Manufacturer: Who Dares Publishing

RRP: £14.99

Release Date: 1st October 2017

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 31st October 2017

Purchasing your annual Doctor Who calendar is a must for any Doctor Who fan, but the choices out there are extremely limited, and the focus is mainly on the new series / current Doctor.

Those of us of a particular age will remember the Target Doctor Who books range, with their beautiful cover art, with great fondness. Following on from last year's relaunch of Who Dares Publishing, the company have just released the brand new Andrew Skilleter Target Art Calendar for 2018, which features 12 of some of Andrew's finest covers for the range.

Each page is filled with about 90% artwork / 10% calendar, meaning you have large scale versions of the art, along with info text for each piece from Andrew himself.

It's a real eye-opener to learn just how little reference material Andrew had to go on, but the finished results were always impressive. The Dominators is a prime example of this; no visual reference, but a stunning gouache with blue and pink hues that capture the essence of the story perfectly!

Definitely worth purchasing; not just because of the nostalgic gratification you get from seeing memories from long ago, but for the sheer delight you will get from the brilliance of Andrew Skilleter's artwork.

+  Click Here to buy now from Who Dares Publishing for £14.99!

Our friends over at Toybox Treasures recently got in touch with DWO with some rather exciting news regarding a classic series VFX Dalek prop that they've recently discovered.

The Dalek prop, which featured in the 1973 serial 'Planet Of The Daleks', was given to the daughter of Fred Elphick; a worker at EMI Central Research in Hayes, where he designed parts for TV cameras and equipment. On several occasions Fred would speak with Roy Field of Pinewood Studios on his visits to the site, which is where they formed a friendship.

The Dalek is modelled on the Louis Marx toy from the 1960's, where a mould was made and subsequent Daleks reproduced in plaster - a cheap material to save money due to the sheer volume they needed to produce for the cave scenes. If you look closely, you can actually see mould join on the rear of the Dalek. The other benefit from making the Daleks out of plaster was because they needed to be weighty as there was going to be a lot of liquid emptied on them by the Doctor. They made some alternations to the dome ears, the eye stalk was a more accurate looking eye stalk and made out of a golf tea, also a total rework of the gun box section.

Unfortunately, after filming, the majority - if not all of the Dalek models were thrown away, and as a result they are now extremely rare. Roy kept this prop and gave it to a friend before his death in 2002. It is now in the collection of Matt Doe of Toybox Treasures who is inviting fans to make offers on this rare collectable and encourage offers to be emailed to: sales@toybox-treasures.co.uk.

Matt Doe explains his excitement at the find:

"All that was going through my head was "I'm going to own a screen used/ production Dalek!". Every who fans dream is to get a full size Dalek and this was one step closer. Due to the rarity and high costs of owning a full sized screen-used Dalek, this is a more affordable way of owning one, even if it is 6" in height."  

+. Check out this item and more at www.toybox-treasures.co.uk
+  Find out more about the VFX Daleks at www.dalek6388.co.uk

+  Follow @DrWhoOnline on Twitter!
+  Follow @DrWhoOnline on Instagram!

[Sources: DWO; Matt Doe; Dalek 6388]

 

Our friends over at Toybox Treasures have recently had a revamp of their fantastic site, where you can find a wide range of vintage Doctor Who Toys and Props for sale.

From Dapol Daleks, 1960's Toys and Games to full size Daleks, Toybox Treasures have a fantastic selection of products, and despite the Doctor Who connection, the prices aren't astronomical :)

Matt Doe, owner of Toybox Treasures tells us what made him start the business: 

“I started the business to be able to touch and feel some of the rarest Doctor Who memorabilia in the world. With some items with less than 10 left from the Dalek wouldslate, Dalek stencil set to a Dalek Exterminator Bazooka. I couldn't afford these for my own collection so why not get these in for others.

Some of our recent acquisitions include a black Codeg Dalek, Dalek skittle, screen used dalek trooper costume from revelation of the Daleks, Dapol Dalek used in the title sequence of the Doctor Who antiques roadshow special and also a near full box of cadet sweet cigarettes including display box”

Whilst there may not be a massive selection of merchandise on the online store, the team are constantly on the lookout for items. If you have a specific product you are looking for, get in touch with the ToyboxTreasures team via their website as they offer a toy hunting service!

+  Check Out Toybox Treasures: www.toybox-treasures.co.uk
+  Follow @DrWhoToyBox on Twitter!

[Source: Toybox Treasures]