Gerry Anderson Walks For Alzheimer's Research

On 28 June 2012 television and film producer, writer and director Gerry Anderson went public with his diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease to promote the launch of the Alzheimer's Society charity sponsored Memory Walks.

He will always be associated with the Thunderbirds television series but Gerry's career began with young children's puppet shows in the 1950s and continued through the Supermarionation shows of the 1960s to the live action shows of the 1970s before he took to mixture of puppets, stop motion, anamatronics and live action in the 1980s and 1990s and then into the new century with CGI.

Gerry's shows have long been a regular part of British comics and their associated summer specials and annuals, with the crowning glory of course being the TV Century 21 weekly from the mid 1960s although comic strips based on his series have also appeared in TV Land, TV Comic, Lady Penelope, Candy, Solo, Countdown, TV Action and Look-In, newspapers such as the Daily Mail and Sunday Times as well as self titled comics for Stingray, Thunderbirds, Joe 90, Captain Scarlet And the Mysterons, Space Precinct and New Captain Scarlet. These titles have included work from such well-known and respected British comic artists as Brian Lewis, Ron Embleton, Mike Noble, Frank Bellamy, Ron Turner, John Cooper, John M Burns, Graham Bleathman, Mick Austin and Colin MacNeil.

The Alzheimer's Society covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland and during September and October 2012 they will be organising sponsored Memory Walks around the country to raise money for the charity. Gerry will be taking part in the Memory Walk at Windsor on 13 October 2012 where he will be walking with his son Jamie. Jamie Anderson has opened a Just Giving page at which fans of his father's work can sponsor the pair to take part in the walk as well as leaving them a message of support.

Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer's Society, said: "We're so grateful to Gerry for supporting Memory Walk. By speaking out about his dementia he's spreading the message much further that it can happen to anyone. Memory Walk is Alzheimer's Society's flagship fundraising event which sees walks taking place around the UK throughout September. Please join Gerry by signing up for Memory Walk and help us fight dementia together."

Jamie Anderson's Just Giving page for the Alzheimer's Society is here.

There are more details of each of the Alzheimer's Society Memory Walks on the society website.

Long-time Thunderbirds fan Glo Thorogood was part of Gerry's Alzheimer's Society photo call along with her marionette of Thunderbird 2 pilot Virgil Tracy (seen above with Gerry). Glo will be walking the Virgil puppet as part of the same Memory Walk at Windsor and also has a Just Giving page for sponsorship for the Alzheimer's Society.

Century 21: Menace from Space line-up revealed

Earlier this year, we revealed Signum Books was continuing the terrific TV Century 21 and Countdown strip collections initiated by Reynolds & Hearn.

Their first Century 21 book, Menace from Space, is on course for release next month and we can now reveal the strip line up for this title is as follows (all TV21 story titles are new) ...

Thunderbirds - The Eye of Jupiter
Script: Scott Goodall Art: Frank Bellamy
(Originally published in TV Century 21 issues 147 - 154 , November-December 2067)
 
Zero X - Lost on Mars
Script: Angus P Allan Art: Mike Noble
(Originally published in TV Century 21 issues 105 - 109, January-February 2067)
 
Captain Scarlet - Foothold
Script: Angus P Allan Art: Mike Noble
(Originally published in TV21 issues 164 - 166, March 2068)
 
UFO - Too Old at 32
Script: Dennis Hooper Art: Gerry Haylock
(Originally published in Countdown issues 7 - 11, April-May 1971)
 
Thunderbirds - The Space Mirror
Script: Scott Goodall Art: Frank Bellamy
(Originally published in TV Century 21 issues 137 - 140, September 2067)
 
Zero X - A World of Deadly Particles
Script: Angus P Allan Art: Jim Watson Prologue art: Mike Noble
(Originally published in TV21 issues 155 - 160, January-February 2068)
 
Captain Scarlet - Robot Challenge
Script: Angus P Allan Art: Mike Noble
(Originally published in TV21 issues 182 - 184, July 2068)
 
UFO - Ghost Ship
Script: Dennis Hooper Art: Brian Lewis
(Originally published in Countdown issue 53, February 1972)
 
Fireball XL5 - Space Membrane
Script: Tad Sullivan Art: Mike Noble
(Originally published in TV Century 21 issues 64 - 70, April-May 2066)
 
Thunderbirds - The Crexus Creature
Script: Dennis Hooper Art: Don Harley
(Originally published in Countdown/TV Action issues 59 - 60, February-April 1972)
 
Zero X - The End of the World
Script: Scott Goodall Art: Jim Watson
(Originally published in TV21 issues 161 - 168, February-April 2068)
 
Captain Scarlet - Return of the Rock Snakes
Script: Dennis Hooper Art: Keith Watson
(Originally published in Countdown issue 32, September 1971)
 
Thunderbirds - The Barracuda Awaits
Script: Scott Goodall Art: Frank Bellamy
(Originally published in TV Century 21 issues 179-183, June-July 2068)

Edited by Chris Bentley, the book features a cover by Doctor Who and Thunderbirds artist Lee Sullivan.

Publisher Marcus Hearn also tells us: "We've just uncovered an amazing batch of original Frank Bellamy artboards, so if and when we do another volume we'll be including them."

• Signum are offering signed copies from www.signumbooks.com

• Pre-order Century 21: Menace from Space from amazon.co.uk

Century 21 Reprint Books To Continue

With the folding of the British book publisher Reynolds and Hearn earlier this year, the continuation of the series of books reprinting comic strips from the 1960s TV Century 21 comic looked to be in severe doubt. Reynolds and Hearne had published four volumes of the series before the company was put into voluntary liquidation and had two further titles scheduled before the end of 2010 - Volume 5: They Walk Among Us and a Gerry Anderson Century 21 annual for 2011 (which was expected to be similar to the main volumes but reprinting annual strips).

Despite Amazon still listing them, these will not now be published - at least not by Reynolds and Hearn.

Marcus Hearn has set up his own publishing company named Signum Books and is planning to continue the Century 21 books at Signum. The first Signum book to be published is an autobiography entitled From Thunderbirds To Pterodactyls by actor Shane Rimmer who was the voice of Thunderbird 1 pilot Scott Tracy in the Thunderbirds TV series as well as appearing in many films over the years including The Spy Who Loved Me and Batman Begins. This book will be launched next weekend, 23-24 October 2010, at the Fanderson convention TV21 being held in Bristol.

As for the Century 21 volumes, the Signum Books website indicates that the series will be relaunched with the full support of Gerry Anderson by Signum in 2011. The website also includes a history of the comic by author Chris Bentley.

There are more details on Signum Books at their website.

Century 21 Collection News

Details of the strips in Century 21 Volume 4 - the latest in a great series of books from Reynolds & Hearn featuring some of the best strips from the Gerry Anderson-inspired weekly comic TV Century 21 and other comics - have just been released.

FIREBALL XL5: Timeslip - Art by Mike Noble
FIREBALL XL5: The Sword of Damacles - Art by Mike Noble
STINGRAY: The Flying Fish - Art by Ron Embleton
THUNDERBIRDS: Destination Sun - Art by Frank Bellamy and Don Harley

THUNDERBIRDS: The Quake Maker - Art by Frank Bellamy
ZERO X: The Ghosts of Saturn - Art by Mike Noble
CAPTAIN SCARLET: Unity - Art by Ron Embleton
CAPTAIN SCARLET: Satellite 4 - Art by Ron Embleton
UFO: The Movies - Art by Martin Asbury

The book is available in paperback (ISBN 978 1 904674 15 3) from all good bookshops but there's also a limited edition hardback (ISBN 978 1 904674 14 6) on offer only from the publisher's web site (www.rhbooks.com), signed by Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson.


Reynolds & Hearn have also announced that their Century 21 Annual 2011 - collecting stories from the classic TV Century 21 annuals from the 1960s - will now go ahead next year after all. Expect to see the book released in August. The released dummy cover, left comprises images from several of the original annual covers.

FAB 65 Now Available

The latest issue of FAB published by Fanderson, the Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society, is now out. FAB is a 64 page A5 full colour fanzine published quarterly and available exclusively to Fanderson members.

Behind a Space Precinct cover the issue covers the proposed new UFO movie, the first part of a detailed interview with actor Shane Rimmer who was the voice of Thunderbird 1 pilot Scott Tracy as well as many other Anderson characters, a breakdown of the Thunderbirds episode The Midas Touch as well as features on Gerry Anderson's live action shows Space Precinct and Space:1999.

For British comics fans the issue includes the fourth part of SF author Stephen Baxter's ongoing series of articles on the various comics that have featured comic strips from Gerry Anderson series. This excellent and very detailed series reaches Lady Penelope comic and covers both the weekly title and its annuals and includes the rebirth of the title as simply Penelope. The article runs to a 12 colour pages.

In addition FAB 65 includes, on the back cover, the second page of The Secret Service comic strip by artist Jon Davis originally published in Countdown comic.

• FAB Magazine is available exclusively to Fanderson members. A one year membership costs £22 plus the appropriate postage and also gives you the chance purchase the Club's remarkable range of merchandise including books, CDs, DVDs badges and patches. More details on how to join are on Fanderson's website.

FAB Gerry Anderson Comics

The latest issue of FAB published by Fanderson, the Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society, is now out. FAB is a 64 page A5 full colour fanzine published quarterly and available exclusively to Fanderson members.

Issue 64 includes the third part of the SHADO Personnel Dossier detailing all the characters and actors that worked on Anderson's first live action series UFO, a gallery of behind the scenes photos from the making of Stingray, a feature on the different spaceships that appeared in Fireball XL5, the first part of a series of articles on the making of Space:1999 and an appraisal of the New (CGI) Captain Scarlet episode Grey Skulls.

For British comics fans the issue includes the third part of SF author Stephen Baxter's ongoing series of articles on the various comics that have featured comic strips from Gerry Anderson series. This excellent and very detailed series of articles reaches the little known Candy and Solo comics, respectively the TV21 nursery and junior comics (effectively to TV21 what Robin and Swift were to Eagle). The article runs to a mammoth 14 pages and the issue includes, on the back cover, a page of The Secret Service comic strip from Countdown issue 2 by artist Jon Davis.

• FAB Magazine is available exclusively to Fanderson members. A one year membership costs £22 plus the appropriate postage and also gives you the chance purchase the Club's brilliant range of merchandise - books, CDs, DVDs and much more. Find out how to join and order your membership online here: www.fanderson.org.uk/aboutfanderson.html

Fanderson's FAB (Magazine, That Is...)

FAB 63, the latest issue of the Gerry Anderson Fanderson club, now in the post to all Fanderson members, is a bit of Thunderbirds special and includes some not-to-be-missed comics attractions, including the finale of an epic Fireball XL5 strip and a feature by acclaimed sci-fi author Stephen Baxter continuing his exploration of post-TV 21 comics with Lady Penelope.

With more information on the mooted UFO feature film in the club's FAB News web page (there has been a lot of media attention over Gerry Anderson's UFO since the recent press release that legendary Hollywood producer Robert Evans is working with ITV Global to make a movie based on the 1970 series), now's also a good time to catch up on the cast and characters from the original series with the second part of a SHADO Personnel Dossier.

The magazine also examines four of the original Thunderbirds TV show scripts that provide a unique insight into the making of the series, an fans memories are put to the test about the Thunderbirds Are Go feature film.

Also included is an exclusive interview with producer Tim Mallett of Kindred Productions on the making of Fanderson's Stingray Soundtrack CD and a glowing reappraisal of a certain Space:1999 Year 2 episode..

• FAB Magazine is available exclusively to Fanderson members. A one year membership also gives you the chance purchase the Club's brilliant range of merchandise - books, CDs, DVDs and much more. Find out how to join and order your membership online here: www.fanderson.org.uk/aboutfanderson.html

New Century 21 Cover Exposed

Publishers Reynolds & Hearn have just given us a 'first look' at the cover of their third collection of comics from 1960s comic TV Century 21.

Titled Escape from Aquatraz, it features the submarine Stingray, as realized by the late, great Ron Embleton.

This volume will hopefully emulate the success of the company's first two volumes, which feature a range of superb strips from the classic British comics TV Century 21 and Lady Penelope.

Also just released by R&H is the UFO Technical Manual, which, if you buy it from their web site, comes with a free Skydiver poster.

In the early 1980s, Earth was engaged in a deadly war against hostile extra-terrestrial aliens from a dying world. Unbeknown to the general population, our only line of defence in that war was a secret paramilitary organisation with a manned lunar outpost and headquarters hidden beneath a British film studio. This organisation maintained a fleet of advanced vehicles and spacecraft in order to combat the alien menace - a secret army of sophisticated hardware on constant patrol on land, in the sky, under the sea and far out in the depths of space.

Now, 30 years on, details of that secret war are finally emerging with the publication of the previously top secret documents of SHADO - the Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organisation. Within these pages, spectacular computer-generated illustrations and plan views of the many SHADO vehicles reveal the organisation's incredible machinery and weaponry, together with verified accounts of the role played by that hardware in the defence of the Earth.

• S.I.D. - Space Intruder Detector advance warning satellite maintaining scan for UFOs
• Skydiver - nuclear-powered submarine on patrol beneath the world's oceans
• Sky One - supersonic strike aircraft ready for action in Earth's atmosphere
• Mobiles - amphibious ground vehicles with overwhelming firepower
• Space Interceptors - first line defence spacecraft based on the Moon

Gerry Anderson's UFO Technical Manual celebrates the 40th anniversary of the ground-breaking live-action adventure series UFO, which originally captured the imaginations of television viewers in the early 1970s and has gone on to become one of British TV's best-loved and most highly-regarded science fiction programmes.

• 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 - But don't forget, the Skydiver poster is only offered via the Reynolds & Hearn web site

Dandy Issue 1, Amazing Fantasy #15 Up For Sale

There's still time to bid on items - including a rare copy of the first ever Dandy - from British online auction site Comic Book Auction's Summer Catalogue.

Included in the British section of the catalogue is an extremely rare first issue of DC Thomson's humour title, Dandy. Published in 1937, this first edition introduced Korky the Cat, Desperate Dan, Keyhole Kate and their chums and is described as "a well worn copy with 3 inch spine tear and multiple edge tears although only minor loss." Only 20 copies of this first issue are known to exist, so expect some high bids, well above the £500-£600 reserve.

Also included this time are some also rare wartime Beanos, all with bright fresh covers and white/off white pages. Since a lot of paper was recycled for the war effort, copies of these issues are probably even rarer than some of the pre-war titles such as Champion, Butterfly, Hotspur and Schoolgirls' Own, which are also being offered.

Original Desperate Dan art by Dudley Watkins - a staple of most these regular auctions - is also offered, including work published in a 1942 issue of the Dandy. (Artist Dan paints the town with bristles from his beard. The pictures are so realistic the mayor gets Dan to camouflage all the tanks and planes for battle!).

Of interest to many downthetubes readers though will be a page of Ron Embleton art featuring Wulf the Briton from Express Weekly 155 (published in 1957), in which Viking Wulf proves himself to the warrior tribesmen in his quest to solve the riddle of the Sphinx. Also beng offered is original Dan Dare art from the Eagle by Desmond Walduck (featuring both Dan and the Mekon), Supercar and Joe 90 art, a Dan Dare space gun, bound copies of Eagle and Lion, issues of TV Century 21 - including several rare and much sought after Specials - Valiant, Tiger and more.

For US comics fans, the chance to own the first appearance of Spider-Man in Amazing Fantasy #15 is sure to stir plenty of interest, even if the issue comes stickered with a British 9d tag. A first issue of Amazing Spider-Man is also in the auction, along with plenty of ther goodies including Fantastic Four #1, X-Men #1, Millie the Model, Batman #20 from 1944 - the first Batmobile cover - and lots of other goodies.

• Bids on items, which include comics and original art, will be accepted until Tuesday 9 June at 8 PM UK time (GMT).

Catalogue Links:

• British comics, annuals and artwork
• US Golden Age comics
• US Silver Age Marvel comics
• US Silver Age DC comics
• US 1970's & 1980's comics

Fireball XL5 Special Edition DVD Announced

(Updated 22/5/09): Network DVD has announced a "Special Edition" release of one of Gerry Anderson’s most cherished fantasy series, Fireball XL5, next month - and released a clip from a colourized episode.

Available from 29th June 2009 this six-set - wrapped in a cover inspired by one of the series original annuals but spruced up with a CGI-enhanced Fireball XL5 -- includes all 39 episodes from the iconic 1960s series, complete and uncut, plus exclusive extras including a 60-page book by top British TV archivist Andrew Pixley.

Also included is Drawn in Supermarionation, a new, exclusive documentary chronicling the comic strip adaptations of the early AP Films series in TV Comic and TV Century 21, and features contributions from director of merchandising Keith Shackleton and artists Bill Mevin, Mike Noble and Colin Page.

Although the show was filmed in black and white, also in the set is A Day in the Life of a Space General, a brand new, colourised edition of Fireball XL5, taken from a new HD transfer of the original film elements.

The show is set between 2062 – 2063, the peace of the universe maintained by World Space Patrol’s finest rocket ship, the eponymous Fireball XL5. A brave, gallant crew led by the heroic Colonel Steve Zodiac - surely inspired by 1950s comic characters such as Dan Dare - explore various exotic planets and other life forms and protect the innocent from sinister intergalactic villains such as Mr. and Mrs. Space Spy.

The memorable crew comprises of the glamorous doctor Venus, middle-aged navigator and engineer Professor Matthew Matic and Zodiac’s co-pilot Robert the Robot, who was voiced by series creator Gerry Anderson himself.

This series harks back to a more innocent and naive age of space adventure: the series producers for example did away with the need of spacesuits by having the crew swallow 'oxygen pills' to move about their spacecraft. But it's still something of a classic and this edition looks pretty impressive!

• Buy Fireball XL5 - The Complete Series - Special Edition from amazon.co.uk

Special Features Include:

• A Wonderland of Stardust: taking its name from a line in the show's theme tune, a brand new documentary about the making of Fireball XL5 featuring contributions from creators Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson - a pretty remarkable feat! - as well as numerous members of the crew including David Elliott, Alan Pattillo and Brian Johnson



• A Day in the Life of a Space General: A brand new, colourised edition of Fireball XL5, taken from a new HD transfer of the original film elements

• Drawn in Supermarionation: This new, exclusive documentary chronicles the comic strip adaptations of the early AP Films series and features contributions from director of merchandising Keith Shackleton and artists Bill Mevin, Mike Noble and Colin Page.

• Bill Mevin’s Supercar Home Movie: Previously unseen footage filmed by TV Comic artist Bill Mevin during production on Gerry Anderson's earlier show, Supercar

• Zoom ice lolly commercials

• Image Galleries

• PDF Material and a 60-page book written by TV historian Andrew Pixley


• • Buy Fireball XL5 - The Complete Series - Special Edition from amazon.co.uk

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.

Gerry Anderson at Forbidden Planet

(Date Updated): Gerry Anderson, who is 80 on 14th April, will be making a public appearance at the Forbidden Planet flagship store in Shaftesbury Avenue, London, on Saturday 18th April, from 1.00pm.

He'll be there to sign copies of Reynolds and Hearn's two Century 21: Classic Comics books, which will have just been published (see news story).

(Thanks to FP for corrected date info)

ComPal Auction Closes This Week

A quick reminder that the Spring 2009 auction at Compalcomics, which includes offerings of art from TV21 by Frank Bellamy and Mike Noble (see news story) closes this week.

Bidding will close on Tuesday 10 March at 8 PM UK time.

There are 426 lots in the Spring catalogue and the UK section comprises a strong collection of war years comics from DC Thomson's finest and a further good run of early bound volumes including Union Jack, Boys' Friend Library (with some first publications of Biggles novels), Champion (from No 1), Crackers, Detective Weekly, Film Fun, Thriller and the last few volumes of Schoolgirls' Own Library.

Also featured is original artwork from Laurel And Hardy, Oor Wullie, The Broons, Desperate Dan, Keyhole Kate, and a rare cover board by Frank Bellamy of TV Century 21's Captain Scarlet followed closely by Fireball XL5 and Joe 90: Top Secret original pieces.

Finally a wonderful run of Lady Penelope 1-100 is parked at lots 114-130 ('old tight, m'lady, I'm on me way...').


The catalogue's US (depth?) charge is led by Sub-Mariner Comics #1 from 1941; a rare Timely piece at lot 158, and the second tranche of the auction house's single owner collection in 132 lots from Batman #3, #5 and #38 through The Avengers, Daredevil and Fantastic Four to X-Men. There's also an original artwork splash page of The Invincible Iron Man by Don Heck at lot 260, and also look out for Superman #40 with a Mr Mxyztplk cover.

• Compalcomics holds four auctions a year. View the auction catalogue via www.compalcomics.com

Tube Surfing: 2 March 2009

• The Century 21 hardbacks -- TV Century 21 and Lady Penelope comic collections lovingly put together by British publisher Reynolds & Hearn (see news story) featuring art by the likes of Frank Bellamy, Mike Noble and others -- are now available for pre-order from their website (www.rhbooks.com).

• Stickleback artist D'Israeli (aka Matt Brooker), currently working on a new project, Lowlife: Creation, has been discovering an old dog can learn new tricks thanks to an old book, How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way - funnily enough, a book I regularly recommend to aspiring artists, not talents like Mr D!

• Artist Andrew Wildman tells us there's an exhibition of art from his Frontier comic, which is running in The DFC at present. The exhibition is being held at Jaffe&Neale Bookshop in Chipping Norton and will run until 24th April. On 28th March Andrew and writer Jason Cobley will be at the shop answering questions and signing copies of The DFC.

• No comic strip in this mag, but a quick plug for the latest issue of the really bizarre title The Chap, which features a fab feature on steampunk and a chap's guide to Doctor Who, "maddest of all scientists". Plus, Astronomer Sir Patrick Moore tackles The Chap questionnaire. If you think you might be a Chap, send them a photograph and they'll assess your Chappist credentials and may feature it in the mag. There are some comic creators who definitely qualify...

• Caption 2009 will be happening on Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th August at the East Oxford Community Centre in erm, Oxford. Mark your diaries now!

• Congratulations to former 2000AD editor and flat mate David Bishop (no, we never had Tharg round for tea), who has just penned his 40th issue of The Phantom, and completed the first draft of a talking book project for Big Finish. He says he can't reveal any more details about the latter job yet, "but it proved to be more fun than I'd expected."

• Rufus Dayglo has moved house and finished a Tank Girl cover for Judge Dredd: The Megazine. How organised is that?

• 2000AD artist Cliff Robinson is featuring the pencils and final inks of a 2007 Judge Dredd story he did with Mike Collins on his blog. "Mike and I had talked about working on a strip together for years and it was good to eventually team up with him on this Dredd story," he reveals. "I had an absolute blast working over Mike's blue line printed pencils ( I also had photo-copies of the 'normal' pencils for reference). We've also just recently finished collaborating on another Dredd strip which was just as much fun."

• Matt Badham points us to Guardian cartoonist Tom Gauld’s work is now up to browse at your leisure on Flickr. Ace!

• Warren Ellis reports that Angel of Death, a tv series for the net written and created by Ed Brubaker, starts today over on the Crackle web site. A new seven-minute episode every weekday for the next two weeks.

• Do you live in the North East and make comics? If so, comic artist, illustrator, shark wrangler, intrepid explorer, professional ninja and fighter pilot Leonie is keen to make contact with small press or self publishers. Contact her via her blog and spread the word. (Some of the description for her may not be true, but you'll have to visit her main web site to find out which at: www.lomoore.com.

• And finally... there's a review of Rian Hughes Yesterday's Tomorrows collection from Knockabout on Hipster Dad, praising the Dare strip but noting The Science Service script by one John Freeman "left me a little cold, as though it was waiting for a good deal more meat and background before letting readers embrace it..." Hey! I wrote that over 20 years ago. I think I'm a littel better now!

Tube Surfing: 27 February 2009

• Taking place this weekend in Scotland is D-Con, at Dundee Student Union. Looks like a manga and anime-oriented event judging from the line-up, which is perhaps why we've only just got to hear about it. Special Guests include Naniiebim, creator of Here Be Demons manga, and Ross Burt, creator of Astro Funk comic and concept artist for EA Games.

• I have a few issues of TV Century 21 on sale on ebay right now, a mixed batch spanning issues 15 through 218; some of the proceeds of issues I'll be putting up over the next couple of weeks will go to Comic Relief. As I sell them, I'm putting a cover gallery on Flickr.

• The BBC report the National Library of Scotland is to embark on the laborious task of tracking down and cataloguing the countless thousands of fanzines published in the UK over the past 70 years. The library has enlisted the help of Chris Atton, a professor of media and culture at Napier University who has written both for and about fanzines for almost 30 years. If you're a fanzine editor, you may want to check out Jeremy Briggs' interview with John Birch at the NLS, which has more information on this quest.

• The BBC also reports that plans for Dundee to become an outpost of the world-famous Victoria and Albert museum are to be discussed. Supporters said the project could showcase the city's design heritage including computer gaming and comics. Given that DC Thomson has a huge office and archive in the city, it seems like a great idea to us.

• Now we know the world has gone Watchmen mad. Amazon.com are offering Nite Owl Dark Roast Coffee for sale. No, really... Meanwhile, Neil Gaiman has posted an article he wrote way back in 1986 for Time Out, detailing plans for a Watchmen film back then. "I was a very proud 25-year-old journalist, because this was the first big article on comics to be published in the UK, in a "real" magazine," he notes. "It's hard to communicate, in this golden age of geeks, how hard this was to make happen, or how important it was for a number of things, including morale.

• And finally... Doctor Who seems to be percolating into all manner of strange places. Check out this recent episode of US comic Brewster Rocket...

(Complied with thanks to Jeremy Briggs, Matthew Badham and George Lee)

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

Tube Surfing: Gerry Anderson

British publisher Reynolds and Hearn are to release two books reprinting strips from TV Century 21 comic and other titles first published by City Editions in the 1960s such as Joe 90.

Scheduled for release early next year and titled Century 21 - Classic Comic Strips from the Worlds of Gerry Anderson, they're being complied by regular Anderson author Chris Bentley, who has written the The Complete Book of Thunderbirds and the The Complete Book of Gerry Anderson's UFO as well as the The Complete Gerry Anderson, now in its fourth edition.

“This is a subject close to our hearts, and we’ve been working on it for quite a few months,” publisher Marcus Hearn told downthetubes, who kindly supplied us with this exclusive provisional cover, left. “We can’t really describe these books as TV21 compilations because they will also contain material from other publications, such as some of Frank Langford’s work from Lady Penelope and some of Martin Asbury’s strips from Joe 90.

"We've got a team of four designers nearing the end of some pretty intensive restoration, and I think the results are stunning. Gerry Anderson has been working with us since day one, and has written the introduction to Volume One.”

The two 160 page softcover books are currently scheduled for publication on 31 March 2009.

Back in September we told you about the second of FTL Publication's Thunderbirds novels. With the first novel Countdown To Action! released earlier this year, the second novel Action Alert! is now available.

Both novels were written by Joan Marie Verba and are officially only available in the United States and Canada under the terms of the license FTL have with Carlton, the Thunderbirds copyright holder. This hasn't stopped copies arriving in the UK via Amazon.com and from UK based Gerry Anderson dealers. The first chapters of both books are available to read on-line, with Countdown To Action! here and Action Alert! here.

And finally to the man himself. Gerry Anderson will be 80 on his next birthday but still has no plans to retire. He has maintained an office at Pinewood Studios for the last number of years which is where he was interviewed for the Dick Spanner PI DVD extra.

While there has been many rumours over the last year that he has been talking to ITV about a new series nothing has yet been confirmed. That said, Pinewood Studios management have told Gerry that they don't have space for the foreseeable future to house a production of the scale he expects, so he is downsizing his office there whilst he waits a production green light and then looks for alternative studio space.

Now, Fanderson, the Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society, have announced an auction of the contents of Gerry's current office to be conducted by Comet Miniatures. The auction will take place in Battersea Arts Centre in London on Saturday 7 February 2009 and there are more details on the Fanderson website.

Andersonic Hits Six with new Gerry Anderson Interview

The sixth 'episode' of Richard Farell and Vincent Law’s Gerry Anderson fanzine Andersonic is now on sale via the Andersonic web site

Another 40 page issue, it features a new interview with Gerry Anderson who discusses, amongst other things, UFO, the fate of New Captain Scarlet, Lancaster bombers, lemmings and, of course, Thunderbirds. Other features include:-

• The Art of Ron Embleton - the work of TV Century 21's Captain Scarlet and Stingray artist.
• Lord Parker's 'Oliday - Bingo! A classic episode reviewed.
• Alpha Incident Log - Strange goings on with glowing rocks and Irish Cowboys...
• Faith in Science - The contributions of Barry Morse and Johnny Byrne to Space:1999.
• Identified Retrospective - Seven different writers share their thoughts on UFO's opener.
• SHADO Test Paper - Ed and Alec's Fun Page.
• Writing the Tracys - exploring Thunderbirds' popularity with writers.
• Winged Assassins - what makes Captain Scarlet the odd one out?
• Mission of the Darians - Mutant! Classic Space:1999 episode reviewed.
• The Fall of Troy - Stingray's Forbidden Shakespearian roots.
• Watching the Watchers - the arrival of the 21st Century in our living rooms.
• Trap for a Rhino - New Captain Scarlet episode appraised.

• The new issue is available via the website www.andersonic.co.uk, price £1.95 including UK postage and also from eBay.

Rare Anderson Comics up for auction

Copies of Lady Penelope -- the comic created by the publishers of the best-selling TV Century 21 but aimed at girls -- are just some of the rare items up for auction from British company Compalcomics this autumn.

Bids will be accepted until Tuesday 2nd September at 8.00pm UK time.

There are 358 lots in the company's latest catalogue, the star of this auction probably a fine copy of The Dandy Book No 1, amongst the highest graded ever offered by Compal for sale.

Continuing their Beano and Dandy war years collection the focus is on 1942 -1945 along with Dandy complete years of 1946 and 1947 at lots 79 and 80. Earlier decades are also well represented in their bound volume collection where Sexton Blake and Union Jack titles have found recent heavy bidding. Film Fun, Radio Fun, Hotspur, Skipper and Wizard also abound but the girls are not left out with The Schoolgirl and Schoolgirls' Own having several complete years on offer.

The 1960s are also stronger; copies of TV Century 21, WHAM!, POW! (Spider-Matic Pistol at the ready!), Fantastic, It's Terrific are all on offer, some in complete runs, but Lady Penelope is set to overtake them all with a Rolls-Royce run on the outside. The comic featured strips such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Marina, all with the same high quality art that was a hallmark of TV Century 21.

The 1970s also look good with high grade No 1s of 2000AD, Misty and Spellbound, each with their free gifts intact. Original artwork from the same decade heralds a Christmas Faceache by Ken Reid, Clever Dick by Leo Baxendale and Frankie Stein by Robert Nixon - but watch out for the Toad-Creatures in Journey To The Stars by Ron Turner.

The US section of the austion promotes a cents copy of Amazing Spider-Man #1, Avengers #1 and Silver Surfer's classic issue 4. There's also a high quality House Of Secrets #92 and Iron Fist #14, which join 1970s and 1980s runs of Avengers, Hulk, Iron Man, X-Men, Batman and Detective Comics.

TV21 #4

With a little while to go before my initial sale of several issues of the iconic 1960s comic TV Century 21 and other issues ends, I've just put #4 of this great 1960s iconic comic up for auction on ebay.

In addition to the usual mix of strips - Fireball XL5, Stingray, The Daleks and more - the issue also features a rather nice half page black and white cutaway of Stingray.

There's still time to bid on #2 (with the free sticker badge given away with the issue), #79 with a Thunderbirds cover and #84 with a Stingray-related cover, and three Dalek cover issues: #28 (which includes several features on the Amicus Doctor Who and the Daleks film starring Peter Cushing) #36 and #50.