Pieces of Eight

Issue 8 saw the conclusion of the two-part interview with Warwick 'Scott' Gray and the first part of further Pulp Who (spearheaded by Peter Adamson), but much of the issue was taken up with reference to the 1996 US telemovie. In other words (and not planned this time) RTP! was presenting another themed issue. Meanwhile I inflicted another strange editorial on readers:

As I sit here and write this issues editorial I am looking at the cover of the video release for Nightmare of Eden (well actually I'm not, but I could remedy that by going over to my shelf ... hello, I'm back again. Now I am looking at the cover). It's the stuff that dreams are made of. I've been waiting for the release of this title for so long that despite having sung it's praises in the video review this issue I still find myself rabbiting on about it. I promise that I'll stop now and talk about something else, especially considering that you have all contracted drapetomania towards this particular title.
This issue sees the return of Pulp Who, this time by Peter Adamson as I have Potomania and am not in the mood to apply pen to paper. But as I am quite attached to this keyboard I'll keep typing till I've run out of things to say or, more than likely, run out of space. However I'm sure you'll all find Peter's contribution more than satisfactory (but if you find it better than my own I may be forced to kill the poor fellow) and a continuation of New Zealand Doctor Who cartoonists' obsession with the cartoons of fellow New Zealand Doctor Who cartoonists (that was a fun mouthful). I will return to drawing cartoons soon, as I have a big (well I think it's 'big' anyway) Sixth Doctor comic strip that I am drawing up at the moment—the delaying of this strip allows me to work on it more leisurely and therefore I do not have to panic about deadlines, something which Pulp Who was notorious at passing, usually by a couple of weeks. I also promise that they won't be more than eight pages in length each issue!
Also this issue we have an eclectic collection of reviews celebrating the 1996 TV movie which is now three years old. One could summarize all these reviews in one word: Floccinaucinihilipilification. However that could be a little too hard on something that has led to a regeneration (ooh, I like that word) of Doctor Who, as the years leading up to the TV movie saw the Virgin New Adventures beginning to become tired and interest in the show waning. Matt pointed to some of the fruits of this regeneration in his editorial last issue and I feel that the existence of this fanzine itself shows that interest in Doctor Who hasn't gone the way of all flesh (either that or we're all really, really, really diehard fans. I personally prefer option number one). After all the buzz of the Comic Relief sketch things have gone quiet once more, although it was quite nice to learn that the Doctor Who sketch was the highest rating part of the Comic Relief screenings. There is yet again little news that could give any hope for a new series, a new missing episode hasn't turned up for at least five months now, and the BBC are slowing down their video releases. But despite this, interest in the show has really yet to drop to the level of The Prisoner and in fact it has been said that the show's popularity it at its highest since 1989! Why is this?
Well I could spend the rest of the editorial debating this question, but then I have run out of space once again. So I'll leave you hanging, like a good cliffhanger should, till next time ...

- Alexander Ballingall

There is Something About Guff:

Published: June 1999
The Fanzine of the Christchurch Chapter of the NZDWFC
Editors: Alexander Ballingall, Matt Kamstra
RTP! Logo Design: Jamie Campbell/Alexander Ballingall
Front Cover: Garry Jackson
Back Cover: Alexander Ballingall
Internal Artwork: Peter Adamson, Martin Geraghty, Garry Jackson, Matt Kamstra
Letters: Peter Adamson, Alden Bates, Jon Preddle, Jeff Stone
Page Count: 52
Print Run: 30
Price: NZ$3

~ Contents~

• [01] COVER
• [02] CONTENTS
• [03] EDITORIAL
• [04] UPDATE
• [05] The BOOTCUPBOARD [Letters]
• [07] FICTION: The Wheel Turns
• [08] REVIEW [Review of The Ark]
• [10] REVIEW [Review of The Keys of Marinus]
• [12] REVIEW [Review of Nightmare of Eden]
• [14] REVIEW: Comic Relief?! [The Curse of Fatal Death]
• [16] REVIEW: TV Movie Memories ... [Doctor Who]
• [21] CARTOON: Cyber Guy
• [24] INTERVIEW: Shades of Gray [part 2 of 2: Warwick 'Scott' Gray]
• [27] REVIEWS: Stoatworld [Reviews of EDAs, PDAs]
• [33] COMIC: Pulp Who—The Gold Star [part 1 of 4]
  
• [41] Doctor Who Bullsh*t: DW Movie Confirmed ... Honest!!!!
• [42] ARTICLE: The Sexual Misadventures of Doctor Who: Doctor Who
• [44] Doctor Who Bullsh*t: Missing Episode Conspiracy
• [46] /full page advert/
  
• [47] FICTION: The Red Menace [part 3 of 8]
• [50] ARTICLE: If - The Enemy Within
  
• [51] FICTION: A Tale of Comings and Goings
  
• [52] COVER