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I reckon it's time for another ten covers of Britain's best-ever comic of the '60s - TV CENTURY 21. With a headline that's topical for today, issue 46 features a photo of one of the fantasy females of my childhood - ATLANTA SHORE. (Fancying a puppet - I was a right little perv and no mistake!) I'm sure that most of you will know that LOIS MAXWELL, alias MISS MONEYPENNY from the JAMES BOND films, was the voice of hoverchair-bound COMMANDER SAM SHORE'S daughter - and if you didn't, you do now!
I wish that someone would publish deluxe, actual-size omnibus collections of at least the first 104 issues of TV21 (when it had The DALEKS), as it would be good to have sturdy, high-quality volumes of this classic comic from 100 years in the future. It's increasingly unlikely it will happen, as the 'nostalgia market' target audience it would appeal to is dwindling with every passing year. If I ever win the Lottery, I'd publish them myself - even at a loss - simply because it would be good to preserve such a treasure for future generations.
Anyway, enjoy the covers on offer, and if you'd like to share any reminiscences relating to them, feel perfectly free to do so.
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| This was either the last issue bought while in the house we'd lived in for only 15 months, or the first one bought in the house we moved to. My uncertainty is because TV21 seems to have gone on sale only three days before the cover date, whereas most British comics traditionally came out the week before |
16 comments:
I was born in February 1966 so these would have come out just before that as I assume the 2065 cover dates came out on the same date in 1965 - it's a wonder the newsagents didn't get confused. The question is will there still be comics in 2065 and if there are will they be totally digital? I hope not as I think this rush to digitize everything could be a big mistake - we don't actually know how long lasting any of this digital stuff will be. I can imagine all the e-books, e-documents and e-photos just vanishing into thin air one day and we'll be up e-sh*t creek without an e-paddle.
like you, CJ, I'm far from satisfied with digital books and comics, much preferring the 'real' thing. I suppose digital is okay just for reading stuff, but for collecting, it's got to be printed matter for me.
Issue 46 was very topical indded in light of recent "climate-change reports in our media. And I did not know Lois Maxwell did the voice!
At only 39 episodes of Stingray, it was probably a very small part of her career. However, Atlanta is probably the second thing she'll be remembered for after Moneypenny.
First and only time that they used a picture of TV daleks on the cover of #47 - all other photos used had been of the colour film daleks with large bulbs and fenders ( and sometimes, pincers ). These "new" TV models now had the vertical slats around their middle to enable them to travel on other surfaces than metal , ( replacing the black saucer discs on their backs when they invaded London on the TV ).
It was a cropped version of the same photo that was used on the Century 21 Daleks mini-album, JP. I find it interesting that those slats never appeared on the back-page Daleks strip, even 'though they were now part of the TV Daleks design. I much preferred the non-slats version anyway.
Are you sure about the slats? I could be wrong, but I seem to recall them appearing on some of Ron Turner's later strips ( possibly vs. The Mechanoids?).
What was the Century 21 Dalek mini album? (& how come I missed it!!??)
The pre-slats models were certainly easier to draw. I always preferred the TV daleks. They were more menacing. Just before they exterminated you, these strips of metal would come out of their guns and back in again and the beam of light would x-ray you & turn you negative. Whereas all the film daleks could fire at you was a puff of smoke!
Just had a quick look, JP, and the slats appeared on the final 16 episodes of TV21's Daleks strip. Not in the masthead 'though, which is no doubt what misled me when I made my earlier statement. They also appeared mid-adventure, and long after the telly Daleks had been sporting them.
When they first appear in the strip, both bands have them, and they look as if they may have been added after the fact, as far as their first appearance goes anyway. Some panels on a few later episodes (pages) look as if the slats have been removed from the lower band, but Ron Turner -good as he was - was never that consistent (or accurate) in his interpretations of The Daleks anyway.
I know, bless him, but some of his very last Daleks had no middle section at all - with their arms simply coming out of 2 of their globes. But he WAS on old man at the time, so we make allowances for his lapse in memory.
By the way, I've found the mini album on youtube AND eBay!
Well, we'll certainly forgive him his later depictions, but even his TV21 pages tended to be inconsistent on occasion. Much as I like his work, I think I prefer the Daleks pages by Richard Jennings which preceded him. I saw two mini-albums on eBay the other night - wonder what they'll go for at the end of the day?
If you have any Century 21 records yourself I am sure that, like myself, many of the TV21 fans would love to see them.
There's a couple floating about on the blog, JP, but I'll see if I can dig out some more.
I can't remember if the 2 companion papers, Lady Penelope and Joe 90 were ever tabloid - sized as well. Do you know?
I believe Lady Penelope was the same dimensions as TV21, JP - Joe 90 was about an inch shorter (judging from a quick look) than TV21's initial size, but the same as its then-current size at the time Joe 90 went on sale.
Great pictures of Gerry Anderson. He created a lots of tv series and movies. For more information visit Gerry Anderson Official Website.
Glad you enjoyed them, RW, and thanks for the link.
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