FAB 90: The most special issue

Posted on 11th September 2018 by 1266 Nick Williams

FAB 90 Who would have thought it…? The 90th issue of FAB magazine falling in the same month as the 50th anniversary of Joe 90’s release. Of course, we had to celebrate it with an amazing cover and take some slight liberties with the club logo – just this once!

The stuff on the inside is pretty good too… In this issue we have:

THUNDERBIRD 3: DESIGNED FOR SPACE RESCUE
In the first of a new series we look at an International Rescue craft, starting with the sleek and gloriously retro Thunderbird 3.

GERRY ANDERSON INTERVIEW
Mark Braxton presents an unpublished interview with Gerry Anderson from 2005, where he discusses bringing back Spectrum for the 21st Century.

TIMELASH JOE 90 TRIAL AT SEA
Your views are in, let’s see what you think of this Joe 90 adventure…

JOE 90
Ian Fryer explores the world which was the first to meet a 9-year-old secret agent named Joe, and John Wilkinson tells us when it originally happened.

APPRECIATION STATION
Jay Mullins takes on a taboo… Smoking!

END CREDITS
Ian Wheeler roots out a long lost, but never forgotten Dinky Toy.

THUNDERBIRD 6 PART TWO
Jonathan Baxter picks up where TV21 left off, with an exclusive photostory re-telling of the second Thunderbirds feature film, the delightful Thunderbird 6.

…plus all your familiar favorites – FAB News, FAB Noticeboard and FABMail! Copies should be winging their way to club members very shortly. Ok, so now you’re thinking…

How do I get FAB magazine?

The answer’s simple – join Fanderson! FAB magazine is available exclusively to Fanderson club members – we deliver three times a year, and we do our very best to make each issue a joy to read for every fan – regardless of your favourite series!

Find out how to join Fanderson and receive FAB

Alan Shubrook’s 50th Anniversary Thunderbirds Special

Posted on 5th April 2014 by 1266 Nick Williams

Alan Shubrook - Thunderbird anniversary special

Alan Shubrook

Ian Fryer reviews a beautiful Thunderbirds publication from Alan Shubrook.

AP Films/Century 21 special effects technician Alan Shubrook has followed up his book Century 21 FX with a lavishly illustrated 16-page glossy brochure celebrating the 50th production on Thunderbirds. The brochure makes a real effort to take the reader back to the heady days of the mid 1960s.

Although this is largely a Thunderbirds-focused publication, other series get a look-in. Happily, this includes one of my own favourites, Joe 90. Alan reveals that this was a series much-loved by the crew, its production taking place in a more relaxed, creative atmosphere than the hectic Thunderbirds/Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons period.

With the announcement of the closing of Century 21 Studios in late 1969 there is the sense of an opportunity missed that the studio wasn’t converted into a effects studio for hire for other productions. Alas, although the studio did indeed do a small amount of such work, this was probably the right idea some five or six years too early. Had Lew Grade been willing to fund such a project is would undoubtedly have been crushed by the terrible recession that engulfed the British film industry in 1973.

The brochure is very well-written and contains a fabulous set of stills, mostly taken by Alan Shubrook, a keen photographer, himself. It is now available to be purchased via Ebay here

Alan will be doing THUNDERBIRDS 50TH ANNIVERSARY PRESENTATIONS LOOKING BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE MAKING OF THUNDERBIRDS, WITH OVER 350 PHOTOGRAPHS on Sunday 11th May RAF Museum Hendon then Saturday and Sunday 17th & 18th May RAF Museum Cosford.

FAB 73

Posted on 7th November 2012 by 1266 Nick Williams

FAB 73 Issue 73 of FAB, Fanderson’s flagship club magazine, was mailed to members last week.

Within these pages, we take a whistle stop tour of Joe 90 and examine everything from the music, to the influence of Mike Trim and the incredible, or at least indelible, jokes of Sam Loover. Stephen Baxter continues his potted history of the Fleetway publications of the 1990s with a look at the Stingray comic that coincided with the revival of the show on BBC2. Stingray fans can rejoice even further with this issue’s Midas Touch feature, in which Jordan Drakes reminisces about his fascination with a classic mini-album adventure.

But if you think this issue is only about Gerry Anderson’s Supermarionation productions, then think again! We’ve also got the first part of a special feature on Thunderbirds: 2068, the largely forgotten and rather tenuous Japanese cell animation reboot of the puppet series, plus retrospectives on the classic New Captain Scarlet episode Rat Trap and the last part of the Moonbase Alpha Personnel files.

FAB is available exclusively to Fanderson members, and joining is easy!

As well as receiving FAB, an annual membership gives you access to an exclusive range of merchandise that you won’t find in any high street shop or online retailer, plus reduced rates on Fanderson events and full access to the Fanderson forum.

Join Fanderson today

Thunderbirds back on Vinyl for Record Store Day

Posted on 13th October 2012 by 1266 Nick Williams

A stunning series of five Gerry Anderson soundtrack EPs is being released by Silva Screen Records and Little Amber Fish to mark Record Store Day 2013 – the international music celebration. The recordings have been carefully restored and edited from Barry Gray’s own archives courtesy of The Barry Gray Estate and ITV Global Entertainment.

The EPs will be released regularly from now until Record Store Day on April 20th 2013, and fans will be able to send off to Silva Screen for a special stand to keep the set in!

Each EP is to be released in coloured vinyl as a numbered, limited edition of 700 copies. 200 copies of each will be kept back and sold as a complete set in May 2013 at a premium price, which means that collecting them piecemeal is certainly the way to go!

The first release will focus on Thunderbirds (in blue vinyl), to be followed by Captain Scarlet, Joe 90 and Space 1999. The final EP will be released on Record Store Day itself and will comprise a special flexi-disc poster package – content yet to be revealed!

Fans can order the EPs online from 15th October at www.silvascreen.com or by emailing info@silvascreen.co.uk, as well as from independent record stores throughout the UK.

Find your nearest participating store

The full release schedule:

Thunderbirds (7″ EP, numbered blue vinyl) – 15/10/2012
Captain Scarlet (7″ EP, numbered red vinyl) – 19/11/2012
Joe 90 (7″ EP, numbered yellow vinyl) – 21/01/2013
Space:1999 (7″ EP, numbered purple vinyl) – 25/02/2013
RSD 2013 secret release (flexi-disc and poster pack (TBA)) – 20/04/2013

Captain Black takes over RAF Museum Cosford

Posted on 8th October 2012 by 1266 Nick Williams

Over the weekend of 24th – 25th November the RAF Museum in Cosford will be hosting an amazing exhibition of rare puppets and memorabilia from the worlds of Gerry Anderson. For many fans a number of rarely seen puppets – including the original Captain Black – will be the star attractions of the weekend. For others, it will be the appearance of special guests David Graham, Shane Rimmer and Matt Zimmerman. For others it will be a chance to catch up and have a friendly chat with members of the Fanderson Committee!

The event will feature puppets from Thunderbirds, Joe 90, Fireball XL5 and Captain Scarlet, as well as a fascinating range of models, costumes, full-sized vehicles and sets from the classic live action shows Space 1999 and UFO.

The exhibition will be a first for the RAF Museum Cosford and will be taking place in the National Cold War Exhibition alongside a backdrop of aircraft which inspired the look and design of the shows. There will also be a number of trade stands with associated merchandise.

Admission to the display is free and will be open from 10.00 to 16.30.

Shane Rimmer, David Graham and Matt Zimmerman will be attending on the Saturday and will be interviewed in the morning in the museum’s atmospheric bunker-style lecture theatre before participating in a question and answer session in the afternoon. Tickets for both sessions are now on general sale priced £15.00, and include a parking pass and a signed photo of the Thunderbirds puppets at Cosford.

Fanderson will be manning a table at the event and will have a range of merchandise available for members to buy. If you are planning to attend please feel free to stop by and say hello!

Read about the event on the RAF Museum website