Torchwood

[muckyshoe]

What do you think of this new branch of the Doctor Who mythos? Do they stand up to their Counterparts in the Weird Happening Organisation? I sometimes think all Russell T Davis has to do is read your work for a few ideas (but then again maybe thats where some other Alan got his ideas - the original Doctor Who stories..). Me? I think it could be more British Transdimensional but then again what do I know?

[bignige]

I find it quite odd they had Bryan Hitch on board Doctor Who for character design. Alan, have you ever been approached to do anything similar to this?

[Alan Davis]

What do you think of this new branch of the Doctor Who mythos?

I’m sure to offend a few people here, Mucky but… I’m not impressed with Torchwood OR the New Doctor Who. I was always a great fan of Doctor Who and looked forward to its return with enthusiasm but I feel the new show is far too soap opera-ish and many of the episodes are little more than thinly disguised re-workings of horror and sci-fi movies. Doctor Who had always been about innovation and ideas— both clearly absent in this new incarnation. BUT, worst of all in my opinion, is the clunky ‘Iron Man’ redesign of the Cybermen—especially with their ridiculous ‘Busby Berkeley’ synchronised movement. I’m old enough to remember the original truly alien synthetic men when they first appeared—and they terrified me more than even the Daleks.

Alan, have you ever been approached to do anything similar to this?

Bignige, I’ve been asked to do a variety of work outside of comics over the years but I usually turn it down because I WANT to do comics. Part of the problem with the industry is that there are so many people who see comics as a spring board to film, TV or computer games. Comics may indeed be the poor relation but I don’t feel they are any less valid on a purely creative basis—and more often than not, offer far more creative freedom.

Alan

[bignige]

What do you think of this new branch of the Doctor Who mythos?

I’m sure to offend a few people here, Mucky but… I’m not impressed with Torchwood OR the New Doctor Who. I was always a great fan of Doctor Who and looked forward to its return with enthusiasm but I feel the new show is far too soap opera-ish and many of the episodes are little more than thinly disguised re-workings of horror and sci-fi movies. Doctor Who had always been about innovation and ideas— both clearly absent in this new incarnation. BUT, worst of all in my opinion, is the clunky ‘Iron Man’ redesign of the Cybermen—especially with their ridiculous ‘Busby Berkeley’ synchronised movement. I’m old enough to remember the original truly alien synthetic men when they first appeared—and they terrified me more than even the Daleks.

Alan, have you ever been approached to do anything similar to this?

Bignige, I’ve been asked to do a variety of work outside of comics over the years but I usually turn it down because I WANT to do comics. Part of the problem with the industry is that there are so many people who see comics as a spring board to film, TV or computer games. Comics may indeed be the poor relation but I don’t feel they are any less valid on a purely creative basis—and more often than not, offer far more creative freedom.

Alan

I agree with your comments about Dr Who (Torchwood has passed me by, although oddly enough, it was on in the background whilst I was working last night, and although not really taking too much notice, it didn't seem too bad). I liked the idea of Chris Eccleston as the Doctor, and thought him to be quite good - but everything else, including the 2nd series was just rubbish! I've always thought (the reconstructed) Widget would've made a good Cyberman!

[Darren Taylor]

The thing that annoys me most about the way they show the Cybermen is the stamping feet. It was fine a couple of times but now they seem to use it for some sort of shorthand for inevitability!

Grrr, bugs me about as much as Hortatio Caine with his shades and amazing tilting head! "Please let me empathise with you!"-Grrr

[Vyrt]

[quote="Alan Davis]
I’m old enough to remember the original truly alien synthetic men when they first appeared—and they terrified me more than even the Daleks.
Alan[/quote]

What. Even with the lace up shoes painted silver?

[Alan Davis]

I know later versions of the Cybermen had lace up boots, diving suits and such but did the original Cybermen have lace up shoes painted silver?
I have managed to find a few images online but nothing where the feet are visible.

Alan

[Mammalian Verisimilitude]

I know later versions of the Cybermen had lace up boots, diving suits and such but did the original Cybermen have lace up shoes painted silver?
I have managed to find a few images online but nothing where the feet are visible.

Alan

Screencapped from the "We Are Cybermen" clip on the BBC site:

[Alan Davis]

Shiny wellies—I didn’t think they had lace up boots.

Thanks for the link M.V. I don’t browse much and had limited my search to image—but these BBC clips are fantastic. I haven’t seen any early Doctor Who since I was a kid—when it was first transmitted.

I realise by modern standards the Cybermen from the Tenth Planet episode look like Valerie Singelton made them with a collection of empty washing up bottles but they were terrifying when they first appeared. I have a theory, which may well be shot down in flaming tatters by some historian… in the early sixties when Doctor Who first aired, plastics were not in common use. Bakelite was widespread in electrical products because of its non conductive and heat resistant properties but that was it. Food had no packaging except greaseproof paper, brown paper or cardboard and toys were often still constructed from wood and metal. Nylon was still being pitched as a scientific wonder and the odd plastic product—like the Airfix model kits appeared strange, complex and smelled of unknown chemicals—not unlike the back of a hot TV set with its sparking Flask Gordon tubes. Cybermen did not look like mechanical robots moving in clumsy choreography, they were synthetic men with electronic augmentation and the product of a science that was beyond human understanding.

[Vyrt]

I found some pictures in a book I have called The Doctors. 30 years of time travel.
I think this is what I was thinking of. lol