Monday, 12 December 2016

1992: STINGRAY ISSUE 1 (FLEETWAY)

From October 1992: the first issue of the Fleetway STINGRAY comic, timed to coincide with reruns of the 1960s Gerry Anderson extravaganza on the BBC.

Most of the material was recycled from TV CENTURY 21, published in the late Sixties.

This, along with companion titles dedicated to CAPTAIN SCARLET and JOE 90, didn't fare as well as the runaway success of the THUNDERBIRDS title and they all eventually found themselves merged into one almighty Gerry Anderson megamix.


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59 comments:

  1. ed15 December 2016 at 12:19

    slow, just a quick heads up in case you missed it, the new issue of MARVEL FACT FILES has a lovely fold-out article on DEATH'S HEAD.


    Going by the previews catalogue, this title will now continue beyond issue 200.


    The uk STAR WARS REBELS comic appears to have quietly shuttered.


    today yields a bumper crop for DR WHO fans with the regular mag , a special and tales from the tardis all out together.


    ReplyDelete
  2. ed15 December 2016 at 18:57

    GOTHAM CENTRAL has now been rebooted as ALL-STAR BATMAN.

    ReplyDelete
  3. SLOW ROBOT15 December 2016 at 21:41

    Isn't the latest DW partwork die this week as well?

    ReplyDelete
  4. SLOW ROBOT15 December 2016 at 21:42

    Or even... DUE this week.

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  5. ed16 December 2016 at 11:33

    I'm not even sure if that partwork is still being published. There are no forthcoming releases listed in dr who mag.

    ReplyDelete
  6. SLOW ROBOT16 December 2016 at 17:38

    It was still being listed in PREVIEWS of I recall correctly. It would be a shame if it has been cancelled. The previous one was out a fortnight ago.

    Two new STAR WARS mags (both with alternate covers) on sale in WHS today. Plus the ROGUE ONE books.

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  7. ed17 December 2016 at 11:22

    the previous STAR WARS INSIDER was overdue so this new issue has come out very fast.


    Hopefully, my local bookshop will have some of those ROGUE ONE titles.

    ReplyDelete
  8. ed17 December 2016 at 16:09

    *** UPDATE ***


    just back from the shops and yes indeed, they had lots of ROGUE ONE goodies.


    I hadn't realised there was also a seperate one-shot mag called THE OFFICIAL COLLECTORS EDITION. Titan didn't do one of those for the force awakens.


    my local newsagents even had the Us Weekly special for rogue one as well as the sticker album.

    ReplyDelete
  9. SLOW ROBOT18 December 2016 at 00:07

    The new DOCTOR WHO COMPLETE HISTORY (four Troughton stories) was out as usual (with nothing to indicate its the last) along with the new STARBURST and the new issue of Titan's TREK magazine.

    Also out this week is a book about the 1964 New York Comicon and a new hardback edition of the excellent JN-T biography.

    There is also an ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY ROGUE ONE SPECIAL available via Amazon.

    ReplyDelete
  10. ed19 December 2016 at 12:18

    glad to hear you found the dr who part work , that must be the usa version of the TREK mag you got, it always come out ahead of the uk edition.

    PEOPLE magazine also have a rogue one special out so hopefully it will appear in the shops.

    The new JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE has a nice looking article on ACTION comic.

    ReplyDelete
  11. SLOW ROBOT20 December 2016 at 09:01

    I picked up a signed copy of the new HOOKJAW comic from Titan last week. I assume the article coincides with that.

    It seems like the STAR TREK GRAPHIC NOVEL PARTWORK has had a green light for a full national launch early in 2017. And, of course, there will be the TRANSFORMERS one as well.

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  12. ed21 December 2016 at 19:05

    just bought that HOOKJAW issue which also has an article at the back.


    The JUDGE DREDD mag also has an article on HOOKJAW plus material on ACTION and its infamous banned issue.


    A happy xmas to you slow and to all starloggers !

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  13. John Pitt23 December 2016 at 00:36

    Merry Xmas, Slow, Ed, Krusty, etc. and all Starloggers!

    ReplyDelete
  14. ed31 December 2016 at 14:34

    out now are part-works for both TRANSFORMERS and BACK TO THE FUTURE.


    Bingebox appears to have already ceased publication.


    Happy new year to all starloggers !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John Pitt1 January 2017 at 15:24

      Same to you, Ed, Slow, Krusty and all starloggers!

      Delete
    2. KlownKrusty8 January 2017 at 16:45

      Hey John,

      Thanks for the shout-out. Belated Happy New Year to you and the other regulars here, especially to Slow who runs the place and Ed who contributes so much background with his comments.

      Here's to a super Star Age 2017!

      Delete
    3. ed9 January 2017 at 12:45

      thanks for those kind words krusty, I hope you enjoy reading my comments as much as I enjoy writing them !

      Delete
  15. ed4 January 2017 at 10:54

    saw a tv ad for the star trek part - work so hopefully will be in the shops although a lot of stuff has been delayed by the xmas break.

    ReplyDelete
  16. ed4 January 2017 at 17:59

    also sighted - an ad for the build r2-d2 part-work so look out for that also.

    ReplyDelete
  17. SLOW ROBOT5 January 2017 at 00:10

    The STAR TREK PARTWORK landed today.

    I must admit I thought the BTTF one had been running for a while but I must have been shopping in a test region for that one. I did spot the R2-D2 one in Oxford last year when they were testing that.

    The TRANSFORMERS one is out and good stuff. Although the print quality has come in for some stick online. I think I will only but the volumes with 1980s material rather than collect them all.

    On the subject of STAR TREK: the second volume of the UK strip reprints appeared last week. It's expensive but a very nice package of hitherto rare material.

    ReplyDelete
  18. ed5 January 2017 at 17:46

    All of those part-works were in my shop today although too many to buy all at once, they always seem to come out at the start of the year.


    The poster with part one of transformers was superb.


    The new issue of MARVEL FACT FILES informs us that the series will now continue to number 250.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SLOW ROBOT5 January 2017 at 23:30

      It's funny. I looked at the current issue of FACT FILES today and wondered if it would end at 200. Adding another year is impressive. I stopped buying it over a year ago. I wonder if they will do the trational Marvel UK issue again this January?

      I noticed the horror mag SCREAM has secured distribution through WHS as of the current issue. Not my cup of tea but good for them.

      Delete
  19. SLOW ROBOT5 January 2017 at 23:33

    January is a key time for PARTWORK launches. People are - apparently - more inclined to start a new hobby in January (bordom? Cold dark evenings?) plus retailers have more shelf space and TV advertising is relatively cheap after the peak pre-Chistmas season.

    ReplyDelete
  20. ed6 January 2017 at 11:22

    there was a nice feature on DEATH'S HEAD in a recent issue of the fact files.


    Issue 199 came sealed with a binder and inside was the flyer informing us of the extended run.


    I've not seen an issue of SCREAM now for a good while. DARKSIDE is far superior.


    I usually only buy the first issue of any part-work as they are cheaper and have more material.


    I first read about the R2-D2 collection early last year so its taken this long to show up.


    did you manage to get any scanning done over the xmas period for the starlogged vaults ?

    ReplyDelete
  21. SLOW ROBOT6 January 2017 at 19:12

    Nope. No time for scanning. So the STARLOGGED digital vaults are a little sparse at the moment. But work is also hectic so I have less time to post anyway.

    Keep checking for updates as I have boxes of goodies for future posts...

    ReplyDelete
  22. ed7 January 2017 at 11:33

    sounds promising.

    I look forward to any future posts.

    ReplyDelete
  23. ed9 January 2017 at 12:41

    the new COMIC HEROES is due out tomorrow with articles on COMMANDO and 2000 AD.


    Here's a preview :


    https://issuu.com/futurepublishing/docs/chm30.issuu

    ReplyDelete
  24. ed11 January 2017 at 18:31

    pick of the week goes to a making of book on BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA.


    All very nice with some lovely photos but I still passed on it due to the steep price, far too high for such a slim book.


    And it doesn't help that FP mark up the price even higher.


    ReplyDelete
  25. SLOW ROBOT11 January 2017 at 21:37

    The new COMIC HEROES did indeed land on Tuesday. This week also seemed to mark distributors dumping warehouse stock of magazines back into stores. A recent issue of BACK ISSUE popped up again and the now-defunct FAMOUS MONSTERS from September last year suddenly popped up.

    The new issue of ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY has a choice of either George Michael or Carrie Fisher tribute covers. Nicely done.

    ReplyDelete
  26. ed12 January 2017 at 12:07

    Yes, I never know what is going to ' pop ' up on the shelves of FP. Only yesterday, I found the new CINEFEX and the recent dr who comic collection HIGHGATE HORROR. And FAMOUS MONSTERS is notorious for appearing out of the blue.


    If you see it, grab it, that's my motto.


    And the PEOPLE special on rogue one was on sale in my WH SMITH type store and well overdue.


    The new issue of EW looks very nice, however since I trawl the stores on Wendsday and a lot of these mags come out on Thursday, I usually don't buy them until the following week.

    ReplyDelete
  27. ed12 January 2017 at 19:17

    the new issue of DR WHO MAGAZINE comes polybagged with a lovely collection of vintage pertwee strips.

    ReplyDelete
  28. ed14 January 2017 at 11:59

    SCI-FI NOW has been reduced in size and is now published on a Friday instead of a Wednsday.

    ReplyDelete
  29. SLOW ROBOT14 January 2017 at 23:40

    I grabbed my copy on Thursday along with DWM so I didn't notice the new release date. Is it a permanent change or just down to the Christmas/ New Year period?

    I picked up the latest WHO PARTWORK hardback today and it appears to be still going strong. And an advance copy of the third TRANSFORMERS PARTWORK with a run of strips (in colour for the first time) hitherto only reprinted in the Titan digests. The other strength of this series looks like it will be the behind-the-scenes articles.

    Interesting to see DWM dip into the strip inventory they acquired for DWCC way back when. I wonder if this foreshadows more reprints. It always seems nuts that they have sat unloved for so long despite the show's renaissance.

    ReplyDelete
  30. ed16 January 2017 at 12:08

    At first, I also thought it was due to the xmas break but the next issue of SCI-FI NOW is also out on a Friday.


    and the new TOTAL FILM is due out tomorrow.


    Perhaps they will do a part-work for those WHO strips in the same way ?


    Even the trek uk strips were re-printed recently in book form and its a fair bet that some of those will turn up in the ongoing TREK part-work.

    ReplyDelete
  31. SLOW ROBOT16 January 2017 at 18:53

    The Trek partwork has included the British strips in their promotion and the editor of the IDW books has been asked to contribute supplementary material about the strips the partwork so it is a safe bet.

    ReplyDelete
  32. ed18 January 2017 at 18:43

    the new issue of JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE has an interview with Simon Furman about his latest comic plus the ongoing history of 2000ad.



    TALES FROM THE TARDIS appears to have been bumped back to a bi-monthly schedule , never a good sign.


    ReplyDelete
  33. ed25 January 2017 at 18:54

    the new BACK ISSUE was out today along with the latest STAR WARS EPIC collection, this time of the newspaper strips.

    ReplyDelete
  34. ed26 January 2017 at 12:18

    the new MARVEL FACT FILE has 2 pages on Captain UK who featured in the 80's run of Captain Britain.

    ReplyDelete
  35. SLOW ROBOT29 January 2017 at 15:51

    The STAR WARS strip collection is interesting. An odd hybrid of the original strips and the reworked stories that Dark Horse did for the CLASSIC STAR WARS run in the early 1990s. Nice to see Marvel publishing the hitherto unreprinted strips and not just taking the easy option with the DH work.

    IDW has also announced reprints of the SW newspaper strips - presumably as originally presented - for later this year.

    ReplyDelete
  36. ed31 January 2017 at 19:47

    some more star wars news here :


    http://www.jedinews.co.uk/literature/articles/new-look-star-wars-insider-magazine-coming-april/

    ReplyDelete
  37. ed1 February 2017 at 19:21

    a listing in the new PREVIEWS confirms this news.


    the new SFX has a nice article on 2000 AD which is about to publish a 40th anniversary special.


    The pick of this weeks offerings is an oversized hardback collection of HE-MAN newspaper strips. Good value in comparison with other recent volumes and only half the price of the trek uk collection. The high percentage of black and white pages could be a factor.

    ReplyDelete
  38. ed2 February 2017 at 11:34

    Captain Britain makes a rare appearance today in the new issue of AVENGERS ASSEMBLE ( uk ).

    ReplyDelete
  39. ed8 February 2017 at 18:52

    apparently, book 1 of the transformers collection was mis-printed the wrong size so it will now be re-printed free with book 7.



    on a more sombre note, earlier today I was browsing the battlestar galactica comic omnibus in FP while totally unaware that Richard Hatch, the original Apollo had just died.


    Rest in peace Captain.

    ReplyDelete
  40. KlownKrusty14 February 2017 at 08:43

    Hey Slow,

    Just wondered if everything's okay. It's been two months since you added an entry to this blog. Not complaining, you provide so much entertainment here for free and it is very much appreciated by me and others who visit. Just unusual to see such a large gap between entries.

    Hope all is well.

    ReplyDelete
  41. ed14 February 2017 at 18:39

    He did post here at the end of January :


    http://lewstringer.blogspot.ie/2017/01/back-in-print.html


    come back to us Slow, you are much missed.

    ReplyDelete
  42. ed15 February 2017 at 18:37

    out today :

    the new issue of ALTER EGO has some great articles on star wars comics from the 1970s. Some very rare stuff here.


    Two books on the 40th anniversary of 2000AD, both must reads.

    ReplyDelete
  43. SLOW ROBOT17 February 2017 at 22:14

    Hi there.

    Thanks for the updates.

    Apologies for the long break between posts... Work has been busy since before Xmas so I've not had a chance to post anything... Or scan anything either.

    Things might settle down soon so I'm hoping the regular service will resume then.

    ReplyDelete
  44. ed18 February 2017 at 11:15

    hey slow, great to hear from you.


    hopefully, you can start posting again soon.

    ReplyDelete
  45. ed20 February 2017 at 15:10

    apparently, STARBURST magazine is about to change format which could mean a larger size similar to GEEKY MONKEY.


    You can see my letter on rogue one in the latest issue.

    ReplyDelete
  46. ed22 February 2017 at 19:22

    as spring approaches, the new bookazines are starting to appear :


    SFX - 100 SCI-FI CHARACTERS, actually a slightly updated re-print of the first edition.


    THE ART OF FILM VOL 4 - a rogue one special.


    also out this week is the 2000 AD 40th anniversary special and very nice it is too with an insert ' primer ' for readers new to the comic.

    ReplyDelete
  47. ed23 February 2017 at 11:59

    GEEKY MONKEY has already changed its cover logo, not sure if that's a good or bad sign.

    ReplyDelete
  48. ed23 February 2017 at 12:52

    a very nice looking collection of m-uk star wars material is on the way, as seen here :



    http://www.jedinews.co.uk/literature/articles/marvel-comics-solicitations-may-2017/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KlownKrusty23 February 2017 at 16:54

      That cover is etched in my memory. I think it was the back page poster to Star Wars Weekly #3, which was the first issue I got.

      Similar contents to the Dark Horse "Wild Space Vol 1" collection from a few years ago, but good to have this stuff kept in print.

      I really enjoyed the Chris Claremont-penned "extra" issues of the US title that only saw print in the UK. They were presumably intended for US printing, but The Empire Strikes Back arrived before they could be run and its changes to the main characters upset that applecart!

      Delete
  49. ed23 February 2017 at 18:44

    those Claremont stories were in fact printed in the usa as two paperbacks which slow previously covered here :



    http://starlogged.blogspot.ie/2015/08/1982-star-wars-world-of-fire-marvel.html



    it got really weird during the ESB monthly era when alan moore was writing stories.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KlownKrusty23 February 2017 at 19:27

      Yup, I have World of Fire. Previously mentioned on this very blog how my mint condition copy was torn in a house move. The pain is still with me!

      Moore's SW stories were hit and miss. His first--"Tilotny Throws a Shape"--is great, a smart science fiction tale.

      Delete
  50. Paul24 February 2017 at 13:23

    Hi, hope all is well? Will you return? Star logged is my favourite blog and I miss it!

    ReplyDelete
  51. SLOW ROBOT26 February 2017 at 22:04

    STARLOGGED will return eventually. I'm looking forward to posting more bits and bobs.

    The Marvel UK STAR WARS HARDBACK sounds jolly good. Although the $100 asking price will probably equate to around £100 given the current exchange rate. Bummer.

    ReplyDelete
  52. ed1 March 2017 at 19:15

    this weeks offerings include a nice re-print of star trek gold key issues. Three stories plus an article and cover gallery.



    those stories will be very familiar to anyone who had the uk trek annuals from the 1970s.

    ReplyDelete
  53. ed2 March 2017 at 12:40

    the m-uk title AVENGERS ASSEMBLE has now been re-named MARVEL HEROES.


    as seen here :


    http://www.newsstand.co.uk/108-Primary-Boys-Magazines/11029-Subscribe-to-MARVEL-HEROES-Magazine-Subscription.aspx


    ReplyDelete