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The 46th issue in a quarterly series of magazine releases by the publishers of Doctor Who Magazine from Panini UK looked at Doctor Who toys and games.
Publisher's summary[[edit] | [edit source]]
In 1964 Dalekmania led to the birth of Doctor Who licensing, and it's been with us ever since. The return of the series in 2005 prompted an even bigger range of merchandise, which this time invaded supermarkets as well as toy shops. In 2017 the popularity, and ingenuity, of these products continues unabated.
This is the surprising story of Doctor Who toys and games - told by the people who make, sell and collect them.
Contents[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Enterprise and Initiative
- In 1960 Ronnie Waldman founded the BBC department that would oversee the earliest years of Doctor Who licensing.
- The 1960s
- The first Doctor Who merchandising boom peaked with the Dalek Christmas of 1965, but licensing activity soon declined...
- Dalek Agent
- In the early 1960s Richard Culley negotiated merchandising deals on behalf of the BBC and Dalek creator Terry Nation.
- Christmas with the PVC Daleks
- The strange tale of Scorpion Automotives' luxurious but controversial Dalek suit – a rarity
now highly prized by collectors.
- The 1970s
- Doctor Who merchandise enjoyed a resurgence with more Daleks and dolls based on other
characters from the series.
- Intrepid Explorers of the Galaxies!
- Former employees of Denys Fisher Toys recall the design and marketing of the company's innovative Doctor Who range.
- The 1980s
- The first items aimed at adult collectors, and the emergence of Doctor Who computer games – both official and unofficial.
- Playing with Fire
- Through their Dapol product line, David Boyle and his wife Pauline launched a range of Doctor Who action figures in 1988.
- Counter Culture
- An interview with Alex Loosely-Saul, whose London shop has been stocking Doctor Who collectables since the mid-1980s.
- The 1990s
- Doctor Who had largely disappeared from television screens but licensed merchandise continued to cater for dedicated fans.
- Dalekmania
- Steve Walker describes how his company, Product Enterprise, brought a new level of sophistication to Doctor Who toys.
- Drawn from Memory
- Graham Humphreys' vivid illustrations for the Product Enterprise packaging evoked
the golden age of Dalekmania.
- The 2000s
- Doctor Who returned to mainstream culture, accompanied by its biggest range of toys
and games since the 1960s.
- Worldwide Domination
- In the 2000s the organisation formerly known as BBC Enterprises brought modern marketing
techniques to Doctor Who licensing.
- Cover Stories
- As the art editor of junior magazine Doctor Who Adventures, Paul Lang helped to create a new cover-mounted collectable for each issue.
- New Adventures
- Jason Quinn, the current editor of Doctor Who Adventures, ponders some of the more eccentric toys given away in recent years.
- Go Figure
- Alasdair Dewar, Jason Leung and Edmund Barnett-Ward discuss toy company Character Options' long and fruitful relationship with Doctor Who.
- The Space Museum
- Former police offcer Andy Glazzard began collecting Doctor Who toys in the 1980s – and now runs his own museum.
- Hail to the Chief
- BIG Chief uses sophisticated technology to design and sculpt its range of meticulously
detailed Doctor Who figures.
- Battle of the Board Games
- Every decade since the 1960s has brought new Doctor Who board games, but which is the best? There's only one way to find out...
- The Winner Takes It All
- The Doctor and his opponents have played memorable games of their own in some of the series' most intriguing episodes.
- Strings Attached
- The untold story of a bizarre licensing dispute and its impact on a unique set of Zarbi puppets...
Credits[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Editor: Marcus Hearn
- Art Editor: Peri Godbold
- Production Assistant: Emily Cook
- Editors-in-Chief: Tom Spilsbury, Peter Ware
- Special Thanks: Jonathan Rigby
- Managing Director: Mike Riddell
- Managing Editor: Alan O'Keefe
- Head of Production: Mark Irvine
- Production Assistant: Jez Meteyard
- Circulation and Trade Marketing Controller: Rebecca Smith
- Head of Marketing: Jess Tadmor
- Marketing Executives: Jess Fulford
- BBC Worldwide, UK Publishing
- Director of Editorial Governance: Nicholas Brett
- Director of Consumer Products and Publishing: Andrew Moultrie
- Head of UK Publishing: Chris Kerwin
- Publisher: Mandy Thwaites
- Publishing Co-ordinator: Eva Abramik