RIP Gerry Anderson

[palitoy]

http://m.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/dec/26/thunderbirds-creator-gerry-anderson-dies

Really sad about this.

[wayne foundation 07]

RIP
Its been a sad last couple days with all that has past hasn't it.

[clemso]

Thank you for the child hood memories Gerry. R.I.P.

[phil]

Very sorry to hear this. During it's original run I lived for SPACE:1999 and fondly remembered Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet from my childhood. He gave us so many great, wonderful shows. Thank you so much Mr. Anderson. Rest In Peace.

On a side note. Why was Gerry Anderson never Knighted?

[Mikey]

I loved a lot of his work so much

RIP

[jds1911a1]

Thunderbirds, stingray, capt scarlet all great shows. Sad news

[mego73]

Of his shows, Space:1999 is the one that touched me and became a part of the 70's kid experience for me. I have seen some of the other stuff and find it interesting and mean to check out more. I also watched the UFO series on DVD and was impressed. RIP, Gerry!

[HardyGirl]

Oh man...I love Stingray, Captain Scarlet and Thunderbirds. This is really sad. But at least he had one last Christmas w/ his family and went peacefully. RIP Gerry. Thanks for your great shows.

[4NDR01D]

Another great thinker who helped shaped a lot of our childhoods. He will be missed.

[HardyGirl]

I didn't realize the Troy Tempest puppet was that big. BTW...does anyone know where are the puppets from Gerry's shows are today?

[Timothy2251]

Told my best friend about this, and he's bummed. He's a HUGE Anderson fan, has replicas of some of the puppets, too.

[phil]

Unfortunately very few of the original puppets or models survived. At the time no one really thought to save them. Gerry Anderson did keep one of the Parker puppets from Thunderbirds. The Supermarionation shows are great fun and you can see the technical advancements from one show to the next. Eventually the improved the puppets so that had correct human proportions. By the time of the final puppet series, The Secret Service, they could cut from the puppet of the main character
to the actor who did the voice. The results are remarkable. They could show the actor playing Father Unwin walking and cut to a close up of the puppet talking. Gerry and Sylvia Anderson eventually moved to live Action with the movie Journey To The Far Side of the Sun (aka Doppelgänger) and the series UFO because it was felt they had taken the puppets as far as they could.

[babycyclops]

The work of Gerry Anderson brought so much joy to so many children and adults.

Some of my earliest TV memories are waking up early on Saturday mornings to watch The Thunderbirds. One of the TV stations here would run it at 6am on Saturday for y-e-a-r-s. You could always count on it being on, and I have vivid memories of sneaking down the hallway and trying not to wake my parents up when I switched the TV on.

The stories were exciting, and no matter how many time you saw the repeated footage of the various craft being launched, it was always a thrill.
Later, as a teenage nerd and model-maker, the sheer craft of those shows, the grimy weathering of the vehicles, aircraft and spaceships, really became apparent to me.

Gerry Anderson's life should be celebrated for his sheer creativity and positivity.
R.I.P.

[Captain Big Trousers]

Unfortunately very few of the original puppets or models survived. At the time no one really thought to save them.

I think there are quite a few original puppets out there. I've seen many of them. Original Parkers, Penelopes, Tin Tins, Captain Scarlets, etc. The problem is they're scattered and a lot of the collectors don't want their pieces known, as it adds value when they finally do surface. Some of them have sent me photos of their secret stashes.

I make my own puppets. Much cheaper.

Here's my current work in progress: Scott and TB1 pilot's chair...
aODK0.jpg
... and a finished Parker and Penelope...
J6Oun.jpg
(if anyone wants to place an order... )

Gerry's work looms pretty large in my house, so it's a sad day for me.

[palitoy]

Oh Yeah, I remember SIG magazines from back in the day and many original puppets survived in private collections. I used to drool at the auction photos.

Gerry Anderson merchandise is the reason I started collecting in the first place.