Space 1999 Merchandise Guide: Games

JIGSAW PUZZLES (Hope)

UK 1974 and 1976. Price 70p.

6 designs issued in 2 years. Each painting is based on 2 or more publicity photographs. The paintings are probably by Walt Howarth (born 1928, died 2008), who did lots of covers for British annuals produced by World Distributors as well as jigsaws for Hope including Bonanza and Rupert the Bear. He did the comic strips for the 1977 and 1978 World Distributors Annuals.

The jigsaws were in 3 different box styles. Each box is 24 x 17.5 x 3 cm.

The original 1974 box style included an image on the long side of the box. The later 1974 re-issue and the 1976 boxes only had text.

The jigsaws were simple 80-piece images. The completed jigsaw measured 23.5cm x 31.8cm.

1974 (3 designs, each in 2 box designs, all code no. SJ726)

Two of the paintings were used as the cover of sketch pads.

Box 1: Jigsaw picture; jigsaw piece shape in top right corner, title "Space 1999 80 Piece Puzzle"	Box 2: Navy coloured border top & left (incl art of Eagle & astronaut), title "Space 1999 Jigsaw Puzzle"
		Koenig, Helena (holding up cards), Victor in front of communications post.
		Kaldorians watching screen showing astronauts in NDA 2

		Koenig & Helena by Terra Nova pond, Eagle & Victor beyond

1976 (3 designs, all code no. SJ833)

Box: light blue border left & top; title "Space 1999", yellow banner across top right "Ages 5-9 Years"

Koenig (in spacesuit) & Helena (in robe) cower (War Games); as astronaut fires heavy laser (Alpha Child) at head of green lizard

Victor & Koenig wait behind rocks as cavemen search (Full Circle), Helena foreground

Koenig (holding heavy laser) & Victor (hs, in spacesuits); base beyond; Eagle, planet & explosion in space

JIGSAW PUZZLES (HG Toys)

US 150-piece jigsaw puzzles (25.5 x 35.5 cm); also can. 1975

3 designs (colour paintings by Gray Morrow for Charlton black & white comics, one of which was an unpublished design):

(No 497-01): Koenig, Helena & Victor in NDA 2 foreground, explosion, Moon & Eagle in background. (cover of Charlton comic no 1)
(No 497-02): Worried Koenig (holding long weapon) & Helena, in front of 2 columns. (Charlton comic 2)
(No 497-03): Fallen Koenig, Helena and robots, with Victor background (not from a Charlton comic)

Boxes 19 x 22.5 x 3.5 cm. Jigsaw picture, red logo at base; yellow circle top left-
'150 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle, 14" x 10"
Fully Interlocking, Ages 5 And Up'
On the side of the box is a picture of one other puzzle design.

The first design was also available in a card can (with metal lid). The picture was wrapped round the sides of the can.

Below: tin (image thanks to Gordon Moriguchi)

JIGSAW PUZZLE (World Games, New Zealand)

NZ 54 piece jigsaw puzzle (34.5 x 24.5 cm). 1976

Colour painting (by "Bichan") based on Year 1 scenes. Pieces are assembled on a backing card; they are not cut to the edges of the board.

Backdrop is space, with large moon bottom left. Foreground bottom left are various scenes including astronauts with a fallen colleague (based on "Ring Around The Moon"), Zantor and Main Mission staff at their desks watching the newscaster on the Big Screen. Top left is a rescue Eagle with red stripes, some missiles and Satazius being hit by a laser. Right are full length portraits of Helena, Koenig and Victor, striding forward over the red caption "Space 1999", with a purple insect in the bottom right corner.

World Games Co. Ltd of Auckland New Zealand also produced a local version of the Milton Bradley board game.

JIGSAW PUZZLE (?, Japan)

Japan.

Scene features 2 astronauts in foreground walking from a launching Eagle. Irregularly shaped pieces, although the border is not cut. p368 of "Thunderbirds" (Asahi Sonorama 1993)

JIGSAW PUZZLE (GerryAnderson.co.uk, UK)

UK, December 2021, €30
Anderson Entertainment

Art by comic artist Lee Sullivan featuring Year 1 regular characters and effects scenes. 1000 pieces. Box 225 x 315 x 65 mm. Puzzle dimensions 672 x 480 mm.

The Merchandise Guide Games Compiled by Martin Willey