Preview: New Captain Scarlet, 2005

New Captain Scarlet Preview: Captain Scarlet, 2005

New Captain Scarlet Cover SpectraScan: The cover of the first issue of New Captain Scarlet - on sale 12th October.

William Potter is an excited man. Not only is he extremely chuffed to be editor of the New Captain Scarlet magazine - and has the honour of being the Captain Scarlet who will respond to letters and emails - but, as he tells us, 'I actually share the same birthday as Captain Scarlet - the 17th of the 12th. Different year - he's not born yet! But we share a birthday'.

Will admits to being a fan of the original series, but has to stress the constraints of the license prohibit any mention it, as tempting as this may have been. 'I'd love to able to reprint all those original classic Scarlet strips but at the moment there is not allowed to be any kind of crossover. It wouldn't mean anything to the new readers, who would wonder why things have been given different names, and the uniforms are slightly different.' But this hasn't stopped him from immersing himself back into the lore of the series. 'As soon as I found out I was working on this, I went straight out and bought a DVD of the original series, to remind me of what scared me as a kid.' he admits. 'And I even had a good look at your website, to see what was done before, to give me ideas.'

Despite aiming at the five to ten year old age bracket, anyone expecting the title to be a retread of Redan's Thunderbirds is going to be surprised. In design, the Captain Scarlet magazine is more akin to Manga's ambitious Space Precinct, with a slick high-tech look which has to based around the all-important series' license style guide. This gives a coherent look to all related merchandise and packaging.

New Captain Scarlet SpectraScan: Page four of the new magazine, featuring the start of an adaptation of the opening story 'Instrument of Destruction'.

As a title for younger readership, with an accent on 'something that keeps the kids quiet for a time', Will has incorporated more adventure-based features than, say, the colouring pages of other titles. One quiz in the first issue asks, with some light-hearted fun, 'Is Your Friend A Mysteron?'. Some episodes will springboard educational features, which Will is also very keen on, and the first looks at planet Mars. Another will look at the Red Arrows, not only as a team of five fliers like the Angels, but also because of Gerry Anderson's recent involvement with them.

Will is keen to push the limits, so it will appeal to more readers - not necessarily the older fans of the original series, though he more than acknowledges the interest there - in the commercial teenage market. 'Due to the nature of the series - being a bit darker, about a war - and the look of the whole thing, it couldn't be as young as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (another title Will edits). And the series, in terms of scripts, doesn't talk down to kids. It sticks with adult dialogue, and so it appeals to all ages.'

Another all-important factor in today's comic market is the free gift that comes with every issue. Whereas comics may once had the occasional freebie to boost sales, Will explained that it was the gift that would probably be the main interest to younger readers. As editor, he has final say on what goes as a 'cover mount' - within the constraits of budget - 'They are not going to be computers, or anything really expensive! But the first issue has got a Spectrum Shooter - a foam dart gun - which is surprisingly good actually! Even the people at Granada commented on how well it worked, using it around the office!'

New Captain Scarlet Cover SpectraScan: Page thirteen of the new magazine - a Spectrum Personnel File on Captain Scarlet himself.

With the second series of thirteen episodes now airing in the UK, the photo-strip adaptations serves as a good, dynamic reintroduction to new viewers who may have missed the first stories earlier in the year.

But Will is also keen to expand on the new Captain Scarlet world as much as possible, aware that this is the kind of thing fans new - and old - will clamour for. 'I've nagged Granada to supply me with everything they have. I go through the scripts of the show, and there's a lot more detail in them that appears on screen - names of characters, how things work, the names of certain parts of the vehicles - which I can incorporate in the magazine. By finding out that information and putting it in the magazine it will appeal to the really keen fans, who can't get that information off the website.' With the annual postphoned until next year - something of a disappointment to him - and the Penguin tie-in novels not due out until February, this makes the magazine the first publication to hit the shelves, and will hopefully be eagerly snapped up by fans.

Like those behind the new series, Will is keen to get it more than right. 'I get the impression that a lot of the production crew are original Captain Scarlet fans. And like myself, people care so much about the original, and want to make Gerry Anderson really pleased with it, that they take a lot more care with it. Everybody I've met on the show has been a fan of his work put out over the years, and they want to make him proud, and what to make what they do on the show as rich and as exciting for new fans as it was for them.'

'And it's the same for me.'

	Spectrum Is Green! Nearly forty years on, the exploits of Captain Scarlet and the Spectrum organisation against the alien Mysterons continue in an imaginative new reworking. In an exclusve preview, Captain Scarlet editor William Potter discusses the new magazine based on the series... - - - - - - - - - - - - New Captain Scarlet Preview: *Captain Scarlet, 2005* SpectraScan: *The cover of the first issue of New Captain Scarlet* - on sale 12th October.** William Potter is an excited man. Not only is he extremely chuffed to be editor of the New Captain Scarlet magazine - and has the honour of being the Captain Scarlet who will respond to letters and emails - but, as he tells us, 'I actually share the same birthday as Captain Scarlet - the 17th of the 12th. Different year - he's not born yet! But we share a birthday'. Will admits to being a fan of the original series, but has to stress the constraints of the license prohibit any mention it, as tempting as this may have been. 'I'd love to able to reprint all those original classic Scarlet strips but at the moment there is not allowed to be any kind of crossover. It wouldn't mean anything to the new readers, who would wonder why things have been given different names, and the uniforms are slightly different.' But this hasn't stopped him from immersing himself back into the lore of the series. 'As soon as I found out I was working on this, I went straight out and bought a DVD of the original series, to remind me of what scared me as a kid.' he admits. 'And I even had a good look at your website, to see what was done before, to give me ideas.' Despite aiming at the five to ten year old age bracket, anyone expecting the title to be a retread of Redan's Thunderbirds is going to be surprised. In design, the Captain Scarlet magazine is more akin to Manga's ambitious Space Precinct, with a slick high-tech look which has to based around the all-important series' license style guide. This gives a coherent look to all related merchandise and packaging. SpectraScan: Page four of the new magazine, featuring the start of an adaptation of the opening story 'Instrument of Destruction'. As a title for younger readership, with an accent on 'something that keeps the kids quiet for a time', Will has incorporated more adventure-based features than, say, the colouring pages of other titles. One quiz in the first issue asks, with some light-hearted fun, 'Is Your Friend A Mysteron?'. Some episodes will springboard educational features, which Will is also very keen on, and the first looks at planet Mars. Another will look at the Red Arrows, not only as a team of five fliers like the Angels, but also because of Gerry Anderson's recent involvement with them. Will is keen to push the limits, so it will appeal to more readers - not necessarily the older fans of the original series, though he more than acknowledges the interest there - in the commercial teenage market. 'Due to the nature of the series - being a bit darker, about a war - and the look of the whole thing, it couldn't be as young as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (another title Will edits). And the series, in terms of scripts, doesn't talk down to kids. It sticks with adult dialogue, and so it appeals to all ages.' Another all-important factor in today's comic market is the free gift that comes with every issue. Whereas comics may once had the occasional freebie to boost sales, Will explained that it was the gift that would probably be the main interest to younger readers. As editor, he has final say on what goes as a 'cover mount' - within the constraits of budget - 'They are not going to be computers, or anything really expensive! But the first issue has got a Spectrum Shooter - a foam dart gun - which is surprisingly good actually! Even the people at Granada commented on how well it worked, using it around the office!' SpectraScan: Page thirteen of the new magazine - a Spectrum Personnel File on Captain Scarlet himself. With the second series of thirteen episodes now airing in the UK, the photo-strip adaptations serves as a good, dynamic reintroduction to new viewers who may have missed the first stories earlier in the year. But Will is also keen to expand on the new Captain Scarlet world as much as possible, aware that this is the kind of thing fans new - and old - will clamour for. 'I've nagged Granada to supply me with everything they have. I go through the scripts of the show, and there's a lot more detail in them that appears on screen - names of characters, how things work, the names of certain parts of the vehicles - which I can incorporate in the magazine. By finding out that information and putting it in the magazine it will appeal to the really keen fans, who can't get that information off the website.' With the annual postphoned until next year - something of a disappointment to him - and the Penguin tie-in novels not due out until February, this makes the magazine the first publication to hit the shelves, and will hopefully be eagerly snapped up by fans. Like those behind the new series, Will is keen to get it more than right. 'I get the impression that a lot of the production crew are original Captain Scarlet fans. And like myself, people care so much about the original, and want to make Gerry Anderson really pleased with it, that they take a lot more care with it. Everybody I've met on the show has been a fan of his work put out over the years, and they want to make him proud, and what to make what they do on the show as rich and as exciting for new fans as it was for them.' 'And it's the same for me.' - - - - - - - - - - - - Look out for the full interview with William Potter, coming soon! Will is also keen to get the ball rolling for readers' letters and drawings as soon as possible, but please remember these must be about the New Captain Scarlet series, not the original 1960s version. You can send them to: William Potter, New Captain Scarlet John Brown Junior The New Boathouse 136-142 Bramley Rd, London W10 6SR. Contributions can also be emailed to: Captainscarlet@jbjunior.com - - - - - - - - - - - - See the press advert for the new magazine. - - - - - - - - - - - - NNew Captain Scarlet Issue Guide Issue 1, on sale 12 October 2005 Free Gift: Spectrum Shooter Photo Story: Instrument of Destruction Pt.1 (adapted by William Potter) Spectratech: Skybase Character Data: Captain Scarlet Quiz: Is Your Friend A Mysteron? Plus Free Pull-out Poster Price: £1.85. Published every three weeks, by GE Fabbri/John Brown Junior. - - - - - - - - - - - - The Gerry Anderson Complete Comic History would like to thank: William Potter Granada Ventures and Chris Bishop of Spectrum Headquarters - for his help with this feature. Version 1.1 - 15.09.05 Any comments or notes about this feature, 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