First Appearance: Speed#1 (IPC, 23rd February 1980)

Appearance checklist: Speed#1-21 (23rd February-16th August 1980); Speed Annual 1981, Speed Annual 1982

Reprinted anywhere?: No

Starring: Sam Redford, Andy Redford, Gina Redford, Spidey (Mark Four-ZQ)

Other cast: Laurel, Hardy, Digger

Notable guest characters: Toad-Men

Setting: Very mobile across the Milky Way galaxy

Plot Summary: When amateur astronomer Sam Redford's sightings risk exposing their expedition ships, aliens kidnap Redford and his two children, only for Sam Redford to accidentally teleport the extraterrestrials into space, leaving the Refords stranded deep in space on board a spaceship they had no idea how to pilot. 

History:

Comments: Created by Ron Turner.

   Journey to the Stars was one of only two strips in Speed presented entirely in colour (barring the text story in the Summer Special), the other being its replacement, Winner!. As well as the 21 episode comic story there were an illustrated text stories in Speed Summer Special 1980 and Speed Annual 1981. The series made the cover of Speed xx, in the 12th April issue (#8), 10th May (#12), 12th July (#16), and 9th August (#20); in each instance the covers were part of the page count for the story.

   The story came to a very sudden end in the final installment, suggesting that the story was intended to continue for longer but that the writer was abruptly told to end it.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Journey to the Stars should not be confused with

• Lost in Space, two TV series and one movie, all about another star-lost family struggling to find their way back to Earth
• any other strip of similar name

First Posted: Circa 14/10/2019
Last updated: 29/05/2023

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

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