Dan Dare: Six Questions For Artist Graham Bleathman

For most comics readers Graham Bleathman's name is synonymous with large detailed cutaway paintings of buildings, vehicles and flying craft both real and fictional. It was not surprising then that he is now the artist behind four of the new series of Haynes Workshop Manuals that feature fictional vehicles rather that the real cars that the publisher is best known for. The latest of these is the Dan Dare Spacefleet Operations Manual which has just been published.

Jeremy Briggs spoke to Graham about these new Dan Dare cutaways as well as the rest of his work.

downthetubes: You are perhaps best known for your detailed cutaways of Gerry Anderson craft from TV series such as Thunderbirds, Stingray and Captain Scarlet published in the various 1990s comics that covered those series and the large format hardback cutaway books that followed. When did your love of cutaways begin and did you set out to be a cutaway artist?

Graham Bleathman: I first came across cutaway illustrations in the TV21 (and related) annuals that I picked up mainly second hand in the early 70s. A handful of cutaways also appeared in TV21 itself, which I also started to collect at around the same time that I was buying Countdown every week. I never bought (or had bought for me) TV21 when it first came out, so I relied on second hand and charity shops in the early 70s, along with jumble and ‘bring and buy’ sales, where in those days comics like TV21 and Eagle could still be found reasonably easily. It was at these sort of events that I found my first few copies of Eagle, and was of course somewhat taken with the centrespread cutaways as well as the more well known strips like 'Dan Dare' and 'Heros the Spartan'.

I don’t think I set out specifically to become a cutaway artist; it just sort of happened after I left college. During my time at Exeter College of art, I painted a cutaway of Exeter Cathedral, which was followed a year or two later by cutaways of Salisbury Cathedral and a few other buildings which were commissioned by the Salisbury Journal newspaper.

I was also involved in the Gerry Anderson fanzine SIG at the time, and I produced my first Anderson cutaway for that, which was a black and white illustration of the Battlehawk (SIG  issue 15, Spring 1986), from the then current Anderson production Terrahawks. 

DTT: Other than the many Anderson cutaways and the Haynes Manuals, what else have you worked on?

Graham: I worked on quite a few magazines, comics, and other products over the years. Some have an Anderson link; drawing many of the covers for the Fleetway comics (for which I drew the cutaways of course), artwork for Anderson and Star Trek jigsaws, greetings cards for Space Precinct, illustrations of film/TV locations and cutaways for TV series features in Radio Times, Cult TV, Inside Soap (yes, I’ve illustrated EastEnders, Neighbours, Coronation Street and Casualty!). I seem to have drawn thousands of ‘Sketch Cards’ featuring the Anderson shows for a company called ‘Cards Inc.’

A few real world illustrations have been drawn too in more recent years, such as cutaways for the now defunct RAF Magazine, Radio Times and a few books. I also have a ‘secret life’ doing the covers for DC Thomson’s ‘People’s Friend’! Under the name ‘J Campbell Kerr’, a team of artists has painted the landscape illustrations on the covers of the magazine since 1946. I started around 7 or 8 years ago (although I did do a brief stint in the mid 1990s) and, since the death of cover artist Douglas Phillips last year, I now paint around half of them on average.

I have no idea why the 'J Campbell Kerr’ name has been used all these years; no one seems to know the its origins, and nobody wants to break with tradition!

DTT: Your work for Haynes began with the first of the Wallace and Gromit Haynes manuals, Cracking Contraptions, a book that sold so quickly that it had to be reprinted almost immediately it was published and has since gone to a third printing. After your second Wallace and Gromit book you moved on to the Thunderbirds Haynes manual which, given your artistic background seems an obvious choice, and now the new Dan Dare manual. Where did your interest in Dan Dare stem from and how did the Haynes manual come about?

Graham: My interest In Dan Dare originates through TV21; many of the artists on TV21 were poached from Eagle, and I began to notice the work of Frank Bellamy and others in Eagle as I started to pick up second hand copies. The Dan Dare stories seemed to have parallels with many of the concepts seen in the Anderson shows (particularly the way they were developed in TV21), such as a World Government and a (generally speaking) optimistic view of the future.

I became involved with Haynes when by bizarre coincidence both myself and the writer of the Thunderbirds manual (Sam Denham, with whom I have worked before on a couple of books) approached Haynes separately with a view to doing a Manual based on that series. Initially, Haynes weren’t too keen, but as they were moving into doing manuals based on fictional subjects anyway, they offered me the job of illustrating two Wallace and Gromit manuals instead, having seen my Thunderbirds artwork and in particular a Wallace and Gromit cutaway (of Wallace’s house) for the Bristol Evening Post. The Thunderbirds manual was therefore put on hold for 18 months or so. The success of the Wallace and Gromit manuals prompted Haynes to proceed with the Thunderbirds edition, and that has proved successful enough for them to commission something I had also thought about for a couple of years, Dan Dare. That book is now complete and I have returned to the Anderson world with another manual with Sam Denham to be published next year.

DTT: The writer of the Haynes manual, Rod Barzilay, is a familiar name to Dan Dare fans due to him creating and editing the long running Dan Dare magazine Spaceship Away. How did Rod come aboard and how did the pair of you sort out which spacecraft and other Dan Dare vehicles to feature in the book?

Graham: I knew Rod from Spaceship Away magazine, having initially met him at a Dan Dare ‘Open Day’ at an exhibition in Bristol a few years ago, at which Eagle and TV21/Countdown artist Don Harley was also present. I have since drawn around 10 or so cutaways of Dan Dare spacecraft (and real world locations such as the artists’ studios in Southport and Epsom), for SA over the years, and Rod’s knowledge of Dan Dare’s ‘fictional’ history made him ideally placed to supply the basic text of the book and provide the expert knowledge that I lacked; I almost got the impression that the future history of the Dan Dare universe was more real to Rod than our own!

This meant that he could concentrate on Space Fleet’s history and characters leaving me to deal with the artwork and technical bits. His comprehensive knowledge was ideal for me to bounce ideas from, with comments like ‘Space Fleet wouldn’t use that sort of space drive until such and such a date’, etc! We also selected the ships and locations on the basis of how important (Rod in particular) thought they were important to the Dan Dare history. I’m sure a few favourites will have been missed out, but with around 45 cutaways and illustrations in the book (not to mention lots of Eagle frames and other new artwork), I hope most people will be pleased with the results.

DTT: Those Dan Dare craft, along with the majority of the fictional vehicles you have painted cutaways of, were never created to be analysed in the sort of detail your work requires. How much of any given cutaway is 'creative engineering' on your part and do you have any background in the technical drawing of engineering subjects to help you fill in the gaps that the original artist's imagination did not need to show?

Graham: There is a fair bit of ‘creative engineering’ in the Dan Dare book in particular, although as much applies to the Anderson subjects as well (and especially Wallace and Gromit!). For Dan Dare, the main problems are visual inconsistencies between instalments, and often from frame to frame. After all, apart from the Anastasia and a handful of other cutaways, no-one at the time gave too much thought about how the ships worked or whether the details altered from frame to frame. In the 1950s, some effort was made to keep things consistent with the use of studio models and endless photographs, but no-one had time to ensure that fine detail (the detail that I would need years later, anyway!) remained true through all the stories.

In terms of scientific accuracy, the technology seen in the strip has not been seriously updated, although a couple of aspects such as radiation proofing in spacecraft and spacesuits and polarised heat resistant windows on spacecraft (for example) do get a mention every now and then. I don’t have a scientific background, nor do I have a background in technical drawing either, so it does seem a little odd to many people that the one thing I’m well known for are cutaways of vehicles, locations and spacecraft, both real and imagined!

DTT: The diversity of your cutaway subjects is remarkable, from the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter/bomber for RAF Magazine to Holby City Hospital for the Radio Times, from Thunderbird 2 for Thunderbirds The Comic to the Precinct House space station for Space Precinct magazine, there must be few types of vehicles or constructions that you haven't covered. Which of these has provided you with the greatest challenge to depict and which, of all of them, is your own favourite of your work.

Graham: The cutaway that gave me most problems was one of Wallace’s ‘cracking contraptions’ from the one of the Wallace and Gromit Manuals. It was a device for changing channels on a TV set that involved cogs and catapults in true Wallace tradition (as opposed to a simple remote control). Unfortunately, there was no visual consistency from shot to shot when watching the contraption in action on TV, and the solution I came up with was the only one that Aardman didn’t like. A compromise of sorts was reached, although the result isn’t terribly satisfactory. I guess the makers of said sequence weren’t really expecting some poor sod to try and make sense of it a few years afterwards; the contraption and the short film in which it was featured was created for a laugh, after all.

My favourite cutaway? Probably the Thunderbird 2 I painted for the Thunderbirds FAB Cross Sections book published by Carlton in 2000.

DTT: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us Graham.


There are more details of Graham Bleathman's work on his website.

There are more details of the Dan Dare Spacefleet Operations Manual on the Haynes website.

There are more details of Spaceship Away on the magazine's website and Facebook page.

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

Thunderbirds Are Go! - To Egmont...

Specialist children’s publisher Egmont UK has signed a deal with ITV Studios Global Entertainment’s consumer products division, owner of many classic brands created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, to publish many classic Anderson original comic strips in new formats.

Egmont has acquired the rights to the classic Thunderbirds comic strips first published in both TV Century 21 and strips originated for the 1990s Fleetway Anderson-related comics, along with other much-loved creations such as Stingray, Joe 90 and Captain Scarlet.

They will be published in ‘best of’ gift book format as well as e-books based on the original comic strips.

The last collection of Anderson strips - Menace from Space was published by Signum Books in 2011, the last of five volumes in a treasury format (the first four published by Reynolds & Hearn). These collections did not include any of the originated material published in Fleetway's 1990s Anderson titles, which focused on one show per title, with Thunderbirds proving the most successful. (Egmont purchased Fleetway in 1991).

Demand for Thunderbirds output in particular has reached new heights, boosted by the ITVS GE licensing programme and the imminent fiftieth anniversary of the television series.

The classic Thunderbirds name and brand have remained popular and loved for nearly half a century — which will be highlighted in 2015 when Thunderbirds celebrates its 50th anniversary and ITVS GE launches the hotly anticipated new series of this iconic action-adventure show, Thunderbirds are Go!

Egmont says the return of these comic strips in modern formats is expected to receive an enthusiastic response from original fans of the groundbreaking series which first went on air in 1965, as well as a whole new audience.

The first output from the deal will be available in October this year when Egmont will republish the original 1960s and 1990s Thunderbirds strips both digitally and in special collectable print editions.

David Riley, Managing Director of Egmont’s licensed character division, Egmont Publishing Group said: “We are honoured to have acquired the publishing rights for these Anderson classics and in particular to be launching with Thunderbirds in October. We are now looking forward to building a series of titles that will remind fans, old and new, of the genius of Thunderbirds and so many other incredible Anderson creations.”

Trudi Hayward, Head of Global Merchandising, ITV Studios Global Entertainment, adds: “Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s creations have enchanted and amazed fans of all ages for nearly fifty years. We welcome the appearance of these classic comic strips at a time when awareness of Thunderbirds, and the many other great Anderson titles, is stronger than ever.”

The Anderson comic strips form part of Egmont’s extensive Classic Comics archive which includes Roy of the Rovers, Battle Picture Weekly, Action, Whizzer & Chips, Misty, Tammy and Jinty.

• Egmont’s digital comics (including Roy of the Rovers, Johnny Red, The Thirteenth Floor, Misty, Major Eazy and Charley’s War) are available from the iBooks Store on iPad format for £1.99 each

WebFind: New official Gerry Anderson web site preps for Go

A new official website is in the works for the late, great Gerry Anderson, with a launch page in place inviting interested fans to sign up. The Gerry Anderson Legacy site is simply described as "GerryAnderson.co.uk is the new home of Gerry Anderson’s legacy – both classic productions as well as new projects.”

It will be interesting to see what it features. There's no doubt a wealth of information that could be included on such a site dedicated to the man most associated with shows such as Thunderbirds, Stingray, UFO and their related comics such as TV Century 21.

Last month, ITV announced it was teaming up with New Zealand-based Weta Digital and Pukeko Pictures on a new 26-episode series of Thunderbirds, to be produced using a mix of CGI animation and live-action model sets while also paying tribute to the legacy of model locations from Anderson’s original.

The show will air on ITV and CITV in the UK in 2015, while ITVSGE will handle worldwide rights. “Thunderbirds is a highly respected brand that continues to hold recognition around the world” said ITV’s Denise O Donoghue. “This cult series is often credited as changing the history of animation and action-adventure, and we look forward to taking the show to another level while retaining the much-loved heritage that has endured over the past 50 years."

• If you would like to be notified about the Gerry Anderson Legacy website’s launch, then follow the link here.

•There is also an official Twitter feed and a Facebook page.

• Gerry’s son Jamie Anderson maintains a JustGiving page dedicated to supporting the Alzheimer’s Society. If you would like to make a donation in memory of Gerry Anderson please follow the link here: www.justgiving.com/RememberingGerryAnderson

Gerry Anderson: A Tribute by Peter Greenwood

When we lose a personality of any kind, there is always a outcry for this loss, but in this case the loss is so much more personal to an entire generation of adults and children alike. Gerry Anderson, who passed this month, was and will remain the Walt Disney of United Kingdom.

He built his career from the ground up, struggling to get a foothold with no contacts in the film industry. He was, in the best sense of the term, a self made filmmaker, and as such he was instrumental in gathering a crew of such immense talent that their work resonates at full strength to this day.

From a tiny studio, Century 21 Productions produced adventures in the best traditions of a boy's own adventure annuals with its unique British charm and design. The magical and hypnotic space age craft brought all of us to the edge of our chairs.

This complex group of worlds were linked by the beautiful TV Century 21 comic pages, with artwork and storytelling that was and is to this day in step with the impressive nature of the shows each strip mirrored.

With the addition of Dinky's Die Cast range the craftsmanship that made England great was front and centre in every outing for the golden area that was Gerry Anderson's reign as the king of British children's television.

Gerry Anderson broke so much new ground in so many areas it will now be almost impossible in the future of children's television not to walk in his shadow, a legacy that is not I can almost say with total certainty ever never be equaled in it's diversity again.

He was the first to pull together all aspects of marketing for television, with his publishing division and a recording unit for children's albums TV21 Toys, fancy dress, sweets, ice lollies and an amazing stand alone Project Sword space toys line.

Anderson merchandising provided income to a whole generation of British workers. This was no flash in the pan operation... and for all of this, production on these shows had a budget that was not even close to the live action fare from ATV.

Ironically, ATV and all its owners have profited above and beyond even Lew Grade's expectations for these shows. I'm sure he would have ordered another 32 episodes of Thunderbirds had they understood the vast returns it was to continue to generate to this day.

You see, Gerry was a leader strong and with a sense of what he wanted from his creations, in his office with monitors watching the progress on his stages in order to get these complex children's film to the screen wielding the producers power with pure skill.

For myself, I loved these shows - all of them - and I played with the toys and read the comics and watched them and continue to, as they are ageless and timeless in so many ways. Ttheir charm is beyond a doubt as the next group of children will soon find.

And to this day, all of us involved in merchandising and licensing of classic television look to Century 21 productions and marvel at the vast scope of what was produced and accomplished ..it was such a uncommon feat of brilliant marketing unequaled to this day.

So we have lost a master of our childhood day dreams in Gerry Anderson, yet in one sense he will be with us in so many levels for all time.

So thank you Gerry, for showing us the way and raising the bar so high for the future of great British Television.

• Peter Greenwood, whose numerous licensing credits include a series of Thunderbirds-inspired Kit Kat adverts for Australian television, is currently working on the retro-merchandising of TV comedy My Favourite Martian, which was also a strip drawn by Bill Titcombe for TV Century 21. A digital collection of the strips is in the works for 2013

• 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/RememberingGerrryAnderson


 

Gerry Anderson: A Tribute by Marcus Hearn

My sorrow at the passing of Gerry Anderson has been eased a little by the glowing tributes that appeared across the British media. The television and newspaper obituaries presented a warm, if understandably reductive, view of his remarkable career.

However, even those who only knew Gerry slightly would have winced at the articles that described him as a ‘puppeteer’. Many of Gerry’s best known shows did indeed feature puppets, but for Gerry this was entirely incidental to their appeal. The worlds of Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet were produced in miniature because that was the only way to realise Gerry’s epic vision on a film or television budget.

Away from film and television, Gerry’s concepts knew no constraints. His production company AP Films and its successor Century 21 launched a number of successful spin-offs, including record and publishing divisions where his characters could roam freely, unhindered by the puppet wires and door frames that compromised his perfectionist zeal.

The publishing division was by far the most successful, and the jewel in its crown was a title that would become one of the best loved and most successful adventure comics of all time.

Gerry devised the unusual tabloid format for TV Century 21 himself, maintaining that it should be distinctive from all its competition. Gerry’s format and television concepts, combined with the editorial guidance of Alan Fennell and the contributions of some outstanding artists proved unstoppable.

The first issue of TV Century 21 was published in January 1965, and when Gerry discovered that its 750,000 print run had sold out he remembered feeling like “the happiest man on earth.” By 1966 the combined sales of TV 21 and its sister comic Lady Penelope were estimated at 1.3 million.

There was little time for Gerry to dwell on this incredible achievement. He returned to a giddy schedule of film and television production, monitoring his publishing company’s endeavours until it wound down in the early 1970s.

Nearly 40 years later, I suggested to Gerry that the time had come to re-examine the archive of artwork, and to share it with a new audience. Together with my friend and colleague Chris Bentley, I pointed out that artwork of this quality had the potential to look even better than it had looked on its original printing. Gerry was probably the least nostalgic man I have ever met, and it took a few moments for him to recall the details of the publications he had helped to create back in 1964.

“This material really is some of the finest ever seen in British comics,” I insisted.

Gerry smiled, and feigned surprise that he needed reminding. He looked at me and said, “Well of course it was!”

Gerry inspected the surviving artboards and the memories came flooding back. As we admired the work of Frank Bellamy, Mike Noble and Ron Embleton he became enthused about the project. With Chris Bentley heading a dedicated team of digital restoration experts the first volume of Century 21: Classic Comic Strips from the Worlds of Gerry Anderson was published in 2009. Gerry threw himself into publicising the new books, and remained in close contact over future volumes.

Gerry’s health was declining when the fifth volume, Menace from Space, was prepared in 2011. I explained that for this latest instalment we would be improving the binding and paper, and printing exclusively in hardback. “I want this to look as good as possible,” I said to him, “even if it means putting quality before commercial considerations.”

“I know you do,” he replied. “I think that’s why we’ve always got on so well.”

Gerry was delighted with the result, and added Menace from Space to his Century 21 collection. The last call I received from him was an optimistic enquiry to see “how things were getting on with the comic books.”

We will continue to work with Gerry’s family and his company, Anderson Entertainment, but we are all so sad that we will do so without the guidance of the man we regarded as our editor-in-chief. To rediscover, restore and represent these strips was a wonderful adventure. And to do all that with Gerry’s blessing made it a privilege.

• Marcus Hearn is the publisher of Century 21: Classic Comic Strips From the Worlds of Gerry Anderson

• 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/RememberingGerrryAnderson




 

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


 

Out of the Blue: "Thunderbirds" Shane Rimmer features on new solo album

If you have a Transformers, music and Gerry Anderson fan in your circle who you're seeking a Christmas present for, then you might be tempted by Rob Cottingham's solo album Captain Blue, which is not only a great sounding album but features the voice of Thunderbirds Scott Tracy himself Shane Rimmer – and a stunning cover by Andrew Wildman.

The 18-track album – which Rob describes as "a cross-genre-ational album covering the themes of time, self-realisation, death - and not taking yourself too seriously" is due for release in January. You can, however, pre-order it from his web site, www.robcottingham.co.uk for pre-Christmas delivery!

Rob Cottingham is a prolific, talented and accomplished composer, song writer, lyricist, keyboard player, and vocalist with a number of solo albums and other music projects under his belt over the past decade. His music ranges from intensely intimate and acoustic to a powerful broad atmospheric sound with swirling synthesizers, 'cathedralesque' organs and deep bass sounds. He also enjoys 'playing with' sounds and textures to add to the feel of the music – and there's plenty of that on Captain Blue, a title of course inspired by one of the Spectrum agents from Gerry Anderson's Captain Scarlet.

One added extra to the album is a voice over from TV andd film actor, Canadian Shane Rimmer. Renowned as the iconic voice of Scott Tracy from the original 1960's Thunderbirds, he has appeared in three James Bond films, culminating with a lead role in The Spy Who Loved Me. Other major films include Dr Strangelove, Star Wars, Out Of Africa, Gandhi, Superman 2 & 3 and Batman Begins.

After many years as an actor, voice artist and script writer for Gerry Anderson, he published his autobiography From Thunderbirds to Pterodactyls in 2010, a frank autobiography shedding new light on some of the best-loved films and television series ever made, as well as revealing what life is really like for a jobbing actor in the sometimes less than glamorous world of showbusiness.

"I'm greatly honoured to have had Shane contributing his awesome talents to my album, says Rob. "Whilst the connection with Gerry Anderson is entirely appropriate to this album, more than that, the treatment Shane gave to my written piece - a track called 'Condemnation' - was pure genius."

Shane stated "I was delighted to put my voice to such inspirational lyric writing. The music is just 'something else'. Wait 'till you hear it!"

Captain Blue will be released on the Heavy Right Foot Records label in January 2013. "It will all be worth the wait!" Rob enthuses.

• For more information about the Captain Blue album or to pre-order, visit see www.robcottingham.co.uk. You can also hear a demo mp3 on www.robcottingham.co.uk/album-overview--demo.html.

Follow Rob on Facebook www.facebook.com/rob.cottingham.9 and on Rob's artist page www.facebook.com/RobCottinghamCaptainBlue

You can also follow Rob on Twitter www.twitter.com/RobCottingham1

• For more about Shane Rimmer, visit: www.shanerimmer.com

Truffle Shuffle launches Thunderbirds t-shirt range

Truffle Shuffle and Peter Black Footwear and Accessories have recently launched Thunderbirds lines either directly or in partnership with retailers.

Truffle Shuffle's "Classic Thunderbirds" inspired line of T-shirts for men and women, and sweaters for men, all featuring various characters from the series. The products are available now exclusively online from www.truffleshuffle.com and include Lady Penelope, Parker and Brains t-shirts and a Virgil Tracy Thunderbirds fancy dress costume.

Peter Black Footwear and Accessories, who also hold licenses for Marvel-related products, Wallace & Gromit and Top Gear, has released a limited edition gift line for men, exclusive to Marks & Spencer, including sound key chains, wash bags, mugs and egg cup sets.

ITV Studios Global Entertainment, which licenses Thunderbirds, is apparently in discussion with a number of other potential licensees as it grows the licensing program for the Classic Thunderbirds brand.

What's intriguing us of course is that the franchise is being defined as "Classic Thunderbirds", suggesting a "New Thunderbirds" is still on its way...

 

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.

Haynes launches Thunderbirds Manual

On sale this week in all good bookshops is The Haynes Thunderbirds Agents’ Technical Manual featuring some terrific art by Graham Bleathman and offering unprecedented insight into the (sadly, fictional) workings of the Thunderbirds craft and associated rescue vehicles.

With its fleet of incredible Thunderbirds craft piloted by the heroic Tracy brothers, International Rescue, the creation of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson for the 1960s Thunderbirds TV show, is the world’s foremost rescue organisation, equipped to answer any call for assistance.

Haynes - who are enjoying success with these fictional manuals, which rub shoulders with their better-known real world guides to the inner workings of cars and bikes - tell us the confidential Thunderbirds Agents’ Technical Manual has been created "specifically to support agents on their most dangerous of missions and includes a personal introduction by International Rescue’s Founder and Commander in Chief, Jeff Tracy, as well as background information on inventor Brains’ amazing technological and scientific achievements of the late 21st Century."

All of which evokes memories in fans of a certain age of the kind of "shared secrets" that were part and parcel of reading TV Century 21 comic in the 1960s.

Featuring detailed and fully annotated cutaway drawings by renowned artist Graham Bleathman, agents will also have access to International Rescue personnel profiles and never-been-seen-before top-secret mission files relating to all major International Rescue call-outs. It details how Jeff Tracy can launch and manage missions from his Pacific island base, the secret hangars and specialised equipment used in missions to date.

The Manual has been compiled by Sam Denham, a leading authority on the work of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, creators of Thunderbirds, and has written a variety of books and publications based on their programmes, in addition to working on other classic TV related projects.

Graham Bleathman is renowned for his cutaway drawings and no one knows more about the inner workings of the Thunderbirds vehicles. DownTheTubes readers may have seen his cutaway work before, in the 1980s Thunderbirds comic and elsewhere, and he's the artist on both Haynes Wallace and Gromit User Manuals. 

Reflecting the cross generational appeal of Thunderbirds, the Haynes Thunderbirds Agents’ Technical Manual also includes contributions from original Thunderbirds production artist Mike Trim, designer of many of the programme's famous 'pod' vehicles, and computer generated art created by talented young artist and film-maker Chris Thompson.


- Thunderbirds Agents’ Technical Manual will be available from all good bookshops from 7th June 2012 and direct from Haynes at www.haynes.co.uk or call 01963 442030, priced £14.99.

 

 

Andersonic 12 is Go!

The latest issue of the Gerry Anderson-inspired 'zine Andersonic (Issue 12) is now available via the title's website (and eBay for a short period) and features a new interview with former APF sculptor John Blundall in which he discusses his time working on series from Supercar up to Thunderbirds.

John discusses how he got involved in puppetry, working with Christine Glanville, Wolfgang Manthey and Mary Turner, his favourite creations and what went into designing characters such as Robert the Robot, Professor Matic and of course Parker.

Other features include:

• Robin McDonald Interview - Century 21's Clapper Loader/Focus Puller recalls his time working on series from Thunderbirds to Space:1999, working with alligators, Ed Bishop & Mike Billington and even The Sweeney and Terrahawks.
• A Breath of Death - a look at an unfilmed Space:1999 script by Irving Gaynor Nieman.
• Supermarionation Stamps - the Royal Mail's special issue commemmorating 50 years of Supermarionation. With comment from artist Gerry Embleton
• The Return of Victor Bergman - Robert Wood outlines the making of this touching fan-made short film.
• Space:1999: The Last Sunset - Alpha's finest are stranded on the lunar surface with only a corroding Eagle and a crazed Paul Morrow for company.
• UFO: Destruction - Four writers give their view on Dennis Spooner's sole contribution to UFO.
• Fireball XL5: Space City Special - The Subterrains' plan with Manchurian overtones...
• Plus more of Joe 90 A-Z, a free competition to win a trip to Vostula and more!

The new issue comprises 44 pages with colour inner & outer covers and is available via the website www.andersonic.co.uk - price 2.25 including UK postage. If you'd prefer to pay by cheque or PO, please get in touch for a postal address. All back issues are in print.

Effects director Shaun Whittacker-Cook interviewed in new Andersonic

Issue 11 of the ace Gerry Anderson fanzine Andersonic is now available via the publication's website and features a new interview with former Century 21 SFX director Shaun Whittacker-Cook in which he discusses his time working at Century 21 on all the series from Thunderbirds up to UFO.

Shaun shares anecdotes of his time at the studio and reveals how certain sequences were created, his favourite effects shots and what it was really like trying to get a sofa on board Thunderbird 3 and make spinning UFOs fly!

Other features include an analysis of Starcruiser: 'Run Robot Run', a recently unearthed script for the Anderson TV series that never was; Gerry Anderson collectibles (and why they're collected); a guide to the Space: 1999 episode 'Force of Life' in which Ian McShane catches a chill as Moonbase Alpha revisits Quatermass; a look at the South African puppet series Interster, which was influenced by Century 21; and Could You Fly a Thunderbird? - take a psychometric test and find out!

The new issue comprises 44 pages with colour inner & outer covers and is available via the website http://www.andersonic.co.uk/ - price £2.20 including UK postage. It will also be available from eBay for a limited period.

If you'd prefer to pay by cheque or PO, you can get in with Andersonic via their website for a postal address. Issues 4 to 10 are still available to buy from the website.

Thunderbirds are Go - Again!

A re-imagining of the classic 1960s TV series Thunderbirds is in the works from the man who originally co-created the show - Gerry Anderson.

With the launch of a new set of Royal Mail stamps celebrating the work of Gerry Anderson, the 81-year-old producer has been conducting interviews about his work and told Radio 5 Live a new show was finally in the works.

The new Royal Mail stamps
celebrating the genius
of Gerry Anderson

Fan club Fanderson confirmed Gerry had finalised a deal to make a new series, with Gerry revealing that he has signed a non-disclosure agreement for the time being.

"I don't want to sound conceited," Gerry told Radio 5 Live, "but because I'm going to make it...I'm confident that it will be a smash hit!"

The news has been picked up by media as diverse as the Daily Telegraph and Ain't It Cool News.

Gerry has long wanted to re-imagine Thunderbirds, but rights issues apparently prevented this for some time, so instead he re-worked another of his Supermarionation series, Captain Scarlet, into a gritty CGI show, first broadcast in 2005. It had a mixed reception, perhaps in part due to a decision to re-design all the original show's iconic vehicles such as the Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle and Angel Interceptors - but many praised its scripts and delivery.

The design for Thunderbird 2
by David Warren

Thunderbirds was brought to the big screen as a live action movie in 2004, directed by Star Trek's Jonathan Frakes, but was panned by critics.

In 2005, plans, as noted on our Gerry Anderson links page, were afoot to revive the show - again as a puppet show. Showrunner and director David Freedman (whose credits include the highly successful Legend of the Dragon and animated comedy series King Arthur's Disasters starring Rik Mayall and Matt Lucas) was one of the people involved.

Brought in to create a new vision for modern puppet relaunch, Freedman says the goal was to bring the series up to date, but stay true to the magic of the original series. "Redesigned, reworked, re cast, re everything!

The series was to have coincided with the release of the live action film, but Freedman says the merger between Granada and Carlton (in which Carlton was sort of swallowed whole) "put the kibosh on the whole thing".

"It ws the best show never made," he enthuses on his current web site.

• Gerry was also interviewed about his career for BBC1's The One Show this week You can listen to the interview on BBC iPlayer (begins playing at about 8 minutes - available for the next week)

Frank Bellamy Thunderbirds art, Commando Issue 1 in comics auction

The Winter 2010 auction at British auction Compalcomics includes another Frank Bellamy Thunderbirds board and is sure to attract strong bids from his legion of fans. 

The company's last catalogue in September saw a 1968 Thunderbirds board by Frank Bellamy from TV Century 21 sell for £3388.

This new item of Thunderbirds original artwork was drawn in the same year and signed by Frank Bellamy for TV Century 21 No 206. The page finds Thunderbird 1 pilot Scott Tracy and Professor Davies have travelled back in time to get Thunderbird 4 and save a fractured dam's waters from drowning New York, but before they can activate the main controls the time-machine topples into a raging torrent of water.

Thunderbirds fans may also be interested in a 73-card Thunderbirds Colour Card Set, released in 1967 in near-perfect condition featuring the characters and machines from the Gerry Anderson TV series, along with issues of TV Century 21 itself.
 
There are 316 lots in the winter catalogue, which includes a strong selection of early Dandy comics from Number 19 through to 109, including many issues that have not been seen until now such as the title's first Easter issue, published in 1938 and Dandy 100, published in 1939.

Also unearthed is a fine run of seasonal Christmas issues from the 1920s and Thirties of Butterfly, Comic Cuts, Chips, Jester, Rainbow and Tiger Tim’s Weekly as well as war years Beano and Dandy.

Bound volumes on offer includes The Thriller 1-25, Scoops 1-20, (the UK’s first science fiction magazine, published in 1934) and full years of Adventure 1941 and 1943 with Hotspur 1938 and 1940. There are also complete years of Mickey Mouse Weekly 1940 - 1941 with the first four Mickey Mouse Weekly Holiday/Xmas Specials and Mickey’s Calendar from 1939 – scarce wartime rations.

Also featured are issues of The Sun magazine featuring Battler Britton and collections of the original Eagle.

A star lot on offer is The Magic-Beano Book from 1944. As well as being the first annual to combine the characters from the Magic and Beano comics, the aucton house tell us this example is in exceptionally high grade. The auction also includes an early run of Magic comic itself with the scarce Number 1 Flyer.

Other art on offer includes are Davy Law’s Dennis The Menace for Issue 481, published in 1951; a rare piece of Pansy Potter art by Jimmy Clark (apparently the first art from him to come to auction in 11 years), Captain Condor art by Ron Forbes, Frankie Stein by Ken Reid and Morecambe & Wise by Roy Wilson. Dudley Watkins’s The Broons and Oor Wullie complete the line-up.

Also offered is magnificent collection of DC Thomson's still-in-publication Commando, starting with numbers 1 - 6, the 47 issues having been secured in a biscuit tin for over 50 years. Near complete runs of TV Century 21, Fantastic!, It’s Terrific!, Pow!, Smash! and TV Tornado encapsulate the 1960s selection.

US comics on offer include an early run of Golden Age Batman (#36), while Iron Man’s first appearance in Tales Of Suspense (#39), Fantastic Four 48 and Silver Surfer #1 headline Silver Age runs of key Marvel and DC titles.

• Bids will be accepted until Tuesday 30th November at 8.00pm UK time. Catalogue at: www.compalcomics.com/catalogue/index.htm

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.

Meet Gerry Anderson

Television legend Gerry Anderson will be signing the two new volumes of Century 21: Classic Comic Strips From The Worlds Of Gerry Anderson, at the Forbidden Planet Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8JR on Saturday 1st May. He will be joined by the series editor Chris Bentley.

From its launch in 1965, TV Century 21 (later known simply as TV 21) was the smash-hit British comic of the 1960s. Thunderbirds, Lady Penelope, Fireball XL5, Stingray and Captain Scarlet all burst forth in full colour from the magazine's packed pages, in stories illustrated by such giants of the comic industry as Frank Bellamy, Don Harley, Mike Noble, Ron and Gerry Embleton.

Gerry Anderson needs no introduction as the creator of the massive number of still hugely popular TV series that include Thunderbirds, Joe 90, Stingray and Space: 1999.

Chris Bentley was Chairman of Fanderson, the Official Gerry Anderson Fan Club, for over ten years. He is the author of The Complete Gerry Anderson and The Complete Book of Gerry Anderson’s UFO.

• The signing runs from 2 - 3.0ppm. More information here on the Forbidden Planet web site

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.

British FX designer Mike Trim headlines Andersonic Nine

The latest issue of the brilliant Gerry Anderson 'zine Andersonic (Issue 9) is now available and features a new, nine-page interview with designer Mike Trim, who discusses his work on the Anderson series from Thunderbirds through to UFO. His latest project, Agent Crush - a marionette-oriented spy spoof - is currently in post production.

While there's no comics material this time around, the 44-page magazine does include a feature that recalls a visit to the set of Space:1999's last episode, The Dorcons, in December 1976, and a reappraisal of Gerry Anderson's early supermarionation show, Supercar. Has it been unfairly overlooked in favour of its more colourful descendents? Andersonic argue it's 'most satisfactory'!

"X Marks The Spot" takes a look at the X-Planes and concept aircraft of the 50s and 60s that had such an influence on the designers at Century 21, while "The Roots of UFO" examines the film and literary influences that shaped the format of the Andersons' first live-action series.

Also included are retrospectives of some key episodes from several of the Anderson shows, including UFO's Ordeal, and a look at both sides of the argument when it comes to dating the time period of Thunderbirds, which was re-set to the 2020s in the 1990s.

• Andersonic is available via the website www.andersonic.co.uk - price £2.20 including UK postage and also from eBay for a limited period

Thunderbirds Aren't Go: Sylvia Anderson cancels nationwide tour

Fans of Gerry Anderson's 1960s cult puppet show Thunderbirds are downhearted that Lady Penelope, aka Sylvia Anderson, has pulled out of a nationwide tour - citing lack of interest.

Sylvia, now in her 80s, was to have been in conversation at several venues across the UK with composer and record producer David Courtney, to talk about her long-awaited biography My Fab Years and her time working on some of Britain's best-loved children's shows, from the early 'Supermarionation' days of Thunderbirds, for which she provided the voice of superspy Lady Penelope, and live action series Space:1999 and UFO.

The cancellation comes despite what we're told were strong sales at some venues: downthetubes say her agent claims that there hadn't been enough interest in the tour.