Monday, 30 December 2013

STINGRAY: THE BURGLARS - FROM TV CENTURY 21 ANNUAL 1966...

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I remember it well.  The TV CENTURY 21 ANNUAL for 1966 - loads of them, filling a square, metal wire stand on the ground floor of KRAZY KUTS in my home town, in August or September of 1965.  I was living in one house when I first saw the annual, and another by the time I got it for Christmas that year.  I therefore associate it with both houses, but mainly (perhaps) with the second one, as that was the one I was living in when I actually got my grubby hands on the book.  I also remember wishing my life away for it with the careless indifference that only a child can afford.

It all seems rather tame stuff in comparison with today's comics and annuals, but, at the time, it was the annual to have in 1965, as it represented the top-selling weekly comic of the day (which sounds like a contradiction-in-terms, but you know what I mean).  THUNDERBIRDS was on TV by the time I obtained the annual, but it had been prepared for publication before the latest GERRY ANDERSON sensation had made its debut, so STINGRAY was the book's main feature, appearing in two strips and featuring prominently on the cover.

Here, then, is the first of them - if you want to see more, be sure to let me know in the comments section.  Same goes if you'd like to share with the rest of us your own personal reminiscences associated with this classic annual from yesteryear.






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4 comments:

  1. SCOOP30 December 2013 at 17:40

    You're right, things have moved on since then, but that was a great annual all the same.

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  2. Kid30 December 2013 at 18:33

    Indeed, Scoop - and what a great cover by Ron Embleton.

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  3. Unknown31 December 2013 at 20:02

    Kid, My Favourite Martian as seen on the front of the annual, was it ever on UK TV in the 60s? I have no recollection of seeing it. Have since caught up with it on Youtube. I would expect it would have to have been on TV here or it would probably never had made it into TV21.Bill Bixby aka the calm and reasonable Hulk, who starred in MFM was an interesting character and is worth having a quick Wiki look at.

    Happy New Year
    Ken.

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  4. Kid31 December 2013 at 20:37

    I don't think it was ever shown in Scotland, Ken, 'cos I never saw it, nor did anyone I know. I suspect it must have been shown in certain regions in England 'though, because, as you say, it would never have appeared in TV21 otherwise. I believe the show was inspired by Jerry Lewis's movie, Visit To A Small Planet.

    And a Happy New Year to you, too, Ken.

    ReplyDelete

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