Free Comic Book Day 2020?

In any other year, I would have posted my road trip itinerary for Free Comic Book Day by now, to encourage as many fans as possible to get out there and support their local comic book store. The good news is, Free Comic Book Day has not been cancelled by Diamond Comic Distributors, just postponed until later in the summer. The bad news is, some of your local comics stores may not survive that long.

Even the mundane press (The Orlando Sentinel) noted the issue, with an article in last Sunday’s paper headlined, “End of Times for Comic Books, Shops?” If you have the cash to spare, go to your favorite comic store’s website and support them with your online order.  You can find comic book stores near you using the locator page at DCD’s website: https://www.comicshoplocator.com/ or check out the Guardians of Gallifrey’s Comic Book Compendium (last updated during last year’s FCBD) on our website.

For posts (with photos) about past Free Comic Book Days, check the GoG Blog dates of May 2 in 2018 and May 9 and 15 in 2019.

 

Urgent opportunity for fans–act fast!

From http://homemadewho.com/how-to-take-part/ :

“Doctor Who fandom makes people feel connected in a unique and joyous way – and that’s never been more important than right now.
If you’re struggling with social distancing and lockdown (or you’ve just already binged through your entire watch list), we’ve got something fun for you to do at home!
With Doctor Who celebrating 15 years since its revival, we’d love to see you recreate some of your favourite moments from 2005 onwards.
That’s the Christopher Eccleston era, David Tennant era, Matt Smith era, Peter Capaldi era, and Jodie Whitaker era.
We want you to send in a short video clip of yourself (and/or your family, housemates, pets…) acting out any moment or scene from the past 12 seasons of Doctor Who.
If you don’t want to say any dialogue, it can just be an action – running down a corridor totally counts!
We’ll then edit the clips together into a compilation video for you all to see in May.
Don’t worry if you’ve not got a proper video camera (your phone is fine) or if you don’t have everything you need to make the perfect costume – it’s just for fun!
In the true spirit of Doctor Who, this is all about old-school creativity and imagination using whatever you can find at home.
The lovely folks at Big Finish have also kindly provided a copy of Doctor Who: The Legacy of Time (worth £49.99) to be won by the maker of our favourite entry!

We promise everyone who enters will be included in the final video, but please follow these simple rules:
1. Your clip should be between 5-30 seconds long.
2. Film your clip in landscape (sideways/wide) – not portrait (upright/tall) or square – this is an important one!
3. Don’t add any music or text/titles to your clip.
4. Don’t include any actual footage from the TV series.
5. Entrants under the age of 18 must ask permission from a parent or legal guardian before submitting an entry.
The deadline for entries if you want a chance to win The Legacy of Time is midnight on Thursday 30th April 2020. (But don’t worry if you miss that, as we’ll have more prizes to give away in May!)
You’re welcome to send in more than one video.
This is open to fans all over the world.
To enter, just email your video as an attachment to video@homemadewho.com – or upload it onto YouTube and email us the link.
Please also let us know which episode the moment is from and the country you live in.
And if you take any fun photos while filming, feel free to send us those to share too!
If you have any questions, just email us at video@homemadewho.com and we’ll get back you.
Good luck, we can’t wait to see your creations!
Follow us on Instagram as we’ll be sharing lots of our favourite clips for you to see!
#homemadewho (We have no official affiliation with the BBC or the makers of Doctor Who. Doctor Who is ©BBC)”

More stuff to do…

Fans (professional and other) around the world have held virtual events for the enjoyment of Doctor Who fans. Yesterday the Doctor Who Appreciation Society presented The Capitol: CONtact has been made, featuring panels from past events. Panelists included Terrance Dicks, Katy Manning, Louise Jameson, Daphne Ashbrook, and more. The videos can still be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/user/DWASonline .

If you still need something to do, check out the BBC’s Doctor Who webpage and click on Fun and Games then choose Makes–get your artsy/crafty on! https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006q2x0

 

Stuff to do…

…to get you through.

(The lockdown, that is).

Doctor Who (and now Torchwood) global viewings continue, as well as free online content for fans. Check out the BBC’s Doctor Who webpage for new fiction from the world of Who:   https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006q2x0

Here’s a trivia puzzle from the BBC I saved months ago:

Now seems the perfect time to post it, in the middle of my state’s lockdown. (No, I don’t have the answers.)

Until next time–stay strong, stay safe, and STAY HOME!

 

Bits from the newsletter…and excess

From the Gallifrey Guardian:  “I know it’s rough out there right now, but we have a chance to save the world just by staying home! To make the best of the situation, the Doctor Who community is staying connected in spite of mass in-person isolation. Check it out…” — Julia

There have been several online global  events in the past month. If you missed joining in on the mass viewing of Day of The Doctor, here is a link to the new, specially written scene to introduce the #SaveTheDay international online event:

Yes! Here it is, courtesy of @StevenWMoffat and with the help of @McIntoshNeve, my esteemed colleague Strax entreats you to #SaveTheDay and join us in our viewing of The Day of The Doctor. Today at 7pm GMT, 3pm EST and all around the world! #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/ljqFWM6QRE

— Dan Starkey (@StanDarkley) March 21, 2020

Russell T Davies wrote a prequel for the global viewing of Rose. You can read Doctor Who and The Time War, and Davies’ introduction, here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/entries/4acfd237-6eee-47b5-93bd-1c16cd065614

Past and present members of the Doctor Who team are sharing with fans how they are coping and ways to help others, with suggestions to pass the time. A new very short story from Chris Chibnall can be accessed at the official BBC Doctor Who website, here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/entries/97411dd5-13e3-45a8-9ed2-dbf97ef85516

Jodie, in character as The Doctor, recorded a brief message offering encouragement and advice. Others involved with the show have posted videos and pics of interest to fans. To see Jodie’s message and these photos/videos, go here:
https://cultbox.co.uk/general/jodie-whittaker-and-other-doctor-who-creatives-offer-encouragement

And, now, news that missed the newsletter:

Doctor Who Series 13 is likely to premiere in the autumn of 2021. (from The Mirror, make of it what you will)

Matt Lucas (Nardole) will replace Sandi Toksvig on The Great British Bake Off, co-hosting alongside Noel Fielding in Series 11. Lucas said he was “chuffed to bits” at the opportunity, and “bearing in mind my love of cake, I’ve already ordered some much larger trousers in anticipation.” Channel 4’s Director of Programs, Ian Katz, said “We’re thrilled that one much loved national institution is joining another. Matt has everything it takes to be a great Bake Off presenter: he’s warm, hilarious, and loves cake.”

Need more ways to pass the time? At the link below, scroll down past messages about the global viewing party to reach a post with free printable Doctor Who-themed coloring pages, offered by @ginoodle. Also, Director Rachael Talalay has posted behind-the-scenes photos from her personal collection.
https://cultbox.co.uk/news/doctor-who-fans-and-creatives-respond-with-resourcefulness-to-pandemic

 

Still need more Doctor Who? Check out behind-the-scenes photos and mini-documentary videos from recent episodes:
https://cultbox.co.uk/news/doctor-who-series-12-new-behind-the-scenes-photos-released
and
https://cultbox.co.uk/news/doctor-who-ascension-of-the-cybermen-behind-the-scenes
and
https://cultbox.co.uk/news/doctor-who-the-timeless-children-behind-the-scen

TARDIS Craft

Craft, get it? Like spacecraft?

As promised in an earlier post, here is the pattern for the ornament-sized TARDISes the Club gives out at events. You can print on white paper and color each TARDIS, or just print on blue paper.

Each page makes three ornaments. Cut on solid lines, fold on dotted lines, fold as indicated in the diagram on the page, and glue the flaps on the side and top. You can stand them up for display or add a loop of string and hang them from your Who-tree.

Next craft: the full-page TARDIS (as featured in my Traveling TARDIS articles on the GoG Blog’s “New Series” page).

In the Spirit of the Blitz…

For all the Anglophiles out there–and, being Doctor Who fans, that’s a lot of us.

(spent an hour trying to make a poster with the message above, then found the perfect one on Bing images!)