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Joe 90: Project 90 Technical Operations Manual by Chris Thompson & Jack Knoll, illustrated by Chris Thompson (book review).

Readers born after 2000 might not have come across ‘Joe 90,’ but it was big amongst the young in the 70s. Gerry and Sylvia Anderson used puppets in this production, which they filmed in their signature style, Supermarionation. Despite filming in 1969, the series took place in the future.

Debate surrounds the series’ setting, with the majority focussing on the years 2012-2013. Regardless, the era of Joe 90 has passed, and this book offers a fascinating glimpse into the vision of the late 1960s scriptwriters for the future.

Just to set the context, Joe 90 was a 9-year-old schoolboy who became a spy with the aid of a special computer, the BIG RAT. This enables the transfer of special skills and knowledge from other people directly into Joe’s brain. Equipped with the necessary skills, Joe embarks on a new mission to rescue the world.

Once we have the context, let’s get back to the book, which is striking in every way. It just stands out, and that’s not purely down to its format. While books of this size, 12 x 9 1/4 inches, are typically bound on the long edge, this one’s different and bound on the short edge.

The front cover design is pure Joe 90, with the logo, chair, and the Rat Trap spinning frame all present and correct. There is a ‘WIN’ stamp on the front with a ‘maximum security clearance only’ banner. WIN actually stands for World Intelligence Network, and Joe is its ‘Most Special Agent.’. Let’s delve into the book’s contents.

Behind the WIN badge on page 1 and the contents on page 3, there is a one-page introduction by Shane Weston. In the series, Joe 90 reported to Watson, who held the position of WIN’s London commander-in-chief. It is actually a fantastic introduction and certainly sets the right tone for the rest of the book.

Following on from the introduction, there is a short history of the World Intelligence Network with further details of WIN’s London Headquarters and Shane Weston’s office. This is all very good, but we get into the details in the next four sections titled, ‘Section 1: Project 90,’ ‘Section 2: Equipment,’ ‘Section 3: Approved Vehicles,’ and ‘Section 4: Case Studies.’. There is also a ‘Section 5: Conclusion,’ but more about that later.

Section 1: Project 90 provides profiles for all the main characters in the Joe 90 project, along with details of the McClaine residence, which houses the Brain Impulse Galvanoscope Record and Transfer (BIG RAT) device. The McClaine residence houses the BIG RAT in an underground laboratory. The TV series depicts all this through a series of stills. The accompanying text perfectly describes the main features of the installation, depicted in these high-quality illustrations. Joe also includes a listing of the Brain Pattern tape library he uses for some of his assignments.

Section 2: Equipment is probably my favourite section. Joe receives detailed synopses of the equipment, accompanied by large illustrations. I’d love to believe they are stills from the original series, but the computerised illustrations they can produce these days make it hard to judge their authenticity. Either way, they work well. The one standout feature of Joe’s equipment is the glasses. We now have the technology to do some of what Joe’s glasses were capable of, but it’s hard to tell if they will be socially acceptable. Previous attempts have failed.

‘Section 3: Approved Vehicles’ is another good section but possibly for the wrong reasons. With just one exception, the U59 Wildcat, none of the vehicles have something comparable today in the real world. It’s fascinating to see what the scriptwriters thought we would be driving or piloting in the near future. The road-legal, flyable jet car of Professor Ian McClaine can land on water. It is a wonderful concept, but I don’t think we will see one soon. While the A14 Fast Attack Vehicle might look like some of the tracked missile launchers currently in service, it’s when you start reading about its capabilities that you realise they’re beyond anything we have today.

Section 4: Case Studies is presented as a series of Joe 90 case files that have been declassified and are now available to WIN employees with maximum security clearance. The work is excellent, providing a concise overview of each assignment and highlighting significant details. The bios of significant characters from the assignment complement the nicely laid-out text and illustrations.

That just leaves ‘Section 5: Conclusion,’ which is both short and poignant. I’m not going to say too much about this section, as it would just be spoilers.

It’s not often I get to review a book like this. What impressed me the most is the consistency of the material and the narrative. It’s as if the world of “Joe 90” actually existed, and this is what you need to know to take over and drive Project 90 forward just to make the world a safer place. It actually says this in the book.

I’m impressed with the book and proud to own one. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s productions, ‘Thunderbirds,’ ‘Captain Scarlet,’ ‘Stingray,’ and, of course, ‘Joe 90,’ to name a few.

Andy Whitaker

January 2025

(pub: Anderson Entertainment. 127 page illustrated hardback. Price: varies. ISBN: 978-1-914522-60-4)

check out websites: www.gerryanderson.com and https://shop.gerryanderson.com/products/technical-operations-manuals-fireball-xl5-and-joe-90-bundle

AndyWhitaker

I live in deepest darkest Essex where I enjoy photography, real ales, walking my dog, cooking and a really good book. I own an e-book reader which goes with me everywhere but still enjoy the traditional paper based varieties. My oriental studies have earned me a black belt in Suduko and I'm considered a master in deadly Bonsai (there are very few survivors).

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