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Orders for Anderson Entertainment’s “UFO Comic Anthology” open this Friday

By John Freeman on October 26, 2021

Jamie Anderson of Anderson Entertainment has confirmed pre-orders for the first UFO Comic Anthology, featuring strips drawn by Jon Davis, Gerry Haylock, Brian Lewis and others, will open this Friday, for delivery in late November.

Speaking during an online chat with myself, John Freeman, and Big Finish director and Doctor Who voice actor Nicholas Briggs, a huge fan of the original 1970s comic that featured Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s “UFO” in comic strip form, alongside “Fireball XL5”, “Thunderbirds” and more, Jamie Anderson revealed the UFO Comic Anthology Volume One is the first of two volumes offering the complete collection of UFO comic strips from Countdown and TV Action.

In my excited enthusiasm about the upcoming anthology, I have to admit I made a gaffe, and credited writer and editor Alan Fennell, the driving force behind Countdown’s predecessor, TV Century 21, as editor; it was, of course, TV21’s art editor, Dennis Hooper. I knew I had my wig on too tight!

But other than that, we three members of “The Hood Appreciation Society” (as endearingly described by one watching fan) were more than happy to trail this new collection of strips, beautifully assembled by Gerry Anderson comic strip expert Shaqui Le Vesconte, the first of two, which will run to 288 pages, including features.

The book will be litho printed, not digital, and Jamie told eager fans to look out for pre-order information on the Gerry Anderson web store from Friday.

Unlike other Anderson strips, this is the first time the “UFO” strips have been collected in such a format, although individual strips have previously been re-published. It’s no wonder, then, that my enthusiasm ran away with me – Countdown was the first comic I bought regularly with my own money, and it’s one I remember fondly!

• Pre-Order your copy of UFO Comic Anthology Volume One here from 12 noon on Friday 29th October 2021

Volume One features 288 pages of colour and black and white strips from Countdown as well as articles and interviews compiled by Anderson comics expert Shaqui Le Vesconte, giving the reader context and fascinating insights into Countdown’s history, artists, and UFO‘s life in comics.

• If you’d like more information on the comic the “UFO” strips by someone who knows what they’re talking about, then check out the brilliant Countdown to TV Action by Steve Holland, covering the history and content of Countdown and TV Action, the Gerry Anderson-themed comic from Polystyle launched in the early 1970s

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.