Alan Fennell

Alan Fennell was a British writer and editor who helped shape the look of children’s comics in the 1960s and 1970s. Born Alan Leslie Fennell on 10 December 1936, he is best known for creating the magazines *TV Century 21* and *Look-in*, and for his extensive work on Gerry Anderson’s television series. Fennell wrote episodes of *Fireball XL5* and *Stingray*, and contributed more than ten episodes to *Thunderbirds*, including “30 Minutes After Noon.” He also wrote numerous comic strip adaptations and served as the first editor of *TV Century 21*. Together with Dennis Spooner, he wrote 36 episodes of *Stingray*. Beyond television, Fennell authored several books, including a novelisation of the film *Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World* (1973) and two original novels based on the series *Freewheelers*: *Freewheelers – Sign of the Beaver* and *Freewheelers – The Spy Game*, both published in 1972. He died on his 65th birthday, 10 December 2001.