k OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE TRACY ISLAND CHRONICLES MARCH-APRIL 2012 easter!!! a great big HELLO from NEW STORIES ON > NED COOK! RICOCHET The Management (you know, EPISODE SYNOPSIS #31 those women in… oh, forget it…) lee TIC! decided it would be a great idea if We start our episode with a long slow pan WWW.TRACYISLANDCHRONICLES.COM I did a special NTBS Easter broadcast live from the Central City Zoo. You know the drill — hand across an empty tarmac just before the out Easter eggs, charm the children (and their launching of TELSAT4. Inside the CHRYSEXANTHE’S STORY: PERFECTION mothers). Oh, and also cover the opening of administration building, handsome Mr Fortunately for O’Shea and Lohmann, Tin- the new gorilla enclosure. So, armed with Power sits forlornly at his automated launch Tin’s been hovering over the television and Looking at him watching us fills me with chocolate goodies for the kiddies (some of station waiting out the last four hours of the alerts the movers and shakers at International such warmth. His hair mussed from which I stuffed in my pockets for later), me, launch, while several thousand miles away, Rescue to their plight. Jeff quickly despatches sleep, his broad chest, which I love to Joe and Trixie headed off to the zoo. another handsome man with a bit more the team: Virgil and Brains in Thunderbird snuggle against. I can almost see his Followed by hordes of swooning mothers (I power is also keeping his eye on the Two – their job will be too shoot down the fingers twitching as he watches us, always have that effect on women) and hordes proceedings. We find Jeff Tracy perched aching to capture this scene. I know he of screaming kids (Joe thinks I have an entirely satellite as it re-enters the atmosphere; and different effect on children), and a screaming rakishly on his desk, loudly bemoaning the Scott and Alan in Thunderbird Three to is memorizing every detail to be fact that automation has taken all the fun Trixie (who had suddenly decided I looked like rescue the occupants of KLA. sketched when he is more awake. a giant strawberry Snapple), we entered the out of life. He’s about to launch into one if As Thunderbird Three approaches KLA, Alan new gorilla enclosure to begin the broadcast. his famous reminiscences about the early advises O’Shea to open the outer airlock door. Have you read a work of That’s when things got a little crazy. days of space travel when he’s interrupted He then spacewalks (untethered!) over to the My last coherent memories of that day are of by Miss Tin-Tin Kyrano and her portable Thunderbirds fanfiction that you satellite and rescues the wilted Lohmann from think should be included on the a wailing Trixie giving my hair a last-minute television set, which is currently blaring the airlock, advising O’Shea to suit up before Tracy Island Chronicles? fluff, and the zoo superintendent, Ms Marla ‘Michel and the Asteroids’ direct from pirate he returns. Unfortunately O’Shea turns out to Contact our selection panel Mathers, introducing me to the zoo’s tame television satellite KLA. Tin-Tin is unashamedly be a total wuss and panics. Consequently Alan via email gorilla, Makoko… who turned out be a lusty besotted by KLA’s ‘minty’ host, Rick O’Shea returns to a quivering mess too paralysed with and let us know! female with an eye for news reporters in pink. (cue the sound effects), much to Alan’s fear to help himself, and with both satellite When Makoko dove for my groin I fairly undisguised disgust. Turning to Brains for blacked out, so what happened next, dear KLA and Thunderbird Three locked into a readers, has been reconstructed for the support in the face of Tin-Tin’s overwhelming rapidly decaying orbit, Alan is forced to make obsession, Alan receives a response so inquest via Joe’s shaky camera footage. a hard decision. As Makoko clapped her giant simian hands on classically Aspergers it would put Sheldon Quite how hard we will have to wait to find my waistband and ripped my NTBS-issue Cooper of the Big Bang Theory to shame. out, for meanwhile, Virgil and Brains have trousers clean off my hips, Ms Mathers can be Ignoring the bickering over Rick O’Shea’s discovered that the incoming satellite is heard reassuring the screaming mothers and handsomeness or lack thereof, Jeff continues headed directly for the largest oil refinery on children (and Trixie) that Makoko was only his lecture, taking off on a tangent and vilifying the planet. Of course. being curious. In my delirious state I had the irresponsible pilots of pirate satellites. It’s Assuming that O’Shea and Lohmann are out somehow managed to cover my curiosities, not long before his predictions are made and can be seen on the video cowering behind of the satellite. Virgil and Brains are preparing a polystyrene rock. Makoko, as it turns out, reality, as back in Mr Power’s office, the to shoot the incoming space junk out of the automated launch of TELSAT4 has gone was more interested in my pants pockets than sky when suddenly the satellite’s transmitters in me – well, the easter eggs I’d stuffed in horribly wrong. Advised by his supervisor to burst into life. Understanding this to mean them before I’d left the office. abort the mission, Mr Power contacts the that O’Shea is still aboard the station, they The last thing visible on the footage is Makoko International Space Control (ISC) to alert them find they can’t bring themselves to shoot him with her great gorilla lips covered in of the danger, and they provide him with the down in cold blood. Unable to contact Base STORY CHALLENGE chocolate, and my pants being waved coordinates of a ‘safe’ (ie, empty) place in for advice (Thunderbird Five is still off the air), triumphantly over her head. There’s also the space in which to blow the rocket up. they wrack their brains for a solution, finally ‘OUTSIDE LOOKING IN’ unmistakeable sound of Joe sniggering, As you can imagine, the ISC are unaware of deciding to simply knock the satellite off Authors are asked to take any original although he somewhat predictably denies it! the movements of pirate satellites, and the course. It will still crash, and O’Shea will still Thunderbirds episode, or part of an location they choose for the destruction of be dead, but the refinery will be saved along episode, and rewrite it from the point TELSAT4 happens to be the same area that with their consciences. of view of someone outside the action. satellite KLA is passing through. The rocket Bringing Thunderbird Two into alignment It can be a news reporter, a victim, a blows up a few hundred metres from satellite with the satellite, Virgil attempts to knock it THIS ISSUE: bystander’s point of view, or even a Hello from Ned Cook...... 1 KLA, ripping a hole in the side and kicking it off course using one of TB2’s wings. After minor character from the episode into a crash dive for Earth. several heart-stopping false starts Episode Synopsis...... 1 itself, as long as that person is in no PennySpy’s Episode Guide...... 3 Inside the satellite, O’Shea and Lohmann (a accompanied by some stimulating bongo way pivotal to the action. media partnership that puts Ned and Joe to drums, Virgil finally hooks the wing under the Thunderbirds the Comic...... 7 shame), pick themselves up from the floor and satellite, only to discover that the two craft Challenge entries must be kept to a Thunderbirds comes to TV21...... 9 scratch their heads in consternation. Despite are now jammed together and headed for 10,000 word maximum limit and are Brit Sci-Fi Event Report...... 12 the incident, O’Shea proposes to continue on certain dooooom! due NO LATER THAN Monday June 18 Mr Bondon’s Briefcase ...... 14 as though nothing had happened. Lohmann, Fortunately the satellite breaks free at the 2012, midnight US Pacific time. Stories Article: Canon to the right...... 15 however, is disturbed enough to cut last minute, crashing to the ground as, job should be emailed as an MS Word transmission and go outside to survey the done, TB2 takes off for Base. Down-faced (.doc) or Rich Text Format (.rtf) file to FICTION: Boogeyman...... 17 damage. He’s outside for a total of three because they were unable to save O’Shea, [email protected]. minutes before he discovers the satellite is Virgil and Brains return home to find Alan and Entrants will be posted via the TIWF completely screwed and attempts to re-enter Scott laughing gaily in the lounge with Tin- YahooGroups list from Wednesday via the airlock. Unfortunately though, the Tin and Jeff. Soon discovering that O’Shea had June 20. inner door is jammed, leaving Lohmann indeed been saved and that the broadcast STAFF: If you have questions or need further Contributing Editor - trapped in the airlock with a dwindling supply they heard must have been automated, their clarification, you can contact us at Samantha Winchester of oxygen. Panicked and with a radio too attention is diverted by Tin-Tin’s portable TV [email protected]. damaged to call for help, O’Shea reactivates and O’Shea broadcasting his thanks to the Contributing Editor - GillyLee the television transmission beacon to send out world. It escapes no-one’s attention that Format & Contributing Editor - Lee a call for help. O’Shea is sporting an enormous shiner, and Contributing Editor - MCJ Just as well, too, because even if his radio had everybody can guess how he got it. Original Concept - LMC been working, there was nobody out there to Remember that hard decision that Alan had TRACY ISLAND hear him. Thunderbird Five is out of action, to make earlier? Well, that’s how hard it was. Virgil and Brains having dropped off a new As hard as a fist in the side of Rick O’Shea’s module for John and Gordon to install. head. WRITER’S FORUM If you like the sound of CONTACT our story Challenges [email protected] and aren’t a member, how about joining the TIWF Yahoo! Group? It's fast, easy and FREE! GO TO: http: groups.yahoo. com/ group Tracy_Island_WF/ m

1 NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! MARCH-APRIL 2012 think you might need to find a new girlfriend. Just be sure to keep her away from the from your brothers. And piano players. John desk of Dear John, My name is Chip and one night I went Mrs to a tropical island and met everybody from International Rescue. Next day I told my Dad but he said it must have DirtydollarDirtydollar been a dream. I don’t think it was a dream, because in the morning I had Dear Ms Dirtydollar - I created these particular characters for gravy stains on my pyjamas and my hair smelled like cigars. I told my friend I recently read a story by MCJ entitled "Dear John" for two reasons. I wanted them to complement the personalities of Tommy and he said I must have been 'Dear John' and I was very impressed abducted by aliens because his cousin with the realism and heart-stopping Tin-Tin, Gordon and John as things got worse for them, and also to discipline Jimmy got abducted by aliens and when tension that the author brought to the Jimmy came back he had lipstick in his story. I wonder if you could ask MCJ myself not to allow any other established hair. Jimmy didn’t have anything on his TB character to outshine them as the EACH ISSUE JOHN ANSWERS to tell us about her inspiration - where QUERIES FROM HIS READERS pyjamas because he doesn’t wear did she get the idea from, why did she story progressed. It was hard to find a pyjamas, but his girlfriend wasn’t happy balance in the opening scene with Jeff choose such a dangerous disease, why about the lipstick. She doesn’t think sparring with Bryson to be allowed to use Dear John, she used the Thunderbirds characters aliens wear lipstick, and neither do I the USAMRIID facility. The aim of that The other day I found out that while I that were highlighted in the story, because I don’t think aliens have lips. scene had been to use Jeff and Bryson's was away on 'business' recently, my But if Tommy’s cousin says they do then where did the inspiration for her power struggle to construct the platform girlfriend had entertained two of my I should believe him because my Dad original characters come from, and on which I could build up feelings of brothers in her bedroom. At the same says I should listen to adults. But how how much research she had to do to tension and dread for the reader. I felt I time! She said they were only listening come my Dad won’t listen to me? What ensure that the story was grounded in achieved it with the closing line "because to the radio, but I have my doubts. When should I do, because now my Dad’s reality. Oh, and any tips about how to two of them are my sons," but it could I returned home, she and a family friend sending me to a special doctor. What bring tension to a story would be very took themselves off to some swanky ski do you think? have been a disaster. I kept all the other resort. By the time I got there, she was Chip much appreciated! established characters' involvement to a flirting with the piano player. And he was Dear Chip, minimum after that! As the story unfolded flirting back! Do you think I need to be MCJ says: I made a real effort to use Bryson and worried? I think aliens don’t have lips either. Magetti's interactions with John, Gordon Concerned John Thanks very much for the compliment, Ms DD. It's such a buzz for me to hear and Tin-Tin as the catalyst to escalate the Dear Concerned, that "Dear John" was considered tension- tension. It worked for me really well. Are you sure this is your girlfriend? Are you DO YOU KNOW A filled, yet realistic. Realism has always However, I saved the most crucial and sure you haven't got her mixed up with, THUNDERBIRDS CHARACTER been one of my goals when writing say, I don't know, a liberal swinger with a powerful line of the story for the scene taste for piano players and the odd WITH A PROBLEM? because it has the capacity to unlock so where we read about Gordon's reactions many varying emotions in a reader. ménage a trios? To answer your question: If so, why not write a Dear John letter on their behalf? to continuing solitary confinement. The no, I don't think you need to be worried. I I have to admit "Dear John" emerged line where he realises his nose is bleeding [email protected] from a very shaky beginning. The ficswap wrote itself and it scared me to death. request that led to the story originally When I felt fear myself, I knew I'd Think you know who’s going to open their mouth next? asked for a hurt/comfort story featuring achieved what I'd set out to do. If I could Send your caption to TIC Mobile Control and the winning the characters of Gordon, Tin-Tin and believe there was a risk that Gordon caption will appear in the next issue of the NTBS NEWSFLASH! John. Given my enthusiasm (or should I might die I felt that a reader might just [email protected] believe it, too. But as an author it was LOLBIRDS say lack of it) for standard hurt-comfort stories, I wanted to jump in front of the like standing on the edge of a cliff with nearest bus. I felt that the only thing there nowhere to go. It was hard writing the was to write in this situation was the usual rest of the story after that. piece with Tin-Tin getting "hurt" by one I did receive some criticism for "Dear brother and the other one doing all the John" for not spelling everything out, "comforting." I hate writing "usual pieces." particularly from those who felt I should So I began to ask myself a number of cross the t's and dot the i's when it came questions. How could I approach this to the fate of Thunderbird Two. I am not request from a unique and different and never will be a textbook writer perspective? Would it work if all of the because I like to keep my options open characters got "hurt" and I created the for sequels and because sometimes I like feeling in the reader that they were the to leave a reader wondering. I also ones needing all the comforting? It received some wonderful and very seemed like an ideal project for me but humbling compliments from those who my problem was that I didn't have a clue wanted to read more about my original how I could hurt the characters and still characters James Bryson and Maria invoke those feelings in the readers. The Magetti (I laughed when someone solution finally came after I watched the suggested that they'd be good secret end of a documentary on USAMRIID and agents for IR - good plan!!!). For me that the work it does to contain viruses that was the ultimate reward for a lot of hard can be used in biological warfare. Before work and one of the reasons I like to think last months winning caption by Cameron Stewart I knew it, I was on the internet I am improving as I continue on my ’ researching the Ebola virus and with only writing journey. two weeks left before the challenge entry Thank you for asking me for my thoughts was due I had the images in my head for on "Dear John!" Good luck to everyone "Dear John." with their TB writing. The writing then began in earnest. You can find ‘Dear John’ in Before I continue I would like to say that Thunderbird Two’s Hangar at the I love the challenge of creating original Tracy Island Chronicles: http:// characters. Unlike the established www.tracyislandchronicles.com/tb2/ characters you can mould them into mcj/marg_dearjohn.html whatever you want and use them to enhance your plotline. Both the challenge and the final versions Do you have a burning question you'd of "Dear John" contained two original like to ask one of the authors on the characters; one who was at first faceless Tracy Island Chronicles? and nameless (and later developed into Email it to Mobile Control the microbiologist Captain Maria Magetti), ([email protected]) and the other the intrepid Colonel James Mr Bondson's secretary, Mrs Bryson MD, USAMRIID Commander Dirtydollar, will use any method and the closest this story was going to necessary (nothing is above her, folks) get to a "bad guy." to get the answer. Jeff had his suspicions for some time, and now they were confirmed. Scott needed glasses.

2 NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! MARCH-APRIL 2012 PENNYSPY’S THUNDERBIRDS EPISODE GUIDE 25: THE CHAM-CHAM Mysterious music plays. Inside a lushly decorated They’re even listening to the trendy tune on Tracy Island, Meanwhile, Jeff wants the Paradise Peaks Hotel apartment room, the camera slides past a smallish grand where it distracts Scott from poring over some blueprints investigated, and he knows “just who to send there.” piano (not Virgil’s), revealing a snowy background with Jeff in the Tracy lounge, and Virgil is shushed when Wild guess? outside, and over to a large machine that takes up most he opens the bedroom door on Gordon and Tin-Tin (who Lady Penelope is in her flower bower at the back of the of the end wall. It’s bulky and coated in important- are only chatting, people). Also, niftiest of all, it’s playing mansion, enjoying a gloriously sunny day. She chills out looking flashing lights that blink in time with beeps and up on Thunderbird Five, keeping John and Alan company. with a magazine while hundreds of butterflies flitter other computery noises. The title card ‘The Cham Cham’ Alan comments that he hopes Tin-Tin is listening as “she comes up over it. Intriguing. paround the roses. Parker brings her “tea on the lawn” really digs this number.” Very cute. The song gets a and he enquires if he might have the h’afternoon (sic) Immediately afterwards, a dash of ‘March of the Oysters’ strangely emphatic “Yeah, it’s great,” from John. Right off to “take Cook out for a punt.” Er….nope, not even as introduces a US Air Force base, where a sign reads sternly then a mayday goes up from the RTL2 we saw a minute innocent as it sounds. Penelope immediately agrees to ‘Positively No Admittance.’ A large RTL2 transporter ago. The captain alerts their central control at Matthews the proposal and he toddles off to “change into plane tracks onto the runway at the base, observed by Field that they’re under attack “from three fighters with something more suitable.” Sadly, his punting plans are two men in the tower above. This episode is peppered oval markings” (perhaps it’s the notorious state of about to get dashed. Penelope’s radio teapot peeps into with previously used characters …the commander is Bereznik?) and there’s a close up on these red markings life, and Jeff tells her all about the investigation into the played by (although clearly isn’t) the belligerent Colonel as the foreign fighters blast the carrier plane, until the crashed “rocket transporters,” requesting her assistance. Lambert from ‘The Imposters’ (maybe this is his RTL2’s radio goes dead. Relief aircraft launch from He wants her to go to Switzerland to investigate the brother?), and his companion, named Scheiler here, is Matthews Field as the RTL2 nosedives, flames pouring played by one of the luckless men working at the BT “cabaret act” at Paradise Peaks. Lady P is surprised at the from its side. We don’t really hear if anyone made it, but tower in ‘Edge of Impact.’ As the RTL2 taxis onto the connection but agrees and says she’ll get Parker to arrange it seems unlikely. runway, they confirm that all security systems are the flight. “operational” so there “shouldn’t be a thing to worry On Tracy Island a little while later, Virgil is playing a gentler Poor Parker is all dressed up for a leisurely afternoon, about.” The commander mutters that that’s “what we remix of ‘Dangerous Game’ on the piano while Scott singing happily about “Jolly boatin’ weather” and thought last time” and adds, “we were wrong.” So it’s stands nearby and listens. Alan and Tin-Tin are sitting anticipating that Cook will be “like putty in me ’ands” jinxed? The plane begins takeoff and Sheiler comments together on the sofa, although Alan is distractedly when she sees him in the outfit. Gulp. Then his that she “looks good.” The commander grumpily asserts wondering “if it was a coincidence.” He tells a confused communicator buzzes. Penelope tells him they’re off on that her “contours” aren’t of interest, only the success Tin-Tin that just before the RTL2 plane crashed, Radio a “mission” and asks him about his “connections” in show of the operation matters. The RTL2 crew have been Maxwell was playing ‘Dangerous Game.’ Scott, business. given some sealed orders which they open up, and once eavesdropping slightly, butts in with “So what? They Playful music now as the scene changes to a sign on a they know where to “deliver the goods” they set their must’ve played that tune a million times on the radio course, while having a “final word” with “the old man.” building that says “International Artistes Management the past month.” Unruffled, Alan notes that the song Ltd.” Uh huh. Inside the building, a shady looking agent, They chat to the tower commander, who reminds them played the last two times before, again just before the named Maxie (played by film producer Bletcher from that their only danger comes from enemy aircraft plane crashed, and it was a live version on each ‘Martian Invasion’) exclaims “Wanda Lamour! Who the knowing their location. The commander orders radio occurrence. Jeff dryly notes, “That was pretty observant heck is Wanda Lamour?” He’s talking to Parker, who insists silence when they’ve “levelled out,” except in an of you.” Awww, the little-seen Jeff-snark. Nice. that Wanda is a “very provocative” singer. It’s clear that “extreme emergency,” and then he wishes them luck. RTL2’s Captain Savage says he’ll be glad when they’ve Tin-Tin refuses to believe that the Cass Carnaby Five he and this dodgy agent (who’s American) go way back. delivered this “little cargo” and there are some serious have anything to do with the plane crashing “business,” Maxie calls Parker ‘Nosey’ and protests he can’t just send looking rockets in the carrier. As the plane lifts off, the but Jeff seems intrigued by the theory of a connection. “a singer I’ve never even heard of” to Paradise Peaks. two men in the tower watch anxiously. Radio Maxwell He asks where the band are now. Virgil, who you’d Parker proceeds to blackmail him by name-dropping a plays a live broadcast from a radio within the plane as expect to keep tabs on these things, tells him they’re fella called “Punch Patterson,” who Maxie seems to be they fly. The song is called ‘Dangerous Game,’ played by playing at Paradise Peaks. Scott expositions that this is hiding from in the UK. With a promise not to mention the hot new band ‘The Cass Carnaby Five’, and everyone that “super-deluxe hotel” way up in the Alps. Jeff asks Maxie’s present location to ‘Mr Punchy,’ Parker had better get used to it now as it’s going to be playing Brains what he thinks of Alan’s idea, and Brains says he’ll successfully lands the little-known Wanda Lamour a gig ALL episode long. Then again, luckily it is a very cool get John to send him a recording of the live broadcast to at Paradise Peaks. Choosing to look on the bright side, song. analyse. And here I thought home-taping was illegal? Maxie asks, “Is she blonde or brunette?”

3 NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! MARCH-APRIL 2012 A large show poster proclaims, “In Person Wanda throat trouble” to avoid doing any of that. Tin-Tin likes A bit put out that her interrogation technique has failed, Lamour” and shows a brunette lady in a slinky blue dress. the cover story as it will give them a chance to “get on Penelope retreats to the bar, where she’s delighted to It’s all a bit Blue Velvet, to be honest, Lynch fans. This is with their investigations.” Having decided on a plan, they spot Parker there working as “a bouncer,” although it of course Lady P in a cunning disguise, which involves a now arrive at the swanky Paradise Peaks Hotel. looks more like regular bar work to me. Parker figured beauty mark as well as the long dark wig. She’s trying It’s night time on the snowy Peaks, and there’s a brief he would be more use at the ’otel (sic), and she tells him out the look in her bedroom. Parker knocks and says close-up on Wanda Lamour’s poster while Cass Carnaby she’s longing for one of his cups of tea. He’s happy to rather flirtatiously “I was lookin’ for ‘er ladyship” and plays ‘Dangerous Game’ on the hotel lounge piano. In oblige, and in the next scene she and Tin-Tin are in one Penny seems to think this means he didn’t recognise the audience, Tin-Tin appears smitten, and has severe of the hotel rooms nursing the tea Parker has made them. her. Oh gawd. Penelope takes this as a sure sign her trouble believing that the band could have “anything to Satisfied with her beverage, Penelope asks how his disguise is “a success” and thinks she should “go down do with” the sabotage. During the applause, Tin-Tin investigations are going. Considerably better, Penelope, well.” Look away now, kids. Parker reinforces the swoons, “Isn’t he gorgeous?” A spotlight falls on as he seems to understand the actual definition of ‘going undercover’! Parker has already overheard Olsen talking innuendo, adding that “They say if you go down well at Penelope, sitting with Tin-Tin at the table, as Cass to the head waiter, Benino, about expecting “a message” Paradise Peaks, you’ll go down well ‘h’anywhere.” Huh. Carnaby introduces ‘Wanda,’ announcing that her debut the next morning. Tin-Tin and Penelope decide to check Penny just hopes she can keep her “pose” up long has been “postponed” because of “a frog in her pretty this out. Parker even knows where to find Olsen’s chalet, enough and adds that “the show must go on!” little throat.” A little later Cass Carnaby chats up Tin-Tin over on the other side of the mountain. Penelope wants in his dressing room. Star-struck, she gushes that she On Tracy Island, Tin-Tin is flying off in the small red jet, to sort this out quickly as she’s sure Olsen will soon figure can’t get enough of ‘Dangerous Game’ and that it knocks Ladybird. Alan is on the runway in a big quilt jacket to out she’s “a fake.” It’s frustrating how bad she is at this! her out every time she hears it. Cass flirts that she’s “a see her off. He wishes her luck, and off she goes. Jeff Following this decision, Tin-Tin reports the plan back to bit of a knockout” herself. Strangely, there’s no sign of radios Penny, “I mean Wanda,” he corrects himself, and Jeff Tracy. she asks if there are any new developments. Jeff tells Alan Tracy wielding a baseball bat, but it’s only a matter her that Brains is working on the theory that the song of time, surely? More puzzling is why Cass Carnaby has a In the lab on Tracy Island, Brains is playing the ‘Dangerous contains musical patterns that could cause “mechanical photo of the Duchess of Royston (from ‘The Duchess Game’ recording and Jeff asks him how it’s going. Brains changes” to the crashed aircraft. Apparently it has been Assignment’) pinned next his dressing table. A love which has established there’s an “electronic pattern” in the music. Jeff wonders if that means it contains a code. established that the last lost plane had a radio playing dare not speak its name, perhaps..? Brains thinks this is “likely” but he must decode the code inside. Tin-Tin asks Cass if he ever gets tired of playing the song, before he’s “sure” there even is a code. Uh huh. Then Down in the laboratory on Tracy Island, Alan listens to and if they ever want to change it around. He explains Alan puts Tin-Tin’s call through. She tells Brains and Jeff Brains explaining this theory, but Alan sensibly points that they leave those musical alterations to their about their plan to spy on Olsen, but that they don’t out that the planes were shot down by fighters rather manager, ‘Mr Olsen,’ who is right there, chaperoning their know if the manager is working alone or in collusion than just dropping out of the sky. Brains agrees that this meeting. Olsen takes this opportunity to break up the with the rest of Cass’s group. Jeff fills her in on Brains’ is true, but he thinks the music might have affected the discussion, as he has some things “to attend to” and musical code theory and asks if they want any help. She transporter’s “ability to retaliate.” I like all this would like a word with Cass as well. He leaves and Tin- tells them no, and that they’ll let them know tomorrow brainstorming; it feels like they reallyp have a process. Tin latches onto a comment Cass makes about Olsen once they’ve checked out Olsen. With a dramatic musical Brains also thinks there could be a musical code hidden being a “funny guy” or “temperamental” because he flourish, the screen fades to black. often insists on last minute changes to the music in the tune. Alan hopes they can hurry up and decode it, More light-hearted, Christmassy music opens the next arrangement just before they go on the air. They find as Penelope and Tin-Tin will soon be at the hotel and scene, and Penelope and Tin-Tin are gliding across the this deeply annoying, but put up with it because Olsen Alan thinks they’ll need all the help “we can give them.” snowy mountain peak on skis. It gets more dramatic as “knows the business.” That’s a real show of faith there, Al. we go to Olsen’s chalet pad, and it’s revealed that this Tin-Tin and Penelope are already on their way to the Now Olsen is dancing under the disco ball with the was the place shown in the opening scenes of the top of the mountains, gliding towards the hotel in a red disguised Lady P. He’s trying to work out how he doesn’t episode. Olsen plays his piano until the big weird cable car. Tin-Tin chuckles that “they weren’t joking” know “Wanda” out of all the “warblers” he’s worked machine covered in flashing lights starts to beep. So, about Paradise Peaks being the “highest hotel in Europe,” with. Penny bluffs that “high society” keeps her “pretty he’s definitely a bad guy. Olsen goes to answer the as it seems they’ve been going up for ages. The landscape busy” and Olsen calls her a lady of mystery. Some machine’s call just as Penelope and Tin-Tin reach the really is lovely. Penelope feels mean for leaving Parker impressive dancing going on between them, too. It plate glass window at the back of his house – and FAB1 at the bottom of the mountain. Tin-Tin seems that Tin-Tin has had a chance to report on her conveniently placed for them to look through so they reminds her that the way up is “a long road and a meeting with Cass, as Penny also quizzes Olsen on his get a great view of what he’s doing. That’s how high tech dangerous one” though I’m not sure why that meant habit of keeping the Cass Carnaby boys “on their toes” their spying gets. It also makes Olsen look really stupid. Parker got abandoned, too. Would Jeff not stump up for by changing the music, and she asks him his secret. Very So he keeps a secret spy machine in full view next to his another room? Penelope reasons that her disguise is subtle. He responds with a slimy, “of my success…or my piano, fine art and drinks cabinet? I’m guessing he making her nervous, and Tin-Tin reassures her that she’ll good looks?” Eeeew. Penelope coolly responds, “Both.” doesn’t have many people over for cocktails. Perhaps “be fine,” while adding a sideways look and muttering, Olsen dodges the real answer by saying his secret is he pretends it’s a mixing deck or something. Even Agent “as long as they don’t ask you to sing.” Penelope doesn’t “plenty of beauty sleep,” and promptly excuses himself. X20 in Stingray had flippy and spinny walls to hide even argue the point…she thinks she will plead a “little I think he might be getting suspicious by now, Penny. equipment like this!

4 NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! MARCH-APRIL 2012 Anyway, Olsen dials something into the huge machine better disguise, Penny! On learning this, Penelope says starts. Once Olsen leaves, Tin-Tin pops up and begs Cass as Tin-Tin films what he’s doing and she and Penelope they must rush back to the hotel and tell Jeff everything, to play the arrangement “our way.” Cass says that he’d try to work out what the heck it does. Lettering similar and Parker suggests stuffing Benino into a broom do it any way she wants, but he’d “still want to know to Sanskrit appears on the machine’s pinkish backlit cupboard, where he’ll stay until they’ve gone. Only, what why.” Tin-Tin, wearing her horrible lime green feather screen, then slowly changes into clear English. The if the cleaners need that closet? They plan to be a “long boa, uses her most sultry voice to ask him not to “go into message reads ‘NEXT ROCKET TRANSPORTER DEPARTURE way from here” when Benino wakes. At least they seem all that again” and wants him to trust her anyway. Cass TODAY LOCAL TIME 14:00 HOURS DESTRUCTION to have restrained Penelope’s usual reaction of gunning remains reluctant, insisting that he can’t break his IMPERATIVE.’ Oh no! Penelope checks if Tin-Tin got a down anyone who shoots at her. contract with Olsen when performing at Paradise Peaks close up of that; she “certainly did” and tells Penny that On Tracy Island, Grandma frets to Jeff that she can’t get is such an opportunity. The plane seems doomed. he just received the new sabotage orders. They quickly Brains or Alan to eat anything, as they told her they Thunderbird One is in the launch bay waiting to lift off. ski away to warn Jeff, but then Olsen glances outside “haven’t got time.” Jeff, standing in the lounge with Scott Jeff tells Scott that they’re taking a “desperate step” but and spots their tracks in the snow. D’oh. and Virgil, explains that they’re working hard to crack that this is the “only way” to prove to the USAF that He spots the pair skiing away through a telescope and the code combination. Before Grandma can get any more they’re in “dead earnest.” (This isn’t going to involve calls Benino, the head waiter, at the hotel. Luckily Parker stressed, Lady Penelope calls and tells Jeff she’s traced Scott getting shot down again, is it?) Scott launches, but is there to overhear Benino say “I shall deal with them,” the man doing the sabotage. At that, Jeff orders Brains what is their plan? Elsewhere, Virgil and Alan get ready in that ‘I’m gonna murder someone’ sort of way. up to the lounge, and Tin-Tin loads up the footage they for the broadcast. In his lab, Brains adds that he’s told Meanwhile, Penelope and Tin-Tin use special ski- shot of Olsen in his chalet. Brains must have sprinted up Penelope the new musical arrangement will divert the thrusts, which seem to be air cushion machines on their to them, because he responds with an immediate “Of enemy fighters, and he hopes they were able to backs, to get quickly back up the slope. However, just course!” from the doorway. He quickly recognises the persuade Cass Carnaby to do the song “that way.” There above them, Benino has already pulled up in his car and machine Olsen is using, calling it “A Cham Cham.” has got to be a simpler way of doing this spy stuff. is readying his sniper rifle! The two girls are in his sights, Everyone in the room echoes, “A Cham Cham?” but it Back in the lounge at the Peaks, Tin-Tin watches the but Parker has somehow hidden in the back and rises up takes Virgil to ask him what the heck that is. Brains show, nervous that “only Penelope can save us now,” to tackle the assassin. He struggles with Benino and the explains that a Cham Cham is “a new machine which is while Parker wonders where Mr Olsen has “got to.” Then rifle goes off. The sound makes Penelope and Tin-Tin sensitive to electronic ultrasonic harmonies and Cass Carnaby and his nameless band members start to stop in their tracks (if you heard gunshots, wouldn’t you microtones.” Oh, well, that clears that up, then. perform a fast version of Dangerous Game. As they play, just keep on going?) and they spot the struggle Brains is sure he’ll soon break the code now he knows there’s a close up on the oval symbol used by the enemy happening above them. Tin-Tin wonders what’s going the “technique,” and Jeff decides that while the scientist fighters, and we seem to now be in a sort of foreign on, and just as Penelope realises that it’s Parker, he and returns to the lab to work on the code, Penelope and military control room, populated by bad guys in shiny Benino tumble from the cliff. Tin-Tin will stand by for further orders. Then he instructs purplish-grey uniforms. The song is sending them Instead of the fall killing the pair, or at least resulting in Scott to “get” him Washington DC, as they’ve “gotta save numbers for a flight path and the enemy fighters roll mortal injuries, Parker and the assassin tumble down that next transporter aircraft.” The next plane is about out for take-off. the slope inside a giant snowball. Yes, a giant frickin’ to take off from Matthews Field when the control tower The Cass Carnaby Five continue to play on, but then Lady snowball, complete with comedy ‘boinggg’ noises and receives the warning from International Rescue, relayed Penelope slides behind the microphone and starts to little legs sticking out from all sides. At this point the via Washington. For some reason, the tower’s sing a much lower-pitched, slower, sultrier version of show sort of totally forgets about the laws of physics, commander does not want to believe that the message the song. This instantly changes the secret message, and which will happen again later in the episode. Played is reliable! He sniffs that he won’t be a “laughing stock” in his lab a relieved Brains cheers, “She’s done it!” At entirely for laughs, wacky music wibbles as the snowball just because “some kook wants to play musical chairs” the enemy air base, the leader broadcasts a new location grows in mass and bounces off rocks, and the scene is and refuses to stop the flight. You’re going to look a lot over a loudspeaker – can they hear that inside their jets? only just saved by a deadpan reaction from Tin-Tin, “They dumber when they get blown up for the eighth time, Anyway, it looks like the alteration is working. As pbuddy. This convinces me even more that he’s probably Penelope sings the last section, Tin-Tin spots Olsen appear to be heading this way.” Penny murmurs, “Oh, dear, I’m sure this isn’t doing Parker’s vertigo any good.” related to that jerk from ‘The Imposters.’ lurking behind the stage curtain. The crowd goes wild Bear in mind that the vertigo comment will be important Back on Tracy Island, Jeff is looking out of the balcony when Penelope ends the song, and as this happens Jeff later, too. Finally the Parker/Benino snowball smashes window and talking to Alan about his disappointment sends Virgil and Alan off to Paradise Peaks to rescue violently into a giant rock, from which Parker somehow that they weren’t believed. Alan informs him that Brains Penelope and Tin-Tin. Honestly, Jeff, you could have emerges completely unharmed, while Benino is has figured out both the secret code and how to alter it sent them over ten minutes ago. Why did he hold off? unconscious but still appears to have all his brains inside “so that Olsen’s message gets changed.” Now they say At Matthews Field, they receive a request for permission his head. it’s up to Penelope and Tin-Tin to “save that plane from to land from International Rescue! Scott brings Parker apologises for his “unconventional entrance” but destruction,” and the next flight is already taking off. Thunderbird One down near the control tower and uses he “had to apprehend ‘im somehow.” Penelope Fade to black. his loudspeaker to explain that IR tried to contact them belatedly realises that the bullet they heard was meant Lively jazz plays at Paradise Peaks and Olsen is giving earlier, but as the “field control” wouldn’t listen, his for herself and Tin-Tin. Parker confirms that their Cass the new arrangement for the performance, despite organisation have redirected the three enemy aircraft “masquerade” is over. Wow, is that in record time? Get a Cass’s protests. They have five minutes until the show over to the Matthews base! Um, that cannot be a good

5 NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! MARCH-APRIL 2012 CHECK FOR: > Reused stock footage of a launch: Both very short launches this time. > Hitting on Tin-Tin: Well, she has to interrogate Cass Carnaby somehow. They play it all pretty tastefully, but it seems likely that something went on during her stay at the hotel. He seems chilled out about it, and regretful that she has to leave. > Tin-Tin and Alan snuggle: Cute ending here, as Tin-Tin returns home and Alan isn't an OOT jealous numpty, although for once he might be justified. > Tin-Tin snuggles someone else: Alan at the end, and possibly Cass…hopefully not the other four members of his 'Five,' but they will never tell. They don't even have names! Penny seemed quite keen on Olsen, if only in a 'flirting for information' sort of way. Gordon and Tin-Tin idea. What if the pissed-off commander decides that IR Virgil tells Alan to stand by with the retros. Just as a also looked quite cozy. are helping out the evil jets? The commander really police car arrives at the bottom of the cliff, Virgil yells, > Each bro's appearance: Gordon's kind of MIA here except right at the start as the music plays. John only gets to say doesn’t sound happy that IR have “done it again,” but he “Now!” 'It's great!' about that much-repeated song. Virgil and Alan calls for immediate “action stations” to shoot the enemy Fortunately, the full power of Thunderbird Two’s engines rescue the girls then hang out at the hotel afterwards. craft from the sky. So, that’s OK, then. Scott gets to boss around the military guys at the Air Force is more than enough to halt the car, but they never base, so I really hope he went home happy. Back at Paradise peaks, Penelope, Tin-Tin and Parker warned Parker about the sudden stop! The poor guy > IR's fantastic-but-unreliable equipment!: So, why didn't are making their escape in the cable car. Note that slides right off the roof and vanishes. Is this the end of those electro-magnets work in the grabs when they're trying to rescue the cable car? That always seemed odd. Time for although Penelope is fretting about leaving so quickly ‘Nosey’? Or is there another giant snowball in his future? Brains to invent something that doesn't require Parker that they didn’t even pay their bill, they still have all As the car dangles from the wire, at a standstill, Penelope perched on top of a runaway cable car using an umbrella. their luggage. Let’s hope Jeff can sort that out later. Tin- and Tin-Tin pick themselves up from the luggage strewn Actually, Brains should probably distribute umbrellas to Tin reminds her that sneaking off was the only way to all the Tracys since they appear to make such excellent floor, and Penelope calls out for her loyal assistant. parachutes (perhaps Parker was using some modified avoid Olsen. I’m surprised they didn’t want to take the There’s no answer. She wonders “What could have version? I'll take what sense I can find!) guy on; it seems really out of character for Lady Penelope happened to him?” Once more, Parker would have met > I'm SURE all the photo evidence got destroyed': Just to run off from a potential shoot-out. However, their a sticky end in other circumstances, falling from that 'hoping' that no one will make the connection between International Rescue and Lady Penelope at the hotel seems getaway is hardly as clean as they thought. We now see height, but gravity has taken another cartoonish turn. a bit much to hope for, given what a celebrity hotspot that Olsen is up to no good in the cable car control room. Penelope sees him floating to the ground under the Paradise Peaks is supposed to be. Wouldn't it be crawling In a surprising show of technical expertise (a winter unfurled umbrella, like Mary-bloody-Poppins. Um. OK. with paparazzi? Hmm. internship at the Peaks, perhaps?) he halts their car. After > Alan-teasing: Alan holds his own by coming up with a Going to go with that, then. connection between the music and the attacked carrier a few moments of unease, Penelope orders Parker to It’s night time at Paradise Peaks. It’s a pretty place. I planes, even though Scott has major doubts about it. They press the alarm bell. This bell wakes up a surprisingly assume they’re a bit short on guests now that the cable also dealt with his relationship with Tin-Tin in a more well-informed Cass Carnaby, who instantly recognises adult way, although he changes back to his normal high car’s completely knackered? Anyway, the lounge seems level jealousy in Season 2. the sound and knows what it means. He must have a really empty. Cass Carnaby plays a romantic version of > Rescuing one of their own: Once again, Lady Penelope really terribly positioned room. And must also have ‘Dangerous Game’ while Penelope relaxes beside Virgil, seems more than ready to let Jeff and the boys bail her interned at the Peaks at some time. Maybe that’s how out. She definitely skipped the 'undercover' lesson in Spy who’s wearing a natty tuxedo. Some Virg/Penny fan School. It's actually so annoying it kind of wrecks the he met Olsen in the first place? fiction inspiration here, perhaps? She’s relieved that episode for me. Now Olsen starts setting to the cable wires with a blow “that lovely tune” can no longer be used for a “sinister > Vehicles used: Thunderbirds One, Two, and Five. FAB 1 torch. The dangling cable car starts to shake as he works purpose,” although Virgil is concerned that the “hotel gets left at the bottom of the mountain, unseen. > Surprisingly dextrous puppet hands: Not only hands, but on it. Thoroughly unnerved, Penelope radios Jeff and people” might realise they’re from International Rescue. an awful lot of grappling goes on between the characters thinks that Olsen will “get his revenge after all.” Jeff It might depend on how secretly you parked Thunderbird in this episode. From Penelope slow-dancing with Olsen, asks what the problem is and then tells her that Virgil is Two, Virg. Penelope thinks they’re safe (she’s not the to Parker and Benino's clifftop struggle, then Cass taking on Olsen on the precarious balance of the cable car lift. just two minutes away. most reliable judge there) but she knows that Cass is So there's a lot of impressive inter-string coordination Thunderbird Two is already swooping over the beautiful “pretty intrigued” to know how she and Tin-Tin found taking place. > Brains actually at a rescue: No, he's left the legwork to landscape. Alan has clearly just been told about Penny, out about “the code.” I’m sure he’s also wondering about Olsen’s murky doings and who the two strange men are Tin-Tin, but he's hard at work on the island decoding, and Tin-Tin and Parker’s situation and lets Virgil know all then recoding, secret messages sent by the Cham Cham about it. Olsen has almost finished severing the cable, who have suddenly appeared at the hotel. Luckily, Cass itself. It's good to see him involved more fully. seems more interested in where Tin-Tin vanished off > CRASH ZOOM' drinking game: Mostly during the moment but before it snaps entirely, Cass turns up and tries to to. Penelope awkwardly informs him that Tin-Tin and when Tin-Tin films Olsen using the Cham Cham. Also one stop him. Apparently he was the only one in the hotel on the 'oval markings' on the evil fighter jets. Alan stepped outside for “a breath of air,” and Cass seems who heard the alarm. There’s more inter-puppet > 'Biggest Jerk of the episode' award: Olsen is an evil and rather sad to have missed his chance with Miss Kyrano. wrestling and they both fall off the cable, but Cass is too traitorous baddie, plus he constantly messes the Cass She’s leaving tomorrow, after all. He responds with a Carnaby Five's musical arrangements around at the last late. The cable snaps with a noise like a gunshot and the philosophical “That’s show business”. Awww. minute, which is micro-managing and therefore truly evil! now unleashed car hurtles down the mountain. Cass cries However, Penelope's 'undercover' act was rubbish. In fact, Outside, on the moonlit balcony, Alan is digging for the unnamed Matthews Field Commander gets second out, “That car will never stop!” Then they hear prize because he refused to believe that International Thunderbird Two approach. information on how Tin-Tin feels about leaving Cass Rescue were sending them a legitimate warning. So, thanks behind. He seems much more chilled out about her Virgil steers Two parallel and above the runaway cable to him, Lady Penelope got to sing and therefore almost fancying Cass than he has ever been about his other rivals justify her ridiculous undercover disguise! car. Virgil tells Alan to “fire the magnetic grabs” (no, not on this show, and sweetly worried too. He must really > It was the 60s!: The entire episode reeks of 1960s kitsch. From the secret messages conveniently sent by the Cass the grabs!) as he brings the big green bird almost on top like Cass’s music. Tin-Tin is also rather philosophical, of it. Parker is alarmed at how “very close” Virgil is Carnaby Five to Alan's hep-cat comment that "Tin-Tin really telling Alan she’s getting “quite used” to the “hello, digs this number" when he hears 'Dangerous Game' while getting. Then a hatch slides open in TB2’s belly, releasing goodbye all the time.” This makes me wonder what he's up on Thunderbird Five. Also, how else do you explain both of the ridiculous 'Parker Falling from great heights' the giant magnetic grabs. On Virgil’s prompt, Alan fires other spy missions she’s been on, or what other possible them but is dismayed when they “just won’t hold.” sequences? Argh. relationships her IR membership has destroyed? Very > The Jeff jinx!: Actually this time, he holds off. The (Unlike Alan, we’re not a bit surprised, are we?) Virgil intriguing. She says, finally, “It’s always nice to get home Matthews Field commander seems most likely to hold this immediately radios Penny and tells her she’ll have to again,” and the episode ends with the pair standing crown. > Unanswered Questions: So, a music arrangement is “give us a hand” with this. By which he means he actually beneath the full moon on the romantic, snowy peak. needs Parker’s help. Virgil comments that he hopes created via a sound-making machine that encodes secret The Cham Cham is a tightly written piece, with a orders to foreign spies, whose fighters attack USAF military Parkers “got a good head for heights.” Some payoff there transport planes, which are sent unescorted despite being forp Penny’s “vertigo” comment! gorgeous setting, but it’s also one of the stranger regularly attacked. Huh? Which country was attacking them episodes. It marks the point just before the feature films and how did Olsen get mixed up in it? Really wish this was It’s a very good thing that the Paradise Peaks hotel is and the second season of the series began increasingly a much deeper spy story, perhaps involving Jack Bauer or James Bond? Or am I wishing for too much out of this? such a ridiculously long way up. The car is still descending to focus on Penelope and to water down the formerly rapidly as a luckless Parker scrambles up on top of it. take-charge attitudes of the older Tracy brothers. There’s A SWINGING Alan slowly lowers a different set of cables, with ends a definitely a lot of emphasis on Penelope here, and the bit like the clasp of a key ring. Parker can’t grab them show looks increasingly gorgeous – but it already feels 7/10 until Penelope passes him a hook-handled umbrella. like it’s started to change its direction. It works as an Using this, he snags it. He’s attaching each one to the oddball spy drama, but with too many plot holes and far cable car roof, but Alan is aghast that “he won’t make it too few Tracys. This is a slick, well-paced, and very Next time: in time!” The music is tense and time is fast running out! unusual episode that uses a very original McGuffin, but Penelope and Tin-Tin hold on anxiously inside the car. it’s also no longer one of my favourites. SECURITY HAZARD! 6 NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! MARCH-APRIL 2012 THUNDERBIRDSTHUNDERBIRDS THETHE COMIC!COMIC! #10 by CAMERON STEWART brinkbrink ofof disasterdisaster This is one of the first Thunderbird episodes that features Lady Penelope in a more positive, dynamic role. As I mentioned in my article about the comic adaptation of ‘The Man From M.I5’ (Ned Cook’s NTBS Newsflash, September/October 2011), previous to this episode, the character commonly gets tied up instead of fighting the villains. In ‘Brink Of Disaster,’ not only is she dealing with tough henchmen, but she has also vastly improved her driving skills since her comic-relief demolition derby run in ‘Vault of Death.’ There is no doubt that writers Dennis Spooner and Alan Fennell had different ideas of how to portray the character. ‘Brink Of Disaster’ also feels like a story that could have possibly worked for a Supercar episode. The theme of Al Capone-type gangsters continually appeared in previous Gerry Anderson series, and the comic adaptations were allotted in Thunderbirds: panel Brains has white hair, making him look about ‘Brink Of Disaster’ was very much the swan song for The Comic, it certainly makes you wonder why ‘Brink fifty – very odd. [below left] them. After that, in a reflection of the times, villainous Of Disaster’ was singled out for such preferential Similar to Keith Watson’s work in his adaptation of gangs in Thunderbirds became more like James Bond treatment. henchmen. But in ‘Brink Of Disaster,’ Alan Fennell ‘City Of Fire’ (discussed in Ned Cook’s NTBS Newsflash, does an excellent job of bringing these 1930s-style Scott’s just radioed from Thunderbird 1 saying, “Make March/April 2011), Vass has added an extreme amount gangsters into the future. Instead of moonshining your way back to the centre, coach. Thunderbird 2 will of blue to the comic – possibly even more blue than and mowing down the Feds with Tommy guns, be here any minute now.” So I’d better hurry it up and Watson. Unimportant backgrounds, characters in the they’re building unsafe monorails with the intent of get started! foreground and scenes that are meant to have a dark bilking the investors. feel to them, have been blued. Unlike in Watson’s ‘City Of Fire,’ though, this use of blue by Vass does feel First time artist Rod Vass finishes up the comic Artistry overdone and looks like those old style comics adaption saga. Vass’ artistic career with Thunderbirds Rod Vass’ artwork is extremely simply drawn and very where they couldn’t afford more than one colour seems only to be this ‘Brink Of Disaster’ comic, plus different from that of all the previous artists in this when printing. In one panel, which features Grafton illustrations for a short story in the 1993 Thunderbirds series. His drawings have a very basic, barebones feel saying… Annual entitled ‘Operation Masterstrike’. When to them, and are very bland. Even though there is typing his name in Google, I found a website for an some detail, the illustrations themselves seem aimed Grafton artist with the same name. However, the artwork at at a much younger audience than those in the other Impressed! You wanna be impressed –come up that site is so dissimilar to that of the comic, that I’m comic adaptations. [below right] front and see the power unit! divided as to whether it is really the same person His renditions of all the characters, however, while (despite the fairly uncommon name, and the fact that oversimplified, are faithful to the episode. Grafton this Rod Vass’s bio seems to indicate that he has been without doubt looks like the shifty con man that he in this business for a while). is, the helijet pilots look like real working men and ‘Brink Of Disaster’ is the longest of the ten comic the gunman who shoots at Lady Penelope at the start adaptations, spanning sixteen pages. Even though of the episode looks purely sinister. [above] Vass’ use that’s not a huge improvement from the average of colours does have a strange effect rather truncated twelve pages that the majority of on the characters, though. In one

7 NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! MARCH-APRIL 2012 …his entire face is coloured blue – and this is one of We have two plots going on at the same time – Jeff, However, the story holds up despite that, thanks to the few times where this use of blue gives off a great Brains and Tin-Tin on the monorail with Grafton, and the fact that it is four parts long. Vass’ artistry is impression, making him seem very sly, devious and Lady Penelope’s mansion being burgled – but this distinctly lacking when compared to that of someone crooked character. [below left] isn’t the only adaptation that has two simultaneous like fellow artist Steve Kyte – who did the comic Vass’ use of speech bubbles is very interesting. Many plots. What is different about this one, for whatever adaptations for ‘Pit of Peril’ (discussed in Ned Cook’s times a bubble overlaps onto another panel whilst reason, is that we actually get to see both plots, unlike NTBS Newsflash, May/June 2010) and ‘The Uninvited’ a character is talking. This gives the feel that the in previous adaptations where one had to be scaled (discussed in Ned Cook’s NTBS Newsflash, January/ February 2011). As I’ve said earlier, Vass’ is the type of panels are all happening at the same time, which is down. The scene in which the crooks Selsden and artwork that I’d imagine would be used for a comic very quirky. Malloy break into the mansion takes over part three of the adaptation, but doesn’t completely exclude aimed at a very young audience, and doesn’t really the other action going on with the monorail. In fact, work for Thunderbirds. I give it a 4/10. Dialogue if you skipped part three, you’d still be able to In my review of the comic adaptation of ‘Atlantic understand what was going on with the Atlantic Comic Adaptation Series Conclusion Inferno,’ (Ned Cook’s NTBS Newsflash, November/ Monorail. And so there you have it. Ten comic adaptations December 2011) I mentioned that the order of two of reviewed, and what have we learnt? We’ve learnt that the pages had been mixed up during the printing Detail some of our favourite scenes never work in comics, process, making the story seem to jump back and and sadly have to be scaled down. Artists have such forth in time. Well, ‘Brink Of Disaster’ seems to have Despite having a very simple, basic style, Vass has tried to capture a lot of the detail from the episode. different styles from one another that we wind up fallen prey to the same problem, only worse. I’m still viewing our favourite characters through many unsure of which page was actually meant to end part Everything from the monorail, [above] to the patrol helicopters, right down to the letter that Parker hands different eyes. In my opinion the best adaptation of two – what appears to have happened is that page the ten is Steve Kyte’s ‘The Uninvited,’ because of its four has been moved to where page two should be, Penelope at the start of the episode, is fairly accurately rendered. expansion of the story, and the weakest is Malcolm and pages three and four have been moved down Stokes’ ‘Sun Probe’ (discussed in Ned Cook’s NTBS in the order. This makes the comic horribly Newsflash, July/August 2010) because of the rushed complicated to follow, especially when it comes to Conclusion feel to the artwork. However these are only my dialogue. ‘Brink Of Disaster’ is a FAB episode, in my opinion, opinions and no doubt someone somewhere will As I mentioned earlier, we can’t help but wonder why but this comic adaptation doesn’t really do it justice probably disagree with me on every point I’ve ever this is the longest comic adaptation out of the ten. because of the shortcomings of Rod Vass’ artwork. made! I would like to thank Newsflash editor Samantha Winchester, for checking my work and guiding me when what I meant to say might not have come across the way I intended. I would like to thank the NTBS Newsflash team for allowing me to write these articles in their wonderful newsletter, as it has been a great experience. I would like to thank Ned Cook for the time he gave me a lift in his car when I was stranded in Nevada. And finally I would like to thank you, the subscribers, for reading the articles. So as I started off, that was me, that was a chair and that was Alan over there. Goodnight. (Ned Cook’s NTBS Newsflash, May/April 2010).

8 NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! MARCH-APRIL 2012 THUNDERBIRDS IN THE TV CENTURY 21 COMICS Norm de Plume TV CENTURY 21 ISSUES 83-89 (20 August 1966 - 1 October 1966) Flight to the Sun by Alan Fennell - Part One

The fifth story of Thunderbirds in TV21 starts with a burning sun (overleaf), and is reminiscent of the film The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961), directed by Val Guest (who directed a few episodes of Gerry Anderson’s Space: 1999, as well as two Quatermass films from Hammer, and Casino Royale – the 1960s version). The plot of The Day the Earth Caught Fire is that the two superpowers at the time have detonated nuclear bombs simultaneously and thrown the orbit of the Earth out, so that we are now hurtling towards the sun! The film evokes the heat and the rivers drying up so well, I bet sales of drinks during the intermission (ask your parents, if you don’t know about intermissions!) were off the scale! But that’s fiction... we’re here to look at the next Thunderbirds story from TV21. TV21 #83 Our story opens with a blazing sun in the opening title panel. The yellow Thunderbirds lettering and the red glow make one feel hot. To emphasize the opening words, “The world is basking in a record heatwave as temperatures soar higher each day,” a thermometer shows 47 degrees Celsius/120 degrees Fahrenheit (don’t International Rescue are never busier rescuing the telescope and see pieces of the Sun Google it as the conversion is wrong!). Cattle people and in fact can’t cope, we are told. I love breaking away from the surface, and there graze in dry riverbeds; floods from the polar ice the fact that Alan Fennell the writer gives artist follows a dialogue (trialogue?) between Brains, melt hit houses; ‘simultaneous freak Frank Bellamy a line said by Jeff Tracy, “The John and Alan about the danger to the whole earthquakes’ hit London, Paris and New York; Golden Gate Bridge at San Francisco has Solar System. John ends it by saying “Father collapsed. The girders twisted ought to be told... this could be serious!” WHAT! with heat!” and we don’t get a Earthquakes, drought, floods, volcanoes in drawn image but a word picture! Wales…and solidified bits of the Sun hitting the Brains states the Sun is showing Moon ‘could be serious’? The danger of the Sun unusual activity and he’s worried, exploding and destroying the Solar System but not as much as the people of ‘could be serious’? And they let him stay on TB5 Wales, I bet, as a dormant volcano to monitor danger? What sort of qualification erupts! The welcome they’re and training did he need for the job? Oh, yes, keeping in the hillside appears to respect for the patriarch, I remember now!! be a bit too warm for my liking - In reporting back, Brains says there’s a need for but then again, that’s Scotland, a closer inspection of the Sun, and “Every isn’t it? Anyway, Brains goes to astronomer must have seen what we saw”, but Thunderbird 5 to use the solar telescope. He and John why travel to TB5 to use the most advanced detect unusually high ultra equipment, if everyone has seen that already? violet rays, but then spot Mr. Fennell, perhaps you could concentrate solidified debris more on editing the comic than on writing! Jeff hitting the Moon. A decides he must contact the World President. wonderful double The call is patched through and Alan states, “All page spread to rival we have to worry about now is will the the Atlantic Tunnel in President talk to an organization as unofficial my opinion. as International Rescue?” Now, I think I have mentioned earthquakes, floods....oh, you get They decide to travel to the the point already! Guess what? Alan is psychic… Moon to examine these unusual The president is busy in talks about the world rocks that shouldn’t glow hot, as crisis and doesn’t want to talk to IR! the Moon has no atmosphere – and discover that they are pieces He quickly changes his mind, however (must of the Sun! Back in TB5 they use be the heat!) and talks via videophone to Jeff.

9 NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! MARCH-APRIL 2012 The next bit shows Thunderbird 1 monitoring Now before we move off into the wide black should do it”. This set me thinking about TB3’s the conversation whilst flying by a volcano, yonder, a word on Frank Bellamy’s art here. speed. Having grown up knowing that it took Thunderbird 2 the same, flying over flooded Despite his declaring that he didn’t enjoy Apollo missions four days to get to the Moon houses. Jeff proposes IR take the trip to the Sun science-fiction as such, I think that he has drawn (238,000 miles away) and that the Sun is – “Preposterous, oh, all right,” replies the some superb art here. The Sun’s effect on the 93,000,000 miles away, it would have taken President. Decisive chap. IR get ready by earth reflects his earlier Fraser of Africa strip in Apollo 50 days to get there and TB3 must be bringing Brains and Alan back to Earth, where the Eagle comic. Bellamy used a muted sienna faster than that! The Thunderbirds Wiki (http:// Brains says “The idea is to photograph the Sun palette to show the parched savannah there thunderbirds.wikia.com/wiki/Thunderbird_3) from within the gravity limits… this way we and here. His beautiful shots here of TB3 taking states TB3 “could travel from Earth to within should be able to gauge future activity”. Now off and TB1 and TB2 monitoring the President range of the Sun in 65 hours,” and also states it this set me thinking. A quick Google followed and Jeff’s conversation are filmic – we see the has “25,200 mph (escape velocity).” Any primary by a Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ conversation via word balloons, but are shown school mathematician can see this doesn’t help me at all, so I left that thought alone and moved Hill_sphere) told me more than I care to know a different scene which emphasizes the disaster swiftly on... Alan and Brains are moving closer about the Hill Radius or Hill Sphere. Basically about which they are speaking. The artist takes three-quarters of the double page to show the to the gravity pull of the Sun and don their the Earth is inside the Sun’s ‘gravity limit’ but is special protective suits. Trying to activate the balanced at a point, and so spins around whilst heat of the Sun and the plumes flying out from it. But more is yet to come.... special booster proves useless and we are left staying at this distance. Go ask Brains for more for a week wondering how they are going to details. Alan lets us know the booster rockets They are on their way and keeping in contact escape this predicament... Anybody remember have been attached and off Thunderbird 3 goes with Tracy Island. How many days have passed the thrill of waiting for gratification? No, I didn’t with Brains and Alan on board. is not clear but they say to Jeff “four more days think so!

10 NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! MARCH-APRIL 2012 Although Alan and Brains have almost fainted at Space City. Virgil leaves the TB2 pod in a Back in the Pacific, Scott asks, “Lost ‘em, eh, Dad?” from the heat (what did they expect from ‘cradle’ vehicle. He appears to be talking to – what an inappropriate thing to ask at this approaching an object 864,938 miles in someone, who we see is one of the Tracy point! Alan and Brains manage to loose the diameter with a surface temperature of 5,500 brothers, but he is not mentioned at all in any missile and it does the job they expected, but degrees C/9,932 degrees F??). Alan manages to blurb and there appears to be no reason for although I must admit to not understanding hit the button on the special booster again and him to be there other than to be having a what it was supposed to do, the impact is a lo and behold! it works. Having escaped the conversation with – strange! They collect the superb bit of art, never mind comic art. immediate pull, Alan goes out to inspect the planetomic missile. If that sounds familiar, you Interestingly, despite the whole scene being in damage. Now, if I was illustrating this I’d make are most likely remembering the first episode space, Bellamy decided to show the missile sure Alan did this with the craft between him of Fireball XL5 where Steve Zodiac and pals are against a blue background – in great three- and the Sun, but then I’ve seen Danny Boyle’s trying to intercept the missile sent by the evil dimensionality, popping out of the panel. But brilliant film Sunshine. And now we learn why “Subterrains.” Meanwhile, while this goes on, now TB3 has used up all its chances and is they came here in the first place – to film the TB3 is being prepared with “new isotope circuits”. thrown by the blast out into the “black void of Sun’s activity! In the 21st Century, I would have I tried reading the Wiki article (http:// space”. expected a successor to the Hubble telescope en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotope) on isotopes, but to be able to pick up “detached matter” that is decided maybe Brains is right in that they will Just before I go I should mention the codes at flying all over the place! And didn’t we read double their escape speed, as I haven’t a clue the bottom of the Thunderbirds pages. In issue about International Rescue’s “most powerful what the wiki article meant! Anyway TB2 returns 83, “GLASGOW DESTROYED BY FREAK apparatus ever devised”? under a block of text that states “Project EARTHQUAKE SEE STOP PRESS PAGE” and in 85, “THE WORLD ANTICIPATES DISASTER FOR There is also another peculiar thing here. One Sunburst nears the final stage of Action One” - what? That Fennell bloke felt the need for THUNDERBIRD 3” -- not as sympathetic as I’d like! minute Brains and Jeff are talking – “A mass of In 86 we read “THUNDERBIRD 5 TRYING TO the Sun will escape the solar gravity and go into flannel sometimes. This is followed by “Tracy to TB2... Complete touchdown and place egg in MONITOR THUNDERBIRD 3” and finally the orbit!” says Brains – and in the next shot Scott really important coded message in issue 88, asks, “You mean the Sun will produce a new nest”. [[Picture:004_TV21_088.jpg]] Now forgive me, but would a brother or father of Virgil (and “GREAT FREE GIFT FOR ALL READERS IN TV21 satellite?” which Alan – not Brains – answers ISSUE 90”. So Brains and Alan are laying their with, “Exactly. Call it a minor planet”. Maybe I guess Gordon) say a line like this? It’s worse lives on the line, and we should wait for 2 issues Bellamy was aiming to be filmic again and show than some of the Fireball gibberish. Brains and get a free gift! What if they don’t succeed a continued conversation across two locations, spends the time aboard TB3 checking and the planet is blown up by a stray fragment so to speak. So how will IR solve this problem instruments and finds that the camera that they of the Sun? No free gift? In the same issue of a new satellite interfering with other bodies use is ‘cranking a fraction of a second too slowly’, where we see an almighty explosion and TB3 in the Solar System? Jeff gets onto the World which means they will be too late to destroy thrown across the Solar System, we are told President and states, “There is an answer. the ‘planetoid’ that the Sun is expunging from “INTERNATIONAL RESCUE HAT FREE FOR ALL Destroy that waste matter before it escapes the its surface. Really? A fraction of a second too READERS IN ISSUE 90!” Sun’s gravity!” And requests the world’s biggest late? Ho-hum, well they’ll just have to fire the bomb. Obviously the Prez now trusts this guy, rockets towards the Sun and make sure they In TV21, this story continues on as a single bit as he willingly complies. Jeff sends Virgil away make that appointment – oh, wait, that’s what’s of prose and art, but we need to break it up to from a disaster zone to go to Space City for a Brains has just said! It’s either them not being give me a holiday and not take up too much ‘planetomic’ bomb. “F.A.B.,” says the gung-ho able to escape the Sun’s gravity, or the space for Ned’s Newsflash. But wait till you see Virgil! destruction of the whole world! what happens next. Bellamy draws beautiful The pages of Issue 88 give us the first relief from They fire the “extra circuit isotopes” and radio creatures and also has a holiday! the sweltering colours of heat, with TB2 landing contact is lost as they zoom towards the Sun. Part Two continues next issue…

11 NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! MARCH-APRIL 2012 my day with GERRY, SHANE, MATT and DAVID... TIWF member Emma Nisbet reports on attending the recent ‘Brit SciFi’ Event at the National Space Center edited by Samantha Winchester

After being told there was no way I could have the day As I’d got in early I scoped out where everything was end of the table beside David Graham (Parker/Gordon off work, I was pleased to find, at the last minute, that I and asked a young man on the Thunderbirds stand (I Tracy/Brains). Then there was Matt Zimmerman (Alan was suddenly allowed. I then booked my tickets, with think he was a member of the Space Centre’s staff Tracy/Ned Cook) and last (but by no means least, as they great excitement, for the second day of the ‘Brit SciFi’ because he was wearing black, whereas most of the say!) was Shane Rimmer (Scott Tracy). I took a photo of event at the National Space Centre in Leicester! convention officials were wearing red) whether they them all sitting at the table and Matt posed beautifully On Sunday morning, March 20th, I woke up to a house would be taking credit or debit card payments for the for me. He’s a really cheeky chappy, just like you’d with no children, no husband and no work - bliss! This autographs. (The only conventions that I’ve been to in expect Alan Tracy to be! isn’t something that happens very often as I work every the past have been three-day Stargate conventions Matt and Shane were already doing autographs by the weekend so never get a lie in! including overnight hotel stays and virtually everything time I got to lining up so I started with David Graham at those is done by credit card.) He looked at me as if I and paid the lady sitting with him for all four autographs. I left myself plenty of time to get to the Space Centre, was mad! They wouldn’t be taking cards but there was a wanting to arrive in time to get a sensible parking space David let me take his photograph and then signed a cash machine on site. He told me where it was and I picture of Brains for me. He gave me a lovely black and and to not have to queue for hours to get in. I parked up went off to find it, got my money out and went back to and paid my £2 to stay all day (fantastic value, I was white shot of himself as well, and was quite perturbed the car to get organised. I then had to go through the when he found there were hardly any Brains pictures expecting at least double that) and headed down the palaver of getting back in again with my non-scanning left when they had only just started the morning. The entrance ramp to the main doors. These were still closed ticket! lady I’d given the money to assured him that someone as it was still way before 10am, but there were people On the way back inside there was a black Dalek coming had gone to get/print some more. about and a pink Dalek (complete with eyelashes) was out of the Space Centre to (presumably) greet people roaming around collecting money in a bucket (I think for I moved down the table to get Matt’s autograph; he was coming in. I had to laugh when it went zipping across absolutely lovely and asked what I wanted written on the Tickled Pink Breast Cancer Campaign). There were the tarmac only to stop dead and ask its helper “Will several little boys running around; they ran to their mum the picture. He managed to confuse me completely, this drain be a problem?” The voice sounded like a Dalek because I asked for ‘Emma’, and he replied, “Two m’s?” as soon as they saw the bucket so that she could give but the question was phrased in such a human way, it them money. They then ran back and gave it to the Dalek – which I heard as “To Ems,” which baffled me, as I’ve made me chuckle! The helper assured the Dalek that never been known as ‘Ems’, it’s always ‘Emma’! It took and returned with smiles on their faces after it had said the drain would be fine and it continued on its way, ‘thank you’ to them! me a second to work out what he meant, and then I said only to stop and let me take a photo. I said thank you “Oh, I see, two m’s, yes, please” – and I’m pretty sure When the doors finally opened to let us in I was really and it replied with “Not a problem!” he’d worked out what I’d originally thought he’d meant impressed with the pre-ordered ticket system. I was the I went for a walk round because there was still no one by then, because he grinned and then wrote it down. first one there to pick up tickets that day and just walked on the Thunderbirds stand. I ended up at Duncan Willis’ Shane Rimmer signed a picture of Scott Tracy for me and straight up to the desk. I picked up a leaflet with a puppet stand and had a long talk to him. I am in the then watched in amusement as the lady sitting beside timetable of the day’s events on it and found that I’d process of making puppets of the Thunderbirds boys and him tried to charge me again for the autographs. I have to change the time of my ‘We Are Astronomers’ currently have them in various stages of development showed her my receipt, on which luckily the original performance (the Space Centre’s immersive video ranging from bare resin with no eyes (Virgil!) to lady I paid had written ‘To Emma x4 all star signers’ – exhibit) as it clashed with the time when the completely painted and awaiting hair and eyes (Alan, and I then had to explain to her which lady I had paid Thunderbirds people would be doing their talk. It Gordon and John!). Duncan advised me not to use acrylic and that she had now disappeared and been replaced seemed that the staff were already prepared for people paint on them as it fades. He had one puppet there – by a man (who was now looking after the David Graham changing their show times because there was no Lieutenant “Phones” Sheridan from Stingray – which had money tin). She initially asked me to go and get it back problem with making alterations, they simply changed a really pale, almost ghostly face, and Duncan told me because the money had to be in each guest’s personal the time and gave me a separate ticket specifically for he was originally painted in flesh coloured acrylic but it tin, but then obviously decided that this wouldn’t be the 1:30pm performance instead. To get into the main had faded over the years. He suggested that I should good customer service and went down to talk to the area of the Space Centre, you have to scan the bar code use Humbrol enamel paint instead, which I wouldn’t man herself. Shane, who had been watching all this on your entry ticket to make a turnstile-type gate open. have thought to use on the resin puppets at all. I thanked going on, smiled at me and shrugged his shoulders. My actual ticket didn’t scan once during the whole day, him for the pointers and took his card, promising to Once the money situation was all sorted out I asked even though no-one else seemed to be having the same ‘friend’ him on Facebook when I got home so I could whether I could take a photograph of Shane and problem. I just kept walking back in through the special pick his brains again when I finally get round to putting received a positive response. I went to take the photo needs access gate, and I found it a little strange that no my puppets together! You might want to take a look at and worked out that he was in the shade of a display, so one stopped me. For the sake of the Space Centre’s the Facebook page for his puppets, they’re rather he had to lean forwards to put himself in the light. The profit margin, I hope this was because they could see fantastic! You simply need to search for lady who had been sorting out the money then offered me fighting with the scanner and not because they were ‘Superpropreplication’ (all one word). to take a picture of me and Shane and told me to go just not worried about people walking straight in I went back to the Thunderbirds stand and this time round the other side of the desk with him. She without paying! everyone was there! Gerry Anderson was seated at one immediately saw what I meant about the shadow and

Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson Shane Rimmer, voice of Scott Tracy Matt Zimmerman, voice of Alan Tracy

12 NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! MARCH-APRIL 2012 the pair of us had to lean forward into the light, which Liberator (Blake’s 7) in flight and the fact that all the made for an interesting photo! I then asked her while model-sized shots have to be filmed at three times the she had the camera whether she could take one of me speed so that when they play it back (at normal speed) and Matt as well, which she agreed to do. Matt was it looks smooth and most of the shake and wobble of messing around and pointing at the camera while she the models can’t be seen. However, apparently one of took the shot and the expression on his face in the photo the problems with filming at three times the speed is is just great! that you need three times the light, and Matt told me When I got back round the ‘right’ side of the table, I that the extra lights used to generate loads of heat and tried asking Matt and Shane whether they ever got would sometimes melt the models! He had the original muddled up when doing more than one character in the Liberator model there, which had been made up to look same episode. Matt complained that he couldn’t hear battered and dirty. He told me that the glowing green what I was saying because (shouting) “He’s so noisy”! I light at the back had been replaced because it had looked behind me to see what he was talkin about, and melted and that it now had a bulb in it that would last there was Davros from Doctor Who, scooting around the forever and would never melt anything at all! floor and chattering to a little person who was trying to He thought it was funny that I asked for a photo with take his picture – telling them to “make sure you get my him (I thought, I’d got pictures with the other guests so best side,” which made everyone laugh. Eventually he why not him as well?) He had to go and find someone moved away slightly and I managed to get my question from a neighbouring stall to come and take the picture over to Matt and Shane. Matt replied that they did and we stood by K9, probably Matt’s most famous occasionally get mixed up and that they also sometimes creation, whose tail is way longer than you would ended up having to have a conversation with expect (it was sticking in my shoulder!). themselves, although “Sylvia (Anderson) was very good I made another trip back to the car to put Matt Irvine’s with that and if she realised we’d be talking to ourselves autograph (signed ‘From Orac, Zen and Slave’!) away she’d rearrange people.” and then it was time for his talk. He had some technical Matt Zimmerman and Emma (above), I had to queue briefly for Gerry Anderson’s autograph. problems at first, with only one microphone working and (below) three puppet heads He was having a few problems hearing his assistant properly and his screen/laptop combination taking ages above the noise of the Space Centre, and she was having to work. He complained, “That’s the problem with things to write people’s names down on a piece of paper so he nowadays, you have to wait for them to warm up; even could personalise the autographs. He also asked light bulbs today, you have to wait forever for them to whether I wanted two m’s in Emma and I said yes – but warm up.” He had the original Doctor Who K9 Mk3 on only ended up with one anyway! Never mind! the stage with him. Well, it was originally K9 Mk2, but I took the autographed things back to the car then went was painted and spruced up to make it into K9 Mk3. Matt to track down the Space Centre’s totally-hidden-and- commented that it’s not blue, as most people think, it’s unfindable toilets, and then went on another little tour actually a rusty brown colour with a blue overspray, to round. When I went back past the Thunderbirds display give it an other-worldly look. He told us all that the first a bit later on, both Gerry and David’s desks were very K9 had little casters on the bottom which meant it wasn’t quiet even though Matt and Shane still had lots of people very manoeuvrable, but that it’s much more advanced with them. Matt had come round the desk to pose for now. It had to be made to drive really fast to keep up shots with several little children and seemed quite taken with third Doctor Tom Baker’s huge long strides. Tom by a small blond boy called Alan who was walking around apparently hated K9 with a vengeance, but tenth Doctor They hadn’t managed to solve the problem with the dressed in full Virgil gear, including sash and boots which David Tennant’s first request on the set of Doctor Who second microphone that had plagued Matt Irvine’s talk, were cleverly sewn onto his trousers. was to have ‘a photograph with the dog’. Matt showed so there was still only one for the Thunderbirds session. us the photo, which was really cute (as you’d expect, The emcee said she would have to run round “Anneka I asked Gerry’s assistant whether I could have a having David Tennant in it!). He also touched on the Rice style” and use her “best projection to project the photograph with him while it was quiet and she asked recent sad death of Elizabeth Sladen (Doctor Who questions back to make sure everyone can hear what him. He smiled devilishly and asked whether my companion Sarah Jane Smith) and finished his talk with you’re asking”. husband was with me. I told him that as far as my a lovely picture of her on the screen, which he left there husband knew, I was at work, to which he replied “Oh, The first question from the audience was, “What went as a tribute. we’ll, that’s all right then!” The assistant slid off the wrong with the Thunderbirds movie?” This was met with front of her chair and underneath the table so that she Once he’d finished, Matt clambered off the stage and much chuckling and a wicked grin from Gerry. Matt could get my camera. She then sent me round the other lifted K9 down before switching him on and driving him Zimmerman shouted out that “Thunderbirds Are Go is a side of the desk to where Gerry was sitting. I crouched away. I can tell you, he moves really FAST! movie with Thunderbirds in it” and that there was beside Gerry, who asked whether he should put his arm After Matt Irvine had gone I moved forwards a row and “nothing wrong with that”. He then thought for a around me, and then did so. The shot came out lovely! sat at the front, right in front of the stage. (You can see moment and continued with “Do you mean the live I asked whether I could have a picture with David while me on this YouTube video that’s been posted, http:// action one? Ach, how do you spell ‘crap’?” This brought I was round the other side of the desk and he stood up tinyurl.com/6voytbk, which was shot from a seat slightly laughter from everyone in the room, including the to try to go round the outside of the desk, before he further back during the guest talks!) celebrity guests. realised that I was already around the back so he didn’t If you would like to see my own YouTube video of the Gerry then went on to answer the question, as he had need to! He stayed standing up so the picture with him Thunderbirds question and answer session please the microphone by then. His answer was very simple was different to the other three, which was nice. I have follow this link: http://tinyurl.com/7hm4v72. and to the point: “It’s very, very easy to tell you what to say that all four of them, Gerry, Matt, David and Shane Gerry Anderson, David Graham, Matt Zimmerman and went wrong. Without sounding big-headed, it was were courteous gentlemen and lovely guests who made Shane Rimmer all lined up along one side of the stage because they didn’t use me, did they?” This was met time to speak to each and every fan who wanted to talk while seats were put on the stage for them. Matt spotted with clapping and laughter and, as the emcee said, “I to them. little Alan (the blond boy he’d seen earlier who was think that’s a very succinct answer”. I went for another walk around and ended up at Visual dressed in full Virgil gear) sitting on the floor with his The question and answer session lasted for twenty five Effects Designer Matt Irvine’s stand. I spoke to him at family, and was talking to him again while they waited minutes and covered topics such as “Will we ever get a length about the filming of things like the spaceship to go up onto the stage. new Thunderbirds series?”, “How much of yourself was After a little discussion put into your characters?” “Which was your favourite it was decided that the episode?” and “Which was your favourite vehicle?” This seating arrangements last was answered by David, in Parker’s voice, stating weren’t suitable and that “My favourite vehicle was FAB1, because I drove two of the stools were it”. The emcee took the microphone back from him and brought down off the commented that “This is so surreal, it’s amazing!” stage for Gerry and one of his assistants. The The guests had a standing ovation at the end of the talk. emcee commented There was a worrying moment when David Graham that the arrangements stumbled when getting down the (very steep) steps meant that Gerry was from the stage, but he recovered himself and the four now sitting in front with got back to their table without further incident. his ‘Tracy boys’ behind The timing worked out perfectly and I went from the him. talk pretty much straight into ‘We Are Astronomers’. To The stage was quite be able to watch the display inside the dome without dark, which Matt my three semi-hysterical children in tow was wonderful. immediately picked up For the first time I got the full effect of the whole display on, and he started and the finale of the protons flying around the Hadron hamming it up a little, Collider was fantastic! saying something like All in all this turned out to be a great day. The weather “Are we in the dark? I was fantastic (not that you can tell that from inside the know there are people Space Centre but it was lovely and sunny all the same!), out there, are we in the the guests were great, the talks were funny and the dark?” atmosphere was brilliant. Roll on the next one!

13 NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! MARCH-APRIL 2012 Rumour has it that your favourite Tracy son is Virgil. Why Virgil? Tell us everything about your love of the character! mr bondson What other Tracy is there? Seriously: a man who is unflappable, reliable and creative. And has this liquid honey voice? opens his You have a number of stories archived on the Tracy Island Chronicles, which is quite an achievement given that English is not your first language. Was it hard writing those stories to such a level of expertise? And while we’re talking about that – which BRIEFCASE one would you recommend to the readers as your Q&A WITH THUNDERBIRDS FANFIC AUTHOR GILLY-LEE all-time, absolute favourite of all the ones you’ve DECODED AND TRANSMITTED BY MCJ written? We Dutch have the reputation that we are good at This edition Mr. Bondson is once again opening to say that I don’t know that city very well. languages. We are not. We are good at speaking Dutch his intrepid briefcase …. this time to decode the I have since moved to Belgium and now live in Brussels, with English, French, Chinese or whatever accents, and in thoughts and experiences of Tracy Island which is often considered a boring and cold city, but isn’t doing so manage to make the people from those countries Chronicles co-owner, Tracy Island Writers Forum when you know your way around it. And it’s just a short believe we speak their language. list co-mom and long standing author Mizz Gilly- train trip away from England, the Netherlands, My parents decided to raise me speaking both English Lee! Luxembourg, Germany and Paris, France. And since it is and Dutch, while English wasn’t their first language either also the ‘capital’ of the ‘United States of Europe’ you and my English teachers at school came from France and Bondson (patting owls): Hi Gilly, my readers tell me could go out to eat every evening of the month and try out Turkey, respectively. So how can I speak and/ or write it? you like to be called Mommy-Owl. Is there a special a different cuisine. And then there is the chocolate museum. By agonizing over every word, wearing out spellcheckers, reason for this? Don’t eat the articles on display, or pour them over the studying a lot of grammar books, marrying an American Gilly-Lee: I’m fascinated by these gorgeous and Tracy of your choice, please. :-) and having the best beta reader there is in this fandom, mysterious birds. They look so wise, they’re such good Ned made it clear before I left the States that I who speaks both ‘British’ and ‘American’. Jaimi-Sam, and silent hunters of vermin. (Although I like mice, too.) I couldn’t come back unless I had the scoop about your where would I be without you? Probably in New Orleans, collect them. Owls, that is, not mice. And not the real birds, early adventures “playing TB.” I told him I preferred but that’s another story, folks. :-) of course, but plush, silver, porcelain, etc., effigies. And to playing doctors and nurses myself – but playing TB My all-time absolute favourite story of mine is ‘Going share something very intimate: I cried when Harry Potter’s might be a little fun. Please let us in on what you got Home’. It sort of wrote itself and that was the first and so owl Hedwig was killed. up to AND how you recently ended up in a lift in far only time that that has happened to me. Of course it’s You are one of the longest standing and most well Bristol with none other than the famous Shane “Scott a very sad story with many character deaths, so I know it respected members of the Tracy Island Writer’s Tracy” Rimmer. isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but I do believe it’s not too Forum. Can you tell us what the forum was like in I first saw the series way back when I was at elementary over-the-top dramatic. And let’s face it, death IS a part of the beginning and how things have evolved over the school. (BTW, did you know that some Thunderbirds living. years to the place we find ourselves now? episodes had their world premiere on Dutch TV?) I had Complete these three drabbles (which are co- In the early days the forum was smaller, but had more two boyfriends then who always walked me home. The incidentally all about Virgil!) active writers. Sadly some of them have left us. On the three of us were fans of the series. Halfway between school (a) Jeff says – “My son Virgil has always been the one other hand the participation in challenges has grown and and my home was this dilapidated phone booth. I was who reminds me the most of his mother, in looks and in the last couple of years there has been an increase in hoisted on top of it, and it became a crashing plane, a temperament he is so like her. But for the life of me I can’t ‘get-togethers’. sinking ship, a collapsing bridge or whatever our young understand where his love and ability for painting and music And my dream is that as soon as Brains figures out how to minds could dream up as a disaster situation. And then came from. That didn’t come from his mother’s side of push the continents closer to each other, we can all meet the boys (my schoolmates, not THE boys) would attempt the family, or mine.” and share food and snacks and writing tips. to effect my rescue. But sometimes in the process of the (b) Brains says – “Virgil is the one Tracy who truly Being a List Mom must mean there is a lot of work game they totally forgot about me and left me behind, and understands the theory behind my designs and who could behind the scenes. Can you take us through a typical I had to be ‘rescued’ from the phone booth by the iron out on-the-job snafus. If he didn’t dabble in art so month of what’s required to administer the Tracy greengrocer across the street. much he would be better though: whenever I ask him to Island Writer’s Forum so we can all appreciate it? Ah, yes, Shane and I. It happened at the 2010 Fanderson touch up a blueprint I get it back as an oil-painting.” Not everyone realises that I’m not a born English speaker Convention in Bristol. I was having a lot of trouble with (c) Grandma says – “My Grandson Virgil never really and they find the mistakes, grammatical or in choice of my back, and boy, was it killing me! So during the intended to do what he’s doing, meant to become an words, I often make in my posts odd, and because of that convention I occasionally went back to my hotel room, engineer and work with all those heavy machinery in some find me odd too. So I work mostly behind the where I had this very comfortable chair, which was the dangerous situations. But I know he knows his skills on scenes, guarding the space we have to post stories, only place where my back felt better. So there I was at the piano and on the painting canvasses are very good, articles, photos and everything else the members want to one of those times, waiting for the lift/elevator, together but not good enough to make enough money to live on. share. And trying to find solutions if we run out of space. with an elderly couple. It arrived and suddenly the voice Still, I do believe he’s happy. Maybe some group members will have noticed the files of Scott Tracy told me to go ahead and enter. OMG! Finally Gilly, what are (a) the three most important from the story challenges of earlier years have gone. But Shane Rimmer!! And he recognized the Tracy Island things you look for when reading and reviewing don’t worry, they will return in another format, so please Chronicles site url that was printed on my T-shirt. And he Thunderbirds fan fiction and (b) the types of TB bear with us. told me how much he’d enjoyed the interview he had done stories you really like best. When I first discovered the Internet and found out that with our own Pennyspy (Joanna Neilson), and how much (a) I seldom review a story, because, as an author once there were a lot of TB fansites I felt like a kid in a toyshop. he’d liked reading the finished product in the NTBS responded: “Your not Anglish, you can’t tale me what to And I was so disappointed that almost all of them ended Newsflash. (Jaimi-Sam and Lee, take a bow.) And all I write.” (These typos are not mine!) up being abandoned and completely taken over by could do was wishing we’d keep going in that lift/elevator What I look for in a story is that I’m drawn in, that it’s spammers, with the original members no longer responding to the eleventy millionth floor so that we could keep talking! believable, as far I have knowledge of the subject. I mean, to messages. And I swore that this wouldn’t happen to Ned also tells me you officially attended the recent if Brains’ special rocket fuel allows TB3 to reach the moon this group, so I’ve spent a lot of time ‘hunting’ down stray Royal Wedding in London. What was it like to be in 15 minutes I will believe that. The rocket scientists among members. such a celebrity? Did you consider wearing a yellow us will probably find this less likely. And most importantly, Unfortunately I was drugged before, during and after International Rescue sash? for me, is that the Tracys and their friends are portrayed my flight to Amsterdam (had nothing to do with beer How that invitation came about is a story in itself, but it as human beings and not as superhumans. I swear). Can you tell me exactly where we are now, was a once in lifetime opportunity. Of course we were (b) I like the pre-IR genre and the, let’s call it the ‘Next what it’s like and why you really like living here? VUPs, Very Unimportant Persons, who went to the church Generation’ type. The first, because I want to see if the Grin, yes that happens often to people visiting Amsterdam. in coaches and were then dropped off at a side-door. But author can make me believe that, because their father has And what can you expect from a city where you can’t buy the people who lined the London streets didn’t know that a dream, five very different men willingly give up their a cup of coffee in a coffeeshop? (At these places you can and waved and cheered and took photos as we drove chosen careers and private lives. buy marijuana, but before any of you come over here for past. So we happily waved back at the crowds. And I like the second genre because getting the guys into that: You may legally possess it there, but not use it because And of course I considered wearing a yellow sash. But significant relationships isn’t simply a matter of boy meets of the smoking ban in public spaces and on the streets that color would have clashed with the lilac in my dress girl (or boy) and they live happily ever after. How do they possession is illegal. So, no, not even in the Netherlands is and hat. And as my husband pointed out: yellow sashes meet? When are their intendeds told that their dates are it OK to use drugs, period.) were worn by Oliver Cromwell’s army and it’s hardly polite members of International Rescue? What to do with the I was born in that city, but my parents moved to Rotterdam to attend to the wedding of a reigning monarch’s grandson, in-laws? What to do with the schooling of the children? when I was 6 weeks old. Much later I moved back to while wearing the colors of the man who abolished that Boarding school on the mainland, homeschooling? Amsterdam but only stayed a couple of years, so I have country’s monarchy for some time. Important issues when living on a secret base.

14 NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! MARCH-APRIL 2012 Canon to the right of them, Canon to the left... (with apologies to Alfred, Lord Tennyson) Pen Turner

There can be few programmes that have such a history with the 2060s dateline – but at the same time featuring mother (now named Lucille) which took place when the stretching back over 45 years, and fewer still where that artwork by Graham Bleathman and a new backstory to boys were much older. history has gone through so many changes along the way. International Rescue commissioned by Alan Fennell, However, things would be thrown into confusion yet again In the following article I endeavour to chart some of those entitled ‘The Complete Thunderbirds Story,’ all using the at a Fanderson convention in 1993, when Thunderbirds changes for you…don’t be surprised if you find yourself 2026 dateline. This must have caused great confusion to Art Director Bob Bell was asked about the 2026 date getting very confused! observant readers. and told the audience that this had been a mistake by a The mess starts back in 1966, while the Thunderbirds member of his art department. programmes were still being screened. The two main So when the series was relaunched again in 2000, the sources of information available to viewers at that time merchandising (annuals and comics) switched back to the were the TV21 comics and the tie-in annuals (TV21, 2060s timeline, as did another new sourcebook, The Thunderbirds and Lady Penelope) that were produced Complete Book of Thunderbirds, written by Fanderson in the latter part of the year, ready for the Christmas market. member Chris Bentley. Once again Gerry Anderson Already we saw differences – the comics listed Scott as penned the foreword, and complimented Bentley on the aged 30, John 25 and Alan 19 (Virgil and Gordon’s bios contents…which incorporated the 2060s timeline but a were never published in TV21), while the Thunderbirds different birth order from the one used in John Marriott’s annual published in the same year gives their respective earlier guide. ages as 26, 22 (making John the same age as Gordon) Where had this come from? By now the series was owned and 21. by Carlton International, and in setting up their official ‘style Last year I tried to unravel the confusion of the boys’ birth guide,’ they wanted to use the ages for the boys that had order (Ned Cook’s NTBS Newsflash, May/June 2011) been cited in the 1966 Thunderbirds annual (which ranged and found five sources from that year alone giving different from Scott at 26 to Alan at 21 and also has John possibly birth orders. You really start to wish that the production being Gordon’s twin, since they are both listed as 22). team had kept a closer eye on what was being generated However, they also wanted to incorporate the birthdays in the merchandising department! that had been listed in the ‘Exhibitors Campaign Book ‘ But this was nothing compared to the controversy that that had been published to promote the launch of the developed from events at the end of that year. Up to this Thunderbirds Are Go film in 1966. But in order to make point, all the merchandising on TB had followed the this physically possible, John had to be older than Virgil. established Anderson procedure of setting the series ‘100 They arrived at this through a complicated process of years in the future’. This was seen in the TV21 comics, retrofitting. Although the 1966 annual listed John’s age as annuals, tie-in novels and audio versions of one of the 22 like Gordon, they obviously couldn’t be twins if – as programmes that were issued in EP record format. listed in the Campaign Book – Gordon’s birthday was February 24 and John’s was October 8. This also made it Then the episode Give or Take a Million was screened impossible for John to be the middle brother, since he could on Christmas Day 1966, in which we clearly saw a wall not have been born only four months before Gordon, nor calendar with the date 2026. could he have arrived a year earlier, in 2041, as then he’d This date was ignored by the merchandising department, have had to have been born only two months after Virgil! who carried on using the 2060s dateline as long as the So the only solution, if they were to stick to this plan, was comics/annuals continued to be published (the last one to make him older than Virgil. This was just barely appearing in 1971) and a 2068 date was shown in the possible, with 10 months between their births, but it also only screen production that was made after the screening ironically fitted the order in which we see the boys of GoTaM – the Thunderbird 6 film. presented on screen at the start of every episode. However, that wall calendar had already lodged itself in A few years ago, though – as if we needed yet more the minds of some fans. confusion on this subject – Chris Bentley announced that During the 1980s, the series was not seen much on British after further research he now believes that the birth order TV, but the memory was kept alive by the Fanderson that makes most sense is Scott-Virgil-John-Gordon-Alan, organisation, which produced a newsletter, S.I.G. In the and this is reflected in the 2008 revised edition of his book Spring 1984 edition, Dutch fan Theo de Klerk produced The Complete Gerry Anderson Authorized Episode a guide to the series. In this he used the 2026 date from Guide, though here no ages are given, just the list of characters in that order. And yes, you guessed it…this GoTaM, combining it with the ages for the boys as given book also has a foreword by Gerry Anderson. in the TV21 comics and retconning this to give them birth dates starting in the 1990s. De Klerk was also the first to And to return to the knotty subject of the date, Gerry use the idea that Jeff’s wife (though he did not give her a himself, when asked in the Fanderson magazine to confirm name) died giving birth to Alan; the only reference we had when the series was set, said it was ‘definitely set in 2065’. had before was that she ‘died prematurely,’ leaving him So Graham Bleathman, who produced the illustrations with the duty of ‘raising five robust and healthy sons’ the 2026 date for the 1990s Thunderbirds comics, now produces artwork for the series with the 2060s date. (Thunderbirds Annual, 1966). De Klerk’s article would The following year an official sourcebook, Thunderbirds only have been seen by members of Fanderson at the time, are Go! was produced by John Marriott, drawing most So, you can see from the above how we come to have but would become significant later. of its material from de Klerk’s article of 1984, including two different timelines (both backed by merchandising and In 1991 the rights to the series were bought by the BBC, the by now accepted 2026 dateline and the ‘death-by- official sourcebooks), two major sources for the boys’ who were able to give the series its first UK-wide network childbirth’ idea. Gerry Anderson himself penned a birth order (not to mention several additional minor broadcast. (Before that date, due to the fragmented nature foreword to this book, thanking Marriott, his editor and variants) and two versions of how the boys came to lose of the ITV network in this country, episodes would be researcher for their ‘care and attention to detail’ (despite their mother. screened at different times in different regions). The series the book having mistakes like wrongly captioned Is it any wonder we die-hard Thunderbirds aficionados was a huge success with a whole new generation, and photographs and the statement that Grandma’s relationship can never agree on anything? When the official sources once again the merchandising swung into action. The to Jeff was not known). Thunderbirds annuals produced (including Gerry Anderson himself!) keep changing their monthly publication Thunderbirds: The Comic was during this period used the same dates and ages, though minds about basic facts like what date the series is set and produced, edited by original Thunderbirds series writer The Complete Thunderbirds Story, serialised in the the relative ages and the order of birth of the main Alan Fennell, recycling the story strips from the TV21s comics, gave an alternate version of the death of the boys’ characters, how can us poor fans stand a chance?

15 NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! MARCH-APRIL 2012 BRAINSCAN lee THE DARKER SIDE OF THE SUN! If you’re all scoffing over Alan Fennell’s notion of pieces of the Sun breaking off and heading our way (see Norm de Plume’s article, p.9), then Brains has got news for you! In March 2012, NASA solar imaging revealed So what could the object have been? Armchair TRACY ISLAND CHRONICLES that the Sun was doing something You may be wondering... why did we create this newsletter, The speculators have suggested that the Sun was Tracy Island Chronicles and its brother sites The Tracy Island extraordinary. Something so unusual that it giving birth to a planet, or another Sun, or a Archives and Tracy Island Writers Forum? literally defies belief, and is certainly not able to simple ball of plasma that would detach (which be passed off as run-of-the-mill solar activity. What was the point? it eventually did) and head out into space. The point was, first and foremost, to preserve the beloved 60s NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observabory (SDO) Whatever it was it’s gone now, and we don’t television show Thunderbirds that we all know and love. We showcase satellite footage revealed what the Internet has have a clue where it’s going. Perhaps we had the best of the best fanfic on TIC, we have lots of pictures, we have since dubbed the ‘Death Star’ — a dark sphere best start digging our bomb shelters. sound bytes, we have information on the voice actors behind the that emerged from the Sun and hovered in marionettes and we have fan-created vids. Not only that, you'll find So did Mr Fennell get it right when he useful links, games and trivia...and eventually we will also have place, tethered to the Sun by a twister-like tail speculated that the Sun would give birth or that was likened to an umbilicus. Despite the information in Brains' Lab that outlines all gathered evidence for the start breaking up at some point in the distant two different timelines you might be aware of (2026 vs. 2065). solar flares that surged with unimaginable future? Hard to imagine, but maybe he did… energy around it, the sphere remained TIA also archives excellent TB fan fiction, and the TIWF Yahoo! group exists for us to have a place to talk about writing and unperturbed in its position. And despite its (The original footage can be viewed on the NASA Thunderbirds... but not just that. It's to become part of a proximity to 5,600°C degree heat, it also SDO website, or on YouTube at http:// community of caring people, a quasi-family, if you will, where we remained dark, suspiciously cooler than its www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AwrJQ7V6bw) can come together from all different parts of the world under surroundings. the umbrella of a show that has endured for 40 years. NASA can’t explain why the This newsletter exists to make sure all of you know everything that's new in our family of sites. We hope you find it informative and fun and sphere remained dark. They that you look forward to receiving it every two months! (At least... we maintain it was a coronal try to get it out every two months -- you know how 'real life' is!!!) cavity or a ‘filament,’ although So that's why we do this. We love fan fiction. We love writing. We NASA’s own definition of a love Thunderbirds (some of us are a little hung up on certain Tracys!) filament is ‘a large bright and we care about those of you who also share these loves. feature extending out from the Thank you for your support throughout these last few years and Sun’s surface.’ As you can see, stick around... because in the grammatically incorrect words of the object was not bright. Nor many who have gone before, "You ain't seen nothin' yet!!!" does the filament scenario explain why the object was HOW TO RECOMMEND STORIES FOR TIC spherical. And while the The Tracy Island Chronicles does not accept submissions directly. ‘coronal cavity’ explanation Original Series-based (non-Frakes-movie-verse Thunderbirds) fan may explain the shape, it fiction is invited to TIC by our committee, but we depend on YOU doesn’t explain how the object to recommend really good Thunderbirds fan fiction. So if you find separated from the Sun and a story that you think is "the best of the best," drop Mobile Control shot off into space a few days [[email protected]] a line and let us know! later. HOW TO JOIN THE TRACY ISLAND WRITERS FORUM TIWF's credo is: the roaming cone We exist for the sole purpose of discussing creative writing. The point is to better ourselves as writers through advice, constructive criticism Parker could barely credit the kick to the rum’n’raisin and conversations regarding writing well. A lot of the discussions may MADAM GILLYLEE’S revolve around Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds, but we by no means wish to limit ourselves to the writing of fan fiction in any genre. If you care about your writing, this is the place to be! So if you like to read TB fanfic, write TB fanfic, beta TB fanfic, like EEPPI-SI-SCOCOPPEE to write, want to write or are just interested in joining a fantastic group of people, go to the Tracy Island Writers Forum Can you guess which Thunderbirds character [http:groups.yahoo.com/groupTracy_Island_WF/] and join today! and episode this horoscope relates to? You’ll find Remember, we also do special update announcements as special the answer somewhere in the NEWSFLASH! notices on TIWF, so sign up to make sure you know what's going on! WANT TO GIVE NED COOK A HAND? PISCES So, you read this newsletter and think, "Hey, I have something I'd March Pisces really need to like to write for that!" Well, here's your chance to become a stop behaving like they're still contributor. going through puberty and start What do you have in mind? Send it in either MS Word document l format or plain text format as an attachment to acting like adults. After all, as long they have [email protected] and our contributing editors will not established an exclusive relationship with let you know what they think. another person, that person is allowed to date We do ask that before you submit anything, you please ensure others. Definitely true if the male Pisces accepts grammar and spelling have been checked. Ned gets annoyed if he can't understand what he's reading! [Oh, and Ned reserves the invitations to nightclubs from very attractive right to edit any submissions he receives. It’s just how he is.] older women on occasion. Even if his whole family acts as a chaperones. HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS NEWSLETTER HAVE You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed through The Tracy Island Chronicles. Your e-mail address is not shared BEEN with anyone else, nor is it sold, rented or otherwise given away. It aRIES YOU is used for the sole purpose of sending you this newsletter. If you April Aries have a strong, no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please send a request to Mobile Control [[email protected]] and ask to be removed. sometimes creative thrust and a powerful expression of energy. Many READING jhave the hard-headedness normally linked with DISCLAIMERS The NTBS NEWSFLASH!, The Tracy Island Chronicles, The Tracy the ram, the animal symbol of this astrological Island Archives and Tracy Island Writers Forum were created sign. They also tend to think that others can't do NED COOKS and are maintained for archiving and preservation purposes only. ’ No copyright infringement is intended. No financial gain is being their work than under direct supervision of said made from any of these endeavors. All original content is copyright Aries. On the other hand, being creatures of action, NTBS NEWSFLASH! The Tracy Island Chronicles. they never sit back and take it easy while another does the dirty and or dangerous task. for your FREE subscription, email: www.tracyislandchronicles.com

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The Mighty Atom. Mighty The in Scott is Aries hard-headed the and , Go are Thunderbirds in

This pouty and possessive Pisces is alan is Pisces possessive and pouty This questions: EPI-SCOPE 16 month’s this to Answer NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! MARCH-APRIL 2012 WINNER OF THE 2011 TRACY ISLAND WRITERS FORUM ‘FACE THE FEAR’ CHALLENGE

BOOGEYMANBOOMERCAT

Johnny Tracy lay stiffly in his bed, listening. His daddy looked in the closet, and behind the dresser, then Doing things by himself always made Johnny smile, said there was nothing to be afraid of, that there was told Johnny that it was okay, there was no and he was in a good mood all that day, going to no such thing as the boogeyman, but Johnny knew boogeyman in the room. school and drawing a rocket ship, and coming home different. Johnny had seen it. Johnny had seen the Then he surprised Johnny again, pulling out a thing and playing with his brothers and telling his boogeyman, and it was terrifying. that looked like a rocket ship, and plugging it into grandma, and later, his daddy all about his day. It had happened just the other night. He’d been in the wall by his dresser. It was a little light, and his When he went to bed that night, and his daddy came bed, half asleep, when he had heard something. It daddy told him it would help keep the boogeyman and tucked him in, he didn’t even think about that had sounded like a bird’s wings whooshing by, only away. Johnny had smiled, and reached up and old boogeyman. He went right to sleep, and had a softer, and then something had whispered his name. hugged his daddy. dream about taking a rocket ship to the moon, just He opened his eyes, and in front of him was a big Now, with his daddy gone, though, the little light like his daddy did. dark figure. didn’t seem to help, because Johnny just knew that When the boogeyman came back that night, Johnny At first, he thought it was his daddy. It kind of looked boogeyman was going to come back. He lay in bed, almost didn’t wake up, but that soft whooshing broke like his daddy, but it wasn’t him. The eyes were afraid to move, afraid to close his eyes. It took him a through his happy dreams, and his eyes flew open. shaped a little different, maybe. And there were very long time to fall to sleep that night. Just like before, the boogeyman was there, standing shadows on its face that were somehow wrong. He’d by his bed, looking at him. known right then that it was a boogeyman. It was a The little rocket ship light hadn’t kept the boogeyman boogeyman that was trying to look like his daddy to away, and in fact, it made it worse, because Johnny fool him, and that made it all the more scary. could see him better. Just like before, the boogeyman When the boogeyman had moved its hand toward tried to look like his daddy, but was just different him, Johnny had done the only thing he could. He enough for Johnny to know it wasn’t him. screamed. He screamed in pure mortal terror, and When Johnny sucked in a breath to scream, the the boogeyman had jumped back into the shadows, boogeyman had held out his hands and said, “Whoa, surprised. it’s okay, Johnny, it’s okay, I won’t hurt you!” Johnny kept on screaming until his daddy, and his But Johnny knew it was a boogeyman trick, and so big brother, Scotty, came running in, his grandma a he screamed, and just like before, the boogeyman few steps behind. His daddy turned on the light, but jumped back. But this time, the shadows weren’t as when the shadow where the boogeyman had been dark, and Johnny saw when the boogeyman disappeared, so did the boogeyman. Johnny cried touched a thing on his belt, and disappeared. and cried, wishing for his mommy, but knowing he couldn’t call out for her, because that would make Johnny’s scream cut off in a surprised gasp, but then his daddy sad, and he didn’t want to make his daddy his daddy was there, and this time, although he sad. shook so hard he thought he might shake apart, Johnny did not cry. Again, his daddy held him tight, His mommy had gone away to heaven a long time until the shaking went away. ago, and Johnny didn’t know why, or how to make her come back. As he sobbed in his daddy’s arms, he When his daddy asked him, Johnny told him that couldn’t help wanting her, and his tears wouldn’t the boogeyman knew his name, and that he’d tried stop, because he wanted her, and his daddy was to fool him by telling him he wouldn’t hurt him. His holding him so tight, and it was somehow okay to The next morning when he woke up, he was daddy had frowned at that, and asked him a lot of cry. surprised at first, then very, very happy that the questions about what exactly the boogeyman Johnny knew that crying wasn’t okay. He was boogeyman had not come back. He smiled when he looked like and what he was wearing and stuff. supposed to be a big boy, and that meant no crying, looked at his rocket ship nightlight. His daddy was Johnny had told him, and his daddy had frowned but sometimes he couldn’t help it, and when there right, it had kept the boogeyman away! until Johnny told him how the boogeyman had was a boogeyman in your room, that was one of the He left his room, and went downstairs to the kitchen, touched his belt then had disappeared. His daddy’s times. It was a long time before he could stop where his grandma made him his favorite oatmeal frown had faded, and he had just looked thoughtful. sobbing. In part because it was so scary, but also in with the raisins and things in it, telling him to hurry He held Johnny some more, and asked him if he part because he didn’t want his daddy to stop up because the school bus would be coming. Johnny thought he could go to sleep if he stayed with him. holding him so tight. sighed. He liked kindergarten okay, but he still Johnny would have liked to have gone to his daddy’s When he finally calmed down, his daddy had asked wished he could just stay home like his little brothers big bed with him, but he could tell his daddy wanted him what had happened, and Johnny had told him did. him to be brave again, and with a sigh, his nodded about the boogeyman. Scotty, who was never scared When he finished his oatmeal, he went back up to his head and laid back down. His daddy his stroked of anything, had laughed and told him he was crazy, his room, and put on the dungarees and the clean his hair, and after a while, Johnny had nodded off. but his grandma had taken Scotty back to his bed. shirt his grandma had put out for him. Then he put The boogeyman didn’t come back the next night, or Then his daddy asked Johnny if he’d like to come on his socks, and then sat down to tie his shoes. The sleep with him in his big bed. the following night, either. If fact it was almost a week first one he got just right, but the other one he kept before John had heard that soft whoosh again. Johnny’s eyes had gotten wide, and he had simply doing wrong. This time Johnny thought if maybe he kept his eyes nodded, holding tight as his daddy carried him down Finally, in frustration, he stomped down the hall to closed real tight, the boogeyman would just go away. the hallway to his own bedroom. Tucked up in the his brother Scotty’s room, and asked him to show But although he squeezed his eyes extra tight, he big bed next to his daddy, Johnny had felt safe, and him how, just one more time. His brother Virgil was could still hear that boogeyman over the pounding had fallen asleep for the rest of the night. already there, and he told Johnny to get up on the of his heart, and he heard the boogeyman moving He’d slept in his daddy’s bed for the last three nights, bed, and he’d tie the shoe for him. around. but tonight, his daddy had told him that it was time Johnny had frowned and shook his head. He told to sleep in his own bed. Johnny could tell his daddy Virgil that he didn’t want him to tie his shoe, he He tried to keep his eyes closed, but he couldn’t stand wanted him to be brave, so Johnny had swallowed wanted Scotty just to show him how again. Virgil not knowing what the boogeyman was doing, so he hard, but said okay. didn’t like that, but Scotty had said okay, and told opened his eyes just a tiny little bit. He saw that the When it was time to go to bed, his daddy had come Johnny to show him what he was doing, and when boogeyman was reaching for his door, to go out into with him and tucked him in, and then, to Johnny’s Johnny did, he reminded him about how the rabbit his house. surprise, had gotten down on his knees and looked has to go around, and enlightened, Johnny was able Johnny’s eyes flew wide as he realized the under the bed. Then his daddy had gotten up and to do it himself. boogeyman was not coming to get him. It was

17 NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! MARCH-APRIL 2012 coming for his daddy. The boogeyman was going to enough. Why don’t you go help your grandma get favorite stuffed toy, an octopus, and sucking his take his daddy away! breakfast ready?” thumb. Johnny screamed louder than he ever had before, Scotty threw a worried glance at his father, and giving “Virgil, take your brother out to the kitchen and get terrified down to his very soul. The idea of his daddy Johnny’s hand a squeeze, said, “Okay Dad. It’s going some breakfast.” going away forever was something he never wanted to be okay, Johnny, I promise.” Virgil nodded, and took Gordon by the hand, leading to think about. It was an idea that sometimes lurked Johnny watched his brother go, comforted that the him toward the kitchen. John watched them go, at the edges of his thoughts making his days dark. older boy cared. His daddy put a finger under ashamed to have cried in front of them. His daddy At the door, the boogeyman jumped when Johnny Johnny’s chin and lifted it up so that Johnny had to said, “John, look at me.” screamed, then looked back at the boy with look his daddy in the eye. Johnny looked up at his daddy, and his daddy said, “I something like disappointment, before it touched “Now, son, was it the same boogeyman as before?” want you to listen very carefully, all right? I am not its belt and disappeared. Johnny nodded, not wanting to talk. His father going away. There is no boogeyman big enough or Johnny started to wail. He had never been so cocked his head to the side. “Are you sure? Did it look tough enough to make me leave you and your frightened before, and he didn’t know what to do. He just the same as before?” brothers, understand?” could hardly breathe for crying so hard, and didn’t Johnny felt his eyes widen. It was a thought he hadn’t even realize his daddy was there rocking him for the Johnny thought about it for a moment, then nodded again. “Yes, but this time it had on a different shirt.” had before, but he realized it was true. His daddy was longest time. stronger and tougher than anybody else in the Once he knew his daddy was holding him, Johnny That made his daddy frown. He asked again, “But it whole wide world. Of course he could stop a latched on to his daddy’s pajamas. His head was was the same man?” boogeyman. His daddy could do anything. spinning, and he felt funny, like his eyes were going Johnny nodded again. Infinitely relieved, Johnny reached up and hugged out, but he couldn’t stop crying, and he was terrified “Son, have you ever seen this boogeyman anywhere his daddy hard. “You promise? You promise, Daddy?” that if he let go of his daddy’s shirt, the boogeyman else? At the store, or at school, maybe?” would swoop in and take his daddy away. “Cross my heart. I promise you I won’t leave you. Not Johnny frowned, confused. Didn’t his daddy know even when you’re old and gray. You’ll never be rid of He kept screaming and crying. At one point, he saw that boogeymen could only come at night? He shook me!” Scotty was there, and his brother was looking very his head. “No, Daddy, only in my bedroom.” frightened, and like he wanted to cry too. A tiny His daddy said it in a playful tone, and suddenly thought occurred that Scotty must have seen the “And it disappeared again?” reached down and tickled Johnny’s ribs. Johnny boogeyman too. Johnny nodded. “It has this thing on its belt. When it started to laugh, and soon, as the tickling continued, the scary bad feeling Johnny had had disappeared. That scared Johnny all over again, and he cried even touches it, it disappears.” harder. He turned his head into his daddy’s chest, His daddy nodded, frowning again. “Okay, we’ll leave Knowing that his daddy was safe from the wanting it all to be over, but not knowing how to that for now. Tell me this. You’ve seen this boogeyman boogeyman made all the difference to Johnny. And stop. before, what, twice, right?” When Johnny nodded, his for the next several days, he felt very good, and he daddy continued. “What was different about last didn’t even think about that old boogeyman any After a very long time, he couldn’t cry any more. His more. throat hurt, and his head hurt, and he felt very stiff. night? The first time you cried, but the second time He felt his daddy shift, and he tensed up, but his you didn’t. Why were you so upset last night? John, His big brother Scotty told him the reason the daddy settled back down. did that boogeyman touch you? Did he try to hurt boogeyman didn’t come back was because Johnny you?” wasn’t thinking about it. That didn’t sound exactly He turned his head, just a little bit, and was surprised right to Johnny, but as the nights passed, and the to find he wasn’t in his bedroom at all, but in the “No, Daddy.” Johnny shook his head, but didn’t want to say anything more. boogeyman didn’t come back, Johnny started to living room. His daddy was sitting in his grandma’s think maybe Scotty was right. rocking chair, and he was wrapped up with his daddy After a few moments, his daddy hugged him tight in a quilt so tight that he couldn’t move, and he didn’t again, and said, “Tell me what happened.” But then came the day that his daddy told Johnny think he daddy could move either. he wanted to have a man to man talk. It always made John leaned against his daddy’s chest, feeling safe Johnny’s tummy hurt when his daddy said that, That suited Johnny just fine. He didn’t want to ever and warm. In a small voice, he started. “When it first because usually it was because he did something let go of his daddy. His cries had died, and though he comes it makes a noise, so I knew it was there.” wrong. felt very, very tired, Johnny didn’t think he would go “Noise? What kind of noise?” to sleep. Johnny didn’t know what he’d done, so he followed Johnny thought for a moment, then said, “Like that his daddy to the living room with his head hung low. It was some time later, when Johnny woke up. To his door at your office where the people wear white When his daddy sat on the couch and told Johnny surprise, the sun was up. He was still wrapped up clothes.” to sit next to him, Johnny did it, even though he felt with his daddy in the rocking chair, and to his like he wanted to cry. surprise, Scotty was right next to him, hugging him “The clean lab? The door at the clean lab?” “Son, why the long face?” as he slept. Johnny nodded. His daddy went still for a moment, It felt good to just lie there knowing his daddy and but then asked, “Okay, so you knew the boogeyman Johnny just shrugged, not wanting to say anything. big brother were protecting him. He might have was in your room. Is that when you called for me?” He didn’t dare look up at his daddy, because he might just start to bawl before he even knew what he’d done fallen back to sleep, but then he had to go to the Johnny didn’t remember actually calling for his wrong. potty, so he had to start wiggling. daddy, but he shook his head. “No, I thought if I didn’t His daddy awoke with a jerk, and that made Scotty open my eyes, it would go away, but it didn’t. I could His daddy didn’t say anything at first, but then he wake up. Johnny, getting desperate, wiggled harder. hear it.” said, “You’re not in trouble, you know.” “Daddy, I have to go to the potty!” “Okay, so then what happened?” Surprised, Johnny looked up at his daddy’s face. His daddy didn’t look mad at all, and Johnny smiled, the With a few deft moves, his daddy freed them from “I didn’t know what it was doing, so I peeked to see.” the constricting quilt, and Johnny ran, holding tummy hurt going away. His daddy cocked his head “You opened your eyes? What was it doing?” himself, to the downstairs bathroom. Once he had to one side. “That’s what you thought, isn’t it? Honey, relieved himself, Johnny went back out into the living Johnny stiffened in remembered terror. “It was I happen to like talking to you, okay? Now, what I have room, but to his disappointment, his daddy and opening the door!” to say is serious, but you aren’t in any trouble at all.” brother had gotten out of the rocking chair and were It came out as a wail, and his daddy immediately “Okay, Daddy,” Johnny replied, relieved and just a on the couch. started rocking and shushing him, stroking his hair, little curious. “Johnny, come here,” his daddy beckoned. and holding him tight. To his own surprise, Johnny “All right then. Now, you know I told you that I’ll never was able to calm down after only a few minutes, and In the cold light of day, Johnny felt a sense of shame leave you and your brothers, right?” his daddy said, “I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to that he had cried worse than either of his little Johnny nodded, his tummy starting to tighten just a scare you again. I just wanted to know what brothers ever did. Hanging his head, he trudged over little bit. His daddy nodded, and continued. “That’s happened. Can you tell Daddy what happened?” and stood in front of his daddy. what I said, and I mean it. But you know, I have to Johnny knuckled his eyes with both fists. He knew To his relief, his daddy picked him up and set him on work, right? And sometimes that work means I have his daddy wanted him to be brave, but it was very to take a business trip, right? Taking a business trip his lap, hugging him tight. “Now, why don’t you tell hard. He didn’t like to think about the boogeyman, me what happened last night?” isn’t the same a leaving you. I want you to but if his daddy wanted to know, Johnny resolved to understand that, okay?” Still ashamed of himself, Johnny barely whispered, tell him. “The boogeyman came back.” Johnny frowned, not really understanding. He Nodding his head, Johnny said, “The boogeyman was thought about it for a while, and a happy thought Johnny felt a hand on his, and he looked up. His trying to open the door so it could come get you, so occurred to him. If his daddy wasn’t home, that old brother Scotty shook his head, eyes sympathetic. I yelled, and it touched its belt and disappeared.” boogeyman couldn’t get him. He’d be safe! “Johnny, there’s no such thing as a boogeyman. You “What do you mean, it was going to get me?” That thought made it possible for Johnny to smile just had a bad dream.” “It was going to take you away.” Johnny wailed again, tentatively up at his daddy. “Okay, Daddy.” “No, Scotty! I saw it! It was there!” and this time it took him a long time to settle down. His daddy’s eyes widened like he was surprised, but “No, you just think it was there. It was part of the By the time he had stopped crying, his brothers Virgil then he smiled. “That’s my big boy!” dream.” and Gordon were in the room staring at him. Virgil His daddy’s smile showed he was proud of Johnny, Johnny felt his eyes well up. He didn’t know how to was upset, looking worriedly from his father to his and that made Johnny feel all warm inside. For a make Scotty understand, and it hurt in his chest that brother and back again. Gordon was too little to while, he sat next to his daddy on the couch with his Scotty didn’t believe him. His daddy said, “Scott, that’s understand, and just stood there clutching his daddy’s arm on his shoulder.

18 NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! MARCH-APRIL 2012 boogeyman. He’d have to clobber it so good that it Another thought occurred to him, and he looked wouldn’t ever want to come back. She came over and perched on the edge of his bed, wide-eyed up at his daddy. “Will you bring me feeling his forehead with the back of her hand. “Are The idea was very scary to Johnny, but he couldn’t something?” you feeling all right, baby? You were awfully quiet think of any other way to make the boogeyman go after dinner.” Late that afternoon, Johnny stood on the porch with away and never come back. He slid off of his bed and his grandma and brothers and waved as his daddy went to the bedroom door. Johnny didn’t want to tell his grandma about the drove away. He sighed, listening to Gordon cry. The boogeyman. It would probably scare her, so he just Johnny tried to be very quiet opening his door. He little boy was only now old enough to understand shook his head. “I’m okay, Grandma.” pulled it open just enough to stick his head out, and the difference between his daddy going to work, and look and see if any of his brothers were out there. His grandma looked at his with shrewd eyes. “Well, I his daddy going on a trip, and he showed his upset think next time, we’ll just cut that second sloppy Joe He couldn’t hear anybody, so he went out into the with tears. in half. You probably just ate a little too much. You’ll hall. He tiptoed down the hall to Scotty’s room. He Scott moved over and picked the little boy up. “Hey, feel better in the morning.” listened at the door, but he didn’t hear anything. kiddo, stop with the waterworks, and I’ll Johnny’s tummy did hurt, but he didn’t let you sleep with me tonight.” think it had anything to do with how Gordon wasn’t listening, and just kept much he ate. Sighing, he said, “Okay, crying. Johnny scrunched up his nose. If Grandma.” Gordy wouldn’t sleep with Scotty, Johnny His grandma tucked the covers in all would. Johnny loved sleeping in his big around him, then leaned down to put a brother’s bed. It was almost as good as kiss on Johnny’s forehead. “All right, then, sleeping in the big bed with his daddy. good night, sleep tight, and I’ll see you in Before he could tell his big brother, the morning bright.” though, Scotty turned and carried the “Good night, Grandma.” small redhead into the house, followed by Virgil. Johnny felt his grandmother’s His grandma left the room, turning out hand on his shoulder, shepherding him the light as she left. That was okay as far into the house as she carried the baby in as Johnny was concerned because his out of the cold. little night light was good enough for him to see by. “Grandma, any chance we could have Sloppy Joes for dinner?” Scott asked. Johnny frowned. He realized that he would have to wiggle free to get the That got Gordon’s attention. The toddler baseball bat off the floor. He liked being knew what Sloppy Joes were. “Gamma tucked in, and he sighed as he loosened make Sloppy Joes?” the blankets. Johnny looked hopefully up at his He got the baseball bat, and got back into grandma. Gordy wasn’t the only one who bed, the bat a comforting strength next liked Sloppy Joes. His grandma stood to him. After a while, he started to nod off, looking at her grandsons, and at first, and then jerked awake with another scary Johnny thought she’d say no, but then thought. her face softened, and she cocked her head to the side. “Well, I can’t think of a What if this one time, he didn’t hear the reason not to. All right, we’ll have Sloppy boogeyman come in? What if it got by Joes.” him, and got out into the house? Johnny joined his brothers in cheering. This was so scary an idea that Johnny’s His grandma put Alan down and raised a hand. “Now, eyes flew wide. Now that he’d thought it, why don’t you boys go outside and play? No, Alan Johnny swallowed hard. He knew he wasn’t he didn’t think he would ever fall asleep. He clutched can stay here with me. And Scott, keep an eye on supposed to go into Scotty’s room without the bat to his chest, his tummy hurting worse than Gordon, please. Don’t let him take off his clothes. It’s permission, but he needed to. He needed to very ever. too cold out there, and I don’t want him getting sick.” badly, so he opened the door and stepped in. After a few minutes, Johnny had a good thought. He Virgil joined Johnny in giggling. Gordy had a habit He tiptoed over to Scotty’s closet, and opening it, he pushed his covers off, and got out of bed, and went of taking off all of his clothes if you didn’t watch him. found what he was looking for. His big brother’s to the toy box in the corner. Reaching in, Johnny Just the other day, they’d found him without even baseball bat. It was a new one, and Johnny knew pulled out his big red fire truck. his underwear splashing in rain puddles as a storm Scotty would be very mad if he found him taking it, He put the truck between the bedroom door, and raged. but he just had to. the corner where the boogeyman always appeared. Scotty rolled his eyes. “Okay, Grandma. Come on, guys, The bat was heavy, but Johnny held it in both hands, Looking at it in the gloom, he went back to his toy let’s go out to the barn.” and quickly tiptoed back to his own room. Looking box, and got all of his other trucks, and some of his Legos too. Johnny had a good time playing with his brothers in around, he hid the bat under the blankets on his bed. the barn that afternoon. And the promised Sloppy The bat made a lump that no amount of smoothing He spread them on the floor and stood back satisfied. Joes for dinner had been so good he’d eaten most would cover, and Johnny stood for a long time There was no way that old boogeyman would be able to get to the door without making a racket. of a second one. looking at it. The scary feeling in his tummy wasn’t After dinner, he’d gone up to his room to get ready going away. Johnny climbed back into his bed, and pulled the for bed, and as he was pulling on his pajamas, his covers up. It wasn’t as good as being tucked in, but After a while, he sighed, and left his room. He went still, with his bat, Johnny felt snug and safe. eye was caught by the little rocket ship night light. downstairs and found his grandma and brothers in It made him pause, with a bad thought. What if the the kitchen. A little while later, as Johnny was again nodding off, the bedroom door opened, and Scotty looked in. He boogeyman came back while his daddy was gone? “There you are. Wanna play some Go Fish with Virg Who would hold him if he was scared? started to come in, but there was enough light for and me?” Scotty asked. him to see the toys covering the floor, and he What if the boogeyman didn’t know his daddy was Usually, Johnny loved playing Go Fish with his older hesitated. gone, and got out into the house? Would it take his brothers, but this time he didn’t really want to. He big brother? Or his grandma? Suddenly, his tummy Apparently spotting a clear path to the bed, Scotty started to hurt, and he started to breathe hard. couldn’t think of a reason to say no, though, so he stepped in. he came over to the bed and perched climbed up into his chair at the big farm table, and just where his grandma had. Johnny didn’t want His daddy could fight off the boogeyman, but it was watched as Scotty dealt the cards. Scotty to see the bat, so he sat up in bed. a big boogeyman, and his grandma wasn’t very big at all. And Scotty would fight, but that old boogeyman After a while, Johnny got caught up in the game, and “Did you put all of your toys on the floor?” Scotty could just carry him off. when his grandma finally said it was time for bed, asked. Johnny was surprised that the time had passed. Johnny didn’t even want to think about what the Johnny just nodded. Scott cocked his head. “Why?” boogeyman would do to his little brothers. Scared, Most times, he didn’t want to go to bed. He didn’t Johnny shrugged. “Boogeyman.” tears came to his eyes. He wiped his hand across his think it was fair that Scotty and Virgil got to stay up Scott’s head came up at that. “I thought you were face, and frowned hard, refusing to let the tears fall. later than him. But just for tonight, he didn’t argue, past that.” Johnny knew if he told Scotty, his big brother would but instead, surprised his grandma and older Johnny shrugged again, not knowing what to say. just tell him to not think about the boogeyman. But brothers by simply leaving the kitchen to climb the Johnny knew, he just knew, the boogeyman would stairs to his bedroom. “Just being sure, huh?” not stay away. Johnny was climbing into his bed, when he heard That was a good answer, so Johnny nodded, and Johnny froze as he had a new thought. He realized his grandma coming up the stairs to tuck him in. He Scott nodded back. “Okay, but in the morning, make that it was all up to him to keep that boogeyman had a moment of panic, afraid his grandma would sure you put them all back into the toy box, okay?” from taking any of his family. He sat listening to his find the borrowed baseball bat in his bed. “Okay.” own harsh breathing as he tried to work out how he Quickly, before she opened the door, he put the bat “All right. You gonna be okay, tonight?” could make the boogeyman leave his family alone. on the floor on the far side of his bed. He barely made “Yeah.” He swallowed hard as he thought of the only way he it in time. His grandma came in just as he pulled up could think of. He’d have to clobber that old the covers. “All right. Good night.”

19 NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! MARCH-APRIL 2012 “Good night, Scotty.” when his grandma was keeping him from having As quickly as that, the anger turned to tears. His Johnny watched as his big brother left the room. It any fun? grandma said, “Oh, honey,” and came over and picked felt good that Scotty hadn’t laughed at him, or told Scott looked over at him, and said casually, “I will him up, and moved to the bed, sitting down and him it was just his imagination. He snuggled back help with your snow fort, but only if you lighten up.” holding and rocking him. down into his blankets. Johnny continued to frown for a few minutes feeling It wasn’t the same as his daddy holding him, but her The next morning, Johnny was surprised when he very put upon, but the promise of help with his snow soft arms cradling him felt good, and it only took woke up. He’d been sure the boogeyman was going fort was just to tantalizing to ignore. Johnny thought Johnny a little while to calm down. He looked up to to come in the night. He looked at all of his toys on for a minute, and knew just what to say. Turning in see Scotty sitting next to him, but to Johnny’s the floor and smiled. Maybe the boogeyman knew his chair, he said, “I’m sorry Grandma. I won’t have no surprise and annoyance, his brother was grinning. he’d better not come back. attitude no more.” As soon as Scotty saw Johnny looking at him, he said, Mindful of what Scotty had said, Johnny got out of “Have any attitude any more,” Grandma corrected. “Johnny, do you realize what you did? You took on bed, and started picking up his toys. As he put the “Thank you, sweetheart. I appreciate that. Scott, the boogeyman all by yourself! That’s amazing!” last of them in the toy box, he heard someone could you go get the babies up, please?” Johnny was surprised. Scotty didn’t sound mad, he pounding up the stairs. “Yes, ma’am.” Scotty pushed his chair back, and went sounded happy. Still frowning, Johnny asked, “How Curious, Johnny went to his door and opened it. As out of the kitchen, just as Virgil came in. come?” he did, Scotty ran by grinning. “It’s a snow day!” “Grandma, I tried to put on my snow boots, but they “What do you mean, how come? Nobody takes on Johnny blinked. He looked back toward his bedroom don’t fit any more,” Virgil complained. the boogeyman! Nobody. But you did! That’s about window, and sure enough, he could see the snow the bravest thing I ever heard in my entire whole life. coming down. He had a vague memory that a snow “Well, you know the box where the old boots are. After You’re a hero, Johnny!” day was a good thing, but he couldn’t remember why. breakfast, take your boots and put them in the box, “I am?” Johnny’s head came up, his eyes wide. He followed Scotty to Virgil’s room, where his big and find a pair of Scott’s that fit.” brother was bouncing on the bed, trying to get Virgil “Okay,” Virgil replied, scratching at his head. He sat “You certainly are,” his grandmother nodded her to wake up. “Wake up, Virg, it’s a snow day!” at the table, and Grandma put a bowl of oatmeal in head. “And here’s something I’ve never told you boys. front of him that Virgil eagerly dug into. When a child attacks the boogeyman, that “Uuugh… what? What’s going on?” His brother Virgil boogeyman can never ever come back to the house asked sleepily. “Scotty’s going to help me build a snow fort.” Johnny that child is at.” “It’s a snow day, Virg, get up!” told the older boy. “Really, Grandma?” Johnny looked up at his grandma, “What? A snow day? Are you sure?” “Yeah? Well, he better make it good, because I’m hope in his heart. going to make the biggest pile of snowballs in the “Yeah, they said it on the radio!” Scott continued world.” “You never told me that, Grandma.” Scotty said. bouncing up and down on Virgil’s bed. Johnny smiled, his excitement growing. “Well, it’s just not something you can tell a child, but “Hurray!” Virgil crowed. I know that it’s true. I’m very well-versed in Johnny frowned. “Scotty, what’s a snow day?” That night, Johnny was very tired. He had spent the boogeyman lore,” Grandma said, sagely. entire day playing in the snow, and at dinner, he had Scotty turned to him, and grinned, “It’s a day when agreed with his brothers when Virgil declared it the Johnny wasn’t really sure what she meant, but all the snow is so bad that they close down the school. best snow day ever. the bad achy feeling in his tummy was gone, and We don’t have to go to school today, Johnny!” what she said sounded like it must be true. Scotty When his grandma tucked him in, he’d asked her if Johnny’s eyes flew wide. “Really? You’re not just was nodding his head. “Grandma, does that mean she thought tomorrow would be a snow day, too. no boogeymen for Gordy or Allie, too?” making it up? We really don’t have to go to school?” His grandma had smiled and told him he’d just have “Really truly, kiddo! There’s enough snow out there to fall asleep fast so tomorrow would come. “It does.” to make forts.” When Scott came in later, and looked around at the “Way to go, Johnny. Just wait ‘til Dad hears this!” Johnny cheered. He loved snow forts. And it would clean floor, he’d nodded, saying, “No boogeyman Johnny perked up. “Can we call him? Grandma, can mean snowball fights, too! tonight. Good.” we call him right now?” “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go get dressed!” Just when he said it, Johnny’s tummy had dropped. “No, honey. Your daddy is asleep by now, and so Scotty ran from Virgil’s room, and Johnny ran after He’d forgotten all about the boogeyman. As soon as should you be. We’ll call him in the morning. For now, him, singing, “Snow day, snow day, we’re gonna have Scotty had closed the door, Johnny had jumped out do you think you can go to sleep?” a snow day!” of his bed, and hurried to the toy box. Johnny looked around at the toys on the floor, and Johnny started to put on his school clothes that his No sooner had he put the toys on the floor, and the little rocket ship nightlight and wondered how grandma had put out for him, but then he stopped picked up his baseball bat, than he heard that soft he would fall asleep. Scotty cocked his head. “You and grinned at himself. He could wear his play whoosh behind him. Johnny gasped, feeling naked know, just to be sure, I think I’d like you to sleep with clothes today! outside of his covers. He spun around, and there, me in my room. You can protect me.” bigger than ever, was that boogeyman. He put on his favorite Buzz Lightyear T-shirt, and a Johnny smiled. He knew Scotty was only kidding pair of jeans and his shoes that lit up when he walked, The two froze for a moment, and Johnny wasn’t sure about needing Johnny to protect him, but he would and ran down the stairs to the kitchen. Scotty was who was more surprised. But then, a fierce anger sleep with Scotty anytime he offered. He nodded his already at the table, eating cereal. gripped him. The stupid boogeyman had waited head, and Scotty stood up, and turned his back to Johnny went over to his grandma, and hugged her until Johnny had had the best snow day ever, and him, saying, “Hop aboard.” around the waist. “Grandma, Scotty says we don’t then he had come to spoil it. With a happy cry, he climbed up on his brother’s back, have to go to school today.” With a scream of absolute hate, Johnny swung his and rode him piggyback all the way to Scotty’s bed. His grandma looked at him. “That’s true, and I bat. The boogeyman jumped back, arms up to ward Scotty dumped him onto the bed, and tickled him appreciate the fact that you didn’t put on your school off the blow, but Johnny followed him swinging the for a while before saying it was time to go to sleep. clothes, but honey, if you’re going to play outside bat again. He almost got it with that second swing, you’re going to need your heavy sweater, and a but the boogeyman hit his belt just in time, and the As Johnny snuggled up against his brother’s warm sweatshirt.” bat swung through empty air. back, he thought about the boogeyman, and how he had chased it away. He nodded to himself, smiling, Johnny had almost forgotten that snow was cold. Johnny screamed his frustration and defiance, and knowing that the boogeyman would never come He nodded his head, and turned to run back upstairs. threw the bat where the boogeyman had stood. back, and he had made his brothers and his daddy “Okay, Grandma.” Suddenly, the light in his room went on, and Scotty and his grandma safe. He fell asleep with that smile “Wait, wait. John, come eat your breakfast first. There’s was there, and behind him, his grandma. on his face. plenty of time to change after you’ve eaten.” Scott tripped on the toys, but grabbed the footboard Johnny frowned, not wanting to wait. “But Grandma, of Johnny’s bed, and didn’t fall. His grandma looked at the toys on the floor, and said, “What in the world!” Want to know who the Boogeyman is? Read I want to go out and make a snow fort!” Boomercat’s previous story “Time and Again” on “I’m sure you do, but you’re not going anywhere until Johnny stood with clenched fists, face red with anger. the Tracy Island Chronicles. you’ve had your breakfast and made your bed. Now, Scotty took him by the shoulders, and said, “Are you come over here and sit down.” okay? What happened?” THE HOME OF THUNDERBIRDS FANFICTION! Johnny groaned, but dragged his feet back over to It took Johnny a moment to catch his breath, then, the table. His grandma put a bowl of oatmeal in front shaking he snarled, “That stupid boogeyman came! of him. Even though it had the apples and raisins That stupid boogeyman came to spoil everything!” and cinnamon that he liked, Johnny was determined Scott looked around and saw his baseball bat lying to sulk. on the floor. Leaving his brother, he went over and When his grandma poured cream on his oatmeal, picked it up. “Johnny, what did you do?” he just frowned. Scotty never looked up from his With a sudden jolt, Johnny remembered he wasn’t bowl, but just said, “Attitude, Johnny.” supposed to touch Scotty’s things. He frowned. Johnny sighed. His daddy had had a talk with him “Scotty, I had to take your bat. I just had to. I had to telling him that a bad attitude would only give him clobber that stupid boogeyman so it couldn’t take grief. He frowned ferociously. Why was it attitude anybody away. I don’t want anybody to go away.” http://www.tracyislandchronicles.com/tb2/tb2.html

20 NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! MARCH-APRIL 2012