retro-the-best....: Nov 21, 2010

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Latest articles from Retro To Go

Habitat Days Forum armchair and sofas by Robin Day
Kaiser idell 6631 table lamp by Christian Dell for Fritz Hansen
Dalek Keychain Torch at Firebox
eBay watch: Copal T-11 1970s space age flip clock
Classic tweed pea coat by Pretty Green
Vintage French health and safety posters at The Peanut Vendor

Habitat Days Forum armchair and sofas by Robin Day

Posted: 21 Nov 2010 11:06 AM PST

We were very sad to hear of the death of Robin Day, aged 95, last week. We did think about doing a tribute, but in truth, we've been a tribute site to Robin Day's designs pretty much since the day started - everything from the classic Polo Chair to more eccentric designs like the 4-4000 chair for Hille, now long gone, but often seen on eBay. But after a check through our records, we realised we haven't featured one of his most recognisable designs - the Habitat Days Forum armchair and sofas.

Yes, if you've been in Habitat in the past few years, you'll have seen this impressive midcentury-inspired design. It's available as an armchair or as a two, three or four-seater sofa, all with that oak frame (stained as ash or walnut) and with a choice of colours for the Italian leather upholstery. All of that stands on slim chrome legs.

A very stylish design and a tribute to the enduring appeal of Robin Day. It sells from £1,100 for the armchair or £1,650 for the sofa. If you happen to be in the Manchester area, here's a tip - you might find them heavily discounted at the Habitat clearance store there.

Find out more at the Habitat website

Kaiser idell 6631 table lamp by Christian Dell for Fritz Hansen

Posted: 21 Nov 2010 11:06 AM PST

This is a bizarre one. Last week, we spotted an interesting Kaiser New Bauhaus lamp on eBay, an early 60s collaboration between Kaiser and original Bauhaus metal workshop 'master' Christian Dell. Now, today, we've found a brand new reissue from the same team - the Kaiser idell 6631 table lamp by Christian Dell for Fritz Hansen.

The lamp on eBay was a 1960s project, but the 6631 lamp is an original 1930s modernist design for Kaiser, which is now reissued by Fritz Hansen. It is indeed a classic - available in black, ivory, white, red and dark green, the lamps are made in steel and brass and the lampshades are hand painted in high gloss.

It also features a world-patented swivel joint and an 'original Kaiser-idell' label. Price? A less-then-cheap £588.

Find out more at the Lollipop Shoppe website

Dalek Keychain Torch at Firebox

Posted: 21 Nov 2010 11:05 AM PST

Can't say I'm a fan of the phrase 'stocking filler', but if you know someone who loves Doctor Who, this Dalek Keychain Torch at Firebox is pretty much perfect for said description.

Yes, this is a mini Dalek, the evil alien created by Terry Nation in the early 60s and still the most recognisable image of the show, Doctor aside. But not just a mini Dalek - this one also has an ultra-bright LED light at the base, should you need to find the keyhole in the dead of night.

Batteries are indeed included and the price is £6.99.

Find out more at the Firebox website

eBay watch: Copal T-11 1970s space age flip clock

Posted: 21 Nov 2010 11:05 AM PST

Not a million miles from the 1960s Gino Valle-designed Cifra range of clocks, this Copal T-11 flip clock is actually a 1970s variation.

Not only that, it's out of Japan rather than Europe, a great space age 24-hour clock with a cylinder shape and battery power, perfect for a space age-inspired home.

Condition is described as 'excellent vintage' and the price is, right now, a bargain 99p.

Find out more at the eBay website

Classic tweed pea coat by Pretty Green

Posted: 21 Nov 2010 11:05 AM PST

I can take or leave Liam Gallagher's Pretty Green label, a range that mixes fairly low-end logo-clad t-shirts with highly-priced items that often don't justify the hefty ticket price. Like this Pretty Green tweed pea coat for example.

On the face of it, a nice twist on a 60s-inspired look, made from what's described as a 'luxurious tweed' in a light brown, throwing in a wide lapel, two fronted pockets, three-button cuffs and a paisley print lining.

It's a smart item, that's for sure. But is it a £375 item? That's between you and your wallet.

Find out more at the Hip website

Via His Knibs

Vintage French health and safety posters at The Peanut Vendor

Posted: 21 Nov 2010 11:04 AM PST

A lot of online stores seem to be going big on British transport posters right now (not least in asking prices), but The Peanut Vendor has gone Gallic for its own public information range - with these vintage French health and safety posters.

There are a few different designs to choose from, including the one above, which warns of…well, we don't know as we don't speak a lot of French. If you do, let us know via the comments.

Anyway, it's from the 1950s, it's incredibly eye-catching and it's sized at 40 x 30cm. All of them sell for £40 each.

Find out more at The Peanut Vendor website

[New post] Quick Review- Iron Man: Execute Program

Quick Review- Iron Man: Execute Program

dailypop | November 21, 2010 at 11:37 pm | Tags: civil war captain america iron man, Daniel and Charlie Knauf, iron man marvel comics | Categories: Iron Man | URL: http://wp.me/p4kUt-27a

Iron Man: Execute Program

By Daniel and Charlie Knauf and Patrick Zircher

It may sound hard to believe now that the character is the star of two major motion pictures and has been featured on everything from action figures to party favors, but Iron Man was not always as popular as he is today. In fact, he was dead wood on the chopping block of Marvel Comics just before cult writer Warren Ellis teamed up with graphic artist Adi Gravnov to completely revolutionize the armored avenger. Ellis introduced a viral technology that bridged the gap between humanity and technology called Extremis, an invention so bleeding edge that it challenged Stark's ego and morals. The revival of Iron Man wasn't just one of ideas, either. The book was made much slicker-looking than ever before thanks to Gravnov's cover designs (which earned him a welcome onto the crew of the Iron Man feature film). Iron Man is tremendously popular today and that renewed celebrity all started with Extremis, a story so important that it has been re-envisioned as a motion comic. However, the actual hard work of using those ideas to carve out a new face for Iron Man started in the following story, Execute Program.

Execute Program was the first story line to follow the game-changing Extremis by Warren Ellis and Adi Gravnov. It has always struck me as unfortunate that bookended by Extremis on one end and the Invincible Iron Man relaunch by Matt Fraction and Salvador LaRocca, this run has gone unnoticed. Written by Daniel and Charlie Knauf, the story picks up the threads left by Ellis' story in which Stark has become superhuman, more machine than man and hooked up to his technology through a virus coursing through his veins. It's a clever concept but with a lesser writer, the ideas would have been used to simply tell adventures similar to what fans had read before only with a higher standard of tech-jargon.

The Knaufs, familiar to some as the writers of HBO's Carnivale, brought with them a kind of drama and tension that had been lacking from the book. The version of Tony Stark is so advanced that he appears to be alien even to his closest allies. He fights Crimson Dynamo while bidding on antique armor and conducting business at the same time via a holographic link-up. What's more, he kills Dynamo just to show that he can use his repulsors as a kind of defibrillator to bring him right back. This frightens his Avengers team-mates who recognize that the Tony of old is long gone. When murders start popping up and Iron Man is identified as the prime suspect, Stark does everything he can to clear his name only to find that he has been compromised. The most advanced privately-owned technology on the planet is being hacked from Internet Cafe's and sent on killing sprees.

Execute Program is a smart, fast-moving tale that singles out Iron Man as one of if not the most powerful superheroes in the Marvel Universe and the revelation is rather staggering. It's a thrilling story that builds to a tremendous climax and has a true cinematic feel to it. It even ties neatly into Civil War when Stark states that he has been used as a weapon, and weapons need to be registered. Daniel and Charlie Knauf's run on Iron Man is incredible and at the time it was initially released I was shocked to see it fail to gain a strong foothold in the comic book market (at least in my area). The only negative comment that I can make about Execute Program is that the artwork looks very dated, especially when compared to the work preceding this book by Gravnov and what follows by Robert de la Torre.

It's important to note that the entire Daniel and Charlie Knauf run of Iron Man; Execute Program, Civil War, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Haunted, and With Iron Hands have yet to be collected in hardcover editions and Execute Program has gone out of print. Possibly there are plans to collect the entire run in an Omnibus-style book, buy I have not heard anything to date. The price of Execute Program online is escalating, so if you are interested, make sure to grab one today.