Thunderbirds Are Go! Gerry Anderson’s Century 21

Gerry Anderson’s Century 21 exhibition at The Cartoon Museum in London is a tribute to the man who revolutionised the world of puppetry with his advanced technique of Supermarionation, as well as the wider world of science fiction.

While his career began in the 50s, Anderson's Supermarionation success began with Supercar in 1960. Following that, Fireball XL5 was popular across the globe. Which in turn led to the creation of the first colour children's television show ever made in Britain, Stingray. By 1965 Anderson's team reached the pinnacle of their puppetry productions with Thunderbirds, a show which remains part of the cultural fabric of the UK and beyond.

In the mid 1960s, to capitalise on the nationwide obsession with this new and interesting style of television, the weekly comic in a novel newspaper format TV Century 21 was launched. It updated kids across the country on the adventures of their favourite heroes from the television. This gave rise to decades more comic tie-ins with Anderson shows. Iconic titles like Countdown, TV Action, Look In, Thunderbirds, Stingray, Joe 90 and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.