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| Images borrowed from Anderson Entertainment |
Received my copy of the UFO Comic Anthology Volume One earlier today, published by Anderson Entertainment, and it's indeed an impressive collection. If you were a fan of the show, or read these strips in the pages of Countdown back in the early '70s, then you're sure to appreciate this hardback edition. The book was packed in a robust mailer and delivered within a couple of days of ordering, so I'm well-chuffed.
As for the book itself, I've got one or two minor niggles, such as wishing digital technology had been employed to remove some scuffs and scrapes from the panels of a few of the original comics used as source material (the paper used back in the day was prone to this sort of thing), but overall, there doesn't seem to be too many examples and the reproduction is generally excellent.
The book uses perfect binding, but the double page spreads are tightly 'clipped' at the spine, making some captions and speech balloons difficult to read smoothly and requiring a little guesswork on the reader's part, but the spreads can be flattened slightly in the middle to help distinguish the lettering to better effect and not overly detract from one's enjoyment. It's a mild inconvenience, and it's difficult to see how it could've been avoided.
Anyway, despite my pernickety observations, this large-sized tome gets a thumbs-up from me. Why not hunt one down today, either from a good book shop or the Anderson Entertainment site? You won't regret it.
******
Since first publishing this post, I've now also got the second volume. Same high quality.
22 comments:
Great review of the object. I've held off because really I'd like to read the 'typed' matter by Shaqui. How many pages of that are there Kid?
The book has 288 numbered pages not counting blanks or covers, SB4A, 42 of the pages being articles or features (with illustrations) woven throughout the book.
I watched half an episode of UFO on Forces TV last week for the first time in years, like lots of things from the past looking at life in the future it was a bit dated, but fun. I used to enjoy UFO when it first aired it was very clever for its time. I don't think I ever bought Countdown as a kid but art looks nice.
I passed on Countdown when I first saw it on my local newsagent's counter, McS, but started buying it later when it began reprinting Fireball XL5 and Stingray strips from TV Century 21. Wasn't really a particular fan of any of the other strips, apart from Dr. Who perhaps, but the art in the book is of a nice standard, and it's good to be able to return to the early '70s via its pages.
I never really liked UFO - I much preferred Space 1999 (the first season anyway). But I remember UFO being broadcast on Sunday afternoons on ITV in late 1974 (repeat broadcasts I assume) and Planet Of The Apes came on at 7.25 pm.
I bought the DVD box set some years ago, CJ, and still haven't watched them. I only got it 'cos it reminded me of when I saw a few episodes when they were first broadcast.
Thanks Kid for the information.
Nae tother a ba', SB4A.
Great to see this, even though it pains me that I'll probably never be able to afford a copy, for reasons I won't repeat as I've been on about the prices of things enough in other comments on your blog.
I was a fan of the series UFO back in the day, discovering and first watching it years after the initial run. (That's Australia for ya) Bought the lavish box set which was put out by local company Umbrella, complete with plenty of extras on the discs and printed material in the form of reproductions of the publicity brochures from the time and assorted booklets. As I have watched episodes in recent years I don't expect it to be anything other than of its time and enjoy the shows for what they are - time capsules from a bygon era.
Seeing these pages from Countdown also takes me back in time and its annoying that I must have had just about every issue, bought on regular basis for me at the time with a copy sitting on the kitchen table when I arrived home from school at the end of the week. Friday and a new issue! - happy days indeed. Somehow lost them over the years though. Loved Gerry Haylock's art and was a tad disappointed when the strip changed artists, but Gerry always seemed to be drawing something in Countdown and later TV Action so his work was still there to please the eye.
Thanks for the review and page samples.
At first I wasn't going to buy the book, PC, as I have every ish of Countdown on data disc, as well as quite a number of original issues, but it looked so good that I succumbed to its charms and ordered it before a price rise. (It was due to increase from £29.99 to £34.99.) I watched UFO as a kid, but I couldn't say that I was a particular fan of either the show or the strip, but the passage of time somehow seems to make things from one's youth more attractive, and that was the case in this instance. I'll be buying the second volume to complete the set, but I'm really going to have to think long and hard about buying various things in the future and only get what is absolutely necessary (not just books, but comics and toys too), as I don't have the space for much more and things tend to get tucked away somewhere before too long and then I forget where they are. Also, given my age, I need to learn to enjoy what I've got, rather than keep adding more and more stuff I seldom or never look at to the pile.
Easier to say than it is to do, of course, but it's well past time to try and rein in my collecting impulses. Terrible thing getting old, isn't it?
I know what you mean about collecting, mine has slowed a lot from what it was and in the mean time I have been digging things out from where I had put them - also out of sight out of mind. So upon looking for one book today I found four others that I'd forgotten I had - it was like receiving a batch of new books!
Trying to enjoy what I have these days instead of adding too much more, although having said that now that I've stopped collecting model Dinosaurs and Godzilla figures my focus has shifted back to comics - they cost less and don't take up nearly as much room.
Not much you can do about getting old but it sure beats the alternative, as a friend of mine always says!
Well, to my mind, the alternative to getting old should be staying young, but unfortunately I didn't have a say when things were being planned at the start of it all and the only choice we're given is grow old or die. Which, as we grow old AND die, isn't much of a choice to my mind, PC.
I keep saying it, but I'm going to have to have a sort out and see if there's anything I can bear to part with. Trouble is, if it wasn't for me buying things now and again, I'd really have nothing to live for and nothing to derive enjoyment from, so I'm unsure exactly what I should do. Decisions, decisions, eh?
Yeah, I have been thinking of cutting back as well - but what to lose?!
The core of my colection surrounds me in the study with some throughout the rest of the house and more items out in the garage. I figure that it could work geographically - the items closest to me (in this room where I'm typing) are close because I value them the most while the things in the garage being further away maybe I'm not quite so attached to - so their days are numbered!
But some books and comics that I have had for decades will never go.
I have so many things in duplicate, PC, that you'd think I could part with some of them. After all, what's the point of having so many various reprints of the same comics? But each has an association of its own and if I get rid of some them, part of my life's tapestry goes with them. I've got Marvel Masterworks volumes, Epic Collections, Omnibus editions, and original printings of the same stories, but which ones would I part with? Too big a decision for me to face at the moment, but I'll have to decide one day.
I did not know this has been published so thanks for the info
No bother - hope you like it if you buy one.
I have to side with CJ . UFO never sold itself to me. I always thought the old 70s Space Invaders game hall machines were conceived from it . But at that stage I think Anderson shows were on the downwards slide . They peaked with Thunderbirds and went down hill after that . The one I did enjoy was first season Space 1999. Season Two self destructed and went American. Opening credits with Martin Landau firing a gun put me off it straight away.
I was never what could be called a fan of the show myself, LH, but I saw a few episodes when they were first broadcast - though my main interest was the burds in the silver outfits more than the show's premise. I've got the box set, but still haven't watched any. Space 1999 was total mince in my view - never got into either of the two series.
Ordered yesterday arrived today excellent quality. Thanks again for the heads up
Nice to know this blog occasionally comes in useful for something, IITUK.
I have both volumes in my basket, ready for after Christmas.
I also have both volumes, JP, but on my bookshelf - along with two copies of the Fireball one. (Christmas comes early in my house.)
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