Simon Archer (author)

Simon Archer (1956/1957 – September 1993)[1] was a British newspaper journalist and press officer,[2] as well as a biographer of Gerry Anderson.[3]

He spent four years with local newspapers[4] as a journalist[2] and later worked for the public relations division of Kodak as a press officer. In 1986, Archer made a Kodak book containing photographs taken by Dave Lee Travis.[4] He later went to HBM Ltd, where he specialised in public relations consultancy.

In 1990, he interviewed Anderson for Century 21 magazine.[2] He later began work on Gerry Anderson: The Authorised Biography.

In September 1993, Archer was involved in an accident on the M25 motorway and subsequently died, aged 36. He had been travelling to see Gerry and Mary Anderson to show them the first printed copies of his book FAB Facts.[1] With Archer's death, the manuscript for Anderson's biography was left incomplete.[5] The biography was eventually published in 1996 with Stan Nicholls as co-author.

Archer acquired various props and behind-the-scenes materials used in the Anderson productions, including studio sketches by art director Bob Bell, a miniature grand piano from Joe 90, and production artwork for the "Calling Elvis" music video. His collection was auctioned in 2022.[6][7][8][9]

References

  1. ^ a b Archer, Simon; Hearn, Marcus. What Made Thunderbirds Go!, p. 262
  2. ^ a b c Dust jacket of What Made Thunderbirds Go!.
  3. ^ "Puppet master made Thunderbirds go". 2 January 2013.
  4. ^ a b Archer, Simon. Fab Facts, p. 2
  5. ^ Thunderbirds: A Complete Guide to the Classic Series
  6. ^ Crombie, David (3 February 2022). "Joe 90 Prop Piano For Sale". worldpianonews.com. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  7. ^ "Gerry Anderson Sale Is Go at Excalibur". Antique Collecting Magazine. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  8. ^ "Classic Puppet Props and Pictures Go on Sale". The Herald. 4 February 2022.
  9. ^ "Thunderbirds Have Gone! Simon Archer Collection Far Exceeds Estimates at Excalibur Auctions". Diecast Collector. 1 March 2022.
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