The organisations of the Anderson universe featured a variety of memorable (and some not so memorable) logos but here are our five favourites – plus one of our least!
5 – World Intelligence Network (Joe 90)
While not technically the standard logo of the World Intelligence Network as a whole (unless every agent is told that they are the organisation’s ‘Most Special Agent’ just to boost their confidence) the variant worn by Joe ‘90’ McClaine as a badge is nevertheless one of the show’s most memorable design elements. Simple but effective, it’s a design that sits nicely alongside similarly world-themed international spy organisations of 1960s television.
4 – World Space Patrol (Fireball XL5)
Another simple design incorporating the Earth at its centre, this insignia is worn by officers aboard the XL spaceships of the World Space Patrol – and also cleverly echoes the final shot of the end titles of Fireball XL5!
3 – Moonbase Alpha (Space:1999)
Staying with the space theme, this Moonbase Alpha logo was seen throughout both seasons of Space:1999 on Eagles, spacesuits and various other pieces of clothing and equipment. Busier than most other Anderson logos, the logo points towards a fictional history of Earth space travel and man’s conquest of the Moon in the same credible and realistic manner that made Space:1999 such a classic.
2 – Spectrum (Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons)
Simple yet striking, the instantly recognisable logo of the Spectrum organisation adorned the wall of the Cloudbase control room, the uniform caps and sleeves of its officers, most of their vehicles, and even heralded the advert breaks on the Captain Scarlet television series itself! While the later 2005 variant seen in New Captain Scarlet also has its fans it still pays tribute to the classic circular logo from the original series, which is the one that gets our pick for the #2 slot by incorporating a rainbow colour scheme appropriate for the organisation and its members – managing to stand out even among a pop culture landscape littered with other famous ‘S’-related logos!
And before we reach the #1 spot, let’s take a moment to look at our pick for the worst logo in the Anderson universe…
Worst – “Those oval markings!” (Thunderbirds)
While heroes and heroic organisations in the Anderson universe have often sported iconic or eye-catching logos, the villains often had to settle for simpler or less memorable ones (though we hear that the legendary unseen international gang Benton Aircraft Espionage has a cracking logo!) and perhaps the least memorable insignia ever seen in the Anderson universe belonged to the unnamed foreign villains from the Thunderbirds episode The Cham-Cham. No-one knows who they are or where they come from, but the oval markings on their fighter jets in which they attack various US Air Force transporter jets are apparently interesting enough in-universe for everyone to keep mentioning them every time they appear despite the fact that…they’re just two ovals either side of a slightly larger oval, and so aren’t likely to win any design awards.
1 – International Rescue (Thunderbirds)
The Tracy brothers sported two International Rescue logos on their uniforms, but instead of the simple silver letters on black logo worn on their caps we’re giving the top spot on this list to the ‘helping hand’ logo worn on their sashes. Much like the Spectrum uniforms the Tracy brothers’ uniforms are somehow both of their time and yet timeless, with this ‘helping hand’ motif best symbolising Jeff Tracy’s concept of a global rescue organisation.
Those are our choices – but what about yours? Which logos from the Anderson universe are your most and least favourites? Let us know in the comments below!
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