1982: TRON ON THE COVER OF CINEMA ISSUE 7 (MARVEL UK)

From November 1982: CINEMA stumbles into the territory traditionally reserved for its sci-fi sister title, Starburst, with TRON gracing the cover of the eye-catching seventh issue.

Published, of course, by Marvel UK.

1986: DOCTOR WHO BULLETIN ISSUE 32

From March 1986: the next issue (number 32) of DOCTOR WHO BULLETIN (aka DWB). 

1987: THE STAR WARS SOURCEBOOK (WEST END GAMES)

From 1987: possibly one of the most important single books of the Star Age: the STAR WARS SOURCEBOOK, a spin-off from the West End RPG published to mark the tenth anniversary of the release of the original movie.

This hardback (the game itself was a similar format) really helped to kickstart the saga's return after several years of languishing in the doldrums. By opening up the Expanded Universe, and targeting buyers that had grown up with, but then abandoned, the series, West End and Lucasfilm reminded fandom just how good the movies had been. And how much potential there was for storytelling within the Star Wars universe. 

The writers started to flesh out what we'd seen on screen by filling in many of the gaps. Later on, the writers of the numerous novels, comics and games would take this so far that every minor character and moment from the films was fleshed out to ridiculous levels. But, at this point, it was something new and different.

Flushed with early success, the publisher went on to release books specifically about the forces of the Empire and Rebellion and then expanded the range to complement the various books and comics series. 

The books featured reams of statistics that were gobbledygook to anyone who didn't play the games (like me) but the extensive text, blueprints, floor plans and (in some volumes) original art still made these must-haves for the lapsed Star Warrior like myself. 

The one other single publication that renewed my interest in the dormant franchise was Starlog's tenth anniversary salute. 

West End deserve full recognition for their part in saving Star Wars, even through the continuity they helped to create was swept away when Disney hit the reset button in the run up to the release of the new movie. 

1986: DOCTOR WHO BULLETIN ISSUE 31

From February 1986: the 31st issue of DOCTOR WHO BULLETIN introduces, with an understandable lack of enthusiasm, the latest DOCTOR WHO companion.

A bit of stunt casting that not only misjudged the show's fans but also the Great British Public as well. Its hard to imagine chucking Bonnie Langford (who, as I understand it, is a very nice person) into the Tardis encouraged anyone to alter their viewing habits and starting watching the show.

1979: HITLER DOES THE TOMORROW PEOPLE

From 1979: THE TOMORROW PEOPLE novelization of HITLER'S LAST SECRET.

FILE UNDER: You wouldn't see the likes of this on the CBBC Channel today.

It's an adaptation of three serials (totaling six episodes) from the original series' sixth season, transmitted in 1978. 

TTP is a wildly inconsistent series (whereas the most recent revival was just consistently underwhelming) but the Hitler-thon is one of the standout stories. You have to admire the sheer cheek of Thames and ITV to offer up Nazis (and regular cast members dressing as Nazis as part of the latest teen fashion craze) as part of the tea time schedules (although, tellingly, this doesn't seem to have evoked any criticism from audiences or within the fractured ITV network) and then revealing (here comes the secret) that Hitler was actually a cheap and cheerful alien cobbled together by the Teddington effects team. The fact that he's played (not for the last time) by 1980s Grange Hill villain Mr Bronson, aka Michael Sheard, just adds to the fun.  It also features a young Nicholas Lyndhurst as a Nazi soldier and (for the series) surprisingly good production values with a fair chunk of location recording. 

The Reich was hardly unknown to kids friendly time slots thanks to multiple WWII padding out the afternoon schedules to give the continuity announcer time for an extended coffee break, chat with his mates and run another business on the side. But appearances in actual Kid Vid was rarer. GALACTICA 1980's pilot outing transported the Next Gen Colonial Warriors (and Jamie) back to occupied Europe on the hunt for Richard Lynch but that was a family hour show (although pitched largely at kids) and just an excuse for the cash-strapped quickie to raid Universal's costume store. 

I don't remember seeing the other two stories adapted (time to unearth that DVD box set again) but The Thargon Menace certainly sounds topical today. Maybe that's the version of the show they should have revived for modern times. 

1985: DOCTOR WHO BULLETIN ISSUE 29 & 30

From late 1985: another end-of-year double-issue of DOCTOR WHO BULLETIN (aka DWB) to see out the year.

This is issue 29/ 30, adorned with a very eye-catching (and fanboy-pleasing... well, some of them anyway) Caves of Androzani (Davison's swansong from the previous year) cover. 

Kudos to DWB for making these double issues feel like an event rather than just a regular issue bulked out so that the (almost certainly exhausted) editor/ publisher could take a couple of weeks off. 

1983: RETURN OF THE JEDI SKETCHBOOK

From 1983: the seldom seen, at least by me, RETURN OF THE JEDI SKETCHBOOK.

Published by Ballentine Books, this and its ESB predecessor (which I don't have) don't appear to have enjoyed very widespread UK distribution back in the day. It was certainly easier to find the oft-reprinted large format "Art of" editions. 

I'm assuming that copies were only imported by specialist bookstores and it wasn't offered to the general British booktrade. I'm sure, if I had seen a copy when it was released, it would have leapt pretty high on my birthday or Christmas list. 

This is, as the title suggests, a collection of pre-production art which gives an insight into the creative process behind the locations, hardware and creatures as well as creative roads (star lanes?) untravelled.

I finally found a copy of this last year in a second hand store along with a bunch of other contemporary books about the saga that someone had obviously offloaded in a batch. 

1985: DOCTOR WHO BULLETIN ISSUE 28

From November 1985 (happy anniversary Doctor!), DOCTOR WHO BULLETIN turns its Cyber Gun on producer John Nathan-Turner.

This was the long-running BBC-baiting vendetta (fuelled by very personal reasons) that ran for the rest of DWB's life... even after the show had been cancelled, its erstwhile producer made redundant (although he popped up again, on the other side of the Westway, to oversee the early 1990s merchandising efforts. And took a punt at TV presenting as part of BSB's WHO weekender... about the only piece of output anyone remembers from that short-lived Telly Cash Furnice) and DWB's own remit expanded to include other genre shows, past and prsent. 

It seems odd that Michael Grade, the man in charge of BBC ONE and the 'buyer' of the drama department's product, couldn't actually manage (or muster the effort) to shuffle a mere producer seen as having done his time. Its not as if backroom deals and staff maneuvering aren't part and parcel of life at the corporation. And, with most production still in house, there would have been ample opportunity to find a new role for JN-T which could have looked like a promotion but left the way clear for a new broom on the show. Arguments that no one else wanted the gig don't really ring true... you'll always find someone willing to take a punt if it furthers their career. The upper ranks of the BBC are full of people in roles that they know full well won't last for long but will leave them better positioned for the next opportunity. 

1977: FAMOUS MONSTERS STAR WARS SPECTACULAR MAGAZINE (WARREN)

From 1977: Another Warren black & white one shot: the first official STAR WARS MAGAZINE!

FAMOUS MONSTERS STAR WARS SPECTAULR was quick out the launch bay as one of the very first official print tie-ins with the who-would-have-thought-it blockbuster. Other speedy contenders included the novelization, the early issues of Marvel's comic book and Treasury Editions and the (superior to this) STAR WARS COLLECTORS EDITION: UK edition courtesy of Marvel).

The cover is a cracker (nailing the robots and aliens attraction of the movie and the merchandise) and not a still that seems to surface that often. The contents, however, are more disappointing: The usual Famous Monsters mix of poorly reproduced photos and enthusiastic but superficial text.  The arrival of STARLOG and STARBURST must have seemed like something radical and new (as did the launch of SFX in the 1990s after more than a decade of both and their formulaic spin-offs.

I picked this up from a dealer last year for under a fiver (maybe because a little beat up) but it seemed like a good price for such an early piece of Star Wars print media. 

1985: DOCTOR WHO BULLETIN ISSUE 27

From October 1985: the next issue in my patchy run of DOCTOR WHO BULLETIN fanzines, the premiere zine devoted to the show in the Eighties and early Nineties