The Unofficial
UFO 1988
Homepage

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS SITE ABOUT?
UFO 1988 was a Japanese manga comic that ran from about 1987 to sometime in the early 1990's (I don't have the exact dates; perhaps someone out there might know better ).  It appeared in the occasionally-published Bandai manga anthology Comic Weapon Cyber Comix, and was written by Masahiro Atobe and drawn by Reijiro Kato.

Put simply, this manga series was a continuation of the 1970 Gerry Anderson/British SF Television series UFO.  It returns to the cast and situation several years after the end of the television series, and picks up the story from there.  Ed Straker is back, as are most of the other characters; SHADO's arsenal has been updated with more advanced weaponry, and the mysterious aliens are as ellusive as ever -- but now coming in increasing numbers.  All in all, it's a tantalizing look at what UFO might have become had it been allowed to continue.

NOTES CONCERNING THE IMAGES IN THIS ARCHIVE
1. It is my intention to place as much of this series online as I can, for the benefit of those fans of British SF Television that have been previously unaware of it.  However, at present writing I do not have the complete run; it is my hope that by posting this notice, other fans on the 'net who have access to other installments might be able to send scans or scannable copies.  Ideally, I would like to someday make the complete run available.

UPDATED 17 July 1999
Here are the issues of Cyber Comix that I currently own: Issues #03, 04, 06, 08, 09, 10 (all but #09 have some installment of UFO 1988).
In addition, Mr. Angelo Finamore has graciously volunteered scans from the following issues: #11, 13, 15, 17, 19.
I am in desperate need of installments from any other issue, particlarly #05, & 07.

2. At present I am posting these images without translation.  English translations will be forthcoming at some point in the future, but for the moment only the straight Japanese text is available.  If someone out there wishes to volunteer for translation duties, I would very much appreciate it.

3. I have tried to strike a balance between image file size and level of detail.  Some of these images are quite intricate, typical of the Japanese manga art-form, and do not quite come off very well in reduced JPEG format.  Even so, many of these files are still quite large.  Be Forewarned.  My server space is limited, so it is possible that I may have to eventually go to a rotating schedule as to which episodes are up at any one time.

4. Remember: The Japanese read their comics from right to left.

I am very interested in hearing what people think of this little website.  If you have any comments, suggestions, or criticisms, please send them to me at DeTroyes@EnterAct.Com.  Thank you!

PRODUCTION ART
Cyber Comix Issue #03, Page 126 & 127.
Some really cool sketches are displayed here.  Clockwise from top left, the new Sky-1, the new Interceptor (now armed with four missiles rather than just one), the new Skydiver, and a new vehicle called the Sky-3, an AWACS version of the newer Sky-1.

Cyber Comix Issue #03, Page 209.
Another view of the new Sky-1.

Cyber Comix Issue #06, Page 126 & 127.
More cool sketches.  There is a new vehicle here called the Boomerang, the purpose of which I am not certain of (it hasn't shown up in any of the UFO 1988 installments I've seen).  Also, other views of the new Sky-1, Sky-3, and Skydiver.  Note the sketch at the bottom, detailing a mid-air refueling of a pair of in-flight Sky-1's.

Cyber Comix Issue #06, Page 128 & 129.
Character sketches.  I believe most of these are of characters new to the series.

Episode #1: Prologue
Cyber Comix Issue #04
This is the Prologue to UFO 1988.  In 1982, a very large fleet of UFOs attack SHADO.  The attack is devistating.  Ever wonder what it is SID has got hidden in that round capsule up front?  Well, here we find out...
Page 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174.

Episode #?: SHADO's Return, pt. II
Cyber Comix Issue #08
This is the second part of a story begun in Issue #07 (one of the issues I am missing).  Near as I can establish, it takes place somewhere in Japan.  The main characters are evidently fleeing a UFO that is pursuing them.
Page 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126.

There was no installment of UFO 1988 in Cyber Comix Issue #09.

Episode #?: To Moon, pt. I
Cyber Comix Issue #10
This is the first part of a story set on Moonbase.  The Aliens attack, intent on isolating Moonbase from Earth.  This episode has a pretty spectacular dogfight between the UFOs and the old-style Interceptor.
Page 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164.

Episode #?: To Moon, pt. II -- NEW!!!
Cyber Comix Issue #11
Isolated from Earth, SHADO's Moonbase launches a counterattack against the aliens.  But the only Interceptor left is the new, untried, experimental Interceptor II.  NOTE: This episode Kicks Ass!!  Images provided by Mr. Angelo Finamore.
Page 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148

Additional Images Forthcoming, as soon as I can sort out the stuff Mr. Finamore has sent me (THANK YOU Mr. Finamore!).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Special thanks go to: Russell Rezaian (for allowing me to appropriate his issues of Cyber Comix), Marc Martin (for pointing me in the right direction to find more images), and especially to Alberto Finamore (for finding several of the issues I was missing).  THANK YOU ALL!!!