It was actually 21st July that the return to Earth began. Armstrong and Aldrin spent less than three hours walking on the Moon and lifted off in the Lunar Module’s ascent stage less than 22 hours after they had touched down.
10 years ago on downthetubes, Jeremy Briggs wrote a 40th anniversary day-by-day celebration series of articles marking the Apollo 11 mission, featuring contemporary British comics and illustrations – and you can read his 22nd July 1969 entry here, returning to Orbit Books’ Rockets and Spacecraft Book 1 for his item.
It’s a popular misconception that the Americans were in a tightly-run race to reach the moon before the Soviet Union – but today, we know the “Space Race” was, in part, a bit of a myth, albeit one buoyed up by propaganda from both sides of the Iron Curtain at the time. While the Soviets did successfully put the first man in space, and land the first human-made object on the surface of the Moon – Luna 2, on 13th September 1959, its human space program was not as successful as America’s. As NASA’s moon mission success grew, interest in competing waned on the part of Soviet leaders.
Still, Hollywood has never been a place where reality got in the way of a good story, so you won’t be surprised to learn that in February 1968, moviegoers could catch Countdown, in their local cinemas, directed by Robert Altman, based on the novel The Pilgrim Project by Hank Searls.
Starring James Caan and Robert Duvall as astronauts vying to be the first American to walk on the Moon as part of a crash program to beat the Soviet Union, it’s more a drama than action adventure – and pretty much forgotten today, which perhaps comes a no surprise given that 2001: A Space Odyssey was in cinemas just two months later.
Still, that didn’t stop US publisher Dell putting their faith in it and releasing a tie-in comic – not to be confused, of course, with the brilliant but short-lived British anthology Countdown, which came crammed with proper SF stories, many set in the worlds of Gerry Anderson such as UFO and Thunderbirds!
WEB LINKS
• “Moon Landing 40th Anniversary: A Comics Celebration” Gallery on Flickr
• Coinciding with Jeremy’s countdown to the 40th Anniversary of the first Moon Landing, downthetubes published “Moon Landing 40th Anniversary: A Comics Celebration” – a gallery of illustrations and comic art inspired by space exploration
• NASA: Apollo 11 in Real Time, 50 Years Later
• NASA: Frequently Asked Questions about Apollo
• The Race into Space Tea Cards – available from the London Cigarette Card Company
BOOKS
Links are AmazonUK Affiliates – please help support downthetubes
• Apollo by Matt Fitch, Chris Baker and Mike Collins
Neil Armstrong, Edwin ”Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins carried the fire for all the world. Backed by the brightest minds in engineering and science, the three boarded a rocket and flew through the void―just to know that we could.
In the graphic novel, Apollo, Matt Fitch, Chris Baker, and Mike Collins unpack the urban legends, the gossip, and the speculation to reveal a remarkable true story about life, death, dreams, and the reality of humanity’s greatest exploratory achievement.
• Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut’s Journeys by Michael Collins
The years that have passed since Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins piloted the Apollo 11 spacecraft to the moon in July 1969 have done nothing to alter the fundamental wonder of the event: man reaching the moon remains one of the great events – technical and spiritual – of our lifetime. In this remarkable book, Michael Collins conveys, a very personal way, the drama, beauty, and humour of that adventure. He also traces his development from his first flight experiences in the air force, through his days as a test pilot, to his Apollo 11 space walk, presenting an evocative picture of the joys of flight as well as a new perspective on time, light, and movement from someone who has seen the fragile Earth from the other side of the moon.
• Falling to Earth: An Apollo 15 Astronaut’s Journey to Earth
by Al Worden and Francis French
As command module pilot for the Apollo 15 mission to the moon in 1971, Al Worden flew on what is widely regarded as the greatest exploration mission that humans have ever attempted. He spent six days orbiting the moon, including three days completely alone, the most isolated human in existence. During the return from the moon to earth he also conducted the first spacewalk in deep space, becoming the first human ever to see both the entire earth and moon simply by turning his head. The Apollo 15 flight capped an already-impressive career as an astronaut, including important work on the pioneering Apollo 9 and Apollo 12 missions, as well as the perilous flight of Apollo 13.
Nine months after his return from the moon, Worden received a phone call telling him he was fired and ordering him out of his office by the end of the week. He refused to leave.
Apollo 11: The Inside Story
by David Whitehouse
• Buy it from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
David Whitehouse reveals the true drama behind the Apollo 11 mission, putting it in the context of the wider space race and telling the story in the words of those who took part – based around exclusive interviews with the key players.
AUDIO
• The Space Race: An Audible Original
By Colin Brake, Patrick Chapman, and more
Winner of the Gold Science & Technology trophy at the 2020 New York Festivals Radio Awards. The 1960s space race captured our imaginations and our dreams. This major documentary-drama series brings to life the past, present, and future of man’s exploration of space. Between 1969 and 1972, twelve Americans walked on the moon. You’ll get to experience the thrill of that era and much, much more.
DVDS
Picturing Apollo 11: Rare Views and Undiscovered Moments
by J.L. Pickering & John Bisney
Hardcover – Illustrated
• Buy it from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
Picturing Apollo 11 is an unprecedented photographic history of the space mission that defined an era. Through a wealth of unpublicized and recently discovered images, this book presents new and rarely-seen views of the people, places, and events involved in the pioneering first moon landing of 20th July, 1969
Apollo 11 (DVD)
• Buy it from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
From director Todd Douglas Miller (Dinosaur 13) comes a cinematic event 50 years in the making. Crafted from a newly discovered trove of 65mm footage, and more than 11,000 hours of uncatalogued audio recordings, Apollo 11 takes us straight to the heart of NASA’s most celebrated mission – the one that first put men on the moon, and forever made Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin into household names.
Apollo 11 Moon Landing: 50th Anniversary Collection (DVD)
• Buy it from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
Over eight hours of content including the Apollo 11 moon walk, an interview with Neil Armstrong and the brand new documentary, 8 Days: To The Moon and Back. This 50th anniversary collection contains the most important examples of the BBC’s comprehensive coverage of the Apollo missions to the Moon.
MOON MODELS
• Revell 04909 Apollo Saturn V 1:144 Scale Unbuilt/Unpainted Plastic Model Kit
• Revell RV03703 03703 Gift Set Apollo 11 Spacecraft with Interior (1:32 Scale) Plastic model kit
• Metal Earth MMS078 Metal Model – Apollo Lunar Module
APOLLO AT 50 – LINKS
• Apollo 11 at 50: The Race to the Moon celebrated in British comics
• Apollo 11 at 50: The Race to the Moon – The Journey to the Moon
• Apollo 11 at 50: Half Way to the Moon
• Apollo 11 at 50: Dangers of the Mission
• Apollo 11 at 50: The Eagle Has Landed
• Apollo 11 at 50: The First Moon Landing, illustrated by Frank Bellamy
• Apollo 11 at 50: Returning Home
• Apollo 11 at 50: Whatever Happened to the Space Race?
• Apollo 11 at 50: Back to the Moon… and Beyond?
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
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.
Categories: Art and Illustration, downthetubes News, Events, Other Worlds
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