City Magazines

City Magazines' first ongoing publication was the weekly teen magazine Boyfriend, which debuted in 1959. Early issues featured a romance comic on the cover, whose story continued on the interior pages. Later issues featured photographic covers and the tagline, "The modern young woman's magazine." In 1966, with issue #352, Boyfriend was merged with another City Magazines title, Trend, to become Trend and Boyfriend, and then, shortly thereafter, Boyfriend and Trend (the "Boyfriend" in the title being much smaller than the word "Trend"). The magazine's tagline at this point was, "Setting the pace for the girl with go!" The magazine lasted until issue #428, 9 September 1967, when it merged with the IPC Magazines title Petticoat to form Petticoat/Trend.

City Magazines published a magazine called Motor Cyclist Illustrated in the period 1969 to 1971.

In the period 1961 to 1965, City Magazine published licensed comics based on the Hanna-Barbera animation properties Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear (with the odd Flintstones one-off thrown in). Huckleberry Hound Weekly ran 283 issues, from 1961 to 1967, with a number of various one-offs and seasonal "extras."  (In 1967, the title was acquired by Hayward.) Yogi Bear's Own Weekly ran 75 issues from 1962 to 1964, also publishing a number of specials and seasonal extras.

From 1965 to 1970, City Magazines partnered with Gerry Anderson/Century 21 Productions to produce weekly comics based on Anderson's Supermarionation properties. The Century 21 Publications imprint's most prominent and long-running titles were TV Century 21 (later known as TV 21) and Lady Penelope; three other related titles eventually merged into TV21.

TV Century 21

The company's first (and longest-running) title, TV Century 21, aimed at teenage boys, debuted on 23 January 1965; featured strips included Stingray, Supercar, Fireball XL5, and the aristocratic Lady Penelope from Thunderbirds. The rest of the Thunderbirds team and Captain Scarlet eventually joined the lineup. (The comic dropped the "Century" from its title in January 1968, after 155 issues, and became known as TV21.)

Later in 1965, with the success of TV Century 21, City Magazines published a number of related annuals and specials, two of them featuring Stingray. The first Thunderbirds annual was published in 1966, with a new one appearing each year until 1972. City Magazines also published the first TV Century 21 Annual in 1966, eventually putting out five such annuals (with the last one appearing in 1970). A second Stingray Annual appeared in 1966, and two more TV Century 21 seasonal specials in 1966 and 1967. The first Captain Scarlet annual debuted in 1967; City Magazines published a new one in 1968 and another one in 1969.

Lady Penelope

In January 1966, a sister publication to TV Century 21 — this time aimed at teenage age girls — was launched: Lady Penelope, which featured Frank Langford's Lady Penelope comic strip (previously appearing in TV Century 21). Billing itself as "the comic for girls who love television," Lady Penelope also included strips based on popular television programs of the era, including Bewitched, The Monkees, The Beverly Hillbillies, Crossroads, Daktari, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.. Other strips published in Lady Penelope connected with other Century 21 Productions.

After 123 issues, the title was shortened to Penelope; it eventually ran for 204 issues until 20 December 1969, when it was acquired by IPC Magazines and merged with Princess Tina (to become Princess Tina and Penelope).

Lady Penelope annuals began appearing in 1967, continuing for six editions until 1972. City Magazines also published three The Monkees Annuals in the years 1968, 1969, and 1970.

Candy

After the company's success with weekly comics aimed at teenagers, Century 21 Publications' third ongoing title, Candy, was a "nursery-type" magazine marketed to younger children. Launched mid-January 1967, the stars of the title were Anderson's puppet characters Candy and Andy (the female one being the magazine's namesake). Candy and Andy had originally been part of a new puppet series which had not succeeded in being sold to a studio.

Early issues of the series featured photographic covers of Anderson's puppets; in addition to the main Candy and Andy strip, other strips were based on popular television children's programs like Winnie-the-Pooh, William Timym's Bengo the Boxer Pup, Maria Perego's Topo Gigio, and Associated Television's koalas Tingha and Tucker.

Candy lasted 154 issues — as well as a number of annuals and specials — from 21 January 1967 to 27 December 1969.

TV Tornado and Solo

Also debuting in January 1967 was the new ongoing title TV Tornado, followed a month later by the new ongoing title Solo. True to its name, TV Tornado, which was edited by Mick Anglo, featured comics based on popular television properties, including Lone Ranger, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Tarzan, The Saint, Bonanza, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; plus text features about Doctor Who and The Avengers. The back story of the Mysterons, Captain Scarlet's Martian enemies, was revealed in TV Tornado. Other strips and characters that appeared in TV Tornado included Batman, Superman, The Phantom, Flash Gordon, the Green Hornet, Magnus, Robot Fighter, and The Invaders.

Solo also contained strips based on the Mysterons, as well as other licensed TV properties like The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Sergeant Bilko (a.k.a. The Phil Silvers Show). The title also featured Disney-related strips, including Mary Poppins, Super Goof, and Uncle Scrooge. In late September 1967, after publishing 31 issues, Solo merged with TV Tornado. And in September 1968, after 192 issues, TV Tornado was merged into TV21, forming TV21 and Tornado.

Joe 90

The Andersons' latest Supermarionation production, Joe 90, inspired a Joe 90 comics annual in 1968, followed on 18 January 1969 with an ongoing comics series (called Joe 90 Top Secret). This publication did not endure, however, merging with TV21 and Tornado in September 1969 after only 34 issues.

At this time, the issue numbering of TV21 and Joe 90, as the comic was now called, was reset to #1, with a "New Series No." printed on the front cover. While the general format of the old comic was preserved, the Thunderbirds and Joe 90 strips were now printed in black-and-white in favour of the new colour favourites Star Trek and Land of the Giants. The Joe 90 aspect gradually disappeared from the comic, whose name reverted to TV21 after 36 issues (the 278th overall). (Further Joe 90 annuals were published, however, in 1969 and 1970.)

Demise of the Century 21 Publications titles

In 1970, City Magazines acquired the Marvel Comics license (previously held by Odhams Press, a division of IPC Magazines), with some Marvel superhero strips being reprinted in TV21. City Magazines having been acquired by IPC Magazines around this time, however, IPC opted not to renew the expensive Marvel license.[1]

In 1971, TV21 ceased publication as it was merged into IPC's long-running comics title Valiant.

Building on the success of the Century 21 Publications titles, in January 1968 City Magazines launched Go Girl, a mix of comic strips, pin-ups, and text features. The series only lasted 31 issues, however, from 13 January to 10 August 1968.

The final comics title launched by City Magazines was the football comic Striker, which debuted on 10 January 1970. Only the first 23 or 24 issues of Striker included comics content; about 7 pages per issue. Sometime around issue #30, the magazine was acquired by Banner Press Limited and merged with another magazine to become Inside Football and Striker.

City Magazines was acquired by IPC Magazines in c. 1969. By 1972, all of its titles were either canceled or had been merged into existing IPC titles.

• Huckleberry Hound Weekly (283 issues, 7 October 1961–4 March 1967) — acquired by Hayward in 1967
• Yogi Bear's Own Weekly (75 issues, 27 October 1962–28 March 1964)

• Candy 154 issues (21 January 1967–27 December 1969)
• Joe 90 Top Secret (34 issues, 18 January 1969–September 6, 1969; merged into TV21 and Tornado to form TV21 & Joe 90)
• Lady Penelope (204 issues, January 22, 1966–20 December 1969)
  • Lady Penelope (52 issues, #1–52; January 22, 1966–1967)
  • The New Lady Penelope (10 issues, #53–62; 1967)
  • Lady Penelope (60 issues, #63–122; 1967–1968)
  • Penelope (82 issues, #123-204; 1968–20th December 1969; merged into IPC's Princess Tina; became Princess Tina and Penelope)
• Solo (31 issues, February 18, 1967–23 September 1967; merged into TV Tornado)
• TV Century 21 / TV21 (347 issues, 23 January 1965–26 June 1971)
  • TV Century 21 (154 issues, #1–154; 23 January 1965–December 30, 2067 [December 30, 1967])
  • TV21 (37 issues, #155-191; January 6 2068 [January 6 1968]–14 September 1968)
  • TV21 and TV Tornado (51 issues, #192-242; 21 September 1968–6 September 1969) — numbering continued for one issue in 2014 by Network (dated "13 September 2069")
  • TV21 & Joe 90 (36 issues, #1–36; 27 September 1969–30 May 1970)
  • TV21 (56 issues, #37–92; 6 June 1970–26 June 1971; merged into Valiant)
• TV Tornado (88 issues, 14 January 1967–September 14, 1968; merged into TV21 to form TV21 and Tornado)

• Bliss (2 issues, 1961)
• Go Girl (31 issues, 1968)
• Picture Story (1 issue, 1969)
• Striker (23 issues, 10 January 1970–4 March 1972; merged with Inside Football [Banner Press Ltd] to become Inside Football and Striker)

• Boyfriend (428 issues, 1959–1967):
  • Boyfriend (351 issues, #1–351; 1959–1966)
  • Trend and Boyfriend (8 issues, #352–359; 1966)
  • Boyfriend and Trend (69 issues, #360–428; 1966–9 September 1967) — merged into Petticoat (IPC)
• Motor Cyclist Illustrated (c. 1969–c. 1971)

• City Magazines at the Grand Comics Database
• City Magazines; Century 21 Publications at the Grand Comics Database