TV TIE-INS OF THE TIMES: PART THREE - THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. ANNUAL 1967...

The MAN From U.N.C.L.E. was big - very big.  It was

probably the closest thing to JAMES BOND that viewers of

a certain age could watch before they were old enough to see

007 in his own big-budget movies.  And NAPOLEON SOLO

had been created by Bond author IAN FLEMING himself,

thereby lending an air of secret agent authenticity to the

show developed by SAM ROLFE for TV.

I had an attache case with U.N.C.L.E. badge and gun,

plus the ID card that one sent away to the RADIO TIMES

for - and it was free!  I don't remember ever buying any of

the Annuals 'though, of which there were four.  The first one

(above) was for 1967, and there were ones for '68, '69 & '70

as well.  There was a comic album issued in 1966, and two

Television Picture Story Books for '67 & '68.

The comic strip in the '67 Annual was reprinted from

a GOLD KEY Man From U.N.C.L.E. comicbook, but the

remainder of the contents were predominantly text stories.

WORLD DISTRIBUTORS was the publisher for all three of

the Annuals we've seen in this blog series thus far, and this was

the format of most of their output at the time.  No doubt it was

down to budgetary restraints, but I can't help think that they

missed a trick by not having more comic strips in their

many hundreds (at least) of Annuals over the years.

Strange to think that the first Annual was issued only

the year before the TV show was cancelled, and that they

continued for a year (the 1970 Annual was issued in 1969)

past the show's demise.  However, I guess it continued

in repeats for a year or two afterwards.

Coming in Part Four - The AVENGERS
Annual 1970.  Don't miss it!

Posted in: Cartoons