Another Thunderbirds collection on its way

I noticed this ad in the latest Previews catalogue. It looks like Egmont are releasing a second volume of sixties Thunderbirds comic strips reprinted from TV21. (The first volume was published in 2013 and I reviewed it here.) The promo says it will feature "the first twelve comic strips" by Frank Bellamy. Those early three page strips originally appeared as a double page spread and a black and white page, so it'll be interesting to see how they paginate those. The spread will obviously have to be reprinted as a spread but what will appear on every fourth page opposite the black and white page? A classic TV21 cover perhaps? Time will tell, as the book is due in October.

Other Thunderbirds news today on the Down The Tubes website, regarding Bellamy art being used as prints on clothes! See here:
http://downthetubes.net/?p=24397

Surf's up in next month's MWOM

On sale July 2nd.

The Silver Surfer made his US comic debut in Fantastic Four No.48, 'way back in 1966 but it wasn't until 1970 in TV21 No.62 (second series) that he appeared in a British comic. Even then, the strips (reprinting his 1968 solo series) were resized, relettered and often clumsily edited into a more traditional UK comic format.

The Surfer later became the lead strip in Marvel UK's The Superheroes weekly in 1975 although that was relatively short lived. Next month, on July 2nd, the Silver Surfer's more recent adventures will start appearing in Panini UK's The Mighty World of Marvel. These strips by Dan Slott and Michael Allred have been highly acclaimed by fans for taking a quirky new spin on the character. The 76 page issue will also feature Daredevil and part four of Original Sin.

However, if you want to follow the stories I'd advise you to pick up The Mighty World of Marvel No.13, which is in the shops now. It's a perfect 'jumping on point'. With 100 pages at no extra price, it contains the first three parts of Original Sin (Who killed The Watcher?) and the start of a new direction for Daredevil now that he's revealed his true identity to the world.

You'll find the comic racked alongside SFX, Doctor Who Magazine and other genre mags in WH Smith and selected newsagents.

For more info on Panini UK's output, visit their website here:
http://www.paninicomics.co.uk/web/guest/home       

Veteran artist John Cooper passes

I've just heard via editor John Freeman that veteran comics artist John Cooper has passed away after a short illness. Born in 1942, John's first adventure comic strip was drawing a Special Agent 21 story for the TV21 Annual published in 1968. (Source: An interview by Terry Hooper at this link.) His long career saw him illustrating numerous strips for many comics over the years including several Judge Dredd stories for 2000AD but he's probably best remembered for One Eyed Jack in Valiant in 1975 and taking over the Johnny Red strip in Battle - a strip which he made his own.

John's work was also seen outside of comics, such as illustrating scenes for TV news stories. 

Here's a short selection of John's work, starting with his very first comic strip from the pages of a TV21 Annual (undated on the cover but according to the indicia inside the book it was published in 1968)...

A page of a Joe 90 strip from the Joe 90 Annual published in 1969...

The first episode of One Eyed Jack (script by John Wagner) from Valiant dated 20th December 1975...

Part of a Goalmouth strip from Roy of the Rovers comic...

Another of John's excellent covers for Battle-Action...

John's work must have been seen by millions who grew up on boys comics from the late 1960s to the end of the 20th Century and his dynamic layouts and action-packed style brought a lot of pleasure to those readers. I only met John once, briefly at a convention in Norway years ago, but the easy going Yorkshireman was good company. My sincere condolences to his family and friends on their sad loss.

There's an excellent tribute to John Cooper on the Down The Tubes blog:
http://downthetubes.net/?p=20091

TV21 No.243: The return of yesterday's brighter tomorrows

The brand new issue of TV21 turned up today, just as it used to on a Wednesday back in the 1960s. Colonel White is back in charge of the letters page and all the strips begin new adventures. John Burns' Lady Penelope is particularly exciting, and it's good to see Gerry Embleton drawing Stingray.

In case you hadn't already read my earlier blogs on the subject, this issue of TV21 is a special one-off edition that is part of the package of goodies within the Supermarionation box set. The concept of this comic is that it's issue No.243 of TV21, dated September 13th 2069, - the issue that one imagines might have been published in 1969 had Joe 90 comic not merged into its pages. An issue of TV21 from an alternate reality if you like! 

The Brains behind this brilliant idea is editor Martin Cater of Network, the company responsible for the excellent box set. Assembling a team of comic creators he has constructed a 24 page comic that perfectly echoes the TV21 of yesteryear. It's even the exact size of those early editions and carries the same story logos that were designed in the 1960s. The content though is all-new! 

The strips include all the Gerry Anderson shows produced in the 1960s, so in addition to Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds, and Captain Scarlet plus Zero X we also have Joe 90 (who never appeared in the first series of TV21 until the relaunched merger with his own comic) and The Secret Service (which never previously appeared in TV21 at all). There's also a pitch perfect Agent 21 strip by Brian Williamson and a Zoony the Lazoon strip by myself, plus a Project Sword prose story. Graham Bleathman is also on board with a new cutaway of the Mars Space Probe.

It's good to see my old friends Mike Collins and Bambos contributing good stuff, and Antonio Barreti's Secret Service is a spot-on sixties homage, but I'm sure they'll forgive me when I say the highlight for me was the centrespread strip, - Lady Penelope by John Burns! The veteran artist is still a master of his craft and these pages look so authentically 1960s that for a moment I felt I was back in that decade. Rest assured though that this is definitely brand new material! 

John Burns isn't the only veteran artist involved, as Martin Asbury has contributed a two page Captain Scarlet strip and Gerry Embleton is back at the helm of Stingray! Embleton's style may be a little looser than it was but the skill is as sharp as ever. This is good stuff!

The comic even comes with a free gift in the form of six postcards of TV21 covers for the following few issues! Sadly those issues do not actually exist, but wouldn't it be great if they did? 

Lest we forget though, this issue of TV21 is only available as part of Network's Supermarionation box set and the main content of that set are the blu-ray discs with a brand new documentary, selected episodes in High Definition, and Stephen La Riviére's book Filmed in Supermarionation. For the full details see Network's website here:
http://networkonair.com/shop/2038-supermarionation-box-set-pre-buy-5027626708146.html

It's been an absolute pleasure to contribute to the history of TV21, - my favourite adventure comic of my childhood, and certainly my favourite comic of this year! For one day, the brighter, optimistic 21st Century is with us once again.