After recently seeing that lovely piece of
unsigned ‘Saturn Probe’ artwork on display at the Special Assignment event I
thought I’d reacquaint myself with some of the original articles.
For those unfamiliar with this fun little
feature, it was a series of fictional articles that ran in TV21 between issues
212 to 233 about a manned mission to Saturn, and introduced during the decline
in TV21’s popularity.
The rot seemed to have already set in when
TV Tornado merged with the comic and brought with it strips like The Saint and
Tarzan. The newspaper look of the comic was dropped much to most readers’
annoyance, and the cosy Anderson universe with its uneasy continuity that had
existed from the beginning of the comic began to crumble.
The editors must have realised their
mistake and following a minor revamp, the newspaper look of the comic returned
along with an occasional new series - Saturn Probe.
While it must be said that there was
absolutely no attempt at accuracy, the series started off with promise
featuring a full back page spread showing the Saturn Probe - the Outer
Terrestrial Contact craft, ’Shindig 1’, taking off from Lincoln Space Port. The
actual photo used was the rocket featured in the Joe 90 episode ‘Most Special
Astronaut’. The Capsule and Space Station from that same episode would again
feature in the following instalments as Shindig 1 made its way to Saturn.
It would seem the article proved popular
with readers at which point issue 215 devoted the entire front cover to Saturn
Probe proclaiming ‘Bull’s Eye - Bang on target for Saturn’.
An original piece of artwork of the
Shindig 1 spacecraft, now looking very much like a Zero X MEV, passing through
Saturn’s rings filled the entire back page of issue 217.
The comic went through a major revamp in
issue 218 with a free gift - a Strato Streak space plane. Department S was
added to the mix, but the new look which seemed to owe a lot to the past didn’t
hide the fact that TV21 was beginning to lose its originality. However, the
Saturn Probe series continued unabated with an original painting of the planet
Saturn showing huge craters!
Issue 219 had a special report on the men
who were on the mission with a header written by Agent 21. The report had a
picture of a robot called George working with the team. However, readers
weren’t fooled by the editors’ attempts to use stock photos. On the letters
page in issue 226, Reader Norman Dunford of Market Weighton pointed out that the
robot was in fact used by the Argonne National Library in Illinois, USA to
handle radio-active material. He went on to say that the information was given
in TV21 issue 179!
Issue 220 dumped the stock photos in
favour of another fine piece of artwork. It once again covered the back page
and showed the Shindig 1 establishing a base camp. A Spacex -like MEV could be
seen trundling out of the cargo bay. This was the last issue to carry the
Tarzan strip for a while.
Issue 221 and another full page spread with two pieces of
monotone artwork. A Jungle of Rocks and a Flower Monster, although I have to
say, it might have looked better in colour.
The next full page spread in issue 222 was
titled ’Exploring the Atmosphere!’, and the first to use stills from 2001 - A
Space Odyssey. A photo showing Shindig 1 landing on Saturn was actually the
2001 Moonbus.
The next issue 223, Saturn Probe appeared
on only a half-page. Titled, ’Sea of Fire’, it did have another nice piece of
original artwork showing some kind of hydrofoil.
On the letters page two readers commented
on Saturn Probe. Eddie Winters of Bath wrote “I think Saturn Probe is terribly
exciting and the best article in the comic”, while James Ray from Ayr raised a
continuity question, so important to TV21 readers, that dealt with an earlier
story. He wrote, ”I thought Zero X had landed on Saturn some time ago. Why are
the Saturn Probe team going there to reveal the secrets when Zero X has already
been?” - Col White tactfully replied, “There is a logical answer to this, but
I’d like Shades to suggest an answer!”
Another letter from a Robert Towney from
Widnes asked why Tarzan was dropped. The reply from Col. White explained that
due to reader demand more room was needed for a space page.
However, another reader, Gillian Thomas of
Glamorgan referred to a letter printed in issue 213. This was a portent of
things to come and speculated on the idea of incorporating sport, in
particular, football into TV21.
The next issue, 224 was a turning point
for the comic. Saturn Probe was again just a half page and yet another group of
stills from 2001, and frankly not very inspired. The big news that week was the
announcement that from the next week TV21 was going football. The comic had not
just lost its originality it had become totally schizophrenic. I would imagine
for most readers, myself included, TV21 was a sanctuary from all things sport
including the dreaded football. It was a haven for the imagination and all
things spacey. Now the evil was within and end was nigh!
The front cover of issue 225 sported a
football front cover and inside an all-action pin up of West Ham’s, Martin
Peters. The Space Info page, the space page dealing with all things space had a
monotone picture of a Saturn V launch, and the Saturn Probe article reported on
several expeditions across the planet. More stock photos, including one of the
Sidewinder illustrated the piece.
Thunderbird 3 launching from the Round
House graced the front cover of issue 226. The Saturn Probe article at the
back, was another half-page report from Shindigville, the first city on Saturn
! Comprising of six pre-fabricated buildings it would help pave the way
for the first wave of colonisation. Another image from 2001 was used to
illustrate the piece.
No Saturn Probe article appeared in issue
227, The front cover had UNITED written under TV21’s masthead and a picture of
George Best. It heralded the start of a two part feature on Manchester United.
I just couldn’t wait for next week!
The Saturn Probe article in issue 228 was
simply a half page showing a black and white photo of a Titan Booster rocket.
This was supposed to be a second probe ship, ‘Rendezvous 1’ blasting off to
join the first expedition.
In the absence of an original illustration
and considering that most TV21 readers would have known more about the space
race that the editors it does beg the question why use well used stock photos
rather than AP film or Century 21 stills which would have, at least been more
appealing.
A little more thought went into the
article in issue 229. The logo was back and the title proclaimed, ‘There’s Gold
In Them Thar Hills - Gold Strike On Saturn’. The short piece drew vague
parallels with the Klondyke gold strikes during the early American pioneer
days. The only let down was again the use of stock photos of an oil rig and a
prototype Nasa ‘Moonbus’.
The letters page was still full of
comments about TV21 and sport. Reader Michael Maguire from Wishaw wrote, ‘It
seems many readers are requesting a sports feature in TV21. I think that if the
W.A.S.P.’s played the World Navy at under water events, or Spectrum took on the
World Space Patrol at hover-bike polo this would be a great idea. This way TV21
would still keep its 21st Century appearance’.
Col. White replied,’ I have had thousands
of letters asking for a football story based in the 21st Century. Starting in
the next few weeks TV21 is doing just that. From your letters, readers are
almost one hundred percent agreed that Football United is one of the best
features in TV21. Sounds absolutely right to me and totally not made up!!! As
if to push the point Leeds United filled the front cover of that edition.
The front cover of issue 230 was a large
picture of Captain Blue, much to the delight of any Century 21 fans still
reading the comic. Saturn Probe was back to the half- page format. The header
was ‘Colonies To Be Set Up’, and reported that World Space Patrol troop ships
had blasted off from Space City taking two hundred robots to Saturn.
The mighty Zero X filled the front cover
of issue 231 - things were looking up. On the back page below an advert for
Lyons Maid, Orbit was Saturn Probe. A picture of a Saturn 1B and what looked
the third stage of a Saturn V rocket illustrated that week’s instalment. These
‘exclusive’ pictures were meant to show the second Saturn Probe, Rendezvous 1
arriving on Saturn.
This edition did have the start of the Super
League strip , drawn by artist, Malcolm Stokes. This was of course the football
story hinted at by Col. White in issue 229.
Another half -page spread for the
penultimate Saturn Probe article in issue 232. The black and white illustration
showed a Hovertransporter carrying a prefabricated oil rig across sand dunes
following the discovery of oil on the planet.
The picture was a still from the Captain
Scarlet episode, Lunarville 7.
So, in conclusion, although this feature
is probably hardly remembered today and fairly insignificant in the scheme of
things, I believe that the Saturn Probe articles were an attempt by the editors
to capture the original concepts found in the early TV Century 21, and would
try to create a shared experience for readers. It was chance to rekindle the
comic’s continuity which had struggled following the inclusion of stories and
strips incongruous to the Anderson universe. But maybe it was just a simple
case of things had moved on. The Anderson puppet TV series were coming to an
end and the comic was just becoming stale.
TV21 in its original form continued for
only another nine editions before merging with Joe 90 Top Secret comic. A
totally new comic was formed, a soulless and bland shadow of it’s former self.
However, in spite of this TV21 continued until the end of September, 1971 at
which point it was swallowed up by Valiant comic.
What a great appraisal of the final days of TV21; Like you Scoop, I was massively disappointed when sport was incorporated into the format. Essentially, I would completely skip the bits I didn’t like and as time when on I cancelled the order with the newsagent altogether sometime in late 1969 or early 1970.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the rot set in when TV Tornado was merged with the title. And something that baffled me at the time, and still baffles me to this very day… Why didn’t TV21 properly cover the biggest story of the century? The manned landing on the Moon! Perhaps the new owners at that time didn’t think it was important enough in comparison to the dreaded football!
Thanks Bill, always nice to hear memories from a fellow TV21 fan.
DeleteWith Football, its all about selling and surviving, and if most of your regular readers have got bored with new formats, or have simply grown out of the tired old Anderson stuff, and you feature a colour photo of George Best on the front cover you might attract some new blood, which might give a little breathing space as you work out your next move.
I reckon things were going down hill prior to the TV Tornado merge Bill. Captain Scarlet hadn't been the big hit that was hoped, and the Space and Spy genre was beginning to wane. With regard to the Moon Landing, TV21 had regularly featured articles about the Moon landing build up since it was first published in 1965, and even featured a piece on Neil Armstrong in their issue dated July 19th 1969. I suppose as there was a lead- in time for printing etc. it would be difficult to keep up with unfolding events, and what if, God forbid something had gone wrong!
However, in saying that,not long after the small staff at Countdown did cover the Apollo 14 Moon Shot.
Indeed, I did hear that Captain Scarlet was not the success that had been hoped for, and having recently finished reading the whole set of TV21. I agree it was not quite the same from 1967/68 onwards … Lew Grade has gone on record that the biggest mistake of his career was halting the production of the Thunderbirds TV series. I think that had Century 21 continued making more Thunderbirds shows, even though the US Networks had dropped out. The story would have been very different. The US TV networks would have still picked up on it, and it would have been a calculated risk.
ReplyDeleteIt’s not as if he didn’t have the money, but sadly it never happened.
I did read somewhere that Zero-X was slated to be a series in its own right, had Thunderbirds continued. Although I guess it would have avoided being essentially a re-run of Fireball. Anderson Entertainment still own Zero-X along with Project SWORD and some of the other loved TV21 features. So if an opportunity presents itself we would see more of them.
Again down to money.
I think Zero-X will forever be associated with the superb images of Mike Noble, and perhaps if it appeared in a comic again it would need to have a similar stylised look to Mike’s pictures. I think, like that, with some more up-to-date storylines it would make an excellent addition to 2000AD. It would certainly pick up us children of the swinging-sixties!
But what do I know.
I've heard rumours that Zero X might have been a seperate series, but I tend to think its just an urban myth promoted by fans who'd like to see it. The comic strip in TV21 certainly gave Zero X life beyond the film, and its appearance in Captain Scarlet supports its longevity, but apart from the odd piece of associated merchandise I can't see it coming back in rebooted form. I don't know whether Anderson Entertainment own some or any of the rights to it. They sell patches, using an image but they don't appear to have rights to any proper defining typeface. The same appears to apply to their tee shirts which are obviously series inspired but retain a bootleg look (not that there's anything wrong with the odd bootleg) They appeared to have the same problem with Project Sword in that they have rights to the idea but no associated imagery. Even Fanderson have to follow the rules imposed by ITC. They had an exclusive 2018 calender to be only sold at Special Assignment.If any remained unsold they had to be pulped, don't ask me why, that was the deal.
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