FREE GIFTS in UK comics

[standby4action]

I was thinking about the smell of the free gift in Fantastic #1 - yes the smell - and wondered if the thing still smelled of that specific vinyl plastic smell even today....off to ebay and guess what....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271000703307


fantastic1 by standby4action, on Flickr


fantastic2 by standby4action, on Flickr


fantastic3 by standby4action, on Flickr

I wondered if we wanted to start a thread of free gifts in order to create a store of pictures but then a quick search showed me our own Lew Stringer has done this already - and follow his other features on free gifts. The Comic Book Price Guide also has a feature.

Anyway if this does take off, this is my contribution!

[Niblet]

Great images, Standby. I remember the gifts in the first image. I think by the time of the later gifts above I had moved my comic allegiances elsewhere, no doubt lured away by some plastic/cardboard enticement offered by another title.

Actually we already have a couple of general free gift threads, but I'm always interested to see more examples.

http://comicsuk.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=134&t=3911

http://comicsuk.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3114

Also;

http://cheekyweekly.blogspot.co.uk/2010 ... er_01.html

http://cheekyweekly.blogspot.co.uk/2010 ... et_12.html

http://cheekyweekly.blogspot.co.uk/2010 ... ge_22.html

[standby4action]

Well done Niblet, of course I should have thought of adding these links - especially after having searched the Forum first for this thread anyway!

The following are taken from various places on the Net with many thanks to the original scanners

1. TV21 #1 - Identicode kit
   
   
   
2. TV21 #2 - Vinyl/cloth badge plus secret code cards - see link below
3. TV21 #3 - Fireball XL5 cardboard model - see link below and eBay regular 'Northern-lad'
4. TV21 #90 - Thunderbirds International Rescue Hat
5. TV21 #105 - Thunderbirds marksman game - see link below
6. TV21 #106 - IQ Test - see link below
7. TV21 #141 - 3D Glasses - see link below
8. TV21 #155 - Captain Scarlet Album plus 4 Spectraprint pictures
   
9. TV21 #156 - 4 Spectraprint pictures for the Album
10. TV21 #157 - 4 Spectraprint pictures for the Album
11. TV21 #192 - 5 Colour Portraits of Famous Soccer Stars
    
12. TV21 #218 - Strato-streak Ready to Fly Plane
    
    
13. Stingray Special (TV Century 21) 1965 - WASP and Stingray "cloth" badges - see link below
14. TV21 Summer Extra Copyright 1965 Cosmic Capers Kit - see link below
    [/link]
    
    1. TV21 #89 - Metallic badge - not actually free
       
    2. The badge itself
       
    3. Spectrum Shade card and badge - again not actually free
       

The other thing I always found strange was the lack of a free gift in issue #52 when Thunderbird strip was launched! That was fun enough, obviously!

Here's a great link- what do people think about 'stripping' pix from elsewhere to 'store' here? Is this not the done thing?

And are these too many picture links for one post?

[Lew Stringer]

I wondered if we wanted to start a thread of free gifts in order to create a store of pictures but then a quick search showed me our own Lew Stringer has done this already - and follow his other features on free gifts.

Link didn't work. Here's the correct one:
http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2010/ ... art-1.html

Followed by the rest of the posts in that series:
http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2010/ ... art-2.html
http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2010/ ... art-3.html
http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2010/ ... art-4.html
http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2010/ ... art-5.html
http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2010/ ... art-6.html

The other thing I always found strange was the lack of a free gift in issue #52 when Thunderbird strip was launched! That was fun enough, obviously!

Yes, they didn't need a free gift at that point as TV21 was outselling other comics anyway, and, as you suggest, having a Thunderbirds strip beginning in that issue was all the promotion they needed.

[philcom55]

Yes, they didn't need a free gift at that point as TV21 was outselling other comics anyway, and, as you suggest, having a Thunderbirds strip beginning in that issue was all the promotion they needed.

Also, to promote the series and generate a sense of excitement, I seem to recall that they did a countdown in the previous five issues, each of which featured a colour photograph of one of the Thunderbird craft. As the TV show was originally broadcast in black and white this was the first chance I got to see them in colour; up until then I'd been convinced that Thunderbird 2 was red and Thunderbird 4 was pink!

- Phil R.

[matrix]

These Zodiac cards were free with Lindy no 3, they came with a set of Fortune telling cards. Unfortunately I only have two of them.

I know they are not as exciting as the free guns, and planes etc, but, I would love to see a full set with all the different colours that were used at that time.

Now, there must be lots of these lying around somewhere? So, if these are annoying anyone and they would like to offload them, please let me know.

[standby4action]

Link didn't work. Here's the correct one:
http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2010/ ... art-1.html

Followed by the rest of the posts in that series:
http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2010/ ... art-2.html
http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2010/ ... art-3.html
http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2010/ ... art-4.html
http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2010/ ... art-5.html
http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2010/ ... art-6.html

Well spotted Lew - sorry about that. Still learning BBCode way of doing things!

[Digifiend]

Nowt to do with BBCode, you just had an extra L at the end.

[George Shiers]

I've posted pretty much all the free gifts that came with Whizzer and Chips over on my site -

http://whizzerandchipscomic.blogspot.co ... story.html

[standby4action]

...and as usual our mate Lew has the latest on free gifts over on his blog where he tells us about a brilliant new book on free gifts!!

[philcom55]

- of course, our mate Phoenix (aka the author) deserves some credit too!

- Phil R.

[colcool007]

I can honestly say that it is worth every penny. Plus getting an autographed copy doesn't hurt.

[Captain Storm]

ColCool ,check your PM.

The Cap.

p.s. Farewell.