Vworp Vworp apology.

Vworp Vworp Volume 6

Why an apology? Well let me start at the beginning. I was late, which I am frequently with so many cool things, to the wonderful world of Vworp Vworp! The attraction of reading an Alan Moore interview in volume 3 pulled me in and I bought volumes 3, 4 and 5 this year. With the quality of those  three issues I had to go back  and pick up the collected compendium featuring volumes 1 and 2 with the splendid 2023 updated cover featuring the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Doctors added to the artwork. I knew that if volume 6 was anywhere near as good as the previous five volumes it would be another winner. As the anniversary of Doctor Who's 60th year drew close I was tempted to splash the cash and grab me another treasure trove of Doctor Who goodness. With a choice of three covers to choose from I chose the "Everlasting Match" cover by Jeff Cummins as he was one of my favourite Target novel cover artists. So on the 19th November I pre-ordered and waited.

By the 11th of December I saw on the Vworp Vworp Facebook page that copies of the Cummins cover was out of stock, as I had yet to receive mine my petulant inner child took over and I wrote an email to Vworp Vworp politely asking if they had received my order. I quickly received an email from Gareth Kavanagh informing me that my order had been taken and the reason for the back log in dispatching the orders was due to the fact that Vworp Vworp is a fanzine and the work is done in their spare time. In my defence I had let that fact slip my mind due to  the previous five issues having been to an incredibly high standard. I quickly returned an email, thanking him dearly and wishing him and all the others who worked on the fanzine all the best for Christmas. 

On the 19th a package arrived like the greatest gift Santa could bring, just in time for Christmas. The First Doctor peering sternly at me as I opened it, with a DVD "A meeting on the common." and a giant sized double sided poster by Adrian Salmon and Robert Hack as extra free gifts. I don't know how Colin Brockhurst and  Gareth Kavanagh do it, a fanzine of this quality bulging with articles, comic strips and free gifts. It's incredible really.

Vworp Vworp is mainly a fanzine that celebrates the world of Doctor Who comic strips, but this issue quite rightly looks back with a celebration of the world of Doctor Who for its 60th with interviews from Carole Ann Ford, vision mixer Clive Doig and the Radiophonic Workshop’s Brian Hodgson, William Hartnell's granddaughter Anne Carney and Bill’s wife, Heather. Mark Gatiss and Brian Cox are also interviewed about their involvement in making "An Adventure in Space and Time" drama. Plus loads more insight into those early Doctor Who days. John Dorney and John Peel write two cool short stories.  "Hunters of the burning Stone" the 50th celebration story from Doctor Who Magazine gets a good looking over. Plus we get three brilliant comic strips, "Overdue" by Lance Parkin and Faiz Rehman, "The night before" by Tim Quinn and Tim Keable and "History, bangs and stinks" by Paul Ebbs and Simon Brett. All splendid strips and like Doctor you shouldn't have favourites but "The night before" is to me like Tom Baker was to my seven year old self. 

If you want a more in-depth review you're not going to get it, because if you haven't already bought this volume and you've been considering doing so, you should really do it and find out for yourself how utterly fantastic this fanzine is. I feel wrong in calling it a fanzine, it's more like a Fan-tastic-zine! 

Here's a link to the Vworp Vworp website, but you might have to wait till after Christmas and the New Year to order a treat for yourself. Put it in your new diary or calendar so you don't forget!

Colin and Gareth you've done an excellent job producing the most perfect Christmas gift I can give myself. I'm truly sorry I interrupted that very busy period by sending that email. You came through with the goods in great style. Merry Christmas to you both and all the Vworp Vworp contributors. 

Vworp Vworp!

 

60th Who?

 

Doctor Who turned sixty on the 23rd of November 2023, that's some good going for a TV show, never mind a science fiction TV show for kids. But let's be honest it's for kids of all ages and once it's got you it's very hard to let go. When news broke that Russell T Davies was coming back to the show he first regenerated in 2005 as the writer and executive producer for the 60th anniversary I was over the moon without the need of a space suit. The return of David Tennant and Catherine Tate fired up my nostalgia rockets even more. "NuWho" had been part of my second childhood. Tom Baker had been my Doctor followed by Peter Davison during that important part of any Child's life, starting when they are around the age of seven and into their teens. Monsters are cool, super-heroes are cool, science fiction is cool. As an adult with children watching Davies' new Doctor Who was like my second childhood. What's more there wouldn't be one special but three, followed by another new Doctor and another brand new series. I couldn't be more happier especially after the Chibnall era that left me feeling deflated and disappointed. Things had got to be better. 

So let me give my opinions on these specials without falling into the old traps when expectations are high. It sometimes can't be helped, when you compare something with what's gone before, but I feel I have to start in the past.

The first significant anniversary was the 10th in 1973 with Jon Pertwee as the Doctor in a clever titled "The Three Doctors", that as most will know also featured the First and Second Doctors. It wasn't broadcast on the anniversary date, the first of four episodes was shown on the 30th December 1972, nearly a full 11 months before the actual date. I was only three years old but I have seen it many times since, so let me tell you it was brilliant. The next major anniversary was the 20th, with which we got "The Five Doctors", I see a patten there. It was brilliant and probably the one episode of Doctor Who that I've watched the most, starting from its first broadcast on the 25th November 1982. The 25th "Silver" anniversary was good, with "Silver Nemesis", three episodes where the Doctor encountered the Cybermen who were after an ancient weapon on Earth. We also got the brilliant "Remembrance of the Daleks" at the beginning of that season. For the 30th we got a really good documentary titled "Thirty years in the Tardis", broadcast on the 29th of November 1993, days after the pantomime Dimensions in Time was shown on the 26th and 27th. For the 40th we got some video and audio releases but that is about all. Then came the 50th, to be honest we were spoiled. We got "The day of the Doctor" featuring not only two Doctors but a third who we never knew existed, with the War Doctor, as well as literally every other Doctor there has been to that point including the eyebrows of the Twelfth Doctor. It reached fifth in the Doctor Who Magazine 60th Anniversary poll. We also had "The night of the Doctor" and "The last day" mini-episodes, "An adventure in time and space" drama about the creation of Doctor Who, plus the mockumentary "The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot". Boy we were spoilt. It's worth pointing out that for this 60th anniversary with the Whoniverse on BBC iPlayer we get lots of extras that are fantastic, like Tales from the Tardis, Doctor Who Unleashed, commentaries for two of the specials, Re-coloured 60's the Daleks, a 60th special edit of "An adventure in time and space", plus endless hours of classic Doctor Who, Nu-Who and loads of spin-off shows. Now we really are spoilt. So how does this year Specials compare? Let's find out.

The Star Beast

The first of three and the one I was most excited about, adapted from the Doctor Who Weekly comic strip from issues 19 to 16, cover dated 20th February 1980 to 9th April 1980, written by Pat Mills and drawn by Dave Gibbons. It's a wonderful comic strip, which I own in different formats, I've always thought deserved TV adaptation and now here it is and it doesn't disappoint at all. It's got clever ideas, action packed battles between UNIT troops, Wrarth Warriors and other UNIT troops. It's fun with lots of twists, some of which even comic strip readers may not have guessed. It matches the comic strip with a modern version of Doctor Who and answers the little questions any fan might have about Donna and her new family along the way. 

But what about the controversy you ask. Well let's start with the minor things, how can Donna have a daughter who's fifteen when we last saw her 13 years ago? Well I can answer that, I'm not bothered, move on. Why don't we have some old Doctor cameos in this and other specials to celebrate 60 years? Well we get UNIT troops, call backs to the Doctor being the first UNIT science officer, some fantastic aliens from the Doctor's longest running comic strip, a fourth Doctor lawyer wig nod plus we have call backs to the events in Donna's story arc. Some people don't like Shirley Bingham's wheel chair weaponry, I do! Have you never seen Quincy Harker's chair in Tomb of Dracula or even Professor X's various wheel chairs, they've all got them. The new sonic's ability to create force shields and interactive screens, technology is always evolving. Look at the Ninth Doctor's sonic is always going to be better than the Second Doctor's version. As long as it doesn't become a quick fix plot device I'm not bothered. They said the same thing about K9 and the Fifth Doctor's screwdriver, they got rid of both, but they came back. The quick fixing tarmac in the streets around London, well that does bother me a little, but I didn't let that spoil a good episode.

The thing that did get the most chatter was Rose. I was a little surprised that Davies went as far with a Trans character, but at the same time I'm not. Davies didn't want to burden the Fourteenth Doctor with images of him in "women's" clothes when he regenerated from the Thirteenth, but he was fine with a Trans companion. But Clara Oswald was known to snog girls, Bill Potts did snog girls and Yasmin Khan wanted to snog the Thirteenth Doctor. So what if Rose wants to be a girl so what? As a 54 year man I pretty much saw her as a girl anyway. Yeah I saw the bullying kids on bikes but that made Donna's protective mother image more powerful. There's been Binary companions/characters before in Doctor Who, I can think of at least four. K9, Chameleon, Alpha Centauri and I'll leave my fourth one for you to guess as I don't want to create an argument. The main reason for Rose and Donna is that they tie up the plot nicely and it does. Yasmin Finney did a good job with the character The best way to sum it up is by looking at one of the unsung characters of this story. Shaun Temple who tells the Doctor when he first meets him that he has two of the best girls on the planet. Well you might think him mad as Donna, who is what might be best describe as high maintenance and gobby, but she's loyal and caring too. Rose has her problems, what are basically problems for other people who see her transition and mixed race ethnicity an issue. When they save the day Shaun loudly proclaims them the best girls in the World. Shaun loves them both no matter what. That's a husbands/father's love so if he has no problems neither do I. What I do like is that Russell gives Sylvia a line were she get the pronouns terms mixed up. That would happen, it would happen to me to, but it doesn't matter cause she still loves her granddaughter (and daughter,) anyway. 

I found out in Doctor Who Magazine that the director Rachel Talalay was recovering from chemo when she was offered the job, doing the zoom call interview in a wig. That kind of thing puts life into perspective. She's a fantastic director with a first and second in the DWM 60th poll. No easy feat. If Racheal can battle her way through her illness and produce another smashing Doctor Who episode I see no reason to bother about my little issues, even the self repairing tarmac.

Another amazing woman who worked on this episode is Miriam Margolyes, she's wonderful as the voice of the Meep. I'm never sure what sex the Meep was supposed to be but I love how well they got its likeness to the Dave Gibbons original version. It's cute but the later twist shows perfectly what Pat and Dave intended. For those who think this story was an ET rip-off Pat and Dave's story came out two years before ET did. May be Steven Spielberg was a Doctor Who Weekly fan! Justly the Wrarth took the Meep into custody, but who was its "Boss"?  Only Russell knows. Any way the Star Beast was a cracking story and I really liked it.

      

Wild Blue Yonder

This one starts with the Tardis crashing into an apple tree, with Donna and the Doctor meeting Issac Newton. Now wasn't it the Ninth Doctor (or it could have been the Fourth,) who throw apples on Newton's head to give him the idea for gravity? There's some annoyance to a mix-race actor playing the famous  mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist and theologian, but yeah they could have found someone who looks more like Newton. Nathaniel Curtis, the talented actor who played the part could have been used in another role giving him large turn under the spot light, Nathaniel did a great job playing Sir Issac, he has a big future ahead of him. The big thing that did bug me was the gravity/mavity joke. We've already done the misheard word joke in the Children in Need Fourteenth Doctor/Genesis of the Dalek sketch, (which was smart, funny and definitely part of Doctor Who canon.) I didn't like it this time. May be the Ninth Doctor goes back and drops more apples on Newton's head to make him call it gravity. When Donna calls it mavity I'm putting it forward that the Tardis or the Doctor's "Time Lord gift" circuits/ telepathy are just playing with the translation as a joke, while they sorted themselves out.

Speaking of the Tardis, the new interior looks amazing! In many ways it's too perfect, but that's a thought from an old Doctor Who head who's used to a messy Tardis, that doesn't always work properly. In saying that why can't we mix it up a little? This could well be my all time favourite, time will tell.

While I'm on the subject of space ships a lot of people have criticised the graphics of the corridors in the giant space ship. Now I thought they were fine but my older brother and my daughter both pointed this out, suggesting that they look like background filters you can get for media calling. So as two people whose opinion I take seriously I have to say it is probably a valid point. But saying all that we've come a long way from the corridors seen in 70's/80's Doctor Who.

The smaller room sets are impressive, I can tell you that, there's no doubt that they are a physical constructed set. I love the slow robot, a practical effect that looks great. Reminds me of something that Douglas Adams would have created for his Hitchhiker's series or for Doctor Who when he was the script editor. It's part in the plot is very smart, in truth the entire plot is great, a little Douglas Adams inspiration may be but still great. I like the practical effects of the two aliens, not so much the giant CGI Doctor and Donna effects, but still it doesn't kill the episode. I might have to re-watch the ending where the Doctor has to choose which Donna, I got lost in the cleverness of it. Did he really know he left the wrong Donna to delay the second monster or was he just making sure? Who knows? 
  

No time to worry about that 'cause back in 2023 we've got a friendly face to say hello to! The return of Wilf Mott was the highlight of this series of specials. Bernard Cribbins was a constant through my childhood, an actor, storyteller and all-round top bloke! One of the funniest, warmest, most charming characters in Doctor Who. He could have been the Doctor you know, he would have been a great one too. Rest in peace my old soldier.

The Giggle.

Russell T Davies likes to start most for his Doctor Who series with one from the present day, one from the future, then one from the past. The Giggle has its roots in the past, a trip to the Toymakers shop in 1925 and the creation of television. But first we take a very uncomfortable look at modern day thinking, where everyone thinks they're right and everyone who disagrees with them is wrong. They'll change facts to fit their opinion. I really like the way this modern problem is told. It would be nice to blame all the trolling, all the negativity, bigotry and hatred on the Toymaker and the Giggle, but I think the human race has to look at itself a little more closely. 

 Neil Patrick Harris is wonderful as the Toymaker in all his personas. A talented actor who can easily turn his hand to accents, juggling, puppeteering, card tricks and dancing. An all round entertainer. The original Celestial Toymaker may have had some racist connotations, which this modern version has had removed, but some of the racist traits are played on, like his non-PC accents that show this character is not a nice man. We learn he kills without remorse and uses people like they are just a game. It's fun and dark at the sametime. Especially the puppets which are really creepy. I kind of thought that in the Toymakers realm they might have introduced some old companions like Steven, or even others but may be that would have been a little too fan-friendly, it had been done in the Power of the Doctor anyway.

We did get to see an old companion in the form of Mel Bush, (or as I like to call her Mad Auntie Mel,)  now working for UNIT after her cameo in the Power of the Doctor. Mel wasn't one of my favourite companions, Bonnie Langford wasn't someone who I thought would make a good Doctor Who sidekick, but age has served her well. Maybe those Big Finish audio plays have help to change my mind when re-watching her old TV episodes didn't. A good script has rounded out her characters potential. I loved UNIT HQ too. OK it was a little bit too close to Stark Tower but what the heck and why does the helli-pad go up and down? Who knows or cares. 

I didn't mind the dance scene, all mad psychopaths live in a world where life is a stage, it was dark (some people died,) and fun again, this is a method to scare the adults and entertain the kids. The bi-regeneration was OK, but was this so that David Tenant could keep coming back? I don't think it needs it as it's a show about time travel, any Doctor can come back at any time any way. I feel for Ncuti it's almost like his predecessor is waiting in the wings if he messes it up. Davis also mentioned that all the Doctors have bi-regenerated too, that doesn't feel right to me, yeah it fits in with Tom Baker's curator role but did at each bi-regeneration the Tardis split too? The Sixth and Seventh Doctor will be fighting over who owns the Tardis centuries later, stopping future adventures and in many ways whole timelines. Now that is a multi-verse of madness. (A Doctor Strange reference there.) I'll not worry too much about it, the Toymaker did say that he's been manipulating the Doctor for millenniums, as Davies said in the iPlayer commentary, making it easier for fans to pick and choose the bits of canon they like. In that case I'll delete Series 11 "It takes you away" What I didn't like was the endgame (another Marvel reference there,) a game of catch doesn't work for me. Shouldn't it have been a more mental mind game, a battle of wits? What I do like is the teaser of the Master trapped in the Toymakers gold tooth surviving the Toymakers demise to be picked up by a woman's nail painted ruby red hand. 

I have to say I really liked all these specials, may be not as much as the 50th or 20th but Catherine Tate and David Tennant where fantastic, so maybe I'll adore them more when it comes to the 70th anniversary. We will get to that anniversary, the show is in safe hands. I might not aways agree with every single one of Russell T Davies choices, but I must say he's the perfect creator to carry the show forward into the next era of Doctor Who. Ncuti Gatwa looks great as the Doctor, just get some pants on man! Millie Gibson looks like a star too. Can't wait for Christmas, for more adventure, for more silliness, for more fun, for more Doctor Who. Till then have a happy 60th and a Merry Christmas.

Doctor? Doctor Who?

Murder on the high street!

 

It's Late Summer Bank Holiday and it feels like summer is over, where are those school holiday summer breaks? They always signalled British beach holidays with a Summer Special comic treat bought from the local newsagent or seaside shop. Do today's generation have the same thrill as the 70's and 80's kids did? Let's find out. I'll not look at those junior toys that come with a comic, you can get them at any supermarket, they're well catered for. 

Back in the day you had Menzies and WH Smiths newsagent chains as well as independent shops. But the landscape on today's high street is so different these day's with internet shopping, online content, multi-media platforms and a million other distractions that keep the average youngster occupied. For those who still want to fill their imaginations with the inside of a comic or mag WH Smiths is heaven. But is there something not quite right in heaven? The problem is no two Smiths are the same. Take a look at the top picture, it's the comic/mag section at Smiths Chester. I love shopping in Chester, it's a beautiful city and Smiths is one of my favourite shops to pop in. They have a really good selection of mags, my only problem is that they are on the very top shelf behind the motoring mags! OK some mags might have fairly adult content like the Judge Dread Megazine and Shaft Presents, but the Panini range don't. The picture under it is from Preston's Deepdale Smiths, where a similar range of comics can be found but this time at floor level. Worth noting that this store doesn't have any 2000AD, the Megazine or Shaft Presents at all! I also went to Southport and the Trafford Centre Smiths this summer, with Southport probably the best for range and accessibility, I forgot to take a picture but I can tell you it had a large amount of Marvel comics, Bookzines and Doctor Who related magazines (Panini), 2000AD, Judge Dredd Megazine (Rebellion) and independents (Shift Presents and Time Bombs Quantum). 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to call out those shops. They're all doing a fantastic job with limited shelf space in a very packed magazine market. We need to support them or like so many shops on the high street they'll be gone in a flash! By "support" and "we" I mean the retailers who by making space for the terrific mags we want to buy, also taking risks on what will sell, the publishers, by making great looking comics that fans want to read and taking risks on what will sell and you dear reader, call in and use those shops, take the risk on something you think you might like. You never know you might just love it.

Marvel UK (Panini)

Marvel comics range is served by the Amazing Spider-man, Miles Morales:Spider-man and the Deadpool and Wolverine comic. All three are 48 pages for £2.99 which is good value when compared to their American counterparts. Panini's range has shrunk a little from the glory days of their Marvel Collector Editions that at one time had printed editions for Spider-man, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, the X-Men, Wolverine, Marvel Legends and the Mighty World of Marvel. Personally I'm not as interested in Marvel US's latest output, that comes from being an old head Marvel fan but I have started buying Panini's The Amazing Spider-man just as a monthly cheap thrill.

Panini has a growing range of Marvel square bound "Bookzines" and graphic novels available on the high street that plunder Marvel's back catalogue with specials that link to what ever Disney release at the cinema or on Disney+. Not cheap buys but if you are interested there's something for you. This Star Wars Mandalorian graphic novel caught my eye at the Deepdale Smiths  in Preston so I splashes the cash. I'm a fan of the Disney+ series so I'm glad I did.

Panini produce the Doctor Who Magazine which is alway available in you local Smiths. I used to pick it up monthly normally at Morrisons or Tescos, but as you can see I have the subscription copies. I used to buy it every four weeks so it made more sense to have it delivered to my door, as it worked out cheaper. I get the latest news right on the day or sometimes the day before. If not for that I would still nip to the shops and pick it up. These subscription covers look great without the high street version's text, but sometimes I miss that text because it instantly told me all about the mags contents. I guess I want both worlds. 

The range of DWM Special editions is vast, they're great but can be expensive so I tend to pick up the ones that I find worth it. This volume two of the Daleks the ultimate comic strip collection is the last one I bought. It's a weird example of my thought processes. I have all the original stories from DWM any way and at £19.99 it's not cheap, then again it is 172 pages and has a commentary section about the creation of the strips so as I'm a fan or sucker as some might say I couldn't resist. With this year being the sixtieth anniversary I expect Panini will be tempting me with more treats.

2000AD/Judge Dredd Megazine (Rebellion)

I used to get 2000AD and Judge Dredd the Megazine regularly in the 80's and 90's but I went through a period when commitments meant that I had to slow down or stop buying comics. I think it's called adulthood. With 2000AD you used to get three or four great strips and one or two OK ones. Towards the end of my Prog days I was only buying it for Dredd. The Megazine also seemed to drop into a juvenile bitchfest. So I stopped. Of late the Prog has been tempting me but I'd much rather collect the older edition to fill out my collection. 

Seeing Judge Dredd Megazine (now missing the "the",) on the shelves this summer's too much for my will power to resist. Boy am I glad my will power is weak. It's £6.99 and worth every penny. The strips are amazing, adult like but without any unnecessary juvenile sex, nudity and swearing. OK they're maybe a little sex, nudity and swearing but it's only in keeping with the stories. It's also got some great interviews and articles with and about comic creators and their work, who may or may not work for Rebellion. The Megazine has really grown up and I think I might stick with it for a while.

I heard Garth Ennis talking about Battle Action on the MegaCity Book Club podcast a while ago, his passion for the project peaked my interest. War comics have never been my thing but I picked up issue three of Battle Action to see what all the fuss is about. I now wish I'd picked up issues one and two from the newsagents when they came out. It's the new old fashioned style of comics, that I think I quite like the look of. Might splash the cash for issue four. 

Quantum (Time Bomb Comics)

If you've read my review on Quantum #1 you'll already know that I absolutely love Quantum. The first issue was Fantastic, the second was Sensational and let me tell you the third issue was absolutely Thrilling! It's like a grown up version of 2000AD by comic fans for comic fans. The editor Steve Tanner together with Dave West and David Morris have taken a risk that fans will love it, a risk that fans will buy it and that the retailers will stock it. Having it mainly available for purchase in WH Smiths shows that they want the high street to be that great place where you can pick up that thrilling treat. It's only bi-monthly at the minute but if they can keep up with deadlines and quality I can see them following up with their hope that it could go monthly. I think it will. I think the shops will stock it, I'm damn sure I'll be picking it up for the foreseeable future because I have totally fallen in love with it.

Time Bomb Comics also have a range of comics and graphic novels that they started by Kickstarter and convention interest. One of their range is called Brawler, an anthology comic in the style of Dez Skinn's Warrior. Warrior is one of my all time favourite comics and I would love to see this 2023 homage on the high street. So come on Mr's Tanner, West and Morris have a think about it. Quantum and Brawler side by side with 2000AD and Judge Dredd Megazine, living the dream.

Shift Presents...   The 77

Now here's a great idea produce a magazine that features some of the greatest independent comics from the UK and use it as a launch pad for interested readers to latch on to right here on the high street. Here it is Shift Presents. A magazine that reissues some of the greatest current indie comics. You can buy back issues from Get my comics or The Shift Store if you wanted. This year's issue, I say year I'm not sure how often it is published, its cover date says December 2022 but it's still on sale in late summer 2023, presents The 77. The 77 is an independent comic company responsible for The 77, Blazer, Pandora and This Comic is Haunted, who's thought process is "A brand new, retro anthology – A love letter to the comics that made us. With new talent and creators from your childhood." Those comics all started on Kickstarter and I love that you can buy this version on the high street. I'd like to see more independent comics on the high street but I understand that the cost of doing that would be high and it's quite a risk in these financial hard times. I know the internet is the cheapest way to advertise and sell but I'm surprised that some comic shop chains don't stock more independent comics. They can be just stacked to the rafters with American imports and Manga. Please make room for the British independents. Yeah I'm talking to you Forbidden Planet and Forbidden Planet International. 

I'll get round to specialist comic shops in a future blog, but Forbidden Planet and Forbidden Planet International I love you all so don't bar me. They too need comic buyers support in these hard times. But not every town and city has one so if you fancy some good old fashioned comic strip fun, action and adventure support your local WH Smiths or newsagent. 

And keep reading comics it keeps you young.

Adventures in time and space, 500 and counting!

Doctor Who Magazine has just published its five hundredth issue with all the magnificence the Guiness World Record-breaking magazine deserves, in not one but two 116-page magazines, a boxed giant party. Current editor Tom Spilsbury asked readers to showcase their collections, which set Twitter alight with comic stacked high in piles, shelves bulging and floors paved with covers. Why not? From October 1979 to June 2016 is a fantastic run, for many people it's not a collection but part of your life, from a childhood love to an adult obsession. DWM welcomed everyone, whether you dipped in and out or proudly own all 500. There is never any fan snobbery, which is how it should be. So I decided to join in too. I counted up my copies and lay out my reasonably size collection of 182 issues, together with 16 Specials, 26 Doctor Who Classic Comics and 8 Doctor Who Poster Magazines, plus one very special Doctor Who Weekly souvenir issue.

A nostalgic way to look back at my life with images of where and when I read the magazine. This got me thinking just how important it was and still is to the comic and magazine industry and its fans. I found myself arguing that the world of comics wouldn't be the same, nor would the magazines we see on supermarket shelves. Now don't laugh but there are unquestionable points to back this up. Let's start at the beginning with the Fantastic First Issue. 11th of October 1979 the start of an adventure of a lifetime. 

Dez Skinn was shaping MarvelUK into a brand that he felt would survive the coming decade with his Marvel Revolution, monthlies where promoted for more mature readers, with The Savage Sword of Conan, Ramage Magazine, Marvel Superheroes and his own Starburst magazine. The weeklies where strengthen with Spider-man getting the cream of superhero action, The Mighty World of Marvel becoming simply Marvel comic, the boys own style action/adventure package, the Hulk got his own weekly with British artists and writers given a platform to show off and Star Wars Weekly left to blossom in glorious sci fi gloss. The Star War Weekly, Hulk Weekly and Starburst productions lead the way for a new fan favourite to be born. A weekly comic with fantastic tales from our TV hero. Now even though I was the perfect age to get this comic, being a comic mad nine year old, but my local distribution was poor. A problem that's marred many a magazine. I wish I had a TARDIS so that I could go back in time and tell my young self to try harder. Whenever I'd get a chance to read those old stories, whether in reprints in specials/Doctor Who Classic Comics or buy back issues I jump at them with adolescent joy. The greatest British creators of the time, if not ever worked on those strips. Not just the lead Doctor Who adventure but the back up strips too. Pat Mill, John Wagner, Dave Gibbon on the Doctors stories and back ups from Paul Neary, David Lloyd, Steve Moore, Steve Dillon and Alan Moore, all worked magic in those weekly Doctorless "missions to the unknown." I know people will say that Skinn was using those creators in House of Hammer/Horror, Hulk comic, Star Wars weekly and Starburst, as and when he could. And that 2000AD and Skinn's own Warrior are better examples of the British comic revolution, but Doctor Who Weekly really pushed those talents into the view of not just comic fans but TV fans too. All that time and space shenanigans, plus articles on the TV series with behind the scenes and passed story reviews and comments. Early signs of a bright future.

In less than a year it went from a weekly to a monthly with September 1980 issue 44. Some may claim that this was a sign of decline, but it was a shrewd move that would save the comic and give birth to the magazine we know and love today. The strips stayed the same wonderfully high standard, with Steve Parkhouse, Alan McKenzie, John Ridgway, Mick McMahan and Mick Austin joining an already stellar cast of creators. The articles got better too. Early signs to a publication growing up with its readership.

Now I wasn't a collector of the mag in those early days, mores the pity, but I would dip in when the chance occurred, I was probably more a superhero comic fan but I've always extremely enjoyed the TV series, so it was alway a pleasure to read the mag when I fancied a change. More so when the TV series left our screens in those wilderness years. 

Many TV production talents worked on the magazine with Gareth Roberts, Paul Cornell, Andrew Cartnel, Gary Russell producing comic strip scripts, TV story board artist Mike Collins always showing fantastic artwork and even the Doctor himself, Colin Baker writing a brilliant script that made its was into a DWM special, The Age of Chaos.

Other great British talent who worked on the strip are worth naming, Alan Abnett, Grant Morrison, Jamie Delamo, Alan Barnes, Simon Furman, John Freeman, Arthur Ransom, Lee Sullivan and Adrian Salmon amongst many more.

 But another reason why the magazine is so important is that it kept going while the parent program was off air. Not just ticking over but loud and proud about how great the show was. It never slagged off the production when it was on TV, so when it rested the magazine took hold up the reins and steered it through the storm. Together with those Virgin novels, the comic strip was the only place to get your fix of the Doctors adventures. It was the video age so I would pay and watch all the tapes I could buy, but the strip was very important to me. In many ways more important than the articles in the magazine, at least to me at the time. My fix of Doctor Whoness. Although those articles told us just how good the show was and soon others would try to show us too.

 The magazines patience payed off when Philip Segal brought the good Doctor back, with a good intentioned TV movie. I really loved it, I really loved how the magazine embraced it. It was a good time to be a DWM reader, cracking articles, great coverage and a brilliant strip. The Paul McGann Doctor strip has always been one of my favourites. If only the TV version had been as much a success. The TV Doctor disappeared once more, but not for long, maybe it wasn't a unsuccessful as many though. A man called Russell had thought it was marvellous too.

 Like the Doctor the Magazine has always Regenerated. New life was given to the fandom with the strong return of the Doctor. Russell T Davies latest reboot exploded onto the TV screen with action, adventure and a lot of heart! The patience of the fans lead by the Magazine had really payed off this time. It wasn't just Cult TV fans or comic strip fans that got the best from this NuWho, but the every day viewer. You didn't have to be a fanatic to be a fan, you just had to enjoy the show. A new love was born, a new fan. What better place to explore this new world, to some at least was the new Magazine, where everybody was welcomed. This glossy, slick publication became the standard that every other sci fi magazine followed. Always fair, always fun, just the right amount of sucking up and the right amount of critic. Always a great read, that's why it's so important to the British comic/magazine industry. And maybe to the world.

It's never rested on its laurels, MarvelUK or Panini spun off some brilliant companions, with seasonal Summer, Autumn and Winter Specials, the spectacular Doctor Who Poster Magazine, Doctor Who Classic Comics with old Doctor tales from pre DWM and their own archives, plus the coffee table gloss of Doctor Who Magazine Special Editions. My summer holidays could never be the same without a thick bound edition to read while I relax.

 Thanks to all those editors Dez Skinn, Paul Neary, Alan McKenzie, Cefi Ridout, Stella Cronna, John Freeman, Gary Russell, Marcus Hearn, Gary Gillatt, Alan Barnes, Clayton Hickman and Tom Spilsbury. Happy 500 Doctor Who Magazine, Splendid mags, every issue. 

"Doctor? Doctor who?"

Is he a good man?

It's been over a week since Peter Capaldi first full series of Doctor Who finished. Giving everyone time to catch up on the full series and us to talk about it without fear of spoilers. The Doctor asks Clara "Is he a good man?" But that was just one question of many series 8 asks. Before it aired on BBC1 fandom was a buzz with questions, which continued and multiplied right through the series. "Was Capaldi going to be a good Doctor?" "Was he too old?" "Was he too frightening for children?"  "What's Danny Pinks story?" "Who is Missy?" 

Well after twelve action packed episodes all those questions have been answered, so let's ask one more question, "Was series 8 any good?" I don't think anyone really doubted that Capaldi would be anything but great. His first full episode "Deep Breath" showcased his talent, as a Doctor in the making for over fifty years. With a little bit of Hartnell, a splash of Troughton, buckets full of Pertwee and a TARDIS full of Baker. In the "Caretaker" he channeled Pertwee from the "Green Death", in "Kill the Moon" it felt like he cherry picked bits from "Frontier in Space" and "Planet of the Spiders", while "Robot of Sherwood" was his homage to "The Time Warrior". Capaldi did his best Baker in "Mummy on the Orient Express" but with each performance it became less of an impression and more just the same old Doctor we all love. The same but always different. 

Through the early epsiodes I wished we could see the Doctor interact with some kids, to reassure young viewers that this was their same fun loving hero, the sword fight with a spoon helped, but my wish came true quite late on with "Kill the Moon" and "In the Forest of the Night" with their young cast members. But in "Listen" we got the best sign that this Doctor was great with kids, as kids of all ages learned that fear is our super power. 

"Was he too old and grumpy?" No not for a two thousand year old alien, Capaldi was as youthful as Matt Smith with his wit, mannerisms, falling out of planes, he even runs like a camp giraffe. The grumpy old man routine was brilliant, kids love it when adults are cheeky to other adults. Anyway Clara is his career, so he doesn't have to care.

I thought "Listen" was the scariest, "Kill the Moon", "Mummy on the Orient Express" and "Flatline" where also scary too, but I would imagine that the terror didn't put many kids off. Even "Dark Water" and "Death in Heaven" with themes about death, the afterlife, losing our humanity, dark tales representing mans deepest fears, even Clara's imagined betrayal of the Doctor can be seen as horror element. But with the Moff's writing the action breaks in to reassure the watcher. 

Danny Pinks story never really got going to tell you the truth, but it all made sense when you watched the last episode. I imagine that with second viewing of this series it will feel more fulfilling. It's not Samuel Anderson fault, he filled the roll with impeccable skill. The shortness of his appearances where crafted to create the impression that there was more to come from Danny. So when his sudden death came it was seen as a major shock as intended.

As for the Missy question, that got me in a good way. I didn't go looking for the answer on the internet. Better to find out as I watched, but I loved the clues and the red herrings. When the Doctor goes into the Nethersphere you see the tanks on top of tanks I thought that looks like "The Tomb of the Cybermen". I thought the skeletons in those tanks where Cybermen before their armoured shell was grafted on, Dark Water is a more sci fi cooler answer. I missed the Random Access Neural Interface Rani joke. Missy wasn't going to be the Rani anyway. St. Paul's - bigger on the inside- of course Missy was going to be a Time Lord and when she said the Doctor left her I quickly imagined she was Romana, Susan or Jenny. Even some new villianess from Gallifrey. Missy short for Mistress just like K9 would call Romana, it's got to be her gone bad. No wait a minute, she can't call herself Master anymore? Oh! She's the Master! Totally brilliant! She's the same old Master but totally different. People are creating havoc about it, but that's just over reacting to sex change Time Lords. Michelle Gomez is proper crazy in every way, making the Doctor look in every way the hero we know and love.

Was the series any good? Well some of the stories weren't spectacular by any imagination, but all were very watchable and had their moments. "In the Forest of the Night" was possibly the weakest, but still clever. "Flatline" felt like a remake of "Fear Her" with the Doctor missing from most of the action, the companion taking the lead, but with better effects and an improved sci fi central script.  The "Caretaker" seemed like a CBBC Sarah Jane Adventures idea with a cheep monster, but it became an enjoyable romp full of brilliant character interaction. "Into the Dalek" may have been a classic concept (Fantastic Voyage/ The Invisible Enermy) but it felt very fresh, Capaldi was having so much fun. I've already mentioned "Robots of Sherwood" being like "The Time Warrior", it could have been a disaster of an idea, but for a fantastic cast playing with a witty and creative script. Strong scripts and fantastic acting from the regulars and guests have been a constant. Supporting actors like Dan Starkey, Neve McIntosh, Cartin Stewart, Jemma Redgrave, Ingrid Oliver where brilliant as ever, guest stars Chris Addison, Joivan Wade, Frank Skinner, David Bamber, Hermione Norris, Tom Riley, Ben Miller and of course "Missy" Gomaz played their parts beautifully. Samuel Anderson, Jenna Coleman and Peter all give amazing performances. My favourite episodes have to be "Listen" and "Mummy on the Orient Express" they're just incredible. So it's been a Doctor debut series to remember, better than Matt Smiths first, maybe better than David Tenants first. A fitting salute to the Brigadier. It's been great! 

I can't wait for Christmas now! Could Nick Frost really be Father Christmas? Probably not, maybe an alien, or a leader of a base under siege who just happens to be dressing up for Christmas, or something else, but I can't wait to find out, so don't tell me any spoilers till after I've watched it on Christmas Day. 

The answer to the Doctors question, of course he's a good man, I never had any doubts. He's Peter Capaldi, he's the Doctor and he's a good man.

Doctor? Doctor Who?

Taking a deep breath.

         

I've waited all summer for something brilliant to happen, something to look forward to week in week out. I've lived the excitement, followed by the slight disappointment. My football team, Liverpool FC came so close, only to miss winning the Premiership by two points, England fell out of the World Cup and on TV Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ended spectacularly for a summer break leaving the summer of 2014 long and hot. Some things made it worth while, Marvel's X-Men:Days of Future Past and Guardians of the Galaxy, pre-season football matchs and a holiday in the sun helped move the time along. So soon the football season started again and the internet buzzed with tales of a Time Lord we've yet to see, as he toured around the globe. But finally this weekend as the world waited with baited breathe the twelfth Doctor arrived. His timing was great as my Liverpool where to play their biggest rivals City, on Monday, I could give the Doctor my full, undivided attention. 

It's been eight months since we last saw any tales from the TARDIS. But tales from the press were there aplenty, with leaks on the internet spoiling the suspense. He's dark, too dark. Scary, far to scary! I stuck my head in the sand rather than an internet ice water bucket. Let's wait and see. He did come and boy did we see. Deep Breath everyone. 

Before we all get to clever and analyse every second of the feature length feast to death, lets just stop and think with our seven year old self. I want the Doctor to be dangerous, exciting and a little bit silly. Let me go off subject ever so slightly here, as a kid I used to skate board. I wasn't good at it, but I had my moments. One day I rode down the path across from my house where stretch across it lay a plank of wood on to a skip, with two builders rolling a wheel barrow filled with rubble aiming for the skip. How stick with this I'll get quickly to the point. Instead of stopping or crossing over to the other path like all my friends I decided to lay down flat on the skate board and coast under the plank. It was amazing and dangerous at the same time. My young friends cheered, my Mum give me the telling off of a life time. But that's what kids want, danger, excitement, to be seen as cool, even if it's very silly. So was Peter Capaldi's Doctor dangerous, exciting, cool and silly? Let's see.

Doctor Who started with a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex, my seven year old self jumped for joy, the Patanoster Gang appeared on the scene, my seven year old selfs favourite characters. The T. Rex coughs out the TARDIS where we find inside there's a mad man in a box. All is well in my seven year old selfs world. Let's for the minute stop there, it's Doctor Who, my seven year self is going to love it anyway, cause there's silly jokes, action and clockwork monsters. My forty-four year old self was worried about the darkness of the Doctor. Yes I would have liked to see Calpaldi's Doctor with some kids, like Matt Smith did in with Amelila, to show he's alright, a Doctor you can trust. But do we need to be that coy? 

I heard a lot of people saying that no one could replace David Tennant, but Matt Smith did! I heard people say that Matt was un-replaceable. No one likes an old grumpy, angry Doctor. I did have flashes of no one can replace Tom Baker, but Peter Davison did. Flashes of an un-replaceable Davidson being replaced by a grumpy dark Colin Baker. But all the Doctors had a darker side, Hartnell, Troughton, Pertwee, Baker, Davison, Baker, McCoy, McGann, Ecclestion, Tennant and Smith all had their dark sides. One of the best Doctors of modern times, Captain Grumpy himself the War Doctor, John Hurt was dark, but he also made me laugh loudly. Did Capaldi's Doctor make me laugh? Yes of course he did, he's the Doctor! Did he steal (or borrow) the old tramps coat? Did the Doctor leave Clara in danger to save himself?  Did he push the Clockwork man out of the escape pod? Questions we all asked as if we doubted our hero. He needed the coat which he over payed for with a priceless watch, he could have gotten a new coat for that, which wouldn't have smelled either. He had a plan knowing he could get himself and Clara out while finding out more about the Clockwork people, trusting that the Patanoster Gang wouldn't be far behind. Was the Clockwork man pushed or did he fall, or did the Doctor send him on his way to his heaven, his paradise. Did the Doctor leave Clara in Victorian London? Or sort his TARDIS, wardrobe and frame of mind out. 

Is this Doctor a good man? Clara knew even before she left London. Before the eleventh Doctor called her up. She knew while she was held captive by the villain, the Doctor would be right behind her to hold her hand. The question is do we think he is? The title is Doctor Who, it's a question, "Doctor? Doctor who?" Let's find out just how good he is together. 

Is Peter Calpaldi a good Doctor? No, he's more than good, he was brilliant and I can't wait for next week! 

Doctor? Doctor who?

Names, numbers and cupasoups.

It's been a fantastic week running up to the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. With TV, radio and the written media giving it their all. One high light was Mark Gatiss's love letter to Doctor Who, An adventure in space and time. Which was heart felt and warm. As good as any drama on TV. I can see awards coming for it. But for all the fun and nostalgia, we all where looking forward to the anniversary special- The day of the Doctor. And boy was it worth the wait. 

Yes there was many surprises for fans and casual viewers, but honestly did any fan believe that Steven Moffat would never have all the Doctors in it, even as a glimpsing cameo. He's the biggest fanboy ever! I loved it all! All the nods to the past and even to the future. From the opening titles, the policeman, I.M.Foreman scrap yard sign,  I'll take it the sign was advertising the scrap yards location just down the road and not next to the school.) Coal Hill school with Ian Chesterton on the school committee and Anthony Coburn as Headmaster, UNIT, the Eleventh hanging off the TARDIS over London, Lethbridge-Stewart, the Daleks, Gallifrey, the Time War, the sad War Doctor, the Morment, Bad Wolf, a fez, the Tenth riding a horse through an impossible doorway, Queen Elizabeth I, Zygons, the Tenth Doctor warning a rabbit, a fez, a time vortex, sonic screw drivers, suits and sandshoes, chins, the Black Archive, a gallery of past companions, a time-manipulator, the TARDIS desktop, the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, and the Twelfth (Steven Moffat wasn't going to forget him, it's all part of his writing palette, showing a little bit of the future.)  Doctors joining in to Save The Day! So everybody lives! I'd love to know what Russell T. Davies thinks about it all. Was the Moment's big red button just a reset button? It doesn't matter, it was a FANTASTIC celebration that summed up 50 years of time travel. 

One last surprise for the fans though -the mysterious Curator. Who is he? He could have been the first Doctor played by David Bradley, or even Ian Chesterton played by William Russell, the oldest living cast member, or the Twelfth Doctor as played by Peter Capaldi. When we hear his voice the hairs on the back of fandoms neck stand as high as the TARDIS. Is he the Fourth Doctor? He looks a little like him. Is he a bit like Claire Bloom's character in "The end of time", the Doctor father? I'd like to think so. His he the Doctor conscience? Or maybe just a daydream, or fan indulgence. Who knows! It was great, to see Tom Baker again. 

The special, like Doctor Who, changes the game but remains the same. John Hurts War Doctor was so completely perfect. He is a colossal actor. His acting technique style is so small, yet so powerfully big like a certain blue box. But what should we call him? Doctor 8.5? The Ninth Doctor, then move every one up? The Hurt Doctor, because of the pain he feels, (I quite like that it's quite clever.) or the War Doctor. I think that's what he will be know as. But if there's now twelve Doctors that make Matt Smiths regeneration the last.  I expect a magical solution in the Christmas special from Steven Moffat, only four weeks away. But the end is near and it's been prepared for.

Matt Smith, David Tennat, John Hurt, Jenna Coleman, Billie Piper with Steven Moffat and Nick Hurran where all brilliant! But like Mr. Capaldi said we all make Doctor Who what it is. So to every fan who has ever worked on it or watched it, they were brilliant and so are you! 

"Doctor? Doctor who?"