TV21 and Countdown/TV Action comics TV21 and Countdown/
TV Action comics

Graham Bleathman, Graeme Bassett
TV21
start datefinish dateissuesformatartist
Supercar
23 Jan '658 Jan '661 – 511½, 2 pages b&wToledano
Fireball XL5
23 Jan '6520 Feb '651 – 52 pages colourGraham Colon
27 Feb '6516 Oct '656 – 392 pages colourMike Noble
23 Oct '6513 Nov '6540 – 432 pages colourFrank Hampson
20 Nov '6510 Sep '6644 – 862 pages colourMike Noble
10 Sep '661 Oct '6687 – 892 pages colourEric Eden
8 Oct '6617 Dec '6690 – 1002 pages colourMike Noble
24 Dec '6614 Jan '67101 – 1042 pages b&wEric Eden
21 Jan '6711 Feb '67105 – 1081 page colourMike Noble
18 Feb '6723 Sep '67109 – 1401 page colourDon Lawrence
30 Sep 6730 Dec '67144 – 1541 page b&wColin Andrew
Stingray
23 Jan '6519 Feb '661 – 572 pages colourRon Embleton
26 Feb '6619 Mar '6658 – 612 pages colourGerry Embleton
26 Mar '6628 May '6662 – 712 pages colourRon Embleton
4 June '661 Oct '6672 – 892 pages colourGerry Embleton
8 Oct '6614 Jan '6790 – 1042 pages colourMichael Strand
21 Jan '6711 Feb '67105 – 1082 pages colourGerry Embleton
18 Feb '6723 Sep '67109 – 1402 pages colourMichael Strand
30 Sep '6711 Nov '67141 – 1472 pages b&wMichael Strand
18 Nov '679 Dec '67148 – 1512 pages b&wColin Andrew
16 Dec '6730 Dec '67152 – 1542 pages b&wMichael Strand
6 Jan '681 June '68155 – 1761½ pages b&wMichael Strand
8 June '6831 Aug '68177 – 1891½ pages b&wJon Davis
Lady Penelope
23 Jan '658 Jan '661 – 512 pages colourEric Eden
Thunderbirds
15 Jan '6616 April '6652 – 652 pages colour, 1 page b&wFrank Bellamy
23 April '6622 Oct '6666 – 922 pages colourFrank Bellamy
29 Oct '663 Dec '6693 – 982 pages colourDon Harley
10 Dec '666 Sep '6999 – 2422 pages colourFrank Bellamy
Thunderbirds Are GO!
24 Dec '6614 Jan '67101 – 1042 pages colourPhotostrip
Captain Scarlet & the Mysterons
30 Sep '6730 Dec '67141 – 1542 pages colourRon Embleton
6 Jan '6820 Jan '68155 – 157colour cover, 2 pages b&w, 4th page colourRon Embleton
27 Jan '6823 Mar '68158 – 166Mike Noble
30 Mar '6813 Apr '68167 – 169Keith Watson
20 Apr '6827 Apr '68170 – 171Don Harley
4 May '6822 June '68172 – 179Mike Noble
24 June '686 July '68180 – 181colour cover, 3 pages b&w (181 onwards)Keith Watson
13 July '6827 July '68182 – 184Mike Noble
3 Aug '6810 Aug '68185 – 186cover Frank Bellamy, interior Don Harley
17 Aug '6831 Aug '68187 – 189Mike Noble
7 Sep '6814 Sep '68190 – 191Keith Watson
21 Sep '6828 Sep '69192 – 193cover Frank Bellamy, interior Jim Watson
5 Oct '6819 Oct '69194 – 196Mike Noble
26 Oct '682 Nov '68197 – 198Jim Watson
9 Nov '6816 Nov '68199 – 200Keith Watson
23 Nov '6830 Nov '68201 – 202Jim Watson
7 Dec '6814 Dec '68203 – 204cover John Cooper, interior Jim Watson
21 Dec '6828 Dec '68205 – 206Keith Watson
4 Jan '6918 Jan '69207 – 209Jim Watson
25 Jan '69210cover Frank Bellamy, interior Jim Watson
1 Feb '69211cover John Cooper, interior Jim Watson
8 Feb '6924 May '69212 – 227Jim Watson
31 May '697 June '69228 – 2293 pages b&wJohn Cooper
14 June '692 Aug '69230 – 2373 pages b&wJim Watson
4 Aug '696 Sep '69238 – 2422 pages b&wJohn Cooper
Zero X
21 Jan '6715 July '67105 – 1302 pages colourMike Noble
22 Jul '6712 Aug '67131 – 1342 pages colourEric Eden
19 Aug '6730 Dec '67135 – 1542 pages colourMike Noble
6 Jan '6821 Sep '68155 – 1922 pages colourJim Watson
28 Sep '6819 Oct '69193 – 1962 pages colourF. Belsia
26 Oct '6830 Aug '69197 – 2412 pages colourMike Noble
Countdown/TV Action
start datefinish dateissuesformatartist
Fireball XLS
20 Mar '7156 pages b&wColin Page
20 Mar '71116 pages b&wRab Hamilton
8 May '7122 May '7112 – 142 pages b&wMalcom Stokes
3 July '71204½ b&wBrian Lewis
10 July '7111 Dec '7121 – 432 pages b&w (TV21 reprint reduced to one page)Mike Noble
1 July '7219 Aug '7172 – 792 pages b&w (TV21 reprint)Mike Noble
26 Aug '729 Sep '7280 – 822 pages b&w (TV21 reprint)Eric Eden
16 Sep '7226 Nov '7283 – 932 pages b&w (TV21 reprint)Mike Noble
2 Dec '726 Jan '7394 – 991 page b&w (TV21 reprint)Colin Andrew/Tony Kerr
Stingray
6 Mar '7136 pages b&wMichael Strand
27 Mar '711 May '716 – 112 pages b&wMichael Strand
15 May '71136 pages b&wColin Page
29 May '7110 July '7115 – 212 pages b&wRab Hamilton
17 July '71226 pages b&wBrian Lewis
24 July '71232 pages colour (TV21 reprint)Ron Embleton
31 July '7130 Oct '7124 – 372 pages b&w (TV21 reprint)Ron Embleton
6 Nov '7113 Nov '7138 – 392 pages colour (TV21 reprint)Ron Embleton
20 Nov '7125 Mar '7240 – 582 pages b&w (TV21 reprint)Ron Embleton
1 April '7215 April '7259 – 612 pages colour (TV21 reprint)Ron Embleton
22 April '7224 June '7262 – 712 pages b&w (TV21 reprint)Gerry Embleton
(erroneously credited as Don Harley)
Thunderbirds
20 Feb '7120 mar '711 – 52 pages b&wDon Harley
27 Mar '7165 pages b&wDon Harley
10 April '7115 May '718 – 132 pages b&wDon Harley
22 May '71145 pages b&wDon Harley
29 May '7124 July '7115 – 232 pages b&wDon Harley
31 July '7111 Sep '7124 – 302 pages b&w (TV21 reprint)Frank Bellamy
25 Dec '718 April '7245 – 602 pages b&wDon Harley
24 June '725 Aug '7271 – 772 pages colour (TV21 reprint)Frank Bellamy
Lady Penelope
13 Mar '7146 pages b&wFrank Langford
24 April '71106 pages b&wFrank Langford
19 June '71185 pages b&wMichael Strand
Captain Scarlet & the Mysterons
20 Feb '7112 pages b&wJohn Cooper
27 Feb '7120 mar '712 – 51 page b&wJohn Cooper
3 April '7176 pages b&wMalcom Stokes
29 May '71156 pages b&wBrian Lewis
26 June '71195 pages b&wMalcom Stokes
24 July '71235½ pages b&wMartin Asbury
4 Sep '71296 pages b&wMalcom Stokes
25 Sep '71326 pages b&wKeith Watson
16 Oct '71355 pages b&wBrian Lewis
29 April '7217 June '7263 – 702 pages colour (TV21 reprint)Ron Embleton
12 Aug '729 Sep '7278 – 822 pages colour (TV21 reprint)Ron Embleton
Zero X
8 May '71125 pages b&wKeith Watson
21 Aug '71276 pages b&wMalcom Stokes
16 Sep '726 Jan '7383 – 992 pages colour (TV21 reprint)Mike Noble
Joe90
27 Feb '713 April '712 – 71 page b&wJon Davis
10 April '7185 pages b&wJon Davis
5 June '71166 pages b&wMichael Strand
The Secret Service
27 Feb '7125 pages b&w (origin story)Jon Davis
13 Mar '713 April '714 – 71 page b&wPeter Ford

Publishing Notes

TV21

Colour
issues 1 – 161 (23 Jan '65 – 17 Feb '68, 20 pages)
covers, centre-spread, pages 4 and 5 and 16 and 17
except issues 92 and 97 (Oct 22, '66 and Nov 26, '66)
covers, centre-spread, pages 4 and 5 and 24 and 25 (28 page issues)
issues 162 – 180 (24 Feb '68 – 29 June '68, 20 pages)
covers, centre-spread, pages 4 and 16, 17
issues 181 – 242 (6 July '68 – 6 Sep '69, 20 pages)
covers, centre-spread, pages 16 and 17
Size1 – 161(23 Jan '65 – 17 Feb '68)14" x 10½" approx.
162 – 242(24 Feb '68 – 6 Sep '69)13" x 10½" approx.
Price: 7d.
Publisher: City Magazines/Century 21 Publishing Ltd.
Printing: Eric Penrose Ltd. – Photogravure

Countdown/TV Action

Issues 1 to 100 from 20 Feb '71 to 13 Jan '73
Issues 1 to 58 as Countdown (9" x 11⅞")
Issues 59 to 100 as TV Action (8⅞" x 12⅝")
24 Pages (8 colour, 16 b&w)
TV Action continued to be published until issue 132
after which it merged with TV Comic
Price: £0.05
Publisher: Polystyle Publications
Printing: Sun Printers Ltd.
listings originally appeared in Century21 #4 (TV21) & #10 (Countdown/TV Action)
content edited and limited to Supermarionation