The Seventh Seal

Welcome to issue 7. 1999 started out well with this issue, but, as subscribers from that year will remember, things didn't remain that way for very long with the fanzine stumbling about halfway through the year. The big feature for the issue was the NZ fan interview, this time being with DWM comic editor Warwick 'Scott' Gray. This interview blindsided me as I had had simply no idea that it was coming and all thanks has to go to David Ronayne for seeing the possiblity through to fruition. It was a very welcome addition to the fanzine. Not quite so welcome perhaps was the blatant page filler that was 'The Sexual Misadventures of Doctor Who', a lame last gasp event that somehow staggered on for several more issues. And below is a typical Matt editorial in which he reaches beyond himself with dreams of a publishing empire:

G'day and welcome to the first issue of 1999—we've got a few gems for you to start the year off with. An interview with DWM comic editor Scott Gray, detailing that infamous 'Threshold' decision, and we also have Birdy gracing our pages again. But unfortunately CyberGuy won't be able to join us this issue, but he'll be back in June! we also catch up on some of the latest and greatest video releases of recent months—kind regards to Carmel Bennett at Roadshow for all your help there! Next issue will be busy with reviews also, with a new title almost monthly recently—that's a lot to catch up on! At this time I'd also like to say congratulations to James Gould who won last issues' "Candid Caption"—your prize is on its way!
Plenty has been happening in Who lately. Well, plenty being a relative term - a lot more than usual has been happening lately. Sustained, yet unfortunately unfounded movie rumors, an announcement on new BBC sanctioned audio dramas, and most recently, only a little of a week ago in fact, the Doctor Who Comic Relief sketch with Rowan Atkinson. We'll be going into more detail next issue with a review and a few other bits and pieces. In other words things are looking up for the Doctor and his companions. Does this mean we will see a return to the small screen? Sadly I doubt it. I think many people share this opinion, but in reality is this dismal view merely because of the lack of BBC commitment in the past? Are we all just imagining that the Beeb couldn't possibly bring back the show? Well maybe. The prospect of Doctor Who audio dramas with original scripts and acted out by real series actors is for certain a very promising one. But what will it mean for us in New Zealand? Will mainstream booksellers and music stores be willing to carry this product, or will we be trapped in the position we are currently in, whereby it is only the few who are diehard fans (ie. you and I) that are willing to order these books through Whitcoulls, the Internet or other overseas book retailers. I seriously hope not. Judging by recent response of some independent bookstores around Christchurch, interest in the BBC novels is picking up. Scorpio regularly stocks new titles for a modest $16.95, and you can even pick up the odd copy at Whitcoulls or Dymocks (presumably nationwide). But does that really mean we are on the verge of these retailers taking notice of their small, yet dedicated market? With more and more new video releases, selling out quicker and quicker or so it seems, and a new range of BBC audio products, I seriously hope they will sit up and take notice. It wouldn't hurt for us to get together either and ask your local retailers to consider purchasing more of these lines. It we all did a little something, we could make a big difference. Sound lame-ass and cliche? Maybe it is. But we'll never find out unless we try.
Speaking of trying, Joe and I have had a crazy idea we want to try. We have been considering adding another string to our fanzine bow for a while now, and the idea of a general sci-fi telefantasy zine s forming in our minds. This will join a Manga/Hong Kong cinema zine, that I have recently undertaken editorship of, in a trio, collectively published. We would really like heaps of response on this. Due to our already extensive demands from university, work, other zines etc, we really need to know it's going to work before we take on anything more. We're hoping at least a few, if not all of you would like to write for us—the zine's focus is basically anything sci-fi/telefantasy, classic or recent, and basically anything about it. There will be huge scope for articles and so perhaps some fierce competition for space also. So hopefully this will up the quality hugely. So if you're at all interested, or know someone who is, give us a bell, we'd love to hear from you. Apart from that though, I can't think of anything much else to say this issue. You're back to Joe's sarcastic humor next time, and I'll see you again in September!"

- Matt Kamstra

Around the Guff in 80 Days:

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

~ Contents~

• [01] COVER
• [02] CONTENTS
• [03] EDITORIAL
• [04] UPDATE
• [05] The BOOTCUPBOARD [Letters]
• [07] Doctor Who Bullsh*t: DWB Returns!
• [09] ARTICLE: Dimensionally Transcendental
• [10] CARTOON: Birdy - In 'A Slightly Greem Death'
  
• [12] REVIEW [Review of Timelash]
• [14] REVIEW [Review of Horror of Fang Rock]
• [16] REVIEW [Review of Planet of Fire]
• [18] A Month in the Life of RTP!
• [21] ARTICLE: Time Travel (And All that Jazz)
• [23] FICTION: A Sense of Irony
• [24] REVIEW [Review of The Ice Warriors Box Set]
• [27] REVIEWS: The Scope [Reviews of EDAs, PDAs]
• [30] FICTION: The Red Menace [part 2 of 8]
• [33] INTERVIEW: Shades of Gray [part 1 of 2: Warwick 'Scott' Gray]
• [41] ARTICLE: Paul McGann is the Doctor
• [43] ARTICLE: The Sexual Misadventures of Doctor Who: Planet of Fire
  
• [44] CARTOON: Teletubbies in the Death Zone
  
• [46] ARTICLE: A Touch of Class
• [48] 1998 Survey Results
• [50] ARTICLE: If - The Killer Cats of Gen-Singh
  
• [51] FICTION: A Tale of a Second City
  
• [52] COVER