SFX (magazine)

SFX was a periodical which covered science fiction- and fantasy-related media. It was launched in the UK in May 1995 by Future Publishing.

SFX magazine header

You may be looking for the filmmaking abbreviation from which this publication derives its name.

As a genre magazine, Doctor Who featured regularly in its previews/reviews and news pages, as well as being included in more generic features.

Of note to collectors is that subscribers of this title received copies that featured no words on the cover other than the SFX logo.

Although launched in 1995, it was not until SFX issue 13 that Doctor Who first graced the cover, having been off air for a few years. This marked Paul McGann's turn at playing the Time Lord. with the cover caption quote of "I thought I was going to look like a tosser!"

Doctor Who has also featured on the covers of:

SFX Issue 46 (SFX exclusive Tom Baker interview),
SFX Issue 128 (Marking a new look for the magazine and the return of Doctor Who to the screen. The Ninth Doctor and Rose "Look Who's Back! "We've come to put you back behind the sofa!",
SFX Issue 129 (Cover features Billie Piper "Times are Changing! Billie Piper heads up a whole new look for Doctor Who"),
SFX Issue 132 (with a Dalek cover "Who's next? The future of Doctor Who. Russell T Davies talks Season 2"),
SFX Issue 136 (a Tenth Doctor and Rose cover against a union flag heralding "Doctor Who leads our TV revolution HOPE & GLORY The new wave of British SF shows: we predict a riot!"),
SFX Issue 139 (The Christmas Invasion - where Russell T Davies talks exclusively to SFX revealing his plans for the new Doctor)
SFX Issue 142 (Tenth Doctor and Rose Series 2).

Indeed, such was the popularity of the new series that by SFX Issue 150 (which incidently featured a Torchwood cover and article), included a huge double sided poster, on one side showing all one hundred fifty covers, and the reverse being given over to a wallchart that showed "Doctor Who is connected/ separated from Everything (in the sci-fi fantasy world) - without resorting to actors!"

SFX Issue 152 (Catherine Tate joins the Doctor for The Runaway Bride)
SFX Issue 155 (Freema Agyeman joins the Doctor for Series 3)
SFX Issue 168 (Catherine Tate re-joins the Doctor for Series 4 and Win a life-size Dalek competition)
SFX Issue 176 (Ten commemorative covers commemorating 45th Anniversary, feature all the Doctors)
SFX Issue 181 (Easter special Planet of the Dead)
SFX Issue 189 (Previews the Tenth Doctor Specials. Russell T Davies "I can't wait to kill off the Tenth Doctor!")
SFX Issue 194 (UK editions featured a 3D cover to mark the Eleventh Doctor's first series)Spine quote: "I shouldn't Google myself ... it's too weird for the head!" - Karen Gillan
SFX Issue 196 (Karen Gillan new companion interview)
SFX Issue 199 (Looking ahead to New Torchwood, Russell T Davies interview)
SFX Issue 208 (Looking ahead to New Doctor Who, Steven Moffat interview) and the World's first TARDIS sound effect cover!

In addition to the regular issues, a further SFX Collection title is released six times a year. This focuses on a specific theme and is often packaged with "extras". Doctor Who has has had a number of these special editions, often including premiums and at a higher price. Initially, issues collected together a range of previously released material, supplementing it and updating where possible, before establishing a tradition of 100% all-new material. The publishers take pride in its independence, often using a cover flash of 100% unofficial and unauthorised.

In 2010, the SFX brand was extended with the launch of a new title, Comic Heroes, although this later ceased publication.

The magazine made a special 60th Anniversary logo to coincide with the anniversary and to put on magazines that covered it^[1]. It featured on the cover of SFX Issue 360 to SFX Issue 368.