GACCH Editorial Two

It was forty years ago today...

"It is the 21st century."

Yeah, alright... been there, done that. But today - 23rd January 2005 - is the fortieth anniversary of the dateline of the first issue of TV Century 21. Future history in the making.

History - our real history - tells us the comic was an instant success. But our special feature to mark the launch forty years ago shows how precarious that success can be, and through no fault of the people behind the publication. Conversely, the success of Thunderbirds in the 1960s gave those associated with the production the backing to make a film. It should have been an instant hit. It spun off all manner of new merchandise and adaptations. The film flopped.

A little over thirty years later, the Manga Space Precinct magazine lived and died in a scant six issues. Its failure is usually attributed to the television series not finding its audience. It might also be suggested, from another fan of television and comics who chanced upon me while I was researching in an archive in London, that few outside of the Anderson fan base knew of the publication. He had never even heard of it. And even now, mention on the internet of this faithful tie-in to the series is scant, almost non-existent.

The same is true of the rarer, and slightly unusual, strips that get a mention but are rarely covered in any detail... The Mark of the Mysterons, The Mysterons, Project SWORD and Starcruiser. Admittedly, these are astonishingly variable in quality, but now you can deside for yourself.

Enjoy.

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Contents for Upload Two:

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Twizzle
Okay, so not technically a Gerry Anderson strip but here for completion, from TV Land in 1960-61.

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Supercar - Part Two
Now available in colour. TV Comic, from 1961-62.

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Yesterday's News Today
The first of an occasional series. This Upload: The launch of TV Century 21.
Writer: Shaqui Le Vesconte

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The Investigator
The first non-television 'Anderverse' strip set in the 2060s, from TV Century 21 in 1966

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Thunderbirds Are Go!
How many adaptations does it take? Take your pick of the three here...

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The Mark of the Mysterons
A curious prequel to Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, from Solo in 1967
Updated: 01.05.2006

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Project SWORD - Part One
Phase One of the original 'toy story', also from Solo in 1967
Writers: Shaqui Le Vesconte and Kim Stevens

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The Mysterons
And you thought they only had it in for the Earth... from TV Tornado from 1967-68

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The Charlton Space:1999 Magazines
The first of a two-part feature on US publishers Charlton, and their contribution to the genre.
Writer: Shaqui Le Vesconte

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Starcruiser - Part One
Is it a series? Is it a model kit? No, it's a comic strip, from Look-In in 1977-78

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Space Precinct
The short-lived Manga magazines, from 1995-96.
Writer: Shaqui Le Vesconte

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Colin Shelbourn
A previously unpublished interview with the editor of Look-In, outlining the production of the magazine in the 1980s.
Writer: Shaqui Le Vesconte

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Anatomy of a Comic
What two large double-sided sheets of paper have to do with the comics you read each week.
Writer: Shaqui Le Vesconte

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The Comic Specials
The second of our series of indexes for the comics, specials, annuals and storybooks.
This Upload: The Specials and Extras based on comics featuring Anderson strips.

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Your Free Gift - Online Decoder
Ever wonder what all those secret messages in TV Century 21, Thunderbirds and Joe 90 meant? Well now you can find out.
Secret Cipher Expert: Kim Stevens

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Back Uploads
Hopefully guaranteed to never go out of print, go yellow with age, or get rusty staples...

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Easter Eggs
Yes, they come free with every Upload...

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The homepage of this Upload featured, clockwise from bottom left, Starcruiser 1 from Starcruiser, a Demeter City Police Cruiser from Space Precinct, an Atomic Booster Rocket from Project SWORD, the Mysterons, and John Marsh, as portrayed by Century 21 Publishing designer John Ayres, from The Mark Of The Mysterons.

Any comments or suggestions for the Gerry Anderson Complete Comic History, please contact technodelic@blueyonder.co.uk.

All text © The Gerry Anderson Complete Comic History, and its respective writers, and may not be reproduced without permission.
All images © their respective copyright holders