Doctor Who Insider

[23skidoo]

Well I picked up the first issue of the North American magazine Doctor Who Insider (which hit comic shops yesterday). My first impression is that it's pretty, but it doesn't seem to have a lot of content. Maybe Panini doesn't want to steal too much thunder from the main DWM, but while it usually takes me a couple hours to pour through the in-depth articles in DWM, I get the feeling when I sit down to read DWI (maybe we need a better acronym) later today it won't take me near as long.

Probably the biggest disappointment is the lack of original story content. DWM has the comic strip, and Torchwood Magazine at one point was nearly half filled with comic strips and short stories, but not a thing for the new magazine. I had my fingers crossed they might have put the Doctor Who Adventures comic strip in there since DWA isn't distributed outside the UK, but no such luck.

I'll give it a few chances to get its sea legs (after all, when DWM started in 1979 all it had was a comic strip, a reprint comic, and some canned copy), but I don't see Doctor Who Insider being any sort of replacement for Doctor Who Magazine.

Alex

 

[Worf2DS9]

Thanks for the early review. My magazine shop didn't have it when I stopped in on Tuesday, but I'm going downtown again tomorrow after work so I'll check again. I'd at least like to get the premiere issue.

 

[Hennessy Badger]

I’ve been keeping my eyes open for a copy of it. I’ll probably end up ordering one online.

I have a feeling Insider is going to be a bit of a disappointment to anyone who has recently purchased a copy of DWM. I mean, DWM is easily the best “media tie-in” magazine I’ve ever read. It has everything a Doctor Who fan could reasonably ask for. I can tell the people who put it together genuinely love the program – and the extra effort that goes into the publication (because of that love) makes the magazine a pleasure to read.

I would kill for Star Trek to have a magazine made with that level of passion. Instead, trek fans are left with pages of large pictures and fluffy content. At least for DW fans, we have options.

 

[Worf2DS9]

Picked up a copy today at Chapters. It's a nice enough mag, but not as classy as DWM. One advantage it does have is decent-sized type. I can appreciate the long, in-depth articles in DWM, but I find the font size they use most of the time is too damn small, particularly the serif font used for most articles. (The sans serif type they use in Galaxy Forum looks to be about the same size, but it's easier to read)

Anyway, Doctor Who Insider - glad I got Issue #1, but I don't think I need to get it every month.

 

[23skidoo]

The blog of the Canadian Doctor Who Information Network has posted an open letter to DWI outlining some of the magazine's pretty obvious faults, including the fact it's supposed to be a North American voice for DW, but it's still written by the DWM editorial team with no real North American content. For example, as Graeme Burk writes, an article on Craig Ferguson's love affair with DW, or a profile of the Canadian who co-created it, are some examples of how the magazine could distinguish itself.

http://www.dwin.org/expressionengin...n_letter_to_the_makers_of_doctor_who_insider/

Alex

 

[Joy]

I think a problem with the Insider is that DWM is actually quite available to us NA'ers nowadays. I've been able to pick up the newest copies of DWM (and SFX's special DW issue) at Barnes 'n' Noble (and saw them at Borders, too). So is there much of a point to the Insider? I bought it, but I haven't had the chance to really sit down and peruse it fully.