Thunderbirds merchandise

This is a list of tie-in merchandise and non-televisual media associated with Thunderbirds, a British science-fiction series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, filmed by their production company AP Films between 1964 and 1966, and distributed by ITC Entertainment. Since the series' first appearance in the 1960s, more than 3,000 Thunderbirds tie-in products – including children's toys, print media and audio episodes – have been marketed.^[1]

Books

Between 1966 and 1967, eight original Thunderbirds novels were written by John William Jennison (four under the pseudonym "John Theydon") and Kevin McGarry;^[2] three focus on the character of Lady Penelope. In 1992, Corgi Books published four children's novelisations, all written by Dave Morris. In 2008, Minnesota-based FTL Publications, in association with Diamond Comic Distributors, launched a new series of original novels written by Joan Marie Verba with artwork by Steve Kyte.^[3] Verba had attempted to obtain the licence as early as 2004, while Carlton Television was in the process of merging with ITV Granada.^[3] After waiting several months, she contacted Granada, and after three years of discussions FTL Publications was finally granted the licence in 2007.^[3] It was the first licence for Thunderbirds titles to be given to an American publisher, and the books constitute the first new, official series of Thunderbirds novels to be written since the 1960s.^[4] Countdown To Action, published in June 2008, reveals the founding of International Rescue, exploring the establishment of the organisation and the construction of its machines.^[3] The other books highlight the individual Tracy brothers, as well as Brains.^[3]

Thunderbirds novels and novelisations:

Comics

A comic strip featuring the characters of Lady Penelope and Parker, set prior to their joining International Rescue, debuted in the first weekly issues of AP Films Publishing's children's title TV Century 21 in early 1965, several months prior to the first broadcast of "Trapped in the Sky".^[12] A full-length "Thunderbirds" strip debuted in the comic's 51st issue, published in January 1966.^[13] Originally written by editor and Thunderbirds TV scriptwriter Alan Fennell, this mostly replaced the "Lady Penelope" strip, which moved to a sister comic of the same name.^[12][14] The "Thunderbirds" strip, illustrated by Frank Bellamy, was the centrepiece of TV Century 21 (re-branded TV 21 in January 1968)^[13] for 186 issues and 30 serials, until October 1969.^[12] At their peak, combined weekly sales of TV Century 21 and Lady Penelope in the 1960s numbered 1.3 million.^[13] In 1966, Thunderbirds featured as a strip in the Daily Mail.^[15]

A Thunderbirds Annual was published by Century 21 Publishing from 1966 to 1968, and a Lady Penelope version until 1969.^[16] Thunderbirds also appeared in the parent TV Century 21/TV 21 annual until 1969; the same year, a joint Captain Scarlet and Thunderbirds annual was released.^[16] Starting in October 1991, the Bellamy-illustrated strips, as well as some that had first appeared in Lady Penelope, were re-printed in Fleetway Publications' fortnightly Thunderbirds: The Comic.^[14][17] Again edited by Fennell, this new title had a 30-month publication run and achieved peak sales of 100,000 copies.^[17] Re-prints had previously appeared in Polystyle Publications's Countdown (briefly titled TV Action + Countdown) and Thunderbirds Holiday Special series in the 1970s and 1980s.^[12] In 1992, Ravette Books re-printed 13 strips in a graphic album series.^[12]

Home video

In the 1980s and 1990s, there were a number of Thunderbirds VHS releases by PolyGram and its subsidiary, Channel 5 Video. Due to rights concerns, not all episodes were released un-edited; some were issued in the "Super Space Theater" format, whereby thematically-similar episodes had been paired off as double-length compilation films for US broadcast syndication. The compilations were: Thunderbirds to the Rescue (combining "Trapped in the Sky" and "Operation Crash-Dive"), Thunderbirds in Outer Space ("Sun Probe" and "Ricochet") and Countdown to Disaster ("Terror in New York City" and "Atlantic Inferno"). Videos started with a brief introduction by Parker, informing the viewer of other Gerry Anderson video releases. Volume 12 contained a selection of Lyons Maid advertisements featuring characters from the Anderson productions, and Volume 14 a "Making of Thunderbirds" featurette.

On its acquisition of the brand in 1999, Carlton International Media commenced work on re-mastering Thunderbirds for the first Region 2 DVD releases.^[1] Dolby 5.1 surround sound was added, and the existing picture and mono sound cleaned up with the aid of digital restoration and noise reduction technology.^[1] The original soundtrack was enhanced with new sound effects and background foley (mainly explosions, aircraft and other mechanical noise, and vocal echo) at appropriate points.^[1] Anderson, who had received no royalties from the series' distribution since relinquishing his rights in the 1970s,^[18] was hired as re-mastering consultant.

Region 1 DVDs were released by North American distributor A&E Home Video in 2001, with a "Complete Series" box set following in 2002; it was re-released in slim packaging in 2008. The same year, Thunderbirds was released, both in instalments and as a box set, on Blu-ray Disc:^[19] the region-free version distributed in Region B presents episodes in a vertically panned and scanned, 16:9 aspect ratio. A Japanese Blu-ray set, released by Geneon Universal in 2013, restores the original 4:3 picture.

Thunderbirds UK home video releases (the following is not an exhaustive list):

Music

The first Thunderbirds-exclusive music record was the mini-album Great Themes from Thunderbirds (MA 116; originally titled Requested Themes from Thunderbirds),^[20] published by Century 21 Records in 1967.^[21] Two soundtrack albums were released by Silva Screen Records, to favourable reviews on the AllMusic website and by Uncut magazine,^{[22][23][24][25]} in 2003 and 2004.^[26] A 40th-anniversary release – The Best of Thunderbirds, a double album featuring music from the first two CDs in addition to three previously un-released tracks and exclusive CD-ROM content^[27][28] – was released in 2005.^[29][30]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic website	[22]
Uncut magazine	[23]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic website	[24]
Starburst magazine	[25]
Uncut magazine	[25]

Toys

When Thunderbirds was first broadcast, AP Films Merchandising awarded licences to companies such as Matchbox and Dinky to manufacture plastic and die-cast metal Thunderbirds vehicle toys.^[35] The subsidiary issued approximately 120 such licences,^[35] even buying a company (J. Rosenthal) to keep up with demand.^[36][37] Among the first items released by Dinky were a blue (rather than green) Thunderbird 2 and a six-inch-long (15 cm) FAB 1,^[38][39] of which more than two million were manufactured.^[40] By 1966, British commentators had dubbed the end-of-year shopping season "Thunderbirds Christmas" in the light of the series' popularity.^[41] Themed birthday cards for children, for ages 6 to 10, were available in Australia in the mid-1960s.

Matchbox Thunderbirds TV advertisement featuring its Tracy Island toy, which experienced high consumer demand in the UK in the early 1990s when BBC Two repeated the series

Japanese model kits of the vehicles continued to be marketed into the 1980s.^[42] In the early 1990s, Matchbox launched a new range of toys to coincide with the BBC's Thunderbirds revival.^[43] Despite poor sales in the weeks leading up to Christmas 1991, when demand overwhelmed supply, by the following December the series had provided manufacturers and retailers with the most successful British tie-in merchandising campaign since Star Wars.^[14][43][44] Matchbox's Tracy Island playset quickly became the UK's most sought-after toy, resulting in stock shortages, fights between customers in shops,^[45] and a rising black market surrounding the item;^[43] the story was reported in the national press.^[42][46]

The 1991 Matchbox range included:

Following the success of the Thunderbirds repeats and merchandise, the BBC scheduled Stingray for repeats, for which Matchbox again issued a small line. In 1993, the children's programme Blue Peter broadcast a "making-of" showing viewers how to build a Tracy Island of their own using – as descrived by the show's publicity – "old newspaper, pipe cleaners, yoghurt pots, cereal packets and bits of sponge".^[42][48] So high was demand for a free instruction sheet detailing the process that the BBC was forced to withdraw its giveaway offer and release Anthea Turner's demonstration, Blue Peter Makes a Thunderbirds Tracy Island, on home video.^[48] When the BBC repeated Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons in the early 2000s, the Thunderbirds toy licence was re-issued to Vivid Imaginations, who later produced a similar range of Thunderbirds products for the series' second BBC revival in 2000.^[49]

Vivid Imaginations' Tracy Island electronic playset TV advertisement

The 2000 Vivid Imaginations range included:

A limited-edition Thunderbird 2 by Virgin Group was also available, albeit in red as opposed to green. Some items from the Vivid Imaginations collection were re-released in different packaging for the series' 40th anniversary in 2005, with the Tracy Island playset being advertised as having "new, interactive launch stations".

Bandai manufactured toys to coincide with the release of the live-action film in 2004, and fellow Japanese companies Aoshima, Konami and Takara continue to manufacture Thunderbirds toys today from the original schematics – for example, Takara's Thunderbird 2 (with functioning lights and landing struts). Vivid Imaginations will market a line for the series' 2015 re-make.^[49]

Video games

In 1985, a Thunderbirds video game was released for the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum; in the game, the player was required to explore an Egyptian-styled labyrinth using Thunderbird 1 and Thunderbird 2. In 1989, Grandslam Entertainment released a title for the Commodore 64 and Commodore Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, MSX and ZX Spectrum;^[50] Activision released a NES version the following year.^[51] In 1993, a title by Super Famicom, subtitled Kokusou Kyuujotai Shutsudou Seyo!, was released in Japan only. SCi Games published a Game Boy Color title in 2000.^[52] The following year, it released a collection of Microsoft Windows themes and screensavers titled "F.A.B Action Pack",^[53] as well as Thunderbirds: International Rescue for Game Boy Advance.^[54] In 2004, a second Game Boy Advance title was released by Vivendi Universal Games.^[55] A new Thunderbirds video game was released in Europe for the PlayStation 2 in July 2007;^[56] the North American release was cancelled.^[57]

See also

• List of Thunderbirds episodes#Audio episodes

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

External links

• List of Thunderbirds Merchandise
• Thunderbirds Comic History