Author: 1266 Nick Williams

Fanderson releases Supercar soundtrack CD

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Supercar soundtrack CDAs readers of FAB will already be aware, Fanderson has announced that the music of Supercar will finally receive its own dedicated CD release, in an expanded and updated collection of Barry Gray’s original music for the series.

The bold and exciting music composed by Barry Gray for Supercar set a template for all the puppet series that were to follow. Many themes originally composed for Supercar were also re-used in later Anderson productions, including the iconic Thunderbirds.

The release expands on the material originally released in Fanderson’s very first soundtrack CD from 1998 – a combined ‘Supercar and Fireball XL5′ album’.

The CD is scheduled for release on 20th August and can be pre-ordered by club members online through Fanderson Sales now!

Inside the disc…

The disc offers great value for money for all Anderson fans, with a total running time of nearly 80 minutes and a 20-page colour booklet containing detailed track notes of listing musicians, original recording session dates and alternative track versions.

Supercar soundtrack CD booklet

As has become traditional with Fanderson soundtrack releases, the music is arranged in episodic suites:

  • Amazonian Adventure
  • Calling Charie Queen
  • The Day That Time Stood Still
  • Hi-Jack
  • Jail Break
  • King Cool
  • Operation Super Stork
  • Precious Cargo
  • Rescue
  • The Runaway Train
  • Space For Mitch
  • The Talisman of Sargon
  • What Goes Up

The sleeve notes also contain the full lyrics to all the songs that were recorded for the series, including the opening theme songs for Seasons 1 and 2 (yes, there is a difference!).

Supercar soundtrack CD booklet

So what are you waiting for? Order your copy of the Supercar soundtrack CD!

Fanderson’s merchandise is available exclusively to club members. Find out out how you can join Fanderson.

Steven Begg to attend Fanderson Terrahawks event

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Terrahawks crew - Expect the UnexpectedBritain’s foremost visual effects artist Steven Begg is to attend Expect the Unexpected, a special event to mark the 30th anniversary of Terrahawks.

Steven Begg is perhaps best known for his work on the James Bond franchise with Casino Royale and Skyfall, for which he received BAFTA nominations, as well as other Hollywood smash-hits such as Batman Begins. However, Terrahawks also played an important role in the early stages of his career, where he worked on all 39 episodes as special effects director from 1983 – 86.

Other confirmed guests include:

  • John Lee – Terrahawks modelmaker
  • Judy Preece – Terrahawks puppeteer
  • Steven Woodcock – Terrahawks modelmaker

Expect the Unexpected will also showcase specially remastered Terrahawks episodes in high definition (HD). The event will be held at The Holiday Inn Maidenhead, will start at 10:00 on Saturday 12th October and  run into the evening. Tickets cost £65 per person and will include your evening meal.  This event is open to non members at the same price.

Accommodation

Fanderson has arranged a special rate for double/twin rooms at the Holiday Inn on either Friday 11th or Saturday 12th October of just £65 bed and breakfast. You must quote “Fanderson” when you book to receive the discount. For more information about the hotel visit www.himaidenheadhotel.co.uk.

To book your room at Fanderson’s special rate please call house reservations on 01628 506070 between 9am to 5pm, Monday – Friday.

Find out more about the event and book your ticket!

Terrahawks was Gerry Anderson’s first television series of the 1980s, and employed a style of puppetry called ‘Supermacromation’ . View our production index to find our more about the series.

Stay on this channel for further guest announcements and updates!

Countdown to Gemini Force One under way

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Gemini Force OneNews of an exciting new project from Anderson Entertainment has been revealed on gerryanderson.co.uk.

Gemini Force One is coming…

The countdown was launched on social media on 27th July and will run for 39 days, after which more details will be announced! Very little is known about Gemini Force One as yet, except that this is a project that Gerry Anderson was working on shortly before he died.

Keep watching the gerryanderson.co.uk for the latest developments!

FAB 75 comes in to land

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Have you got yours? FAB 75 – latest issue of Fanderson’s magazine for club members – is starting to hit doormats in the UK and around the world.

Boasting a beautiful piece of cover artwork produced exclusively for the issue by artist Graham Bleathman, FAB 75 features something to please every discerning fan of Gerry Anderson, including:FAB 75

  • a celebration of the work and life of the Century 21 unit production photographer, Doug Luke
  • a detailed examination of the weird and wonderful automobiles of The Protectors
  • a fascinating study of how Thunderbirds was received in Holland
  • the final part of our history of the 1990s Fleetway comics, ending with Joe 90.
  • a fan retrospective on the 2nd Thunderbirds film – Thunderbird 6

Joining Fanderson

FAB magazine is available exclusively to Fanderson club members. If you want to know what all the fuss is about then you know what you need to do…!

Find out how to join Fanderson

Space:1999 stars at Autographica

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

logogoldAutographica, the world’s largest autograph event, is yet again paying tribute to Gerry Anderson’s Space:1999, which is taking place on the 21st-22nd of September 2013 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, NEC. This popular event is proving to be an absolute must for Space:1999 fans, featuring no less than eight guests from the series.

Heading the guest list is the Moonbase Alpha Eagle Pilot himself, Nick Tate, while the roster also contains Year One Main mission operative Lee Oswald played by Loftus Burton and a Technician played by Robert Atiko. They are joined by Year Two starring guests Peter Duncan who played Cantar in the episode The Exiles, John Standing (was Pasc in The Mark of the Archanon), Sarah Douglas (“B” in The AB Chrysalis), Greg De Polnay (Peter Garforth in The Lambda Factor) and Nick Hobbs (a Security Guard in Space Warp).

Another guest at the event who will be of interest to Anderson fans is actor George Little who had a small part in the Gerry Anderson series The Protectors. 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 ticketline on 01959 573792, open 9.00am to 9.00 pm seven days a week.

Welcome to our Gerry Anderson blog

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

The Gerry Anderson blog
We thought it was about time Fanderson launched it’s own blog! Of course, we already have FAB, the Forum, the Facebook group and these very news pages to communicate with fans, so you might be asking yourself why we need another digital presence.

We see the Gerry Anderson Blog as a place to publish shorter articles or opinion pieces about the worlds of Gerry Anderson, and to spark debate and comment from readers. Maybe there was a point in the past where you wanted to respond directly to something you read in the pages of FAB? Well, now you can do that with the blog.

We will report on unfolding events in the Anderverse, post articles, do funny sketches, debate, review and much more! Feel free to say hi and leave a comment!

Our first post is unapologetically focused on Terrahawks, the subject of our upcoming 30th anniversary event. We have put together a little audio-visual surprise to get you in the mood…!

View the Fanderson blog

Network release two of Gerry Anderson’s early works

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Devil girl from Mars DVDOver the next few months Network DVD will be releasing two of Gerry Anderson’s first encounters with real film – and not puppets! The most significant of these is Crossroads to Crime. The crime thriller for Anglo-Amalgamated was Gerry Anderson’s directorial film debut, and the only feature-length film to be made by AP Films, co-founded by the legendary puppet pioneer in 1957.

Released in 1960 between the making of Four Feather Falls and Supercar, Crossroads to Crime features the talents of several of Anderson’s later Supermarionation collaborators, including voice artists George Murcell and David Graham, Anderson’s future wife Sylvia Thamm (an uncredited continuity supervisor), and Barry Gray, whose iconic themes famously complemented the Supermarionation series of the 1960s. Released here for the first time, the film is presented in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements.

It is hoped they will try to interview the only known living member of the cast, the stalwart of the Anderson studios David Graham, who was in so many of Anderson’s productions especially as the fantastic Parker in Thunderbirds. The DVD will be available on the 19th of August 2013 price £6.98.

The other release is David MacDonald’s Devil Girl From Mars (released today and pictured here) which is a rare science fiction piece from the notorious British b-movie studio of the Danziger brothers. At this point in his career Gerry was a freelance Sound Editor, gaining his first experience in Science Fiction under the name which he was usually billed as at the time, Gerald Anderson.

This British B-movie cult classic stars Patricia Laffan as a vinyl-clad, ray gun-toting Martian on the hunt for Earthmen to repopulate her home planet. Devil Girl from Mars is to be released in a brand-new transfer from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.

The DVD is now on sale through Network’s website, priced £6.98.

Parker goes up for sale at Bonhams

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Parker model at BonhamsA 15-inch high model of Parker is to go up for auction at Bonhams on Wednesday 3rd July.

The model appears to have been created originally for a Christmas shop display at Selfridges, Oxford Street, London in the late 1960s.

There is sure to be plenty of interest in this unique piece of history, which is estimated to fetch between £1,200 – £1,500!

View the lot on the Bonhams website

Jamie Anderson made Vice-President of International Rescue Corps

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

International Rescue Corps has announced the appointment of Jamie Anderson as their Vice-President.

Commenting on the announcement, Jamie said: “I’m immensely proud to be carrying on the good work, and helping promote an organisation that stands for all the good things that were constant elements in Gerry Anderson shows, and look forward to doing what I can to help IRC in my new role.”

IRC’s Corps Director, Willie McMartin said “The corps has been in existence since 1981 and we will forever be indebted to Gerry Anderson all those years ago. Gerry was instrumental in getting IRC off the ground and without this help we wouldn’t have been able to continue to save lives. It is great news that Jamie is happy to support the corps and we look forward to working with him in the forthcoming years.”

International Rescue Corps (IRC) is an independent disaster rescue service registered with the United Nations. IRC is supported entirely by donations from the public and sponsorship. IRC members are unpaid volunteers and all the IRC’s services are provided free of charge – the Corps’ sole aim is to save life.International Rescue Corps logo

Visit IRC’s website to find out more about their work

Andrew Skilleter original Gerry Anderson artwork goes on sale

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Andrew Skilleter original Gerry Anderson artwork.

Andrew Skilleter artworkA beautiful collection of original Gerry Anderson artwork by professional illustrator Andrew Skilleter has gone on general sale. The artwork spans his output for the Thunderbirds, Stingray, Captain Scarlet and Joe 90 Fleetway comics that were edited by Alan Fennell in the early 1990s.

In addition to republishing classic TV21 strips from the 1960s, the Fleetway titles also featured original strips and content, including a wide range of covers and page artwork by Andrew.

Visit Andrew’s new Facebook page to view the full collection and find details of how to make a purchase:
Gerry Anderson Art by Andrew Skilleter

Discounts are available for the purchase of two or more pieces and there is the possibility of staged payments. You can also visit Andrew Skilleter’s website to find out more about his career, artwork and current projects

You may have a favourite page or spread – well, now’s your chance to own something very special!