Terrahawks Annual 1985

[1984] Annual. Original price £2.95.
64 pages. Full colour contents.
World International Publishing Limited

Authorised edition based on the popular Television series.

Photo cover (uncredited).

ISBN-10: 0 7235 6715 8

Contents:

 2 Endpaper photo montage (uncredited).

 4 Contents Page photo illustration.

 5 Revenge of the Dinosaurs text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

12 The Zero Chronicles text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

14 When Earth is Enslaved w: UNKNOWN (uncredited), a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

20 The Zero Chronicles text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

22 Destination Sun text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

29 The Ga-Ga Bug text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

37 Hiro's Brain Busters text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

38 Beauty and the Beast w: UNKNOWN (uncredited), a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

44 The Zero Chronicles text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

46 The Curse of the Mummy text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

53 Dr. Ninestein's Nightmare text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

54 The Void that Time Forgot text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

62 Terrahawk Ticklers jokes by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

A much slighter annual in some respects than the 1984 annual, though this feels more artistically cohesive. The art is ust as off-model as before, but slightly more attention has been paid to the work. It isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, yet the appeal of the characters and the setting is beginning to grow on me. Chalk it up to Stockholm syndrome.

Gerry Anderson fashioned a rather poor step-cousin to his classic works with Terrahawks. No matter how much time talented creators might have expended on crafting something which actually entertains, this annual was never going to equal the visual splendour or thematic cohesiveness of Captain Scarlet strips. Yes, I hate myself a little for being so hard on this, but I wanted so much more.

1984

Terrahawks Annual

Terrahawks Annual 1984

[1983] Annual. Original price NA.
64 pages. Full colour & duotone.
World International Publishing Limited.

Authorised edition based on the popular Television series from Anderson Burr Pictures.

Photo cover (uncredited).

ISBN-10: 0 7235 6697 6

Contents:

 2 Endpaper photo montage (uncredited).

 4 Contents Page photo illustration.

 5 The Story So Far... text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 6 Personnel Profile Doctor 'Tiger' Ninestein text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 7 Enemy Intelligence Data Zelda text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 8 Idol Boasts! story by UNKNOWN; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

14 Enemy Intelligence Data Zelda's Fleet text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

15 Enemy Intelligence Data UNTITLED photograph (uncredited).

16 Personnel Profile Mary Falconer text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

17 Personnel Profile Hawkeye text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

18 Sergeant Major Hero text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

21 The Terrahawks 'Ten Code' (half page) text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

25 Personnel Profile Hiro text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

26 Personnel Profile Kate Kestrel text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

27 Sting Attack! story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

33 Ninestein's Big Drop! w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

37 Hardware Specification Hudson - Ninestein's Roller text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

38 Ninestein Vs. Ninestein story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

43 Hardware Specification The Terrahawk text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

44 The Golden Skeleton Invasion w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

48 Battlehawk photo pin-up (uncredited).

49 Hardware Specification Battlehawk text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

50 Personnel Profile Space Sargeant 101 text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

51 Personnel Profile Zero text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

52 Hardware Specification The Hawkwing text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

53 The Shrink story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

59 Hardware Specification The Treehawk text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

60 Hardware Specification The Spacehawk text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

61 Hardware Specification The Battletank text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

62 Terrahawks Chronology text feature by UNKNOWN, photo illustration.

64 The Terrahawk photo (uncredited).

It is the Earth year 2020.

Alien spaceships approach the planet Mars.

The NASA Expedition HQ is spectacularly destroyed.

Androids have journeyed from the planet Guk, in the galaxy of Alpha Centauri. Their witch-like commander, Zelda, sets up her base on Mars and lays plans for the invasion of Earth... and the destruction of the human race.

Alerted by the first Alien Attack in 2017, the UN High Command appoint Doctor 'Tiger' Ninestein to devise and establish an elite international fighting force to defend the world against the unknown aggressors.

This small, dedicated team is called TERRAHAWKS, and comprises: Doctor 'Tiger' Ninestein, Captain Mary Falconer, Captain Kate Kestrel, Lieutenant Hiro, Lieutenant Hawkeye, Sergeant Major Zero, Space Sergeant 101 and... the Zeroids.

From their secret base somewhere in South America they develop their sophisticated weaponry and prepare for the battles to come.

Can TERRAHAWKS defeat Zelda and save the Earth from destruction?

The precis from The Story So Far... covers everything you really need to know about the series - any similarities to UFO, Captain Scarlet, Thunderbirds, or any other Gerry Anderson series, is entirely down to the style of his writing. This is a very different kind of series, and not as satisfying as it should be - the look of the characters is unappealing, the ships are painfully generic, and the hook of Zelda being a witch is an uneasy fit.

It isn't that this is a poor tie-in to an excellent series, it is merely an adequate tie-in to an utterly disappointing series. Had there been an effort made to correct some of the deficiencies of its source material I would look upon the annual with much more affection, but nothing here stands out. Even images taken from the series look rather weak when compared to photographs of Thunderbirds models in the sixties.

Masters of the Universe Annual 1986

[1985] Annual. Original price £3.25.
64 pages. Full colour contents.
World International Publishing Ltd.

Cover by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

ISBN-10: 0723567514

Contents:

 2 Masters of the Universe painted endpaper (uncredited).

 4 Title Page / Contents / Indicia

 5 By the Power of Grayskull text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 8 The Song of the Sea text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

17 The Witches of the Western Hills text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

25 The Stealing of Teela text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

36 The Unwelcome Guest w: (uncredited); a: (uncredited).

42 Silvanos Threatened text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

62 The Masters Wordsearch wordsearch; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

With only one comic strip (and a rather poor one, at that), this isn't the best showcase of the characters. From the cover artwork, with a rough approximation of the characters, to the numerous prose stories, there is a feeling that the title was rather rushed - of course, the stories are well crafted and interesting, which salvages a great deal of the annual, though there is a definite imbalance present.

Regarding the stories, there are some fine illustrations, but none of the artwork really feels as if it is from the same pool of talent as the comics, which makes squaring these with the continuity there rather difficult. More cohesive ties between the annuals and the comics could have made this an essential purchase, though it is hard to imagine this appealing to younger readers.

1985

Masters of the Universe

1987

"CHiPs" Annual 1982

[1981] Annual. Original price £2.25.
64 pages. Colour & B&W contents.
World International Publishing Ltd.

Based on the US television series starring Larry Wilcox and Erik Estrada.

Photo cover (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 "CHiPs" illustration by Paul Crompton (uncredited).

 4 Contents; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited)

 5 How Much Do You Know About CHiPs? quiz.

 6 Fruits of Evil text story (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

12 Life in the U.S.A. text feature (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

14 Do You Speak CB? text feature (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

16 Accidents Will Happen text story (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

24 Life in the U.S.A. text feature (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

26 Watch the SKies text story (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

33 It's a Dog's Life text feature (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

34 Life in the U.S.A. text feature (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

36 Home Ground text story (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

41 To the Moon Again? text feature (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

42 Escort text story (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

49 Super Simple Snacks recipes; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

50 Larger Than Life! text feature (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

54 Life in the U.S.A. text feature (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

56 All Kinds of Bikes text feature (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

57 The Drugs Run text story (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

62 A Crash-Course in Action! text feature (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

There's something inherently cool about motorcycles, and CHiPs makes a decent stab at capturing the feel of the television series. Aside from the amazing illustrations, clever stories, and non-fiction pieces, there are also recipes for savory stuffed potatoes and Baker's butterscotch sauce. This attempt to cover all the bases is only undermined by the lack of a traditional comic strip, but given that there is so much great content, this omission provokes only the smallest gripe.

Original non-fiction pieces - which World did so well - are truly exceptional in this book. The numerous Life in the USA pieces are wonderfully informative without being dry, and the final article in the annual on the creation of the television show manages to be more insightful than usual. Without elaborating too much on the artwork, this is one of the best annuals not reliant on strips as its main selling point. I was rather surprised at the revelation that the show began as a comedy, so even if you are a long-time fan of the series there's something keep you entertained.

1981

"CHiPs" Annual

1983

Terrahawks

1983-1984 (2 annuals)
World International Publishing

Terrahawks Annual 1984
Terrahawks Annual 1985

Other Books:

Terrahawks: Rainy Day Book (Purnell; 1984) Cover price 99p.

Terrahawks: Bumper Colouring (Purnell; 1984) Cover price 50p. [circles cover]

Terrahawks: Bumper Colouring (Purnell; 1984) Cover price 50p. [white background]

Terrahawks: Mystic Pencil (Purnell; 1984) magic pencil book A

Terrahawks: Mystic Pencil (Purnell; 1984) magic pencil book B

Terrahawks Storybook (Purnell; 1984)

Playmates Book Series (Cover price 60p)

nn Terrahawks: From Here to Infinity (Purnell; 1984)
nn Terrahawks: Happy Made Day (Purnell; 1984)
nn Terrahawks: Space Samurai (Purnell; 1984)
nn Terrahawks: Thunder Roar (Purnell; 1984)

Square Book Series (Cover price 75p) *

nn Terrahawks: Close Call (Purnell; 1984)
nn Terrahawks: The Gun (Purnell; 1984)
nn Terrahawks: The Ugliest Monster of All (Purnell; 1984)
nn Terrahawks: The Sporilla (Purnell; 1984)

Novels:

Terrahawks novelisation by Jack Curtis (1984)

* also available as Listen & Read book and cassette sets.