Comic: TV Century 21

TV Century 21

Tomorrow's comic, today!

From an era when the 21st century seemed impossibly far away came TV Century 21, a tabloid-sized comic majoring on Gerry Anderson strips.

Launched in 1965, each issue was dated 100 years in the future, and brought readers thrills with Supercar, Fireball XL5 and Stingray.

Published as a joint venture between Anderson and City Magazines, the comic benefited from the marionette master's involvement. Lady Penelope's self-titled strip arrived weeks before Thunderbirds hit our screens, and readers even witnessed her first meeting with Parker.

A strong line-up was bolstered further by David Whitaker's superlative Dalek strip, which presented another first - the arrival of the bulbous-headed emperor Dalek.

In its prime, TV21 (as it became known) was a lavishly illustrated slice of science fiction, later boasting Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet adaptations. Alas, production costs and disappointing sales took their toll.

When it folded in 1971, the fantastical elements had been all but replaced by anonymous fare such as Clancy Clott: Magician's Mate.

Work nominated by jamxl5.