This tattered and forlorn copy of the 1967 TV21 Summer Extra is one of the only remaining copies I have that I actually owned as a child. Complete, but showing its age, all I wanted to share with you guys is still very viewable. By the Summer of 1967 THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO had done the rounds at cinemas across the nation and readers of TV21 were more than familiar with Paul Travers and his companions in their ZERO X adventures. Publishers recognised the popularity of the spectacular space exploration vehicle as a worthy successor to the previously illustrated Mike Noble FIREBALL XL5 so this edition was very much focussed on the concept.
The background article on the crew and the launch process also gave readers an almost 'Apollo' level of detail which would be seen in reality a few years later when COUNTDOWN showcased the real Moon missions.
The typical snakes and ladders type dice game offered some 'extra' fun for kids stuck in caravans, tents and chalets during what was I'm sure for many a suitably wet Summer holiday.
[below is a poor attempt to splice the two above pictures together. Woodsy]
The back page is also interesting as it shows the latest advert for the JR21 range of THUNDERBIRDS toys and used movie poster art as its basis. Jim Lewis
Hope Santa brings me all those JR21toys for Crimbo! Great piece Jim. Wonder if C21 ever considered a die-cast Zero-X like the TB vehicles licensed to Dinky?
ReplyDeleteIf Dinky did, Woodsy .... they'd have painted it GREEN! LOL
ReplyDeleteJust read the rules for that game. I like that idea of using two counters .... one for the main body, and one for the M.E.V.
ReplyDeleteThe rules don't explicitly say that you must assign a die to each when they are separated ... so there could be some element of decision making if players could just throw 2 dice and choose which value to use for which craft! Unusual for this type of game!
Is this what's called a beer 'n' pretzel game? I don't drink beer or eat pretzels, but ....
Beer 'n' Pretzel game? Never hear of that altho' I do brink beer and have eaten pretzels, which are deliciously salty like large twiglet doughnuts!
ReplyDeleteIt's a cool game for sure. Nearest we have to a SWORD game I suppose, that is if you consider the OX to be really SWORD?
I think it means a game with little or no strategy, lots of randomness ... and you sit around drinking, an' eatin' pretzels, an' having a laugh while you play.
ReplyDeleteZero X? If it's in the manual, comics or annual ... then it's in the fleet!