How many comic strip stories were there?

by **Marion** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 8:18 am

All this talk of the new CGI series being more like the TV21 comic strips set me wondering.
Does anyone know how many stories were produced in comic strip form?
I've seen some original 60's comics recently (sadly they were not mine :cry:

) and I have the original 67 & 68 CS annuals and a couple of TV21 annuals. I also have the 90s comics and annuals, as well as several 'special edition' comic books each with 2 stories in. What surprised me was how many of the stories in the later books and comics are 'reprints' - the actual number of stories seems to be quite limited. I used to get TV21 as a child and my impression, retained from those days, was that there were hundreds of stories...

Maybe there are copyright problems with re-producing some stories - or other technical problems - or perhaps that is really all there is?

Does anyone actually know?

by **shaqui** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 10:13 am

Having just started the first draft of part 3 of the 'Scarlet' strip guide, I can say there were 39 adventures in the original 'TV21' comic, from issues 141 to 242.

'Countdown' had eight originals strips in 1971, plus one each in the first two annuals. There were six original strips in the 1990s comics.

There were three strips and one text story in the ©1968 'TV21' annual, and two strips in the ©1969 edition.

In the two 'Captain Scarlet' annuals, there were 8 strips and 2 text stories in the ©1967 edition, and 7 strips and 2 text stories in the ©1968 edition. The combined ©1969 'Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet' annual had 3 Scarlet strips and 2 Scarlet text stories.

There was one further strip, and 1 text story, in the 1971 'Thunderbirds' annual.

Both 'Captain Scarlet' and 'The Angels' had a storybook each, containing two text stories in each edition.

The 'Angels' had their own strip from issue 53 of 'Lady Penelope' comic, to issue 53 to issue 120, comprising ten adventures, plus one strip and 1 text story in the ©1968 annual

Japan had their own strips. I have a copy and translation of one, which bears some interesting similarities to the very first 'TV21' strip. But I think there were several more.

All other appearances were reprints, as far as I know.

by **Marion** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 11:29 am

There does seem to be quite a choice then - I wonder why the publishers all seem to go for the same stories? Odd isn't it?

Thanks for the information, Shaqui - and yes, I agree that the 'Treble Cross' comic strip in the 1994 annual is dreadful. :roll:

by **shaqui** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 11:48 am

Marion wrote: There does seem to be quite a choice then - I wonder why the publishers all seem to go for the same stories? Odd isn't it?

A number of reasons: cost versus quality and availability.

Of the contemporary strips, only the first two 'TV21' strips were in full colour throughout, and are available (albeit scanned from actual issues) at a fraction of the cost of commissioning new scripts and artwork. These are the ones which had been reprinted the most. The strips in the annuals were drawn by the artists in black & white, then coloured by the 'TV21' art department. This reduced the time and cost compared to commissioning full colour artwork. The only other full colour 'Scarlet' strip was in the 'Countdown' 1972 annual, drawn by John Cooper who would later do a couple of the 1990s strips.

From issue 155 onwards, 'Captain Scarlet' was two colour pages and two b/w pages. And from issue 181, the second colour page became b/w as well. Plus the first colour page was the front cover of 'TV21', until issue 211 (bar the odd photo cover). This means rejigging or masking any other thing on the cover, such as the masthead, the 'Corgi News' flash, or text relating to another story. For instance, did anyone spot the cock-up in issue 78 of 'The New Thunderbirds' comic, where the 'news flash' relating a 'Thunderbirds' strip (originally on the same front cover) was inadvertantly re-set alongside part two of the 'Scarlet Goes Into Space' reprint?

So for the last 30 odd issues, the 3 page 'Scarlet' strip is in b/w only, as are all the 'Countdown' strips. We've all seen what the 1990s recolourings were like. Only a handful were any good, and enhanced the strip. So it seems likely that unless a fair budget were given to do these properly, most publishers are unlikely to consider reprinting the strips because of this. And this is on top of the costly rights clearance issues.

by **chrisbishop** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 12:55 pm

Awww, sh... oot. :cry:

There's so many original fans and second-generation fans who never got to see those strips, or who did see only a fraction or it that it seems so unfair that these strips might never get reprinted because of that! Plus, considering the interest that the new series might produce for the classic series - ESPECIALLY if some of the plotline were obviously inspired by those TV21 stories, it would seem it might be a GOOD opportunity for them to ALL be reprinted now!

Which might be another occasion for me to remind this forum's members and visitors of our TV21 reprints petition. Maybe it can do little but who knows? We still need many, many names, so please, check it out and sign it!

If a book is too costy, how about a CD-Rom containing scans of those strips? Marvel Comics Group had done this with Spider-Man, somewhere during last Christmas. A 11-CD-rom set was released containing 40 years worth or Spider-Man Comics, from the 60's forward. The scans in questions are not perfect, as the original pages from which they were taken might be discoloured, with some corner teared, etc, but they're clear enough to satisfied any Spider-Man fan interested in having those comics and not having the necessary money to collect them all. The cost for reprinting those comics would have been astronomical, but with this project, the whole set came up at a fraction of a price. At the time, $60.00 US, I think, and even less now that it's re-released.

The project must have worked to the satisfaction of Marvel - or whoever came up with the idea and associated themselves with Marvel - because there will be a similar set available soon for Fantastic Four comic strips.

Both Spider-Man and Fantastic Four have a considerable amount of strips - and obviously, there are far less Captain Scarlet comics... And I'm sure a similar project would come up as a VERY interesting price for fans - and possible investors.

Maybe one of those investors is reading these lines and the idea is presently being planted in his mind...? :roll:

by **shaqui** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 2:23 pm

chrisbishop wrote:If a book is too costy, how about a CD-Rom containing scans of those strips?

I'm inclined to agree on a couple of counts - for one there's not print involved, and presumably the pages can stay in b/w.

The main detractor is - whereas you can't easily pirate a book, you can a CD or CD Rom. Too easily. It would take only a few in 'the piracy domain' for these to be widely spread, and a major loss to any producer.

by **chrisbishop** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 3:57 pm

I'm sure Marvel Comic Group - and whoever is associated with them with their Spider-Man and Fantastic Four CD-roms - took that into consideration when they produced their CD-roms. I don't know if there's any 'security feature' in them that would stop copies - or at least make it as difficult as possible to copy them.

But then again, if we take that copy problem into consideration in the world at large, NO CD or CD-rom would EVER get produced again by ANY company. Or, to that point, even DVD...

That might be the risks of the business... It's just for someone to decide whether or not costs are justified to make such a product available for fans.

Considering this might be the RIGHT moment - I would say yes. The new series might need merchandising to back it and consequently, interest in the new series also generates interest in the classic one.

Book or CD-Rom, I would be buying it!

by **shaqui** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 1:31 pm

Those wanting (very) brief outlines of each story can get them from here:

http://www.the-mausoleum-club.org.uk/timescreen/Trial21e/comtvc.htm

http://www.the-mausoleum-club.org.uk/timescreen/Trial21e/comtv21.htm

http://www.the-mausoleum-club.org.uk/timescreen/Trial21e/comtv21a.htm

http://www.the-mausoleum-club.org.uk/timescreen/Trial21e/comcoun.htm

The first three are 'TV21' (as the title changed from 'TV Century 21', to 'TV21', then 'TV21 & TV Tornado'), while the forth is 'Countdown'.

by **Sasha Metcalfe** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:01 am

This is an ancient, but very informative thread.

I know nothing about the comic series and this tells me where to look. I have seen assorted TV21 things on sale on ebay, but didn't know what they had in them and the descriptions aren't always good. now i know what to look for.

thanks guys!

Sasha