Dear Woodsy
Thank you very much for so nicely incorporating the images and commentary which I emailed along to you ... regarding the Paramount/IMAI Atomic Carrier - here . Please advise me should a source for a Captain Scarlet specification sheet [below] ever become known to you, and feel free to contact me at any time if you believe I may be of assistance to you and your fascinating website.
I'll be just as interested as will you in
a solution to this puzzle. I hope that your blog...revitalizes the
topic and reveals new information. My similar "stirring of the pot" by
submitting the first new contributions for two years at Fanderson Forum
has thus far produced encouraging results, one of which privately suggests a
source for an original full-size Captain Scarlet spec sheet which I understand
is being investigated. I've also mailed off an inquiry to Chris Drake,
author of the Boxtree book Captain Scarlet at his last-known (1999)
address as to the source of his illustration showing another example of
such.
As for the box artists at Century 21 Toys, I'd only be guessing. I know that in addition to being responsible for many of the comic strips, Mike Noble also admits to having produced technical cutaway drawings for TV Century 21 magazine. He's the only person of whom I specifically know that owns an original CS specification sheet which he displays in the YouTube video that I mention in my Fanderson Forum contribution. The spec sheet itself contains six pieces of artwork which may have been the work of one of the artists who also produced illustrations for the toy boxes. That Mike Noble doesn't specifically take credit for having done so causes me to believe it may have been the work of another illustrator. Artist Graham Bleathman is probably the best bet to answer your question.
Attached is an image showing the Century 21 toy of the Captain Scarlet Playchart game. It had been sold by Peter Rice of Destiny One several years ago. Notice that its package illustration showing an Angel Interceptor flying away from Cloudbase is the same as that which tops the reverse side of the Captain Scarlet spec sheet. Needless to say, I would very much like to locate one of these games, if for nothing more than its packaging.
Although I do not have as deep an interest in Project SWORD as
I do in some other Century 21 concepts, nevertheless I do own the Project
SWORD Annual, all of the TV Century 21 magazines and associated
annuals which contain Project Sword content, plus five Project SWORD toy
vehicles with associated badges and the official manual. My S.I.G. article concerning the model kits of UF here does mention the kit (s) of SHADO Moonbase containing three vehicles from the Project SWORD story; the Moon Prospector, the Scramble Bug, and the Explorer.
UPDATE: There have been few developments in my quest, I've just been advised
that a long-time acquaintance allegedly owns an original 23 by 36 inch Captain
Scarlet specification sheet, while I have zeroed in on the current home address
of an author whose book includes an image of one.
In the event that I am unsuccessful in locating either of the full-size sheets, I have been making progress in sourcing higher quality examples of some of the images comprising it which may enable me to recreate from scratch a reasonably convincing facsimile. Toward this end, I am also seeking help in locating a reproduction of the related packaging artwork from The Captain Scarlet Playchart [pictured above] and of the front cover of The Angels Puzzle Book [picture: Jim Lewis]; images for both of which are attached.
FAB
Bill Earle
Bill Earle
Having met Graham Bleathman a few years ago, I can confirm he is of the generation that probably took TV21 rather than contributed to it (eg the age of most Blog contributors I suspect). I don't know if he would know who box artists were, but I'm pretty certain it wouldn't have been him!
ReplyDeleteCool posts! Thanx Bill for making this material available.
ReplyDeleteIn this interview on the GACCH website, Mike Noble knew of Graham Bleathman as a cutaway artist and implied he worked for TV21. Not the case. Eric Eden was almost certainly responsible for the vast majority of TV21/Century 21 annual cutaways, and I think I know of only one instance where Mike Noble did one - at least some of the style is similar to his, and this was some kind of tunnel/bridge in a regular issue? He was too busy with the work on various strips like Fireball XL5/Zero X/Captain Scarlet to do much other work at this time...
ReplyDeleteDuring a 1993 interview from issue #11 of Fanderson's FAB magazine, Mike Noble mentioned that when called up for National Service he was put into the Regimental Drawing Office where he was involved with preparing various blueprints of vehicles in the Tank Regiment. Years later, while working on TV Century 21 magazine he said that he was involved with preparing drawings similar to what Graham Bleathman was doing (in 1993) in the new Thundebirds and Stingray comics. Mike specifically mentioned having worked on blueprints of the Angel jets and Spectrum vehicles from Captain Scarlet during his involvement with TV Century 21. This would have been those which appeared between issue #s 156 and 161. The only other Gerry Anderson subjects to appear as cutaway drawings in a TV Century 21 comic as far as I recall was Stingray in issue #4 and the Titan Terror Fish in issue #41; either or both of which may have been produced by Mike Nobel.
ReplyDeleteYes but has anyone specifically identified any of these as his work? Artists can be mistaken, especially with the volume of work undertaken, and I've yet to see a TV21 spec that made me go "Yes, that's Mike Noble!"
ReplyDelete