Doctor Who roundup: redux

Dear Puffin,

To celebrate this weekend’s return of Doctor Who, I have put together another great big Doctor Who roundup. Some people may remember the last one. It was…. pleasing to me. Last time I did a roundup because I could’t watch the episode due to a bad case of Overdue Essay. This time I suspect I won’t be able to watch it due to Hurricane Irene, which is making a concerted effort to nail both my house and my parent’s house, even though they’re about 500 miles away from each other. I spent a large chunk of yesterday dithering over which house to worry about more. But at this stage we’ve done as much as we can, and all we have left to do is wait. And thus was born the giant Doctor Who roundup.

I’m going to lead off with the best thing ever: the Tardis sneaking into travel posters by Andrew Le. These totally qualify as Doctor Who travel posters, something I’ve been wishing for for a long time. It’s silly that people haven’t made Steve Thomas style travel posters for all the wonderful worlds the Doctor visits. Also, with the personality they’ve given the Tardis in the new series this is exactly the kind of thing I can see her sneaking off to do. All those times that the Doctor and Amy are running around some imploding space station and we don’t see the Tardis for three quarters of an hour? You just know she’s gone off and snuck into some family’s holiday snaps.

Next we have some recent episodes done as B-movie posters: The Hungry Earth, Victory of the Daleks and The Lodger, by Stuart Manning. They’re all available for download as desktops at the BBC.

Next is a blown glass Dalek. Because why not. It’s beautiful and made by Charlotte Huges Martin and Tim Boswell. Apparently one of these featured in a Colin Baker era episode Revelation of the Daleks. I admit that I don’t remember that one, but hey, it’s pretty. Although… I thought for one joyous moment that it was a glass pipe. Because I would smoke the hell out of that! Sadly, ceci n’est pas une pipe.

James Hance (the guy behind the Winnie the Pooh/Star Wars mashup, Wookie the Chew) has been making more relentlessly cheerful art. This might actually be the cutest thing ever. And no, I didn’t find a non-watermark version, because you should be buying things from James Hance. There’s also a great list of Doctor Who mashups here.

This is a technical readout of the Type-40 Tardis. One of the reasons I love this fandom is that so many of us find stuff like this interesting. Click to embiggen. I think this was done by Deviantartist Time-Lord-Rassilon. On a related note, you can also read the Doctor Who technical manual.

Alex Freeman has done some different minimal Doctor Who posters, that I think are great. And they’re all available for sale here.

S/he’s also done Amy and Rory.

  

There is also a Tardis lunchbox! God I hope it’s bigger on the inside. I want an entire Redwall-style feast in there.

I’m also thrilled to report that you can now purchase the incredibly awesome portrait of the Doctor from The Impossible Astronaut. I think this would go nicely over the credenza in your foyer, Puffin. I suggest a heavy gold frame and the strategic placement of a drool bucket for female guests. Thanks Thinkgeek!

This makes me giggle. According to the internal narrative of the show, the earth must be getting pretty crowded. There’s Silurians, the Silence, humanity, the Racnoss and that’s just since the series reboot! There were 25 years of plot before that! Someone else clearly had the same thought, and came up with a handy infographic to explain to the current residents of planet earth. It’s really unclear who came up with this, but the credit may possibly go to Lindsey Cathryn on Tumblr.

NateTheNerd has lived up to his name and done a really neat timeline of the last 6 seasons. Click to embiggen.

Ignitethesky has done a very pretty sketch comparing the 10th and 11th Doctor’s sonic screwdrivers.

 

Etsy-ist Geekiana made this custom Tardis sweatshirt. *grabby hands*

A Harold Saxon campaign poster by the amazing SBSiceland. Incidentally, the Master would eat the Highlander for breakfast. As far as I’m concerned, the only man in the universe who could out BAMF the Master is Rory, the man who waited. You know why I think Rory could take the Master? Because…..

….did you know that Arthur Darvill has been moonlighting as Mephistopheles in the Globe’s production of Doctor Faustus? Cause he has. I fully expect Moffat to somehow work this into a storyline someday. It’ll turn out that Rory is secretly the White Guardian or something. Or maybe the Black Guardian. That’d be cool. Almost as cool as this shot from the production. Rory the Centurion was already pretty hardcore, but Rory the DEVIL is a BAMF! And apparently it’s a really good production too.

Arthur Darvill creates a Mephistopheles as dark, enigmatic and smooth as a coffee liqueur. There are no clichés in his performance, no pointy tails or pitchforks: just a subtle sense of one who has long communed with darkness and contemplated intensely the face of evil. When he speaks, it is like a needle dipped in lemon juice pricking the tongue. Every sinew is extended and every breath expended to ensnare the soul of Faustus. Via

And in tangentially related news, take a look at Captain Jack. This is the most fabulous combination of garments I have ever seen or could ever imagine. Context: John Barrowman recently earned his PHD from the Scottish Academy of Dramatic Arts, according to the totally reliable guy who told me that on Reddit. Personally I prefer to believe that Barrowman just wears outfits like this while picking up his dry cleaning. I could believe it of him. And you know what? He could carry it off!

 

And to wrap things up, a truly unexpected mashup. Southpark and Doctor Who? Actually it works just fine. Well played Megaloo. Well played.

Well Puffin, send up some prayers. Irene is pretty much heading right for me with a storm surge that may make my life really exciting. Frankly I don’t care what happens so long as the cable and power last until after tonight’s new episode. Happy new Who, Whovians!

Love

MacGuffin

Read the previous Doctor Who roundup.