Candy and Andy are just like any other children, except that they are life-size dolls and live with two panda bears called Mr and Mrs Bearanda. They drive around in a Mini called Stripey. What’s not to like?
This very unusual and mostly forgotten Gerry Anderson project featured in TV Century 21. Gerry wanted to have a different style of comic strip, and so decided to have the characters photographed rather than drawn. Despite its unusual style, and strange characters (with no explanation of why two dolls were living with Mr and Mrs Bearanda, nor why they were pandas, nor whether they were adopted parents, guardians, or captors of the doll children), the Candy and Andy comic (called simply “Candy”) ran for 154 issues as well as many annuals and story books.
Gerry Anderson had hoped that this bizarre combination would take the World by storm, but sadly (or perhaps happily, on reflection) it was not to be. TV executives were wholly unimpressed by the Candy and Andy concept, and once the comic run was complete, the gradually disappeared.
The weekly stills-based adventures were photographed by trusted Anderson photographer Doug Luke who found the whole process very frustrating with toppling pandas and awkward dolls to deal with on a daily basis.
An unusual, and often (purposefully) forgotten, Gerry Anderson creation… Candy and Andy have their own peculiar charm, although that’s often lost because of their resemblance to the Children of the Corn.
We hope to have a small area dedicated to Candy and Andy at Andercon the 2014 Gerry Anderson convention… watch this space!
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