New Doctor Who

Ten years folks,

Who would of thought it?, this was the main image doing the rounds at the time

so yes there you have it and it was all new grunge rough with a blown up TARDIS a Doctor in t shirt jeans and leather jacket (we have had worse looks) and the soon to be annoying Billie Piper

in the October of 2005 the first merchandise came into being and like the parent program it was a very rough start Daleks that were two different scales and battle pack Daleks that never worked ,a sonic screwdriver some keyrings and a TARDIS money box ,i have somewhere the Argos (British catalog shop) page advertising first who wears

so here is my Dalek battle pack with the 12″ walkie talkie Doctor (i also own that) on the back

The story behind this is a interesting read ,like there was no plans for Action Figures. Character Options known more for electronic gimmicky stuff this was a BBC request at the last minute so joints were added and hence the rather odd poses based off the promotional pictures at the time (Doctor Who and Little Britain range saved CO from going bankrupt at the time)

Now the Dalek’s are 2 remote command variety and when pointing at each other send a infa red signal the other receives “Dalek unit damaged” ,if it works it seldom did i went through 12, and eventually got in touch with and being not far from me went to the CO warehouse and had mine tried, tested and exchanged there ,so it was working not sure if it still is

And you know what i like the figure of the Doctor ,what a shock it must of been to have him announce so suddenly not going on with the role for them ,the Rose figure looks a lot like miss Piggy but worth owning this is wear it started the 2 figures that launched a incredible line for the next five years ,and eventually spawning classics for a brief time that we all wanted,a line  now a shadow of its former self
A nice set and one now in a box in storage but from a to be fair exciting time who was back i just think its been a slow decline since the initial excitement and for someone growing up in the 80s and the joke who was,heck you were bullied if you liked it ,it for me was a show i liked and enjoyed ,still do got a few dvds now, this was all new and the promotion and the cool factor to see people open about there geekdom how things have changed

Millenium Falcon build part 3

Well i was making strides on this,i  got some way on it and added a lot of detail for the pipes new and scored some existing ones,even bought some panzer Tiger and king tank kits, I then got a start on the bottom half but now it is all coming to a stop.

Why?, well Disney as the world knows has the license for Star Wars and there’s a new film with the old ship in it due, and that means we will see lots of Falcon products in the not to distant future like this, a “bargain” version of the big Millennium Falcon hollow and missing the “play features”.  so basic It looks like it will not feature landing gear or lower cannon.here is a site with info

The experts on the forums are saying this is really accurate a combo of 5 footer and 32 inch details and things like correct paneling pattern around the docking ring tube……something that FineMolds missed on both their kits ,that really makes me smile , there is a great deal of customizing to be done think of building this a cockpit for a start but it is all there ,this is there x wing at toy fare, personally id like one in scale to the Falcon but look here for info a line of big cheap ships,Star Wars Rebel Heroes series heres hoping they land on our shores i don’t doubt they will ,with a new movie, new cartoon tv series and Disney wants to make there money back

here is a recent toy fair 2014 display

Now its a little molded the big Falcon and the paint finish is not worth two pence but think of the possibilities, half your work is done for you, i look forward to it this is my bag of tricks i plan on getting this  and customizing the heck out of it scratch build missing parts and then hang from the ceiling retail price: $59.99/ Available: November 2014,it works out at £35 ! for all that ,a no brainer ,what size figures fit in this beast 2 or 3 inch?

So a 32″ Inch (Studio scale)  accurate model of the falcon (More accurate even than the Fine molds 200 pound kit)  that can be modified to your own specifications (Just add paint)  for 35 pound !!!

This is not only reason my project came to a halt , Bandai Japan have the Star Wars model license here and look a in scale x wing ,the future looks bright and a 3 foot plastic Star Destroyer !!  go on then ill take one ill need a LOT of glue,1:48 X-Wing (lights and motorized S-foils wings) and 1/12 figures ,im gonna need a bigger cupboard

so all this has made my project redundant, the huge amount of work the kit needs the amount of parts needed and after market kits (£30 pound just for walls) everything i did produced another dozen jobs that needed doing , when i can just buy a correct one and paint it

but as for posperity as this most likely now will be bin fodder ill throw up pics for you and me

The Date stamp inside of 1989 tho this is same mold from 1980 and the first “lit” kit

 where i am up to ,or as far as i got

 a box of kits

DISNEY Stormtrooper

DISNEY Stormtrooper.

millenium falcon after market parts

millennium falcon nightmares, well with a mpc kit you need after market parts

 

this shows you just  main parts the walls being the main piece i need and are not available currently

this where im up to well its a start

 

i got this for a couple pound  years ago its a old early 80s kit, but having now finally started researched and done some things and  realizing scale of work ,my advice buy the fine molds off fee bay,3 hour build  job done enjoy the painting

now got a serious wad of cash ?, try master replicas variant, check this one out

Kits and Bashing

on my to do list and near top as has been waiting little over five years is this 1:72 scale

Bought done,sort of well lets say they glued it together and is missing bits that i will have to undo,I have the whole of this to do
A Great looking kit ive read many reviews some inaccuracies but seems well liked but i think it does look good

So on to rebuild im going to need to kit bash this as per original im not going for uber look but more accurate as the prop and model changed between film’s you can take a pick on some things
Some you can not ,So list is  side walls and engine areas and my totaly vacant cockpit with maybe some detail for the open ramp inside the rest of the model  as is

so reference ah good luck here refurbished for ESB ROTJ so many different models used

hows this for a behind the scenes shot

so the full size props differ in finish and some detail butwhat about the infamous hights lengths scale problems there the same so we have a baseline to go off right?,Wrong

32″ and five foot model there Photos can be so deceiving about shapes and then theres facts of different sizes

the difficulty of  building using photos.no consistency!

LOTS to do here then and ill be using styrene for fun as well as kit bashing and after market bits to the tune of about 30 pound
whats kit bashing ?, well the original was built using existing model kits a trick of the trade heres a great reference from the RPF forum

details details details

if you cant find this kit heres 2 other options Revel and part work,this sounds very cool

TV Zone

And second ive managed to finish a job from last summer

 

a Destiny prop, aka desert drone

I went as the props were really bad a worn used out in the harsh climate look so sandy wastes mines old nuclear bunkers Destiny of the Daleks

The props were so bad and so cheap and so poor this is one story that should never have been made i dont think, it docent work and is like a school play production the vac formed  Daleks taking staring center stage  to dodgy dug up Davros prop and mask yes this is the one where daleks grew legs,pick up your skirt and run
each prop was different finish even one found unused since Genesis some ive years before and sporting those darker colors they were loaned out over used a mess and no money to refurbish them
so heres my take on it for i do want one of each prop at least the bombs are just capsules and paint and glue this livery color is the one CO have not done they missed doing this one so i thought i would
Being banged up gave me license to practice weathering scraping chipping techniques etc really stands out in the collection

take a good look last time the classic console room was seen and used and leads me to

second thing i got hold of

I don’t have any authentic book props but saw  this new it (as been watching parts of Greatest show in the Galaxy recently) is cool and the Doctor juggling especially 7 is very nifty very him ,a quick prop

i like this story i remember it on broadcast

would love the time machine from the TV Movie

I am the master and you will Obey me

WELL HELLO THERE !

Been a while i know but i have some goodies for you

numero uno

as i have waxed lyrical my who i grew up with is 80s classic and my fave who villain is the master ,must be the Holmes enthusiast within me, So i grew up with Anthony Ainley as the Master but truthfully remember him from trial and mark of the rani and with Sylv it was later repeats on UK Gold i saw him with Number 5 , and of course the awesome Roger Delgado

I do like Ainleys interpretation yes it is camp what was requested ,but to me he was cat like, the smile the chuckle the light steps (Like Fred Astair, no one could skip along like Anthony) but he was good ,bonkers crazy obsessed with the Doctor and revenge ,a great line is from the Rani he makes things so complex im surprised he can walk strait,or words to that effect, which really sums him up i having i think seen all his adventures prefer Logopolis its a good intro and he works well with Tom i never understood what happened after Davison his appearances being sparse but as in later interviews he said there wasn’t much left for him  to do and he upset JNT with money requests for appearances he wasn’t getting, so he was relegated a bit to the sides ,either way i recommend watching him strut his stuff hes very good and the five drs is superb for him ,he had a crazy velvet costume that came from the same man that gave us Collins costume but he does make it work flick of the tails as he sits down  his dracula cloak being a neat addition in all its  theatrical

now CO did make a figure of the Master seen here (1980 /1990)

yeah something went wrong, this is a look based on the planet of fire story where he got for once to change costume to a suit except that is not the Master that is, in the story narrative, Chameleon the shape changing robot who had a dark suit on for the howard disguise / master disguise the master being shrunk and still in the velvet jacket number and in a box (Tissue Compressor Eliminator ,his ray gun, accident)

New jacket rubber vinyl otherwise its the simm Master and a let down this guy is famous for his velvet number and CO Made it plain were lucky to get this ,So what are you to do

a good dig about in parts box some modelling grey sculpy green stuff paint and lot of creativity gave me the new body seen here admiring his new clothes

and i think the 5 drs console is perfect for the Master his machine is the more advanced model of the drs the MK3

Group shot

and all together in the cabinet yes i know Pratt Traken variant i keep coming back to bits i need from that think should buy it

well hope you like my humble efforts i like this head sculpt repainting it getting the sneer the smirk in there several shades layer on layer made his TCE repainted more brown ot the hair line and gloss the various pieces like TCE eyes etc ,i put shading round his eyes add to the sinister element i had to make this head removable to

so new torso /Arms /Jacket full repaint and one Master

Just a realization  how important this Master is and a idea of just how much he covered
Controversial the 80’s may be but ignore them CO should not but will,there’s a LOT of good stuff in the 80s

so with this done only war/other dr missing im nearly complete so can really just take my time and enjoy cherry pick what i want ive got the Masters done

Make do and Paint

well another week and some more stuff painted,

well decided to make one Lieutenant Surgeon Harry Sullivan or Harry because i have 2 Sarah s Death to the Daleks and Pyramids of mars  a Ace from Remembrance  so three girls and in need of something different ,aint gona happen through CO ,so i took one Auton and did this

 

So one Harry Sullivan for Revenge of the Cybermen display made a start on  a Yo Yo and time ring to finish pictures forthcoming

Next item ,you know partworks magazines with a gift ?,there is a dr who figurine collection one 90 mm 3.5 inches so the size of the new Doctor Who line of figures ,the standard is appalling chimps paint them some have broken appendages so no mail order then i want to choose,  but had to have Tom 4th Dr and especially as Mag covered Pyramids of mars

 

So same company do the rather gorgeous Emperor model from new series which would be a awesome shelf filler BUT its £45 heck the new series TARDIS is £16 make a 80s variant and id be putting it on a xmas list to santa as it is erm no your ok

obligatory repaint here (thankfully i am used to painting 28mm minis) mine had brown tears so repainted the head ,hair and re did the shirt adding more white and cleaned up the lines and detail, this i think is brilliant 3 and half  inch fun a mini me Tom ,pose superb it got him perfectly bit gangly brooding and also the costume spot on the  mag surprisingly was fun and not bad just one or two minor errors i know hard to reference but screen grabs people ? ,that is the costume from lot later season 15 not 13 Pyramids Time different hat for a start and he didn’t have tweed check trouser there’s tweed wool and check for season 16 to 17 Cosplay is massive so get it right ,and £6 pound instead of usual £10 for these things my superheros are half the size and more money ,i had to have it, within budget ,and looks good with my DVDs ,cant help but wonder with there sloppy paintwork what old 6 will turn out like

As a dear old friend said there to small to display,my friend you just hit nail firmly squarely on the head for a whole other reason this is a mini statue fine its fun but as a line of ACTION figures to a collector waste of scale as toys great think ill get long coat matt to go with

 

Vector Tracing

Well you know the one as a designer

As designers and project managers,tasked with chasing down assets to include in printed work. When we need a logo, we often hear, ‘Can’t you just pull it off the web site’? Unfortunately, a web site graphic is a fraction of the resolution needed for print.so that means its going to pixelate for fun and usually you will get something that looks like its on teletext or done in 8 bit graphics not good

But now, there’s a new option: http://vectormagic.com

It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty darn hot.Not like doing live trace well bit like that in illustrator but

There are issues that would need to be cleaned up in a vector drawing program, and the type still needs to be identified and re-set. Still, it would save a lot of time.
Put with a font site and look it up like  WhatTheFont  and you’ve got a successfully traced logo in half the time or less that it would usually take.
Very Handy and something i shall play with more

Now bookmarking…

 

Talking about Regeneration

Well id like to just sort out the Doctor and his 12 lives as talking to a mate i suddenly feel like a kid at school flicking through books and Doctor Who Mags to organize what gos where or is what

• 1 Bill Hartnell
• 2 Pat Troughton
• 3 Jon Pertwee
• 4 Tom Baker
• 5 Peter Davison
• 6 Collin Baker
• 7 Sylv McCoy
• 8 Paul McGann

9 now this gets messy and all change, apparently there is a unknown Doctor that fought in the time war so “War Other Dr” ,
9 John Hurt

• 10 Chris Ecclestone
• 11 David Tennant,

Tennants gets messy and what id like to break down

He got hit  put the energy into his hand that had been cut off ,that to me aint a regeneration nothing changed just the “New firework show” then Donna made it turn into a dr clone that was essentially human could age and die so left as rose play thing sex toy ,IF thats a regeneration  so is Dona then right ?……wrong for me not counting it

then we are left with two

• 12 Matt Smith
• 13 Peter Capaldi

I see the list as that regenerate 12 times 13 lives and then it really is the end,unless you can source enough energy like a planet and go body snatching ala the Master or get as Matt Did some pixi dust ,anyone else find that underwhelming see this is the new series bull were putting up with so i own all 13

Now next blog which is related

This is one nice figure £15 yes Fifteen like Ace Leela and other single packs ok even though e bay its selling for 30 some more ,go figure

5oth anniversary,for that one episode here is John Hurt as the “Warrior” Ecclestone as warrior i get well ard oop Northerner got it but as everyone knew would tell BBC to stick it ( during his time he didnt like the way things were run) ,so what can you do we did want the three new drs (as theres no who before honest) so we get Joh Hurt the doddering old man ermmmmmmmm no warrior but ok  but as we say in Manchester “Roll with it” ,he had the gravity for it for sure but with leather jacket it was a watered down version really

As for the figure maybe been collecting these to long but can se on it where money was spent and saved elsewhere, the jacket is nicely beat up and weathered i dont remember this much silver on the bandolier but it is nice now the sculpt is spot on and even the gators are really nice with some buttons fastened others not but his face is in need of a wash to bring out the wrinkles the mask for the hair paint does leave a grey line on the forehead a easy fix otherwise a very nice figure not my favorite CO have done but up there ,just hope this short hair mcgann figure can go on the mcgann body i have

Any way a nice 50th anniversary piece only one i own and will own ,i think ,so do not want to open?, it its nothing to do with selling in future i didn’t get into this collecting for a pay check ,may as well put money in the bank instead, but sometimes rarely the old stuff can get some funds if its in trend. But looks lovely, packet clear and the moment box pic on the back is translucent shines light through nicely , looks nice and looks fine in packet and is silver (gold surely?) txts and logo’s
Now sell it ? Gamble ?, for double the money then buy two? well im going to have to buy two so that’s one route or just keep the packet? but then don’t have it in packet to enjoy decisions decisions

Every great decision creates ripples. Like a huge boulder dropping in a lake. The ripples merge and rebound off the banks in unforeseeable ways. The heavier the decision, the larger the waves, the more uncertain the consequences.

EDIT

finished my Day of the Doctor DVD cover so thought as it is appropriate would put it here

all don by me and the Dalek took a good Day all i had was the prop and then had to make the explosion happy how this turned out ,again in the old Target style of old