Fish Fingers and Custard Issue 1 - Fish Fingers and Custard Fanzine

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2 Fish Fingers and Custard Issue 1 The Sun Hasn’t Yet Set…An Editorial Greetings! Welcome to the first issue of ‘Fingers and Custard’. Now I burden no shame at ripping the title off THAT moment in the ‘Eleventh Hour’, as it just screamed ‘legendary scene’ at me! I predict in 25 years time, people will be holding that scene in the same esteem as we (or just me, probably) hold the ‘two wires moment’ in Genesis of the Daleks, or THAT camera shot of Peri’s chest in ‘The Caves of Androzani’. It was just something out of the ordinary, something that proved that this man was an alien (instead of a lovesick wannabe-human…) something that had normal, everyday people popping to their local supermarket to buy fish fingers and custard and actually EAT it (which in itself is ironic, as the actual scene used cakes!) That is the true magic of Doctor Who, folks! This is the reason why I’m hoping to base this fanzine on the world of Doctor Who fandom - simply because it’s the best fandom in the world! My experience of fanzines stems from football (or soccer, if you like - I don’t!) which are arguably more popular here in the UK than fanzines based on television programs. As a teenager, I would always look forward to purchasing my team’s latest fanzine, simply because it was written and produced by the supporters and was miles better than the official program! The essays, reports and cartoons were trounced in the sort of laddish humour, bad language and injokes that you only get in your own little part of the world. It inspired me, it made me want to read more, it made me want to write - just like how the team’s results affect (and still do) my mood! Now what the bloody hell does have to do with Doctor Who, I hear you cry! I got into Doctor Who in 2005. I make no apologies (and shouldn’t really need to) for the fact that I was born in the mid-80’s and had no Doctor Who to speak of whilst I was growing up. So when I got into the program, I came to fandom with a fresh perspective, without having to endure ‘the dark years’. The question is though, were they really ‘the dark years’? Doctor Who was kept alive via the avenues of books, comics, audios and yes, you’ve guessed it – fanzines! All of these mediums have produced many of today’s top television talents, some of whom who work on the program today. Doctor Who had became worn towards the end of its original run (not of its own doing mind, but that’s a different rant for a different issue!) and the ‘dark years’ was, in hindsight, probably a good thing. My entry into fandom was via the interweb (which again, is probably another rant for another issue!), which led to me attending conventions and meeting people who love Doctor Who as much I do. I quickly realised that Doctor Who fandom was as loyal and supportive than that of a football club. It was the fans that kept the show alive during those ‘dark years’, it was those people who wrote/drew/recorded (and those who bought that material) that kept the show in the public consciousness. I believe that if Doctor Who was allowed to die, if the fans just moved on, then Doctor Who would NOT be back today. Thankfully it is and the popularity of the show is arguably the greatest it’s ever been. For that folks, I salute you!
3 Fish Fingers and Custard Issue 1 A big part of fandom, back in the day, was fanzines. The late 80’s/early 90’s is considered to be the ‘golden age’ of Doctor Who fanzines. Today, what with the internet, plenty people consider that the fanzine is a thing of past. But why? Surely the internet can be used as a tool to make fan-publications even more popular than they were? It can be too easy to post on a forum, write a blog or whatever. I feel that these things miss that sense of belonging, which is what makes a fandom what it is. A fanzine is something that people do together - I know that I couldn’t put this thing together without the talents of others. I was just browsing a fanzine section of a Doctor Who message board, looking at the various downloadable PDF’s and I just thought to myself - ‘I love writing, I love fanzines and I love Doctor Who’. The idea hit me in the head as hard as a woman does, when I drunkenly try to chat them up in a club! I would do a Doctor Who fanzine and prove, first to myself, that I could do it and secondly - that my theory of the internet not being the end of fanzines but a useful tool instead, was right. As soon as I decided to do this, my thoughts drifted to how I was going to do it. I looked around and saw that there was a hell of a lot of downloadable PDF’s and a few printed fanzines knocking about. I’m a huge supporter of the printed medium, simply because I lack the concentration of being able to read anything online for more than 10 minutes! So I decided upon doing the fanzine on paper, but I thought back to my ‘internet theory’ and realised that I could not exclude those who like to read stuff online. We are supposed to be embracing new technology after all! A free-downloadable fanzine or a paper copy (with glossy covers!) for a tiny production cost, would be the way that I present the fanzine. I honestly believe that with quality content, that my contributors and I, can make this work. The sun hasn’t yet set on the age of fanzines! Recently there has been a resurgence in fanzines. Be sure to check out downloadable PDF’s such as The Terrible Zodin (http://doctorwhottz.blogspot.com), Shooty Dog Thing (http://brax-zine.blogspot.com), Whotopia (http://www.whotopia.ca) and paper fanzines such as Rassilons Rod (on Facebook) and Blue Box (http://www.blueboxfanzine.blogspot.com). It’s these new breed of fanzines that have inspired me to do my own. I hope that soon, more of you will be able to get together with friends and produce your own, continuing the legacy that the fans of the classic series have left us. The content of this fanzine will be simply ‘anything goes’. I feel we’ve got a great mix of varying writing styles in here, the main thing I wanted this fanzine to be, was balanced - and it certainly is! From my drunken attempts at hitting a keyboard and hoping something good pops on the screen, to well-educated people writing a well presented essay about Quarks or something! If like to write or draw and want to see your work in the fanzine, or just want more information, visit the blog at http://www.fishcustardfanzine.blogspot.com or drop me a line at fishcustardfanzine@googlemail.com - it’s that simple! Oh and you have to like Doctor Who too. Not sure if I mentioned it!
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Fish Fingers and Custard Issue 1 - Fish Fingers and Custard Fanzine

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