For comic book aficionados, TV Century 21 occupies an important place in the pantheon of beloved British comics from the 1960s and 70s. Unlike other comics from this era like Eagle and Valiant, TV Century 21 (or TV21 as it would later be known) served as a spin-off comic first and foremost, collecting together strips featuring Gerry and Sylvia Anderson favourites like Fireball XL5 and Stingray in exciting new adventures. Immensely popular from launch, the magazine only got bigger and better, as it began to serve up more complex and interconnected stories with its various Supermarionation properties. It was with the introduction of the Thunderbirds strip a year later though, where TV21 fully cemented itself in the hearts and minds of young comic lovers across the country.

As Thunderbirds prepares to celebrate it’s 60th Anniversary this year, so too does TV Century 21. To coincide with this double celebration, Anderson Entertainment have compiled those original Thunderbirds comic adventures in this, the first of two lavish comic collections showcasing the best of International Rescue’s printed exploits.

Collected together and beautifully restored in both their original black and white and full colour spreads, the first eight Thunderbirds strips (from 1966-67) contained herein feature dazzling plots by regular Thunderbirds screenwriter Alan Fennell and sumptuous artwork by Frank Bellamy, whose illustrations of both the characters and vehicles walk that perfect line between dynamic and screen accurate. Contending with everything from Canadian wildfires and foreign spies to rampaging animals and alien monsters, these stories are bigger in scope then anything the TV Series ever attempted, but still retain the show’s signature mix of heroic action, daring escapes and cool 60s style. Some stories are better then others, but each one is a blast thanks to the superb art and pacy storytelling.

Also of particular interest in this volume are the early Lady Penelope strips, which feature in the first half of the collection. Serving as a prequel to the Television Series (the strip having actually pre-dated the main show’s debut by several months), these entertaining spy-fi adventures are gorgeously illustrated by Eric Eden, and flesh out the show’s two most popular characters considerably, as they engage in a series of undercover espionage missions prior to joining International Rescue.

Beyond the comics themselves, the book also comes with a collection of informative and entertaining essays by expert Fred McNamara on a variety of subjects, including the history of both the Thunderbirds and Lady Penelope strips, as well as details of the spin-off Annuals and in-depth profiles of both writer Alan Fennell and artist Eric Eden. Original covers, in-magazine adverts and supplements, and even Eden’s Thunderbird launch sequence strips are included as well, making this as complete a package as any TV Century 21 fan could ask for.

Anderson Entertainment have pulled out all the stops on this gorgeous tome, and with another volume already confirmed to follow early next year, this is a must-have gift for any fan of Thunderbirds and British Comics.

Positively F.A.B!

Thunderbirds Comic Anthology – Volume One is available to order here or via the Gerry Anderson Store