Major Matt Mason Vinyl Playset Playmat with Sculpted 3d Craters, 1966, Gorgeous

I had a very basic MMM setup as a kid: Figure, sled/crawler vehicle he came with, a few accouterments, most of which were destroyed by the end of our childhood G.I. Joe era. Each of the three brothers may have gotten one as well, I know we had more than one figure and both red & white sled vehicles ... To go back in time and pluck them from whatever garbage bag the ended up in, no matter what their condition ... My favorite was always his Space Survival Tent, last seen sometime in college when our class was a assigned a study on inflatable pieces by one of our Industrial Design oriented instructors. Still hoping it turns up in a storage box while sorting them down prior to moving. Not really searching for MMM stuff, but just by keeping an eye on the Space Toy charts sorted as "Newly Listed" items at the well-known online auction site, this masterpiece popped up:

First, many kind thanks to e-B4y seller "instalink" for their permission to show this incredible sight. Described in his listing as a "Mattel 1966 Major Matt Mason Man In Space Convoy Set Vinyl Mat and 3 Crater" lot. I am fascinated by the prospect of sculpting/painting my own Moon Terrain for artfully designed playset collections and here's a superb example of how to do it. Looks like a three or four shade black/gray printing with blue on durable vinyl featuring strategically placed snap attachments for the crater pieces so they can me moved around. Which instantly transforms a bunch of toys on a play surface into a place defined by forms which inhabit the same physical space as the person engaged in the play. 

Instead of just sitting there the 3d forms of the toys mesh with the surface in the conceptual world that the adventure is taking place, cementing the relationship between the toys and physical reality. The idea a marvelous outgrowth & simplification on the majestic "Operation Moon Base" Moon Mountain dominating Marx's three moon playsets to feature it. The miniature Lunar Exploration playsets got painted terrain bits as well, and the Giant Martian Landing playset also featured a simplified Mars Mountain. The other later Marx space sets only had a printed mat. 

You can view the vendor's listing for the playmat lot by clicking here. Out of my price range at current, don't even have any Major Matt Mason pieces yet to excuse the acquisition either. Darn.

Flipside, with snap fixtures for the crater bits placed here & there.

Hail Mary that nobody ever folded it up.

The three craters stack neatly and the rolled up mat slides safely into anything, presumably the case that this Convoy Set was enclosed in -- Beautiful design includes simple storage & transport to the next play location; A+

He also has this listed as well, a single extra crater and gave up a nice view of how it may have been created. My call is vacuform, and you can view the seller's listing for the crater by clicking here. And no, I'm not allowed. Already asked!  ;D  Nicely too, but the powers that be suggested I enjoy the pictures, pay my smartfone bill & have fun figuring out how make my own. And that's showbiz.

Female snap end to fit over one of the male heads on the vinyl mat. US Quarter for scale.

Will hazard to guess that's some basic hand painting on top of the formed plastic. Love the roughness of the vertical strokes.

Image courtesy of the "Marx Lane" website at marxwildwest.com.

Someday ...