k OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE TRACY ISLAND CHRONICLES JANUARY-MARCH 2013 HELLO from THUNDERBIRDS NEW STORIES ON NEDNED COOKCOOK Hello readers, and welcome to another TIC! edition of Ned Cook’s NTBS Newsflash. infamy! The Zero-X crew make a horrified WWW TRACYISLANDCHRONICLES COM break for it as the assembled might of the . I’d like to take this moment to ARE GO! Martian rock snakes sets about spitting LMC’S STORY: acknowledge the passing of a truly great MOVIE SYNOPSIS PART 4 their sparking missiles at the exploration THE TELL man, the man who gave me my first break lee pod, and the crew fire off a hurried may- He was a most charming man. Why, when in television journalism – Gerry Anderson. day as they set off at speed back to Zero-X. When last we left off, the majority of the he spoke of the grand things that filled his When other network executives were (So much for the long-awaited head, those eyes were enough to make even describing me as wooden (one even went extended Tracy Family was frolicking by exploration of Mars, then. The discovery the most suspicious spy believe these were so far as to say I had a face for radio), Mr the pool, while the lone family member of the Mysterons – who must live on the things that would come to pass. with a work ethic was sitting in his other side of the planet, well away from Anderson saw past my polished maple uniform up in Thunderbird Five, the rock snakes – will have to wait for SAMANTHA WINCHESTER’S STORY: brashness and let a fresh-faced rookie wondering where it had all gone wrong. another day, and another earthman with ACID TEST onto his team. He welcomed me into his Actually, he wasn’t wondering. Like any an itchy trigger finger…) The Zero-X- The moment skin touched skin, Virgil yelled world, and you could say he literally made middle-ish child from a large family, he Martian-Rover-thingy then surprises us by out and shot upright in bed, hand clamping me what I am today. His faith and his vision knew it had all gone wrong when his turning from a ground vehicle to an aerial on to Scott's wrist with bone-breaking force. enabled me to rise to great heights as father had insisted on continuing to have one, blasting off into the atmosphere and His eyes stared wildly, uncomprehending. NTBS’s star reporter (covering the children. (It had also gone wrong when returning to dock with Zero-X. "Easy, Virgil!" Scott resisted the urge to pry relocation of the Empire State Building the iron fingers loose from his arm until his his brothers had cashed in the face-lift Back at Tracy Island, the party has moved remains a highlight), and he was also with vouchers their father had bought them brother realized who he was. "Easy. It's just to the pool room, where Jeff and Scott me." me when I plunged to great depths (into all for Christmas.) challenge each other to a green-velvet the pit beneath the Empire State At any rate, in the subzero void of space duel with Virgil keeping score. The game LEE’S STORY: Building…). (nicely juxtaposed against the blistering is only a device though – their minds are DOMINION Without Gerry Anderson, I would never tropical heat of Tracy Island), John is not on the game so much as discussing The man stands over him with the bowl, the have become the globally recognised star monitoring the progress of the Zero-X as black eyes lingering on his own. 'I need you what they’ve heard about the rock snakes that I am today, and if Mr Anderson hadn’t it heads towards Mars. After all the false and the imminent return of Zero-X to awake,' he says, and he shrugs, as if the known exactly where to place me, I would starts (at this point one needs to Earth. statement excuses the sudden violence and appreciate that the Zero-X debacle has the bloom of warm blood that has surely never have met the courageous True to schedule, Zero-X has arrived back blossomed in Virgil's hair. Virgil steels men of International Rescue (although it’s been ongoing for well over a year, leaving home and enters Earth orbit. Given the plenty of time for our heroes to do some himself against the pain, opts to take his a shame they never let me take any green-light, the spaceship penetrates the refuge in denial. photographs). rescuing in-between, instead of lounging upper atmosphere and prepares to by the pool the entire time as the movie reunite with the lifting bodies we last saw Have you read a work of Thank you, Mr quite bizarrely suggests), the Zero-X has at the start of the movie. The Zero-X will Thunderbirds fanfiction that Anderson. You brought finally landed safely on Mars and the crew re-dock with the lifting bodies, and under you think should be included the 21st century to life, have deployed what looks to be the their power be brought back down to the on the Tracy Island and it won’t be the detached Zero-X nose-cone, which Chronicles? Contact our ground. same without you. apparently doubles as a kind of armoured selection panel via email and let us know! Martian Rover thingy. But wait. What? Oh no!!! The crew of the Zero-X-Martian-Rover- There’s a problem with lifting body 2, and thingy are looking for life on the red the Zero-X crew can only watch in horror planet, but in the rocky and waterless as it collides with their ship and then spirals grey wastes (oh, so Mars is not red after out of control and explodes in mid-air. THIS ISSUE: Episode Synopsis...........................1 all?), finding life doesn’t seem likely. Ground Control attempts to send up Only Dr Grant shows any signs of another lifting body, but are advised that Farewell to a Legend.....................2 optimism in their search, pointing out it will all be too late. And even worse, the PennySpy’s Episode Guide...........3 some weird spirally rocks and opining that collision has damaged the escape units! Chris Thompson’s Thunderbirds Art ..7 the expedition might find life as they Luckily for them, International Rescue’s Brit SciFi Event..............................8 “don’t know it.” The rocks are so unusual chief eavesdropper (John, as if you didn’t Thunderbirds comes to TV21......9 that the crew decide to take a sample by know) is listening in, and he quickly relays Thunderbirds are Glo! ..................12 blowing one up (ah, we humans and our the information to Jeff, who turns to his The End of an Era........................14 itchy trigger fingers) so they can carry off assembled crew to convey the sorry If you’re interested in THUNDERBIRDS Flights of Fantasy........................16 a chunk. scenario: Zero-X is coming in on one and all things Tracy Island, how about FICTION: Acid Test.......................19 wing, the escape pod is damaged, and joining the TIWF Yahoo! Group? It's fast, Dr Grant must be psychic, because no easy and FREE! GO TO: sooner do they blast a rocket at one of the whole thing will crash to the ground the ‘rocks’ than they all come to creeping in 30 minutes! www.tracyislandchronicles.com/ life, revealing big red eyes and gaping Will International Rescue be able to save tiwf/tiwf.html maws that spit fireworks – ah, these must the crew of the Zero-X in 30 minutes? Stay STAFF: be the infamous rock snakes of infamous tuned to find out! TRACY ISLAND CHRONICLES Contributing Editor - TRACY ISLAND CHRONICLES Samantha Winchester Contributing Editor - GillyLee Format & Contributing Editor - Lee Contributing Editor - MCJ Original Concept - LMC CONTACT [email protected] www.tracyislandchronicles.com NTBS NEWSFLASH SUBSCRIBE NOW! [email protected] m 1 NED COOK’S NTBS NEWSFLASH! JANUARY-FEBRUARY-MARCH 2013 GERRY ANDERSON On what my native country of England calls Boxing Day, You couldn’t help but be inspired by Gerry’s shows. Over December 26, the world lost a legend. the years I’ve met and spoken with so many people who 1929-2012 pursued careers in science, engineering, astronomy and My favorite story about Gerry Anderson dates back to rescue of all kinds because of him. Thunderbirds (and later a visit he made to Tokyo in 2001 for meetings over a co- the Angels in Captain Scarlet) made me want to be an Air FFarewellarewell toto aa LegendLegend production with a Japanese company. On his arrival at Force jet pilot when I grew up, although that particular the first venue, every high powered executive in the ambition turned out to not be possible simply because unlike room stood up to greet him. Gerry made the joke that he the time period in which Thunderbirds was set, the reality supposed they were doing that because the money was in my own timeline was that women just weren’t permitted good…and the response stunned him. “No, we are doing to do such things. Fortunately that’s changed now, and I this because we are all Gerry Anderson’s children.” like to think that Gerry’s programs might have had a hand in encouraging that in some way. It’s hard to ignore the I think that sums it all up right there. We are all Gerry possibilities when you are seeing them every week on your Anderson’s children.