Lightning Bolt was christened by my young nephew.  I designed and built it for him 3 or 4 years ago — the inner structure, anyway.  I initially drew plans on grid paper, and even did a 3D rendering of it, to figure out which parts I would need.
  • This is one of two similar illustrations I did during the confinement; the other one — Spy Team HQ — being 4 times wider ( still being tweaked )!  :)
« Last Edit: May 13, 2020, 11:51:58 by JPSA »

Offline doug

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Re: Space Patrol HQ
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2020, 16:27:28 »
Very nice set-up!

Offline GrahamB

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Re: Space Patrol HQ
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2020, 16:41:46 »
 :omg:
At that moment the ship suddenly stopped rocking and swaying, the engine pitch settled down to a gentle hum. 'Hey Ford.' said Zaphod, 'that sounds good. Have you worked out the controls on this boat?' 'No,' said Ford, 'I just stopped fiddling with them.' (With thanks to Douglas Adams)

Offline GrahamB

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Re: Space Patrol HQ
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2020, 18:21:07 »
:omg:

Now I have had a sit down and a chance to study your photo-diorama, I should add

  8}

Which translates as "That's a mind-boggling piece of work, JPSA!" I had great fun finding the many different PM sets and figures shown. It's one of my favourite themes, so it was nice so see so many 'old friends' in there, you have a very comprehensive collection! No aliens, I expect that was a conscious choice. I like the cranes, airport tower and treasure room! I will have to take some more time to study it all...
At that moment the ship suddenly stopped rocking and swaying, the engine pitch settled down to a gentle hum. 'Hey Ford.' said Zaphod, 'that sounds good. Have you worked out the controls on this boat?' 'No,' said Ford, 'I just stopped fiddling with them.' (With thanks to Douglas Adams)

Offline Tiermann

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Re: Space Patrol HQ
« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2020, 22:18:16 »
That's a wonderful concept, very nicely blended together. Be sure to check out my thread about Christmas 3000 for my only big space diorama so far. Love the them but don't do a lot with it.

Offline JPSA

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Re: Space Patrol HQ
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2020, 23:56:21 »
. . . No aliens, I expect that was a conscious choice.

Hi GrahamB,

Thank you for the compliment!  The aliens are mostly bad guys ( in my mind ), and have their own lair, which is located across the desert, to the right of Space Patrol HQ, inside a mountain — yet to be illustrated.  It's possible blue aliens might be good guys, but the green ones are definitely bad guys in that world, bent on world domination ( considering the threatening vibe of the spider cruiser, and of their control center ).
« Last Edit: May 13, 2020, 08:18:16 by JPSA »

Offline Macruran

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Re: Space Patrol HQ
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2020, 00:39:51 »
"We like things in little." - G. Stein  
 :roman:

Offline JPSA

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Re: Space Patrol HQ
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2020, 05:05:35 »
And here is the Lightning Bolt, as it was 3-4 years ago:



. . . Which was going to be upgraded to a slightly improved version ( never built ):










Note:

The Lightning Bolt was partly inspired — in spirit at least — by a wonderful creation I saw on Youtube ( by "Lino and Lars" ), while searching for video reviews of Playmobil 3079, as a potential gift for my nephew:


« Last Edit: May 13, 2020, 11:47:40 by JPSA »

Offline tahra

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Re: Space Patrol HQ
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2020, 07:59:48 »
Mind boggles.

That's amazing!! :o  :love:

I really like those new space police sets, but... can't... no space! :(

Looking forward to similiar work for the aliens' lair.

Offline JPSA

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Re: Space Patrol HQ
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2020, 09:54:07 »
Doug, GrahamB, Tiermann, Macruran and Tahra,

Thank you all for your enthusiasm and appreciation, for this piece.  ...I suppose that's a silver lining to being stuck at home, like many of us were: more time to focus on side projects, particularly worldplay-related, in one way or another.  As mentioned, I am currently adding the final touches to the 'super-secret' Spy Team HQ and surroundings, which is somewhat epic in scale ( if the thing was built, it would be 72 feet long! :lol: ).  I'll try to post it sometime next week.

Cheers,

JP.