Andrew Skilleter's Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet artwork in the spotlight

Illustrator and comic artist Andrew Skilleter has just launched an extensive new Facebook page based around the original art he created for the 1990s Gerry Anderson comics.

Best known for his professional Doctor Who art, Andrew contributed many covers and pages, to the Gerry Anderson comics, Thunderbirds, Stingray, Captain Scarlet and Joe 90, edited by Alan Fennell in the early 1990s, including the illustration of the long running The Complete Thunderbirds Story.

The Facebook page features scores of covers, strip pages and vivid centre spreads to be viewed and all the art is for sale.

The page also features a full account of his involvement and links to relating sites, including a full Anderson centered interview with Andrew - plus some of his detailed pencil prelim drawings for the strips.

The page will be regularly updated and will be of particular interest to the generation who grew up with the Fleetway Gerry Anderson comics of the early 1990s.

"As a professional illustrator, I was busy with a flow of commissions including Doctor Who," Andrew tells us, " when I became aware of the new Thunderbirds comic and subsequently discovered that Alan Fennell, who had done such a superb job editing the legendary TV Century 21 comic, was the editor. I had grown up with a passion for the best of the British comic artists many of whom were featured in stunning full scale and colour in TV21. I loved strips and the world of magazine publishing.

"And so began an enjoyable working relationship with Alan, producing covers for the Thunderbirds, Stingray, Captain Scarlet and Joe 90 titles and illustrating virtually all of The Complete Thunderbirds Story written by Alan, and covers for a number of the Ravette reprint albums of TV21 strips. I was particularly please to have done the Scarlet cover for Ron Embleton’s strips.

"Following the sad passing of Gerry Anderson there are plans by his son Jamie for new Anderson productions, a TV revival of Thunderbirds, Egmont’s plans to reprint material from the 1990s comics and a relaunch of Sylvia Anderson’s website, so this seems the best time to bring the full extent of my Anderson involvement to a wider public."

• Facebook page: www.facebook.com/GerryAndersonArt.AndrewSkilleter

• Andrew Skilleter's official web site: www.andrewskilleter.com or Facebook: www.facebook.com/artofandrewskilleter

In Memoriam: Gerry Anderson

Everybody has heroes. Some people create them.

One man who created them for me as I grew up as a kid in the 1960s was Gerry Anderson, aided by his not inconsiderable team behind the Supermarionation shows such as Captain Scarlet, Stingray and, of course, Thunderbirds. Later, he would continue to thrill with UFO. For others in our industry, Space:1999 or one of his other shows - and there were many - also inspired.

Many of my generation remember not just the shows, but also the inventive merchandising of those childhood favourites, particularly TV Century 21, the weekly comic providing all-new adventures of Troy Tempest, the Tracy family and Spectrum. A title that captured the mood of the technology-obsessed as humankind engaged in a race to reach the moon, realized in 1969. It was a comic I only saw occasionally as a child - it did, after all, cost seven pence! - often given to me by my Grandfather during holidays.

I have only the vaguest childhood memories of his last black and white puppet show, Fireball XL5 - one being the show's launch sequence for Steve Zodiac's spacecraft, the other being Steve and Venus trapped in some kind of ice corridor ass a wall of water headed toward them (Possibly imagined. Gerry Anderson's shows made me imagine a lot). My memory of Fireball is shaped more by the beautifully crafted art of Mike Noble for the show's comic strip in TV Century 21, also drawn by Frank Hampson; far more impressive, in my view, than the show that inspired it.

Stingray - Gerry's fantastical and wonderfully bonkers undersea adventure - I remember more of. Again though, it was a spin-off item - Armada Books' Stingray and the Monster - that drove my enthusiasm for the show, the mysterious 'John Theydon' deepening the mythos with an engaging sea monster battle. Mr Theydon would go on to develop a number of Thunderbirds stories, novels which, nestled next to other SF in bookshops, would help to send me off exploring other fantastic worlds, created by the lkes of Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Poul Anderson and Ray Bradbury, to name but a few.

Thus, Gerry Anderson's creations, translated to comics and books, helped shaped my continuing interests today, as did many SF authors, Doctor Who, Star Trek and CS Lewis and Tolkein.

In that sense, then, the Anderson creations are an integral part of my creative DNA, for which I make no apology today, although being what's now known as a 'geek' earned me my fair share of brickbats at school.

And nothing is more integral to my DNA than the sense of wonder and enjoyment Thunderbirds inspired as a child, from its fantastical life saving machines to its engaging characters like Parker, the villainous Hood and the demure Lady Penelope. (Look - I was six when the show began. We weren't 'sophisticated' as it's claimed modern children are, although the successful 1992 revival of Thunderbirds suggests this is not as true as some cynics would have you believe).

Like many, I was caught up in Thunderbirds, thanks to Gerry Anderson. Not just in the show itself. My parents secured a precious 'data sheet' and two photos of both Thunderbirds craft and the Tracy family for one birthday. My mum baked me a Thunderbird 3 birthday cake. Like kids today caught up by Transformers, Ben 10 and other series in later decades, I was an avid fan at an early age thanks to the series.

Gerry Anderson not only inspired with the shows he produceed. He and his TV creations - also reimagined in comics and books - engendered something in me that has shaped my life as a comics creator and story writer from an early age.

Strangely, for all my work on licensed titles - Doctor Who, Star Trek, Babylon 5 and Star Wars, to name a few - I have never worked on an official Gerry Anderson project. I met him just once, briefly, at a Forbidden Planet signing. I was glad I was finally able to thank him personally for the shows that provided so much fun and thrills as I grew up.

Overnight, many other comic creators have also enthused about his work. Artist Chris Weston recalled his love of Thunderbirds: writer and editor Marcus Hearn, who has been workng hard for several years to bring us collections of TV Century 21 and Countdown comic strips described knowing Gerry as a privilege.

Warren Ellis, who revealed he once showed Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dollshouse creator Joss Whedon the title sequence of Joe 90 and he thought he was trying to drive him mad.

"If you grew up weird in Britain between the 60s and the 80s, Gerry Anderson was at least partly why," he commented on Twitter, citing the title sequence of UFO as an example. A sentiment I happily share.

Not every show was a success. Gerry's life is full of roads not taken, for a variety of reasons. His creations have, occasionally, been hijacked by people with no empathy whatsoever for the original, and those recreations have proven spectacular failures. The treatment of his own CGI revival of Captain Scarlet by ITV was woeful and wholly undeserved, but reflects the idiocy of many managers working in TV programming today.

(You know the ones: they're the kind with no respect for creatives, who squeeze the credits in favour of an advert so modern children will possibly never know the names of the creators who inspire them with The Witches Broom or Merlin).

But the shows that were a success, for me, positively shine, and were an influence on many far beyond their production years, on both those who watched them and those who helped create them alongside Gerry.

The strings are broken. An amazing soul flies free.

Thank you, Gerry, for so many wonderful, inspiring creations. You were and will always be an inspiration to many and you will never be forgotten.

• Please consider making a donation to the Alzheimer's Society in memory of Gerry via his son Jamie Anderson's Just Giving Page:justgiving.com/Remembering GerrryAnderson


 

Bonhams to auction off Sarah Jane's 'Figaro' car

Bonhams upcoming Entertainment Memorabilia sale, to be held next week on Wednesday 12th December, will include an array of props, posters, costumes and related memorabilia from legendary science fiction movies and television shows including Alien, Superman, Star Wars, Blake's 7, Doctor Who, Torchwood, Red Dwarf and Captain Scarlet.

Of particular interest to downthetubes readers might be Sarah Jane Smith's green Nissan Figaro car seen in the Sarah Jane Adventures – and Captain Jack Harkness' greatcoat, used in Torchwood.

The highlights from the sale include a detailed miniature model from the 1979 Alien film of the engine room of the Nostromo mothership, being offered directly by the model maker William "Bill" Pearson. The model engine room was designed for an establishing shot in the film, and is clearly visible in the scene when Ripley sets the ship to self-destruct.

Original models used in the production of Alien have rarely come on to the market and are highly sought after.

Following the same theme, included in the horror and science fiction section of the sale is a large airbrush illustration created by the Alien film’s Academy Award-winning designer and surrealist artist H.R. Giger. The artwork depicts a sinister skeletal creature, and was discovered painted on a door panel in the boiler room at Shepperton Studios, a bolt-hole frequented by the artist throughout the making of the film.

Both lots are offered with an estimate of £2,000 – 3,000.

A number of items from the archives of the BBC will also be offered for sale, including costumes and props from renowned television series Doctor Who. One of the key pieces is a large prop latex shark used in the 2010 Christmas special A Christmas Carol, valued at £1000-1500.

It will also be the first time key props and costume from the popular Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures series’ will be offered at auction, including Captain Jack Harkness’ RAF blue Great Coat, valued at £700-900 and Sarah Jane Smith’s emerald green and white Nissan Figaro car £4,000-6,000.

Created due to the burgeoning interest in European classic cars amongst Japanese car collectors in the 1980s, Nissan produced four retro inspired cars emulating 1960s European styling but incorporating up-to-the minute Japanese technology. Previewed in 1989 and launched in 1991, the Figaro was the fourth of these. A turbocharged, Micra-powered sportscar, it was soon in such demand that a lottery was organised to determine the lucky owners of the limited run of 20,000 produced.

Other pieces available to collectors will be a large collection of concept designs from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, with estimates ranging from £500-3,000, an original Captain Brown puppet used on the 1960s original Captain Scarlet series, estimate £12,000-15,000, Christopher Reeves director’s chair, £500-700, and two handmade spacecraft models used in series 10 of Red Dwarf, valued at £500-700 each.

Music memorabilia, including rare Beatles items, are also part of the auction.

• Full auction details at www.bonhams.com/auctions/19801

Mike Trim's Airfix Paintings

After mentioning Airfix's re-release of the Angel Interceptor kit from Gerry Anderson's Captain Scarlet And the Mysterons TV series, we have another Airfix/Captain Scarlet cross-over to report but this time it is one of the behind the scenes team.

Mike Trim joined the AP Films model shop in 1964 working as a model maker on Stingray and would continue on with the company through the Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Joe 90 and The Secret Service puppet series as well as the live action UFO plus the company's three feature films, Thunderbirds Are Go!, Thunderbird 6 and Doppleganger. He rose to be the assistant to the Anderson's Oscar winning special effects director Derek Meddings designing many of the familiar vehicles from the various series.

Mike then went on to design and paint the illustrations for the concept album Jeff Wayne's Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds and work as an illustrator of book covers. His story is told in the beautifully illustrated The Future Was FAB: The Art Of Mike Trim published by Hermes Press in 2006.

Since then Mike has been painting illustrations for Airfix when the company was revitalised after its takeover by Hornby. Mike's Airfix box art covers a wide range of subjects from warships like HMS Iron Duke from the Battle of Jutland in 1916 the RAF's WWII Wellington bomber. It is nicely appropriate that the designer and model maker of so many science fiction vehicles in the 1960s also provided Airfix with new paintings of the 1960s era Apollo-Saturn V moon rocket and Apollo Lunar Module.

There are more of Mike Trim's Airfix illustrations on his blog and much more on his work in general on his website.

Angels - Immediate Launch!

Despite Captain Scarlet being over 40 years old, Spectrum remains green.

Spectrum's Angel aircraft, as featured in Gerry Anderson's 1967 TV series Captain Scarlet and The Mysterons, remain popular enough to have two new merchandise releases before Christmas. Featuring in various British Captain Scarlet comic strips drawn by the likes of Ron Embleton in TV Century 21 or John Cooper in the News Of The World magazine, or even in The Angels strip in Lady Penelope drawn by Jon Davis, the Angel aircraft retain a sleek futuristic look even after all these years.

Robert Harrup Designs, who produce miniature figurines of various comic and TV themes including The Beano and Thunderbirds, have produced a diorama of an Angel aircraft launching from Cloudbase, Spectrum's hovering HQ. The Angel diorama is made of hand painted ceramic resin in a limited edition of 250 and costs £65 with free postage and packaging in the UK.

Many people refer to the Angel aircraft as Angel Interceptors because that is the name that Airfix gave to their plastic construction kit of the plane which was originally released as a Series 2 kit in 1968. The Angel Interceptor kit remained in Airfix's range for many years after the series left TV screens but eventually passed into history.

However, due to demand from the kit-building fraternity, Airfix have re-released the kit and it can only be a bonus for everyone that they are reusing the original box illustration painted by Eagle and Swift artist Roy Cross which, no doubt, did much to inspire several generations of children who had never seen or even heard of Captain Scarlet to buy the kit in the past. The kit is available now and costs £6.99.

To finish we have a special Friday treat from Anderson fan James Fielding who has combined the Japanese title sequences of various Gerry Anderson TV series and also added subtitles which translate the songs that were added to them for the Japanese market.

There are more details of the Angel launch diorama at the Robert Harrup website.

There is more information on the Angel Interceptor kit at the Airfix website.

In the Spotlight: Ron Embleton

One of our most popular and talented artists, Ron Embleton - whose work is getting major promotion this month over at the Book Palace web site's Illustration Art Gallery - began drawing as a young boy, at 12 winning a national poster competition.

At 17, he earned himself a place in a commercial studio but soon left to work freelance, drawing comic strips for many of the small publishers who sprang up shortly after the war.

He was soon drawing for the major publishers. His most fondly remembered strips include 'Strongbow the Mighty' in Mickey Mouse Weekly, 'Wulf the Briton' in Express Weekly, 'Wrath of the Gods' in Boys’ World, 'Tales of the Trigan Empire' and 'Johnny Frog' in Eagle and 'Stingray' in TV Century 21.

Embleton also provided the illustrations for the title credits for the Captain Scarlet TV series, and dozens of paintings for prints and newspaper strips, including 'Snow White', 'Beauty and the Beast', 'Wicked Wanda' and 'The Magic Apples'.

A meticulous artist, his illustrations appeared in Look and Learn for many years, amongst them the historical series Roger’s Rangers.

- Check out the gallery of his work on sale at the Illustration Gallery

Andersonic flies back into action with exclusive interview

The latest issue of the ace Gerry Anderson fanzine, Andersonic, is now on sale. Issue 10 features a new interview with former Century 21 writer and director Leo Eaton in which he discusses his time directing the puppet series, writing for Captain Scarlet, what it was like working on Joe 90 and UFO, why he eventually left the series and how he came to work with Ed Wood.

Other features include:-

• Supermerchandisation - A look at how Century 21 revolutionised the marketing of 'tie-in' products in the 1960s. (The Andersonic website has additonal info on this subject)
• Into Infinity - Script to screen feature revealing scenes that didn't make it to the final version plus a new interview with musician Steve Coe.
• Space:1999 - Earthbound - a look at Anthony Terpiloff's episode where Christopher Lee gives everyone an egg and Gerald Simmonds Esq does everything he can to get back to where he once belonged.
• Brink of Disaster Retrospective - four writers evaluate one of Thunderbirds' most stylish episodes. Is complete automation a viable option? Whadda you think!
• UFO - Survival - Michael Billington makes his UFO debut as test pilot Paul Foster in a moon-based episode that explores prejudice and, er, survival.
• Space Patrol - a look at the 1960s series made by former Anderson alumni Arthur Provis and Roberta Leigh, which had an interesting legacy.
• Review Section - New merchandise reviewed.
• SHADO Staff Handbook - What not to do in your new job. Please sign and return to the HR department. What do you mean you don't want a lilac gull-wing company car?
• Joe 90 A-Z - everything you need to know about WIN's 4' 4" Most Special Agent.
• X-Planes Extra - more inspirational designs we couldn't fit in last time. Ever wondered what inspired the design of Thunderbird 1, FAB 1, Supercar and UFO's Lunar Carrier?

• The new issue is available via the website www.andersonic.co.uk - price £2.40 including UK postage. It will also be available from eBay for a limited period. If you'd prefer to pay by cheque or PO, please get in touch for a postal address via the web site. Back issues are also back in print.

Where's Me Flippin' Jet Pack?

It's the cry of many a 1960s child, wowed by future visions featured in comic strips and TV shows like Captain Scarlet. Well, it seems that, finally, the future is here, thanks to the Martin Aircraft Company...




Last year, the New Zealand-based Martin Aircraft Company had its first five customers pay to be jetpack pilots and fly the Martin Jetpack. You can see from this video the thrill they had. This day was a very early trial of this concept: all five customers were novice pilots, and they all made safe solo flights.

The Martin Aircraft Company is planning a Martin Jetpack Experience business, to open for tourist jetpack flights in 2010 - and it's expected that early orders for sales to private individuals will commence late 2010. (The company signed a $12 million joint-venture deal with an as yet unnamed international aircraft company to start production of the world's first commercially available jetpack just last month).

Of course, these days a world where people are buzzing around on jet packs seems a bit scary... quite apart from the potential terrorism implications, can you imagine what kind of damage drunk flyers might cause? The company is well aware of these issues of course, and notes that after manufacture the "human factors" come into play.

"These include standard operating procedures, training and retraining of the end users to maintain a high degree of compliance."

Before you or I can get your hands on one, the jetpacks will be sold to emergency response organisations, such as police and military, providing a quick way of getting aid and relief into disaster-hit areas.

The company says the jet pack is "unlikely" to have a direct military application but could be used in a troop-support role.

Yeah, right - we've seen how Captain Scarlet and SPECTRUM operates!

• Fly the Dream: www.martinjetpack.com

TV21 Turns 45...

-- or at least it would have done, had it had the longevity of The Beano!

We have Lew Stringer to thank for pointing out that 45 years ago, City Magazines launched the first issue of TV Century 21 - a bold new large format comic that would become one of the most fondly remembered titles in UK comics history.

"With City's close association with Gerry Anderson's Century 21 productions, TV21 was far more than just a comic that featured tv characters," notes Lew. "The editor himself (Alan Fennell) was a scriptwriter on Fireball XL5 and Stingray, and Lady Penelope debuted in her own strip in issue one several months before the first episode of Thunderbirds ever appeared on tv. The comic also had access to exclusive photographs of the models and characters, which were ideal for the newspaper-style covers of TV21.

"All in all, TV21 was very much a part of the Gerry Anderson universe," Lew argues, "and the exciting thing was that the comic presented all those tv shows as part of a shared universe."

While the comic's success was in part due to the phenomenal popularity of the Gerry Anderson series it centred on - Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet probably being the most memorable - it was supported by regular advertising on TV and more - something most British publishers can only dream of these days.

This was one of the comics I most remember reading growing up, followed by Countdown in the 1970s and Look-In; but it was TV21 that most captured my imagination, with its shared universe, stunning art and background features to the Gerry Anderson universe.

"I was five years old when TV21 was launched, so a little under the target age of 7 to 12 year olds. Nevertheless, like many kids, I was thrilled by this new comic," Lew recalls. "I became an avid reader of TV21 throughout 1965, and so did many other kids apparently, with the comic becoming the most successful launch of the period. (It's initial print run of 450,000 being insufficient to meet demand. Incredible, when comics today are considered a success for selling 60,000)... Sadly toward the end of the sixties, the quality of TV21 began to decline, and interest in 'space' petered out after the first moon landing. By the time TV21 merged into Valiant in 1971 it was little different to any other boys adventure comic of the time. However, for today, it's time to remember when TV21 was fresh and innovative, and when 'Adventure in the 21st Century' was something to look forward to every Wednesday."

Sadly, licensing costs mean there's little chance of there ever being a title combining many different TV shows being launched today: the focus of publishers these days is very much on one show, such as with Doctor Who Adventures or Simpsons Comics.

You have to wonder, though, who might be drawing the strips of TV21 today if it had lasted: Chris Weston on Fireball XL5? Dylan Teague on Captain Scarlet? Garen Ewing on Lady Penelope? Neill Cameron on Stingray? Lee Sullivan back on Thunderbirds, a strip he drew for the Redan Thunderbirds comic? Lew Stringer drawing The Munsters and Kev F. Sutherland or Jamie Smart drawing My Favourite Martian? Who knows...

You can, of course, enjoy some of TV21's brilliant strips in the new Century 21 collections being published by Reynolds & Hearn: a third volume was released recently.

• Gerry Anderson's Century 21: v. 3: Escape from Aquatraz is on sale 30 November: buy it from amazon.co.uk
• Lew has put together a potted tribute to this ground-breaking comic, which featured the work of artists such as Frank Bellamy, Frank Hampson, Don Lawrence and many other greats during its run. You can view it here on his as ever brilliant Blimey! blog.


• For an online history and guide to TV21, visit the superb The Gerry Anderson Comics Listing


• Buy Century 21: Classic Comic Strips from the Worlds of Gerry Anderson Volume 1 from Amazon.co.uk

• Buy Century 21: Classic Comic Strips from the Worlds of Gerry Andserson Volume 2 from amazon.co.uk

• Buy Gerry Anderson's UFO: The Technical Manual from amazon.co.uk

Century 21 Strip Collection Details Revelead!

Trailed here back in July, publishers Reynolds & Hearn have kindly given downthetubes the lowdown on the strips that will feature in their third volume of Gerry Anderson comic strips, most taken from the brilliant 1960s comic TV Century 21, due for release in a few short weeks.

Launched in 1965 to capitalise on the success of Gerry Anderson's television series Fireball XL5 and Stingray, TV Century 21 offered a colourful mix of space age stories that later included Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet alongside other Supermarionation favourites from the Anderson studios.

Sub-titled Escape from Aquatraz, this third collection, featuring many pages reproduced from original artwork unseen for over 40 years, includes strips by artists such as Frank Bellamy, Ron Embleton, Frank Hampson, Mike Noble and Ron Turner. Each story has been meticulously restored and the book features an introduction by Chris Bentley and the volume includes a fine UFO strip from the pages of 1970s comic, Countdown, published by Polystyle who also produced TV Comic.

The strip list is as follows (most story titles are newly created as the original comic did not feature them):

• Stingray - Escape from Aquatraz (Script: Alan Fennell Art: Ron Embleton, originally published in TV Century 21 issues 31-44, August-November 2065)

Snowmen attack in TV Century 21 Issue 35! Art by Mike Noble

• Fireball XL5 - The Abominable Snowmen (Script: Alan Fennell Art: Mike Noble, originally published in TV Century 21 issues 34-39, September-October 2065)

(This is a hugely popular story with Fireball XL5 fans featuring aliens that literally turn their foes into snowmen!)

• Thunderbirds - Atomic Runaway (Script: Scott Goodall Art: Frank Bellamy, originally published in TV21 and TV Tornado issues 192-196, September-October 2068)

• Captain Scarlet - The Deadly Sea (Script: Howard Elson Art: Ron Turner, originally published in the TV Century 21 annual, September 1968)

• Zero X - The Hollow Men (Script: Angus P Allan Art: Mike Noble, originally published in TV21 and TV Tornado issues 197-202, October-November 2068)

• Stingray - Icebreaker (Script: Alan Fennell Art: Ron Embleton, originally published in TV Century 21 issues 45-51, November 2065-January 2066)

Frank Bellamy's Thunderbirds, from TV21 and TV Tornado Issue 198

• Thunderbirds - Atoll of Doom (Script: Scott Goodall Art: Frank Bellamy, originally published in TV21 and TV Tornado issues 197-202, October-November 2068)

• Zero-X- WaxWorld (Script: Angus P Allan Art: Mike Noble, originally published in TV21 and TV Tornado issues 210-217, January-March 2069)

• Fireball XL5 - Mystery of the Magnetoid (Script: Alan Fennell Art: Mike Noble, originally published in TV Cenrury 21 issues 40-43, October-November 2065)

• Captain Scarlet - The Banner Vine (Script: Scott Goodall Art: Mike Noble, originally published in TV21 issues 176-177, June 2068)

• Thunderbirds - The Manafu Trench (Script: Scott Goodall Art: Frank Bellamy, originally published in TV21 and TV Tornado issues 239-242, August-September 2069)

• UFO - The Colour is Green (Script: Dennis Hooper Art: Brian Lewis, originally published in Countdown issue 43, December 1971)

• Gerry Anderson's Century 21: v. 3: Escape from Aquatraz is on sale 30 November: buy it from amazon.co.uk


Also Available from Reynolds & Hearn:


• Buy Century 21: Classic Comic Strips from the Worlds of Gerry Anderson Volume 1 from Amazon.co.uk

• Buy Century 21: Classic Comic Strips from the Worlds of Gerry Andserson Volume 2 from amazon.co.uk

• Buy Gerry Anderson's UFO: The Technical Manual from amazon.co.uk

• Reynolds & Hearn web site

Thunderbirds, Project SWORD and More on eBay

I'm having another spate of clearing boxes at downthetubes, and the following items are currently being offered on ebay... Sales help keep us going, especially at present. Pictures of all offered items can be found here on Flickr

• 1967 Lady Penelope Annual
Featuring comic strips as follows: Lady Penelope ("Adventure in Bereznik" - the fictional Iron Curtain country that was the nemesis of heroes in both TV21 and Lady Penelope comics - "The Million Pound Lipstick" and "Lady Penelope versus The Fox"); The Girl from U.N.C.L.E ("Academy of Thrush Agents"); Marina ("Menace in the Weed"); The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ("Caribbean Caper"); Perils of Parker; Creighton-Ward ("Night of Suspense"); Daktari; and What Did That Dog Say?. Plus some text stories
Features: Biographies of Lady Penelope Creightion-Ward and 'Nosey' Parker; the secrets of Creighton-Ward Mansion; Graphology feature interpreting the personalities of the Thunderbirds team (you didn't know puppets could hold a pen, did you?); fashion and horoscope pages; pin ups of Davy Jones, Mike Nesmith (from the Monkees)

• 1968 Lady Penelope Annual
Featuring comic strips as follows: Lady Penelope in "Symphony of Death", "Duel in the Jungle" and "Sabotage Session"; Captain Scarlet's Angels in "Apres Ski"; The Monkees ("Once Upon A Time"); Perils of Parker"; Bewitched; What Did That Dog Say; The Spectrum, the band that sand the Captain Scarlet outro song;) and some text stories, including an Angels story with Captain Scarlet pictures, "Deadly Decoy"
Features: "Changing Gear", featuring photos of various models of the time charting fashion across the years; an interview with The Tremeloes; a Beatles diary, charting highlights of the band's success from 1964 to 1968; "Odd Jobs" reporting on women such as Janet Rice, racing driver, Jean Lincoln, pop star manager and stunt girl Connie Tilton; "Pop Goes the Alphabet", noting top acts of the year; "Behind the Scenes" reporting on music recording in London's famous music mecca, Denmark Street;
plus pin up pages of the Beach Boys, Bee Gees, Dave, Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch; plus recipe, fashion tip and quiz pages ("How Do You Rate as a Friend?")

• 1968 Project SWORD Annual
Based on a Century 21 merchandise range that spawned its own comic strip material in TV Century 21, it's my understanding this annual is considered something of a rarity among Gerry Anderson fans. The setting of the story is 3031, at a point in Earth's history when major natural disaster had ravaged the planet. Whether there was ever any intention to bring make this toy range the basis for a TV show by Gerry Anderson, creator of Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet, remains a matter of speculation. It has some echoes with his later projects such as Space:1999, for example.
The annual comprises a mix of comic strip and text stories plus background features on the origin of Project S.W.O.R.D., utlising stills from 2001: A Space Odyssey and blueprints of S.W.O.R.D. vehicles - The Scramble Bug, the Booster Rocket, Moon Prospector, Moon Bus, Hovertank and Survey Vehicle.
There are also mini features on contemporary space travel including an item on the Apollo rocket. One feature of note is a "bio" section of the SWORD team featuring photographs of the characters - presumably members of Century 21's editorial staff and friends since there was never a show based on the toy range?

• 1966 Thunderbirds Television Story Book
Comprising largely of text stories and some comic strips, plus one fab feature - make a working model of Thunderbird Four. Something of an oddity but the art is competent throughout in a style on a par with the quality of strips in the comic TV21.

• Thunderbirds Annual 1966
Cover by Frank Bellamy comprising comic strip, text stories, puzzlesand "real world" emergency features. Plenty of Thunderbirds pictures. Features include profiles of the Tracy brothers and father Jeff, Kyrano, Tin Tin, Lady Penelope, Parker and The Hood; cutaways of Thunderbird 1, 3 and 5, an item on the Thunderbird launch sequences (some scribbling on these)

• Thunderbirds Annual 1968
Comprising comic strip, text stories, games and "real world" emergency features. Strips feature art by Ron Turner and other TV21 regulars. One feature recaps the TV adventures of Thunderbirds as well as comic strip stories from Century 21's weekly titles such as one featuring an abominable snowman. There's plenty of Thunderbirds photographs throughout the book.

• Stingray Annual 1966
featuring a cover by Ron Embleton and a variety of comic strips (including "The Collector", drawn by Ron Turner) and text stories. The annual also features a number of background features on the technology featured in the show including items on Marineville's "Hydromic Missiles" (made of new alloy, Prexfreos - try saying that three times quickly), Marineville (sadly one page of this feature is missing), sea prison Aquatraz, Titan's Terror Fish but not, strangely, Stingray itself. This particular annual is not the best from my small collection, having suffered at the hads of its original owner with all puzzle pages completed and scribbling on some pages. Pages 33-34 (part of a Marineville feature) are missing.

• British War Comics (War and Battle Picture Library and More
A selection British "pocket digest" war comics from various publishers. Commando was first published in the early 1960s and continues to this day, but the other titles are long gone, their lurid covers, some great pieces of art in themselves no longer part of Britain's newsagent stands. Many of the issues in the lot are first publication but some are reprints of earlier titles.
• Commando comics published by DC Thomson comprising Issues 1015 ("Forgotten Sergeant", reprint of issue first published in 1968), 1024 ("Battle-Squad", published in 1976), 1049 ("Pacific Pirates, cover by Ian Kennedy), 1052 ("No Way But Down", published in 1976), 1536 ("Defend to the Last", published in 1981) and 1538 ("Devil Fish", published in 1981). The stories cover all three British forces in a mix of conflicts from World War Two.
• Combat Picture Library (Issue 770, "Total Death", pubished by Micron in 1970)
• Pocket War Library (Issue 123, "Terrible Task"), published by Top Sellers
• Battle Picture Library published by IPC Magazines in the 1970s and early 1980s: Issue 997 ("Clipped Wings"); 1008 ("Wolf Patrol"); 1018 ("Zone of Conflict"); 1027 ("These Men Are Dangerous"); 1028 ("Blockade Runner"); 1031 ("Stand Up and Fight"); 1209 ("Dead Heat"); 1212 ("Total War"); 1389 ("The Stronghold"); 1412 ("Men Without Mercy"); 1418 ("War of Nerves"); 1438 ("Battle Call"); 1508 ("Relic of the Sands").
• War Picture Library Titles published by IPC Magazines in the 1970s and early 1980s: 1195 ("Certain Death"); 1202 ("Second Sight"); 1206 ("No Hiding Place"); 1245 ("Commandos Die Hard"); 1247 ("Desert Patrol"); 1249 ("The Hero"); 1255 ("Fire Trap", published 1976); 1254 ("Run For Your Life"); 1258 ("Battle Drop"), Issue 1264 ("The Dark Jungle"); 1275 ("Ground Support")

• Signed "Commander Ivanova" Babyon 5 CCG Game Card and more
Over 100 individual Babylon 5 Customisable Card Game Cards including an "Ivanova" card signed by actress Claudia Christian (given away with the game's "Deluxe Edition"). Plus some 40 or so duplicates.

Century 21 Cover Revealed

(Updated 2 March 2009): Publishers Reynolds & Hearn have just released the cover of their second volume of reprints from the classic British comics TV Century 21 and Lady Penelope, which will be published in limited hardback editions at the end of March.

For fans of classic British comics, both volumes are a must, comprising work by some outstanding creators. For fans of the Gerry Anderson TV shows, the stories take the characters and series to new heights, many stories far better than some of the TV episodes. The strips have been selected from across the whole run of the titles, TV21 first published in 1965 (or 2065, according to the covers).

Here's a rundown of the strips that will feature in both volumes: please note, story titles were not used in the original comics.

Century 21 Volume 1

• Fireball XL5 - The Astran Assassination (art by Mike Noble)
• Stingray - The Haunting of Station 17 (Ron Embleton)
• Stingray - Superjunk (Gerry Embleton)
• Thunderbirds: Chain Reaction (Frank Bellamy)
• Thunderbirds - The Devil's Crag (Frank Bellamy)
• Thunderbirds - Starburst (Brian Lewis)
• Lady Penelope - The Luvenium Affair (Frank Langford)
• Zero X - Planet of Bones (Mike Noble)
• Captain Scarlet - The Football King (Mike Noble)
• Captain Scarlet - Leviathan (Don Harley)

• Buy Century 21: Classic Comic Strips from the Worlds of Gerry Anderson Volume 1 from Amazon.co.uk

Century 21 Volume 2

• Fireball XL5 - Giant Ant Invasion (Art by Mike Noble)
• Fireball XL5: Planet of Fire (Mike Noble)
• Stingray - Monster Weed Menace (Ron Embleton)
• Thunderbirds - Curse of the Elastos (Ron Turner)
• Thunderbirds - Secret of the Iceberg (Frank Bellamy)
• Lady Penelope - The Androids of London Affair (Frank Langford)
• Zero X: Prisoners of the Eye Leaves (Mike Noble)
• Captain Scarlet - Formicide (Don Harley)
• Captain Scarlet - The Beginning of the End (Jim Watson and Mike Noble)

• Buy Century 21: Classic Comic Strips from the Worlds of Gerry Andserson Volume 2 from amazon.co.uk

In Space No One Can Hear You Build, Again

Way way back we pointed you in the direction of some SF related Lego, specifically a Tardis and Blake's 7's Liberator, so we are overdue for some more.

MOCpages is a Lego fansite which allows Lego builders to put up photos of their own creations and some are remarkable. Ron Haller is a Gerry Anderson fan who is building his way through some of his favourite Anderson vehicles in Lego. Not the obvious Thunderbird 2 or Spectrum SPV for Ron, instead he has recreated some of the UFO, Space:1999 and new Captain Scarlet vehicles.

From new Captain Scarlet come several versions of the Bison moon rover and an impressive Druzynik battle tank. From Space:1999 comes the Alpha Moonbase moon buggy and my favourite of his creations, a set of SHADO mobiles from UFO.

He is currently working on a Space:1999 Eagle and based on the section of Eagle pod that is previewed on the site it will be a truly impressive model. We wish him luck with it.