Don't Like Puppets? F**k You.

**Vieux Normand** · Posted On: 12/26/2012 8:48pm

RIP Gerry Anderson.

SF creativity when CGI wasn't around to make everything easy.

Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet...all thunder in Valhalla now.

**Eddie Hardon** · Posted On: 12/27/2012 5:11am

Essential viewing when I was a child. I had a Supercar...which was great. I also liked Fireball XL5 but can't remember if Gerry produced it. A few years ago, I was invited to an unpublicised gig by Madness at the Scala in Kings Cross (London), when they were in the guise of the DangerMen. They did a newsreel type thing and Fireball XL5 was in it, cos Lee Thompson (a friend) was the designer.

RIP Gerry, you gave a lot of children entertainment and dreams.

**Vieux Normand** · Posted On: 12/27/2012 11:21am

Yep, Fireball XL5 was one of his earliest.

Post-Supermarionation, IIRC, he was also involved in Space:1999 (the premise of which I could not understand) and UFO (of the cool-sounding flying saucers and the purple-haired moon-chicks).

**doofaloofa** · Posted On: 12/27/2012 11:54am

One of his later shows

**Vieux Normand** · Posted On: 12/27/2012 1:21pm

Suffice to say, one cannot deny his influence on later marionation epics, such as Team America: World Police and (arguably) Starship Troopers, though the puppets on the latter film are far less convincing representations of actual people.

**Eddie Hardon** · Posted On: 12/27/2012 2:00pm

Originally Posted by Vieux Normand

Yep, Fireball XL5 was one of his earliest.

Post-Supermarionation, IIRC, he was also involved in Space:1999 (the premise of which I could not understand) and UFO (of the cool-sounding flying saucers and the purple-haired moon-chicks).

Indeed, sir. Super - Marionette - Animation, apparently is the root of Supermarionation.

I loved Space 1999. I was always keen on Barbara out of Mission: Impossible, and those cute chicks. The lovely Gabrielle Drake (wonderful figure and a Beauty) also got my vote; that might have been UFO.

:-)