A word or two of thanks…

With the Yuletide season well and truly upon us and 2009 almost a distant memory, I’d like to say a big thank you on behalf of the Editorial Board to everyone who’s read and/or contributed to Whotopia over the last year.

We’ve seen a gamut of interviews and articles, columns and critiques over the past few issues, and with #18 in the works I can’t wait to start work on #19 and its focus on Doctor Who spin-offs.

Whotopia wouldn’t be where it is today without its contributors and readers and I really can’t thank everyone enough. Here’s to 2010 and another exciting year. Jez

Terry Molloy Interviewed

Have you ever wondered what makes the man behind the Davrosian mask tick? If so, Whotopia 15 gets under the latex to discover a little more about Terry Molloy, the actor who portrayed the fiendish creator of the Daleks throughout the 1980s.

 

Dalek-making aside, Molloy is perhaps best known for playing the part of Mike Tucker in the popular BBC Radio 4 series The Archers. But it doesn’t there. His work with Big Finish Productions has seen him once again take up the mantle of Dalek-builder par excellence. More, for fans of scarifying detective stories, Molloy’s portrayal of Professor Dunning in the simply superb audio series The Scarifyers finds him up against all manner of ghouls and ghosts, not to mention the odd trans-dimensional monster.

 

So, how did he become an actor? What led to him playing the part of Davros? Does playing a wind instrument help with voice-only parts? And did he always follow his mother’s advice? If you’re after the answers to these questions and lots more, find out only in Whotopia 15, coming late November 2008.

And don’t forget, you can learn more about Terry Molloy’s latest projects if you visit his website at www.terrymolloy.co.uk.

Wanna Be A Whotopia Contributor?

We’re looking for contributors who are interested in writing articles, reviews (merchandise/episode), columns, opinion pieces etc for the magazine; as well as artists who are able to design graphics, logo’s, banners, original art etc.

 

WHOTOPIA began publication in October 2003 and to date we have published 15 issues and 1 special.

 

Each issue delves into the past, present and future of Doctor Who – the world’s longest running science-fiction series – through articles, reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, columns, features, original fiction, comics and more.  Plus, in addition to covering Doctor Who, Whotopia covers the Doctor Who spin-off’s Torchwood and the Sarah Jane Adventures.

 

Contributors will get a chance to have their work published and read by a readership in Canada, USA, Britain, Australia and Europe.  You’ll get to work with a team of editors who will offer you constructive and useful criticism – editors who want to help you perfect your craft. In addition, all contributors receive a free copy of the issue that contains their work. 

 

Contributors will also get a chance to participate in our online message forum where you’ll be able to freely discuss requirements for each upcoming issue.

 

If you’re a Doctor Who fan who is enthusiastic about writing and/or art, and interested in contributing material on a regular/semi-regular basis, we’d definitely like to hear from you!

 

Following is a more detailed listing of some of things we’re looking for: 

• Written reviews of Doctor Who, Torchwood & Sarah Jane Adventure merchandise (books, audios, DVD)
• Written articles on any aspect of Doctor Who, Torchwood or the Sarah Jane Adventures that are thought-provoking, entertaining, original, and coherent.  We’re looking for material that ranges between the serious to the lighthearted.
• Reviews of Big Finish Doctor Who audios (1 person wanted)
• Reviews of Doctor Who novelizations from BBC Books (1 or 2 persons wanted)
• Reviews of Torchwood and Sarah Jane Adventures novelizations (1-3 persons wanted)
• Original fiction based on Doctor Who, Torchwood or the Sarah Jane Adventures
• Artists who can draw original artwork to accompany articles and feature on the magazine cover
• Artists who are able to design graphics and graphic artwork for logos, column banners/headers, etc
• Artist(s) who are interested in drawing an original comic based on an original script
• Magazine layout – one or two persons who would be interested in working with us designing the layout for each issue

If you’re interested in joining our team, we’d like to hear from you. Please send a sample of your written work (in Word, PDF or Rich Text format) and/or art/graphics work (in either JPG or GIF format) as an email attachment and e-mail it to: jigsawpublications@yahoo.ca.

Whotopia Back Issues Back In Print

A few weeks back I was really excited to announce that we’ll be making select out of print back issues available to download for free on the website.  Many of these issues have long since sold out and went out of print and haven’t seen the light of day since their original publication.  Well if you drop by the DOWNLOADS section of the Whotopia site, (www.whotopia.ca), you’ll find select issues available to read online or save to your hard drive in PDF format.  We went all the way back to the beginning and made available the first five Whotopia issues including the very first, long out of print, first issue not available since 2003.  From here, every couple of weeks, we’ll be adding a new back issues to those already available for your download pleasure.  So drop by and check us out online.  Enjoy!

Now Online

My name’s Jez Strickley and I’m the new editor of Whotopia, and I’m Bob Furnell Publisher and Senior Editor. Together we’ll be steering Canada’s premier Doctor Who fan magazine into uncharted waters, the world of internet blogs.

It’s said that a change is as good as a rest, which is as good a way as any to describe Whotopia as it celebrates its fifth anniversary. The past few months have been hectic. Exciting ideas have been buzzing around the all-new editorial team, and as such we’re planning to make sure that the upcoming issue, Issue 15, is jam-packed with all sorts of goodies.

As well as a raft of new articles and reviews, Issue 15 contains an exclusive interview with Terry Molloy – the actor who, amongst other things, brought his own distinctive portrayal to the dastardly Davros throughout the 1980s.

And if you’re reading this blog, then you’ll already know that Whotopia’s editorial is now online. So, whether it’s conventions or canon, fanzines or fan fiction, as long as its Doctor Who related, Bob and I will be talking about it. So join in; enjoy.