BLOGGIVERSARY FAREWELL: ALAN SHUBROOK AND THE CENTURY 21 SPECIAL EFFECTS MODEL STUDIO

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your interest in Century 21, glad you enjoyed my book Century 21 FX Unseen Untold( Excellent Ed.!)

I still receive a great deal of interest regarding the many years I spent working on all those great tv shows in the 60's as a special effects model maker, and I often give lectures and slide show presentations around the country on Thunderbirds etc.I often had the manufacturers of the toys looking over my shoulder as I designed and made a craft, boat, car etc.The minute a major vehicle was finished a photograph would go off for re creating in a factory on the other side of the globe! The toys were never completed until after we had finished filming a series and so we were never able to cheat and use them at any time.

The group photo from Captain Scarlet (above) is the one I think you are refering to with the toys in. It was taken as a publicity shot, and appeared as a half page picture in the Daily Express in 1966. I am happy for you to use this picture on your site and have attached a copy for you. The photo was set up by the marketing department to promote the Captain Scarlet series. The lads dressed up were nothing to do with the studio, they were taking the `Captain Scarlet' sales message to shopping malls etc. They probably took the boxes with them to promote product sales of toys etc.

Once a series was made the licensing rights were sold to the highest bidder in the market, and the studio had no further control in what was produced. The company who bought each license would appoint there own team to design the packaging and publicity material. ATV had no control once the license had been sold on. This is still the case today, although large companies like Disney have the ultimate say on toys, comics, books etc., before anything is made or goes to print, and they retain the right to approve the product, so that is does not fall below there image standards.

At Century 21 Mike Trim designed most of the vehicles on Captain Scarlet, Joe 90 and UFO, as Derek Meddings, who designed everything on Thunderbirds had moved on to directing more special effects filming.

I do not really see any of the toys that were made these days, unless I visit a toy museum, when all the memories come flooding back to me.

Glad that everything is looking good for your birthday launch. I am happy to add a message to the Captain Scarlet pic for you.

Regards,

Alan Shubrook.

 

Alan was the youngest special effects modelmaker at the Century 21 studios in the 1960's right up to its closure. With Derek Meddings he worked on everything from Thunderbirds to UFO. I would like to thank Alan for his contribution to the blog and despite a difficult time, his enthusiasm to help.

The Captain Scarlet photograph is next up in an exclusive competition to see out the Bloogiversary in style!