A sad day indeed for fans of 60's and 70's space television, as pioneering filmmaker and TV producer Gerry Anderson has passed away at the age of 83. Anderson was a cult hero, having created a series of children's action programs in 1960's Britain that became global sensations. Joe 90, Captain Scartlet, Stingray, Fireball XL5 and of course, Thunderbirds. Rather than feature human actors, Anderson used marionettes in "Supermarionation," an elaborate series of miniature sets and vehicles with colossal special effects. His main designer, Derek Meddings, would go on to work in the James Bond and Superman film franchises, among others.
In the Seventies, Anderson made the leap to working with actors, transferring his astonishing special effects to a bigger adult canvas, with shows such as Space: 1999 and your humble correspondent's favorite show as a boy, UFO.
I essentially grew up on these shows and they had an enormous influence on me. To this day I have a lot of Anderson pieces in my toy collection - here are a few...
One of the hallmarks of any Anderson show was the dazzlingly designed vehicles (that and enormous explosions). Here are a few from Space: 1999 and UFO...
Unless you grew up with a British connection, you might never have seen or heard of Gerry Anderson. Much of America only discovered him with the release of Team America - World Police, which poked fun at the save the world heroics of fearless puppets.
Gerry, you had a wonderful imagination. If not for your creations, I might never have met one of my dearest friends, through our mutual fan mania. Your shows shaped a generation - and more - across the globe. Thanks for all the FABulous inventions and for firing up a lot of young dreamers.
I can think of no better way to close, than with this - volume, please...
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