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Those who are into such things know that TV21 in its original form finished with issue number 242, before being revamped and relaunched as practically an entirely different kind of comic. Many years later (2010) there was a follow-up special edition by Fanderson, who published issue 243, though it was more article-based with no new comic strips. (However, it did reprint a two-page Fireball XL5 strip drawn by Mike Noble.)
Then, in 2014, Network included their own take on #243 as part of a Blu-ray boxed set, including all-new comic strips, some drawn by original artists who worked on TV21 back in the '60s. It was later made available on its own after a warehouse find, this time being sold by The Official Gerry Anderson Store. I guess that indicates the boxed set didn't sell too well in 2014, hence a massive backlog of spare issues.
Finally, in 2017, Fanderson did number #244 (above), though again it was mainly article-based, but containing some panels from the original '60s periodical. It arrived at Castel Crivens today, acquired through Fanderson, who sell a lot of great Gerry Anderson-related merchandise for fans of the man and his TV puppet and live-action shows. It's slightly smaller than its two predecessors, as well as the original TV21, but it's in full-colour throughout.
I'll be doing a follow-up post on some of Fanderson's great items soon, just to show what you're missing out on if you're not a member*, but in the meantime just imagine that the comic had continued in its original form - the above cover could perhaps have been the result had it been published back in 1969. Will there be a 245th issue? Only time will tell.
Were you a fan of TV21 back in the day? Do you think a comic based on Gerry's characters could be a viable option today? Don't be shy - tell your fellow Crivvies what you think and savour the satisfaction of seeing your name in print.
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*Update: When this post was first published, I was unaware that some things are worth missing out on. See the (currently) Featured Post in my blog-list on the right-hand side of the page. (If it's no longer there, just type Fanderson into the blog's search box.)
Happy Easter, Kid - I trust you've got an Easter egg? (I have - a Bournville dark chocolate one).
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter to you too, CJ. I got a Mars egg, which I'll scoff on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteI never read TV21 in its prime with the Anderson strips and only picked it up when it moved to a traditional UK style (with Spiderman, Silver Surfer, Star Trek etc) and when it merged with my regular Valiant purchase. I was never a big fan of comics based on TV shows for some reason but having seen a few of the original comics it really was a class act very clever format and some stunning art.There still seems to be an hard core of Anderson fans but are today's kids that aware of his work to the extent it could make a new comic viable.
ReplyDeleteActually, I doubt it myself, McS - unless there were brand-new, hugely popular up-to-date versions of the TV shows to give the comic a boost. Captain Scarlet and Thunderbirds had new shows a while back, but they weren't exactly an overwhelming success. Still, I'd like to see it happen, but doubt it ever will.
ReplyDelete....and it nearly did continue. At one point I owned the logo artwork for No.243 but they went down the “New Series” route instead.
ReplyDeleteI guess that declining sales forced their hand, CN. Readers didn't seem so interested in the Gerry Anderson-related strips as they'd once been, hence The Saint, Tarzan, Star Trek, etc.
ReplyDeleteLike Countdown becoming TV Action. Pure Sci-Fi to adventure.
ReplyDeleteYeah... though I think TV Action retained UFO for a while, along with Dr. Who, so it had some SF content at the start at least.
ReplyDeleteJust a question. Is Dr Who mag still going. I got that from No1 onwards but gave it away in the 90s when it got repetitive. The exception being when a lost episode was found.
ReplyDeleteYes indeedy, LH, DWM is still on the go. It's a bit too 'anal' (even for me), so I only get it when there's something of interest - usually about Daleks or merchandise. I mean, do we really need to know that the fifth extra from the left in a crowd scene was also in the Rovers Return in Coronation Street 5 years earlier? Nah!
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