I'm feeling ancient today because it's been exactly 50 years to the day since TV Century 21 No.1 was published on Wednesday January 20th 1965, and I had that first issue! For many of us, TV21 was the best comic of the 1960s, and it was certainly a big inspiration to me, boosting my interest in comics and stirring my imagination as a five year old.
Stingray! Fireball XL5! Supercar! Daleks! All in one comic that had a cover date set 100 years in advance! What could be better for a child in 1965? Little did I know back then that half a century later I'd be commissioned to draw a Zoony the Lazoon strip for the one-off revival of TV21 last year, and be drawing Daleks for the official Doctor Who Magazine. But 50 years ago today was where I first saw those characters in comic strip form, igniting a passion to draw Daleks in wax crayon in my school books. These days I use ink and colour them by computer. Life in the 21st Century!
The photo at the top of this post shows me as a very happy 6 year old, having just purchased TV21 No.26 whilst on holiday in Blackpool in 1965. That's my Aunt Joan and my Dad in the picture. Photo taken by my Mum. All are sadly gone now.
In celebration of the anniversary of TV21 No.1 I've written a post over on my other blog showing pages from the comic, photographed from my copy. See it here:
http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/50-years-ago-today-tv-century-21-no1.html
2 comments:
Glad to see you well and truly celebrating it, Lew. As you know I have too in my own way.Lovely treasured photo there.
Who would have known that 50 year's later we'd feel this way about TV21, eh?
I read my copy of issue 1 again yesterday and it still stands up as a well written and illustrated comic half a century later. We were lucky to be kids in such great times.
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