Friday, January 26, 2007
Six of Ood, Half a Dozen of the Other
I’m not one to cast aspersions, or indeed spells, but some might find it significant that last night (while starting work on the last in my thrilling series on religion) my glasses dropped in two. This doesn’t make it impossible to type, but bending forward to peer close to the screen isn’t doing my back or neck muscles any good. Bah. I have, however, been cheering myself up with the latest Doctor Who Adventures comic. Not only do I suddenly appreciate bright colours and very large letters, but this one comes with a free pack of Doctor Who playing cards.
Usually I’d recommend Doctor Who Magazine as a better read, but today the kids’ version is keeping me entertained. Usually I just smile at how many old monster gags they get into their ‘spot the whatevers’ cartoons, but they do have a remarkable number of ‘free gifts’. Usually these are a bit tacky (literally, with the amount of stickers they give away), but some are rather fab. Richard thinks the playing cards fall into the tacky category, but who could resist the Six of Ood?
Admittedly, they’re not perfect. The printing’s a bit cheap (shock), and while suits of Ood, Daleks and Cybermen are clearly ideal, I’m less sure about the Slitheen (probably have picked the Reapers instead, for a race of monsters from the new series with a memorable silhouette). All the aces are K9s, the Kings are Doctors, the Queens Roses, while the Jacks… Are Mickeys. Some mistake, surely? All right, he deserves a place, and it’s certainly a fetching photo of him, but when there’s a TARDIS traveller called ‘Jack’… Grumble, grumble. Perhaps they just didn’t want to encourage the kids to watch post-watershed Torchwood by mentioning Captain Harkness, but if so, how come there are a couple of photos of him and even a mention of his bottom in this very issue?
My subscription copy came yesterday and, as they have the worst subscription service in the world, for a fortnightly magazine there’s just a chance that you might still catch one of these in the shops. Where they were last week.
Well, it’s more diverting than squinting at opticians’ websites, trying to focus on store-finder phone numbers, making multiple phone calls and still repeatedly being told, “We could fit you in for a test next Wednesday…” But I want to be able to see now (stamps foot)!
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Usually I’d recommend Doctor Who Magazine as a better read, but today the kids’ version is keeping me entertained. Usually I just smile at how many old monster gags they get into their ‘spot the whatevers’ cartoons, but they do have a remarkable number of ‘free gifts’. Usually these are a bit tacky (literally, with the amount of stickers they give away), but some are rather fab. Richard thinks the playing cards fall into the tacky category, but who could resist the Six of Ood?
Admittedly, they’re not perfect. The printing’s a bit cheap (shock), and while suits of Ood, Daleks and Cybermen are clearly ideal, I’m less sure about the Slitheen (probably have picked the Reapers instead, for a race of monsters from the new series with a memorable silhouette). All the aces are K9s, the Kings are Doctors, the Queens Roses, while the Jacks… Are Mickeys. Some mistake, surely? All right, he deserves a place, and it’s certainly a fetching photo of him, but when there’s a TARDIS traveller called ‘Jack’… Grumble, grumble. Perhaps they just didn’t want to encourage the kids to watch post-watershed Torchwood by mentioning Captain Harkness, but if so, how come there are a couple of photos of him and even a mention of his bottom in this very issue?
My subscription copy came yesterday and, as they have the worst subscription service in the world, for a fortnightly magazine there’s just a chance that you might still catch one of these in the shops. Where they were last week.
Well, it’s more diverting than squinting at opticians’ websites, trying to focus on store-finder phone numbers, making multiple phone calls and still repeatedly being told, “We could fit you in for a test next Wednesday…” But I want to be able to see now (stamps foot)!
