Things I didn't blog about in 2023: Awesome Artwork

It's apparently a new year, so of course that means I'll start posting all the stuff I was too lazy or disorganised to post in the last year. I'll start with ( as the blog title implies ) some amazingly awesome artwork. First of all, here's a Pulp-inspired piece by the hugely-talented Mark Reynolds, whose work can be found at Stuff By Mark. He produces some cracking Pop art, drawing on influences from old movie posters and classic songs. And, unlike, many chancers who basically steal "vintage" artwork and reproduce it as their own, Mark is an imaginative, accomplished artist with a keen eye and a dry wit. After the phenomenal Pulp gig in Manchester last Summer, it was a no-brainer for me to buy this limited-edition print and give it to Sarah for her birthday. She loves the song Common People ( and Pulp songs in general ) so she was more than happy with this representation of what is possibly Jarvis Cocker's greatest line. I don't own the artwork below ( unfortunately ) but it's another of Mark's pieces, a cheeky interpretation of Pulp's Disco 2000 as an Archie comic. Isn't it great?

Casting my ancient and twisted mind further back in time, I find myself in balmy Bedford back in September 2023. Here, at the awesome NICE comics con, I bought the lovely warrior woman print below from the equally lovely Liam Sharp...

I bent Liam's ear at some length about his stupendous Starhenge comic, and how I thought it was one of the most fab, groovy and cosmically-aware mags I'd read since the halcyon days of Heavy Metal. He seemed suitably happy with that and we also chatted about his recent move back to Brexit Island after years in the States, and about his old mucker, the late, lamented Steve Dillon...

Bedford's premier comic shop, Close Encounters, was showcasing some of Dillon's original artwork, to coincide with NICE con, which they organise. After leaving the con, I literally had half an hour to spare before meeting Sarah so I hot-footed it ( as best I could at the time, with a dodgy back ) to Close Encounters to check out the awesome artwork. ( Hey! Good name for a blog post! ) The gallery was a real treasure-trove of wonders, featuring iconic pages from 2000 AD, Warrior, Preacher, Doctor Who Weekly ( as was ) plus many more pulsatin' publications. It really showed what a loss to the world the passing of the great Steve Dillon was...

Finally, a completely different style of artwork: a beautiful, Aardman-inspired mural in Bristol, the home of Wallace and Gromit, Morph, Shaun the Sheep etc. etc.

Cracking cheese, Gromit!

The Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials

Doesn't time fly? Well, it certainly does when you're a chronologically challenged, quantum-entangled mysterious traveller with an uncertain future and ever-changing past. But, enough about me. It's, er, time to talk about the Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials and the long-awaited appearance of the 14th AND 15th Doctors... ( Spoilers lurk ahead, obviously )
 

The Star Beast

I'd been dubious about the return of Russell T Davies, David Tennant and co. ever since hearing the news. I always think going backwards, in art or in life, is a bad move and this return of the Who old guard seemed a regressive nostalgia-grab to me. As it turned out, I enjoyed the 14th Doctor stories more than I'd expected, and I was never the biggest fan of Ten / Tennant. 

Based on a well-loved Doctor Who Weekly comic strip by graphic storytelling titans Pat Mills and Dave Gibbons, this first Special was a breezy, full-tilt romp, deftly reintroducing Donna Noble and her now-extended family, as well as The Meep ( cutesy action-figure-in-waiting turned intergalactic villain voiced by Miriam Margoyles ) and the pleasingly panelogical Wrarth Warriors. It was good to see appearances by the wonderful Ruth Madeley and British TV legend the late Bernard Cribbins in his final role. Lots of colour, action and spectacle, with hints at the ongoing storyline to come. All of RTD's expected strengths and weaknesses were on display, but it certainly gave the show the kick up the arse it probably needed.

Wild Blue Yonder      

After doing a splashy "Earth in danger" story, the second Special flipped to science fiction weirdness. Trapped on a giant spaceship at the very edge of the universe, Donna and the Doctor found themselves alone, without the Tardis, and up against a uniquely terrifying enemy. More or less a two-hander, this episode gave the stars a chance to bounce off each other and act their socks off, as the characters faced distorted versions of themselves. A cool concept, some very unsettling tea-time body horror, and plenty of chewy dialogue for Tennant & Tate to get their teeth into. "My arms are too long!"

The Giggle

The finale ( or was it? ) of the 14th Doctor era, this third Special finally saw the arrival of The Toymaker, the ancient foe of the First Doctor, now regenerated into Doogie Howser. This was a suitably crazy episode, taking in creepy puppets, John Logie Baird, dance routines to the Spice Girls and, oh yeah, the end of the world again. Neil Patrick Harris was great fun as the immortal, games-obsessed villain, while there was some satisfying closure to the "lonely alien" aspect of the 10th / 14th Doctors' personalities. Easter Eggs abounded throughout the episode and, for all those fans constantly harping on about a multi-Doctor story for the 60th, this came about in a roundabout fashion as the Doc "bi-generated", with the 15th Doctor splitting away from his predecessor. This was a canny move as it opened up the chance of Tennant's Doctor returning yet again someday ( and, surprisingly, I wouldn't be too upset if he did ) and also gave some proper screen time to Ncuti Gatwa, making a big impression ( in his boxers! ) as the next Doctor.

The Church On Ruby Road

And so this is Christmas / And what have you done? / Another Doc over / A new one just begun

( Sorry. ) 

Christmas Day saw the ol' blue box show returned to its rightful place in the festive TV schedules with the proper, full-length debut of the 15th Doctor. ( Yeah, the whole Timeless Child storyline ensures this numbering is irrelevant but we still seem to be calling him the fifteenth, so I'll go with it. ) And, what a debut! Fizzing with energy, colour and vigour, this "soft reboot" of the show saw the newly-regenerated Doctor meeting up with new companion Ruby Sunday and her family, some hungry goblins and... Davina McCall? 

From the first glimpse of Gatwa's Doctor, spinning deliriously around on a dancefloor, he was a whirlwind of charisma and style, with a grinning, positive energy that pumped an injection of sheer exuberance into this 60-year old show. Equally adept at the quieter, more reflective moments ( although there weren't many of those! ), he more than lived up to the promise of The Giggle. Millie Gibson's Ruby was a sparky, warm character, with an underlying melancholy due to her "foundling" status. Ruby's mysterious past will obviously play into future stories and RTD instantly connected her rootlessness with the Doctor's own recent discovery of her / his own uncertain origins. The Church On Ruby Road was hugely entertaining and firmly placed Doctor Who back in the mainstream with its unabashed Labyrinth - meets - It's A Wonderful Life vibe, and with all that Disney money up on the screen in the form of a huge goblin ship floating over London, and a full-on musical number for Ruby, the Doctor and those pesky goblins. ( A lot of fans hated that, but I thought it was a blast. )

After my misgivings about the RTD2 era, these Specials turned out to be a lot of fun and I'm really excited for the next season. May can't come soon enough...

Inside the 14th Doctor's Tardis

( Warning! Space and time spoilers ahead if you haven't watched the show yet. )

 

Happy 60th birthday, Doctor Who!

 "One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine."

"There are some corners of the universe which have bred the most terrible things. Things which act against everything we believe in. They must be fought!"

"Courage isn't just a matter of not being frightened, you know. It's being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway."

"Oh, so you're my replacements. A dandy and a clown"

"Homo sapiens: what an inventive, invincible species. It's only a few million years since they crawled up out of the mud and learned to walk. Puny, defenceless bipeds. They've survived flood, famine and plague. They've survived cosmic wars and holocausts. And now, here they are, out among the stars, waiting to begin a new life. They're indomitable. Indomitable!"

"When did you last have the pleasure of smelling a flower, watching a sunset, eating a well-prepared meal? For some people, small, beautiful events are what life is all about."

"Change, my dear. And it seems not a moment too soon."

"There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, and the sea's asleep, and the rivers dream; people made of smoke and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice, and somewhere else the tea's getting cold. Come on Ace... we've got work to do."

"I love humans: always seeing patterns in things that aren't there."

"I can feel it. The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at 1000 miles per hour, and the entire planet is hurtling around the sun at 67,000 miles an hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space, you and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go... that's who I am."

"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but, actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly... timey-wimey... stuff."

"Hello, I'm the Doctor. Basically... run!"

"I'm not doing this because I want to beat someone, or because I hate someone, or because I want to blame someone. It's not because it's fun. God knows it's not because it's easy. It's not even because it works, because it hardly ever does. I do what I do because it's right! Because it's decent. And above all, it's kind. It's just that. Just kind."

"None of us know for sure what's out there. That's why we keep looking. Keep your faith. Travel hopefully. The universe will surprise you, constantly."

Splendid fellows, all of them...

First glimpse of the 15th Doctor in costume

 

Ncuti Gatwa is the 15th Doctor! Okay, that's not exactly news but yesterday the BBC / Bad Wolf people revealed the first look at his costume which makes everything feel more official. It's a cool look and, although not as flamboyant as I'd expected, makes a real statement. To be honest, Gatwa is such a stylish guy that he could probably make a bin-bag look good but this very '70s brown / orange / tweed look shows us a Doctor who could fit in anywhere and nowhere  -  he looks like he could saunter down your high street or equally stride into the Capitol on Gallifrey and take control. We also had a first look at Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday ( still not sure about that name ), looking very confident in her denim jacket and DMs. ( Another example of a '70s fashion still, er, kicking around. ) 

They're both looking good and I can't wait to see them on screen. We'll have to enjoy / endure three 60th Anniversary Specials featuring the recycled / reheated 10th /14th Doctor before then. I'm still not sure how I feel about that but I'll give it a try next November.

As an aside, our daughter Sophie was down to do some extras filming last week but it didn't work out due to a mix-up. This was presented to her as a BBC science fiction show filmed in Cardiff, no more details than that. Hmmm. We were convinced it was our beloved blue-box show, as it had coincidentally just started filming ( and the BBC can't afford more than one SF show! ), but unfortunately it didn't happen.

Doctor Who: The Power Of The Doctor ( mini-review with spoilers )

( Well, I say "spoilers" but it's been over a week since the show was broadcast so I imagine all the spoilers have been thoroughly spoiled by now. )

So, Jodie Whittaker's final story, barring of course any return for future anniversary specials or suchlike. It seems like no time since the Thirteenth Doctor first fell to Earth in, er, The Woman Who Fell To Earth and now it's time for her to change again. But first: Daleks, Cybermen, the Master, returning companions and other surprises. 

Even with its 90-minute running time, this special seemed over-stuffed with events, characters, plot-twists and locations... but I still thought it was one of the most fun episodes of the Chibnall era. I think the "Flux" season from last year showed that Chibs was finally getting the balance right ( or almost right ) between seemingly endless expository scenes and full-on action, while introducing some proper tension and interesting characters to his take on the Whoniverse. It's a shame this couldn't have happened sooner and made Jodie's era less frustrating but, anyway, The Power Of The Doctor was a suitably epic finale. 

It was certainly a BIG story with allegedly more FX shots than in any previous Who episode and gave us some jaw-dropping moments as the Doctor and companions hopped trains in space, were caught between warring planets, outwitted armies of Cyberman and Daleks, and witnessed the Master forcing the Doc to regenerate against her will. But, amongst all this spectacle, it was the smaller, character-driven moments that stood out the most. Sacha Dhawan's Master was again gloriously unhinged and at his absolute worst when needling the Doctor's companions  -  his scenes with Yaz were particularly, creepily effective. The biggest surprise was the amount of cameos for returning characters. Even though John Bishop's Dan was short-changed ( I believe due to his stand-up commitments ) there was room for Tegan, Ace, Kate Stewart, Graham, Vinder ( slightly superfluous ) and even some older incarnations of our Time Lord / Lady...

*Spoilers ahoy!*

Paul McGann, Sylvester McCoy, Colin Baker, Peter Davison and David Bradley ( as the Hartnell Doctor ) all put in cameo appearances as aspects of the Doctor's consciousness. This was totally sentimental fan service... and it was wonderful. All did a great job in briefly resurrecting their characters for this special and the scene between the 7th Doctor and Ace was so lovely it brought a tear to my eye. And, talking about blubbing, the final moments between the Doctor and Yaz were very real and quite moving, both actors completely selling the grief of their impending separation. And then it was time for the Thirteenth Doctor to regenerate, for once not inside the Tardis but outside its doors at, er, Durdle Door ( or a facsimile thereof ) in Dorset, in a beautiful scene as she gazed out at the sunset over the sea:

"Doctor whoever I'm going to be next  -  tag! You're it!"

A couple of hours before I'd made the above prediction on Twitter because we'd all seen the photos of the sainted David Tennant ( the best Doctor ever, ever, ever, drool, drool etc. ) filming material for next year's 60th anniversary specials. And, amazingly, I was correct as 13 regenerated into 10... or is it 14? 

"What, what... WHAT?" indeed.

I'm really in two minds ( not hearts ) about the Second Coming of Russell T Davies, which could be fantastic or could be a giant leap backwards, but we've got a while to wait until the RTD2 era materialises on our telly boxes. For now I'm going to remember the wonderful Jodie Whittaker who, for all the show's failings over the last few years, WAS the Doctor. And she was magnificent.