2023 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the visionary television science-fiction series, The Tomorrow People, and series creator and writer, Roger Price, has teamed up with Chinbeard Books and Oak Tree Books to invite you all into another era of adventure with a brand-new novel series, starting with The Tomorrow People: Changes, written by Roger himself, with co-writer Andy Davidson.
Not only that but, in association with Rebellion and the Treasury of British Comics, the team of Robert Hammond and Barnaby Eaton-Jones (the creative forces behind the recent award-winning Robin of Sherwood – The Complete Look-In Comics) will release two volumes of beautifully restored strips from the pages of Look-In magazine, with a vast array of extra features, for a complete collection of “The Tomorrow People” strips.
In The Tomorrow People, regarded as ITV’s rival to Doctor Who when it made its debut in the 1970s, all over the world, young people undergo a startling transformation as the awkwardness and uncertainty of puberty unlocks superhuman abilities. They are becoming Tomorrow People – the next phase of human evolution, gifted with the powers of telepathy, telekinesis, and teleportation. It is their responsibility to guide the inhabitants of Earth on their first faltering steps towards the stars and take their place among the civilisations of the galaxy.
Launched in 1973, the original The Tomorrow People thrilled young audiences, becoming an international hit and one of the UK’s most successful science-fiction series. A generation of children grew up knowing that no matter how different, strange, or isolated they may have felt, they were never alone. Like them, the Tomorrow People were growing into something new: the hope for humanity’s future.
At a time when colour television was still a novelty, The Tomorrow People explored places and times bigger than the small screen could realise when Look-In magazine launched an ongoing series of comic strip adventures for the team, collaborating with Price and some of the biggest names in the UK comic industry, including Mike Noble and John M. Burns.
“We were very limited in what we could do, until Look-In magazine offered us the chance to have a comic strip,” recalls series creator, Roger Price. “We might not have had the money to do wide-ranging and amazing things on the television, but we could on paper.
“I always think of the comic strip version of The Tomorrow People as demonstrating what it could have been if it had a decent budget, and with today’s technology.”
Chinbeard Books and Oak Tree Books, in collaboration with Rebellion and the Treasury of British Comics, is proud to announce a two-volume set which collects the complete run of “The Tomorrow People” adventures from the pages of Look-In, along with a treasure trove of interviews and features from the magazine.
With forewords from series creator/writer Roger Price and original Tomorrow Person, actor Nicholas Young, this two-volume set also explores the story behind the comics with new articles by series historian Andy Davidson and Look-In expert Shaqui le Vesconte.
Volume One, due for release in August, is available to pre-order now – as a limited edition – and contains four pages of never-before-seen artwork (from when Look-In’s weekly output was once interrupted by an industrial strike, kindly supplied by Shaqui). It has also benefited by having much of the restoration taking place on original artwork supplied by collector, Jon Gooch.
There are only a set number of Volume One books available, and once they’re gone there won’t be another print run. Bearing in mind how quickly the publisher’s Robin of Sherwood collection sold out, you had best order soon if you’re a fan!
Volume Two will be available later in the year.
The Tomorrow People: Changes
But there’s much more in store for fans of homo superior. To herald a new era of Tomorrow People adventures, Chinbeard Books and Oak Tree Books will also publish later this year a brand-new adventure, which will lead into a book series.
Commissioning editor, Barnaby Eaton-Jones of Chinbeard Books, says: “After the success of the continuing adventures of Robin of Sherwood in book form, and with the comic strips from Look-In winning the Best UK Comic Collection earlier this year, it seemed ripe to follow this up with another classic series.
“Talking to Roger Price about all of this was a delight, and I thank him and his manager, Robin Chiponski, for allowing this to happen and being excited by the prospect of collecting the amazing comic strips together and rebooting the Tomorrow People in book form but with an eye on the nostalgic past.
“Having Robert Hammond as our restoration guru on the comic strips, and graphic designer, was something I made sure about before approaching Roger Price and Rebellion about the collection, and then having Andy Davidson – a series historian and writer – come on board to co-write the new novel with Roger was another great addition.
“Chinbeard Books are very chuffed to be partnering with Oak Tree Books, an imprint of Andrews UK, to release all of this in the fiftieth anniversary year.”
In The Tomorrow People: Changes, we visit a world where the Tomorrow People failed to emerge. Instead, a stagnant humanity is enslaved by the evil Thargons; invaders from another planet, intent on draining the Earth of its natural resources, accelerating a path to destruction that mankind had already set in motion as it polluted its home. But when international pop sensation, Gabriel, gathers a group of middle-aged strangers from across the world, a shocking secret is revealed, and there emerges a chance to save humanity and its home.
The Tomorrow People: Changes unites Tomorrow People from across generations of television adventures in an adventure where the future of humankind fight for the future of humankind.
This original novel will be published later this year.
• Order The Tomorrow People Look-In collection Volume One here
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.
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