OUT OF THE RAT TRAP

Next up in my nostalgic dip into vintage comic strips of the classic Gerry Anderson TV series is that most special agent, Joe 90.

I've picked  two examples, one from Joe 90 Top Secret comic and one from the first Joe 90 Annual.

When the Joe 90 series appeared on TV I expected TV 21 to carry a comic strip adaptation. Photos from Joe 90 appeared on the back page hinting at a forthcoming announcement. It turned out to be a flyer for a new comic - Joe 90: Top Secret.

I can still  remember picking a copy up from the local newsagent and reading it from cover to cover and loving it. One story was a complete mystery to me however - Star Trek - I'm fairly sure Star Trek hadn't appeared on TV  in the UK at that point.  Not that that was a problem, Star Trek was in full colour, as was the Land of the Giants strip.  However, the Joe 90 strip was a bit of a disappointment in comparison having only the front cover in colour, albeit drawn by Frank Bellamy, with the remaining pages drawn in black and white by Keith Watson.

The second example from the first Joe 90 Annual features Joe and a toy robot! Artwork is, of course by the ubiquitous Ron Turner.

Next up, the Rev Stanley Unwin and The Secret Servoid -  Deep joy!