(Updated 2 March 2009): Publishers Reynolds & Hearn have just released the cover of their second volume of reprints from the classic British comics TV Century 21 and Lady Penelope, which will be published in limited hardback editions at the end of March.

For fans of classic British comics, both volumes are a must, comprising work by some outstanding creators. For fans of the Gerry Anderson TV shows, the stories take the characters and series to new heights, many stories far better than some of the TV episodes. The strips have been selected from across the whole run of the titles, TV21 first published in 1965 (or 2065, according to the covers).

Here’s a rundown of the strips that will feature in both volumes: please note, story titles were not used in the original comics.

Century 21: Classic Comic Strips from the Worlds of Gerry Anderson – Volume 1

From its launch 1965, TV Century 21 (later known simply as TV 21) was the smash-hit British comic of the 1960s. Its in-house tie-in with the science-fiction puppet series created by Gerry Anderson’s Century 21 Productions guaranteed success with young fans excited to read more about their TV heroes, in an era before video technology enabled viewers to relive favorite TV shows at will.

Thunderbirds, Lady Penelope, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Captain Scarlet, and Joe 90 all burst forth in full color from the magazine’s packed pages, in stories illustrated by such giants of the comic industry as Frank Bellamy, Don Harley, Mike Noble, Ron and Gerry Embleton, and “Cervic,” the pen-name used by the team of Carlos Pino and Vicente Alcazar.

This superb showcase of Anderson’s most popular characters will be an essential purchase for all Anderson fans and all enthusiasts for classic British comics.

• Fireball XL5 – The Astran Assassination (art by Mike Noble)
• Stingray – The Haunting of Station 17 (Ron Embleton)
• Stingray – Superjunk (Gerry Embleton)
• Thunderbirds: Chain Reaction (Frank Bellamy)
• Thunderbirds – The Devil’s Crag (Frank Bellamy)
• Thunderbirds – Starburst (Brian Lewis)
• Lady Penelope – The Luvenium Affair (Frank Langford)
• Zero X – Planet of Bones (Mike Noble)
• Captain Scarlet – The Football King (Mike Noble)
• Captain Scarlet – Leviathan (Don Harley)

• Buy Century 21: Classic Comic Strips from the Worlds of Gerry Anderson Volume 1 from Amazon.co.uk

Century 21: Classic Comic Strips from the Worlds of Gerry Anderson – Volume 2

• Fireball XL5 – Giant Ant Invasion (Art by Mike Noble)
• Fireball XL5: Planet of Fire (Mike Noble)
• Stingray – Monster Weed Menace (Ron Embleton)
• Thunderbirds – Curse of the Elastos (Ron Turner)
• Thunderbirds – Secret of the Iceberg (Frank Bellamy)
• Lady Penelope – The Androids of London Affair (Frank Langford)
• Zero X: Prisoners of the Eye Leaves (Mike Noble)
• Captain Scarlet – Formicide (Don Harley)
• Captain Scarlet – The Beginning of the End (Jim Watson and Mike Noble)

• Buy Century 21: Classic Comic Strips from the Worlds of Gerry Andserson Volume 2 from amazon.co.uk

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. Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Star Trek Explorer (previously known as Star Trek 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: British Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News

Tags: Captain Scarlet, downthetubes News, Fireball XL5, Gerry Anderson, Lady Penelope, SF Comics, Stingray, Thunderbirds, TV Century 21, TV21