Here are five (I'm not sure how many there were, in all, though I'm sure one of our UK Star Kids could tell me) British childrens' Annuals for
Gerry Anderson's Space: 1999. Growing up in the United States, I never saw
any of these hardcover publications until I was in my twenties and going to comics and science fiction conventions, so I have a bit of a fascination with them. It seems like almost every genre show, no matter how short-lived, had at least one tie-in Annual published, including
Man From Atlantis, Logan's Run and
Star Maidens!
Someday it would be nice to collect these....
UPDATED: A loyal
Space: 1970 fan over on
Facebook kindly provided the fifth cover above. It actually may be my favorite. I kinda
like those Year Two monsters... I just wish we hadn't seen them
re-used on the show so damned much!
I hope when I buy the DVD set, I won't be let down with my young mind rememberances.
ReplyDeleteThat's really up to you. The show sure hasn't changed. But if you've become too cynical and jaded to enjoy it as you did when you were younger, it's not the show's fault.
ReplyDeleteEverybody's so friggin' negative these days.
Still one of my favorites. Rewatch it at least once a year!
ReplyDeleteThere was a fifth annual, but it was by a different publisher and contained reprints of the Charlton comics. These are definitely worth collecting. Interesting comic-strip story in one where Koenig wakes up to find himself back in his apartment on Earth and that his experiences on the Moon were a premonition. He then sets about trying to change history. Best, Zokko
ReplyDeleteThanks, Zokko! Someone provided me with a scan of the fifth (so there were five in total?)and I've added it to the post.
DeleteSorry. I made a mistake. The fifth annual was also by World Distributors, but was not done by the editor of the first four - Angus P.Allan. That was what I meant to say. Best, Zokko
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ReplyDeleteThe fifth and final Annual was also produced by World Distibutors, Manchester England. It was indeed a let down being just consisting of Charlton comic reprints. The publishers had decided to go down that route due to lower than expected sales of the fourth annual. As the Charlton comics were unavailable here in the UK (except through specialist importers), the stories were fresh but just weren't a substitute for the usual colour photos.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one who's looking at the third cover and imagining that Captain Koenig is saying, "Cool, I just nuked a planet!"...?
ReplyDeleteInteresting cover to Annual No.4. I like to think the man Koenig is roughing up is one of the authors of 'Fantastic Television', and Koenig is saying: "That'll teach you not to misrepresent Asimov's views!". Best, Zokko
ReplyDeleteI like to think it was the night the Moonbase Alpha Square Dance got out of hand.
DeleteWhen I think of all of the "Space:1999" memorabilia I sold off so cheap because I needed the money so badly back in the mid-80's, all I want to do is cry.
ReplyDeleteI had this *huge* sheet, two complete UNCUT SETS of "1999" trading cards! The flip side showed two copies of the Eagle and the show's logo that was the jigsaw puzzle you could make for collecting the entire set.
I still have my commlock, though!