Danger Man Annual 1966

[1965] Annual. Original price 9/6.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Limited.

Based on the television series starring Patrick McGoohan.

Painted cover by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 Endpaper illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 5 Title Page illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 6 Contents Page illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 7 The Big Catch text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

20 The Code Breakers text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

22 Beat This Danger Man Code word puzzle; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

23 Night Train to Rome text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

38 Half a Million in a World Spy Ring text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

40 Traitor's Gate text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

51 Drake's Big Beat text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

62 The Silver Greyhounds text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

64 The House on 22nd Street text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

78 Espionage board game; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

80 The Temple text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

With a four-day break, Drake drives to Wales for a fishing break. Staying at the Mountain View Hotel, in the heart of Snowdonia, he is enjoying the peace and quiet of a riverbank - despite not having caught any fish - when a boulder falls from the mountainside, breaking his rod. As he is dusting himself off from the near miss he encounters Frank Barton, who is out rabbit hunting. Frank informs Drake that the area is known for its loose boulders, with most locals keeping away from the area.

Later, at the hotel's bar, Drake tells the bartender about the incident, and is told that the incident is the first of its kind he has heard of. Returning to the spot where he was fishing, Drake overhears Barton and another man discussing having set the boulder, and discerns that they are operatives for the Organisation.

While I dislike characters stumbling into plots in such a haphazard manner, what follows is interesting enough. There are a few problems with the details, but it effectively sets up the protagonist as a competent secret agent. The specific focus on ICBM technology is a touch too large for the location and men protecting the secret research.

The Code Crackers is a extremely brief overview of British security measures to prevent information falling into enemy hands, though barely covers the subject of codes specifically. That it is followed by a code for the reader to break is a nice touch, yet coverage of different information concealment and transmission practices (a great deal of which had already seen print) could have elevated the piece substantially.

Nobody knows for certain exactly how many spies there are in the world.
   The nearest estimate has been reported from United States sources. This figures that there are more than half a million people actively engaged in the far-flung and complex machinery od espionage and counter-espionage.

As much an apology for the security services as a feature about them, Half a Million in a World Spy Ring does a middling job of setting the extent of the spy culture, though crucially avoids corporate espionage, criminals employing spycraft, and individuals engaged in such actions. One would expect there to be mention of the military spying efforts which were so much a part of the cold war, yet the text is careful to remain diplomatically neutral in reporting events.
Frustrating observant readers further, The Silver Greyhounds relies on several stories which are fairly well-known to fill its contents. What remains unstated is the questionable actions undertaken during the roles of these proto-spies. Several notable spies from history are, likewise, omitted entirely.

A selection of fast-paced stories, a few text features, and a rather pedestrian board game don't make up for the fact that there are no strips included in this annual. It isn't all bad, as the excellent painted cover (with a remarkable likeness of McGoohan) and the prose material more than capture the style and tone of the television series. There's very little reference material available on this, and the lack of documentation regarding World's output makes it unlikely that much more will be forthcoming.

Danger Man Annual

[1967]