CAPTAIN SCARLET AND THE MYSTERONS: THE VAULT

50 years of Spectrum

released OUT NOW! 210 pages pages | Hardback

Author Chris Bentley Publisher signum Books

Of all Gerry Anderson’s classic puppet shows, Captain Scarlet – which saw the multi-coloured agents of Spectrum foiling the plots of vengeful Martian computers the Mysterons – has surely aged the best. It scarcely seems possible its War On Terror is now marking a half-century. But it’s true, and this lavish hardback is a fitting celebration of the fact.

Chris Bentley leads us through concise but incredibly detailed breakdowns of every aspect of production, from the lighting in Anderson’s Slough studios (so hot that dripping sweat onto the models was a problem) to the fonts (they used Letraset sheets!) as well as cataloguing the merch, from the annuals and comics to the bubblegum cards and Dinky toys. Interspersing all this are two-page breakdowns of all 32 original episodes.

Occasionally the prose can get a tad dry. Try this sentence, for example: “The Spectrum tunics were made from a thin (0.55m) drum-dyed aniline Cabretta hairsheep suede leather manufactured by CW Pittard & Company of Yeovil in Somerset”. But hey, someone reading this is probably punching the air right now on receiving confirmation that the suede leather was, indeed, drum-dyed. And the feast of imagery – concept designs, behind-thescenes snaps, photos of cut-out dolls and “asteroid talc” – more than compensates. Ian Berriman

This lavish hardback is a fitting celebration

Also out now: a Spectrum Agents Manual from Haynes, featuring agent profiles and cutaway illustrations of the vehicles.