Two classic Thunderbirds pin badges are to be released to mark the upcoming 50th anniversary of the series.
Costing £5.00 each and strictly limited to 1,000 in number, the badges have been produced by Tartan Squirrel, the official licensee for the Royal Air Force. The badges are reproductions of the International Rescue logo (pictured here) and the Thunderbirds series logo.
To find out more about the badges, visit Tartan Squirrel’s website or check out their Facebook page.
Fanderson was saddened to hear of the death of Jerome Willis this week at the age of 85. Willis played a leading role in Gerry Anderson’s Space Precinct as the alien Police Captain, Podley, although his real face was never seen in the series. He also known to fans of Doctor Who for his role as the villainous Stevens in The Green Death, and for his prominent role in ITV’s cold war spy drama, The Sandbaggers.
An obituary will be appear in the next issue of FAB magazine.
FAB1 and a host of other cars from the series of Gerry Anderson will be on show at the launch of Andercon – the first official convention for fans of the legendary TV and film producer.
The convention will take place between 19th-20th April 2014 at the Park Inn Heathrow hotel, and will feature over 40 guests from the cast and crew of every single Gerry Anderson production.
In addition to FAB1 there should be a number of famous vehicles from other Anderson productions, including the Model T Ford ‘Gabriel’ from the Secret Service, a replica of Straker’s car from UFO (subject to completion on time), a surviving moon buggy from Space: 1999 and Rolls Royce’s specially built ‘FAB1Million’ Ghost (awaiting confirmation).
Andercon looks set to attract Gerry Anderson fans from all over the world. Jamie Anderson, Managing Director of Anderson Entertainment said: “It’s a great chance to meet the cast and crew in person and to see the original props up close. We’ll have exclusive screenings, panels and workshops, Q&A sessions and quizzes and costume competitions with super prizes. We’ll also be showing never-before-seen set reconstructions showing how the Anderson magic happened. Unfortunately, the venue has had to limit the number of people allowed, so I advise anyone who’s interested to secure tickets now while they’re still available.”
Tickets cost £45 per day and are available from www.andercon.co.uk
Autographica, the world’s largest autograph event, is once again paying tribute to the works of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson.
And this year Fanderson club members can buy day tickets for Autographica 2014 at half the normal price if they quote their membership number when they order! This extremely generous offer is due to the special relationship that has been built between the club and the event in recent years.
This year’s event is taking place on the 21st – 23rd March 2014 at the Radisson Edwardian, Heathrow, London. This popular event is proving to be an absolute must for Gerry Anderson fans, featuring no less than five guests from different Anderson shows.
Heading the guest list is Sylvia Anderson herself – the other half the creative team behind most of the Anderson shows, and the voice of Lady Penelope. The next big name is Barbara Bain, who played Dr. Helena Russell throughout Space:1999. Bernard Kay, who played the Humanoid in the second season episode New Adam New Eve, will also be attending. Other guests at the event who will be of interest to Anderson fans include:
The show also has a packed guest list also contains James Bond girls plus other actors and actresses from Dr Who and other TV shows and films; you can even get to meet a real-life astronaut.
To book your tickets go to www.autographica.co.uk or phone the ticket line on 01959 573792, open 9.00am to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday
It’s been a year since the club lost our President, Gerry Anderson. Gerry’s final years were as remarkable as his creative career. In this, his final interview, he tells us about his struggle with Alzheimer’s and his work to create awareness about the disease. Gerry’s son, Jamie, also talks frankly about the effect of the illness on the family and their work with the Alzheimer’s Society.
www.alzheimers.org.uk
Join us at noon on 26th December as we remember our late club President, Gerry Anderson.
A quick reminder about one of our great new sale items…just in time for Christmas.
Cigarettes have often had a place in the worlds of Gerry Anderson. And whether you think they’re redolent of childhood nostalgia or are just fascinatingly un-PC in our modern times, The FAB Book of Gerry Anderson Sweet Cigarette Cards Vol.1 is a must-have read for any fan of Gerry Anderson merchandise!
The first volume of what promises to be a series of guides takes a look at the cards that were designed to tie in with Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet. The book features high resolution scans of the cards and albums with notes on variations and packaging.
It might just make a nice Christmas present for someone – probably a reformed nicotine fiend.
Please note: Fanderson merchandise is available exclusively to club members.
Original Anderson picture stories by the likes of comics legends Frank Bellamy and Mike Noble are set to receive a lavish reissue in a new partwork collection.
Each volume of Gerry Anderson: The Vintage Comic Collection is a hardback book featuring meticulously restored comic art from the 1960s and 70s, alongside features covering Gerry Anderson’s life and his many productions. The books also include profiles of the artists and writers who created the strips.
The strips are presented as complete stories, and wherever possible have been scanned from the original artwork. Every week, Gerry Anderson: The Vintage Comic Collection will build into a hardback collection of unprecedented depth and size.
Published in chronological order, with each volume dedicated to a single Anderson series, the collection promises to be the definitive way to enjoy the comic strip adventures of Anderson’s greatest series.
Subscribers to the collection will receive four exclusive gifts: a calendar, a die-cast model of Stingray, digital editions of the comics and a FAB 1 licence plate. Premium subscribers will also receive die-cast models of Thunderbird 2 and a Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle.
Gerry Anderson: The Vintage Comic Collection is published by Eaglemoss.
More details at can be found at www.gerry-anderson-collection.com
Fans and guests came together to celebrate 30 years of Terrahawks on Saturday 12th October, at the Holiday Inn, Maidenhead.
Although smaller in scale than previous conventions, Expect the Unexpected nevertheless contained all the much-loved elements of a Fanderson convention – fascinating interviews, unique screenings, great merchandise, top models and props on display and a wonderful chance for fans to socialise and talk to guests.
Expect the Unexpected definitely lived up to its title thanks to the last-minute appearance of three guests who kindly volunteered to attend the event. Floor puppeteer Judy Preece and Art Director Gary Tomkins were joined by Driver Julian Bell and Director Tony Bell. Later in the day, Visual Effects Director Steven Begg, Visual Effects Technician Terry Adlam and Director Mark Woollard were joined by Props Buyer Kaye Moss. There was also an interview and slideshow with modelmakers John Lee and Steven Woodcock, with a second slideshow from Terry Adlam. Handled by FAB magazine co-editor Ian Fryer, the interviews evoked fond memories of the making of the series and conveyed a real sense of a family atmosphere within the production team.
During the packed schedule, fans also managed to fit in time to check out an amazing collection of replica and original models, including an original Kate Kestrel puppet head and Zelda’s ‘Rhino’ ship! Fanderson Sales was also present with not one but two sales items for fans to purchase for the first time. Those who didn’t attend will have to wait a little longer!
There were screenings of Fanderson’s specially-commissioned episodes in HD, remastered by BBC Resources and Kindred Productions. The first of these was the compilation episode Ma’s Monsters, followed by Two for the Price of One, which marks the introduction of Cy-Star’s schizophrenic child, It-Star.
The day’s interviews were rounded off with Jamie Anderson updating everyone on the progress of various Anderson legacy projects and the latest on the hugely successful Gemini Force One Kickstarter campaign.
The evening’s entertainment focused on a TV Dinners quiz that stretched fans’ knowledge of classic TV all the way. The quiz was deftly compered by Fanderson chairman Nick Williams, and accompanied by a hot ‘take-away-style’ buffet. The winners were rewarded by Zelda’s Cubes, full of 80s treats to bring Earth to its knees!
All in all, it was a relaxed and friendly event that gave fans the chance to celebrate a series anniversary in a unique way. Happy Birthday, Terrahawks!
Photos courtesy of Mark Simpson Wedge
www.times-series.co.uk has published an article about how Shane Rimmer first met his wife, Sheila. The piece marks the couple’s golden wedding anniversary and reveals that the voice of Thunderbird 1 pilot Scott Tracy met his wife of 50 years in 1962 when they were entertaining armed forces in Turkey.
According to Sheila the secret of a happy marriage is a mixture of meditation, philosophy and a sense of humour!
Many congratulations to the happy couple from Fanderson.
