Gerry Anderson's Century 21 at the Cartoon Museum

Opening on the 3rd March (2023) is this small exhibition at the Cartoon Museum in London. This is NOT their main exhibition. 

As it says on their press release...

This exhibition 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 TV 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.

Anderson's innovation didn't stop there. 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 telly. 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.

This exhibition at the Cartoon Museum will take visitors back in time to a more magical period of retro-futuristic glitz, glamour and adventure, showcasing classic comic artwork based on the worlds of Gerry Anderson. It's an opportunity to relive the nostalgia of crowding around worn-out comics and dodgy TV sets, and to pay homage to the man who raised generations of children from the 60s to the 2000s on tales of science fiction and intrigue.

The Cartoon Museum can be found at 63 Wells Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1A 3AE. 

Tel: 020 7580 8155

For more information visit www.cartoonmuseum.org / Twitter @cartoonmuseumuk / Facebook @TheCartoonMuseum  / Instagram @thecartoonmuseum / YouTube - The Cartoon Museum