PLEASE NOTE: THIS APPEAL HAS COME TO AN END. This story is retained for archive purposes
Although this might sound like a new Doctor Who adventure, we’re afraid it’s all too real. Julian Vince, much recognised for his work recreating Daleks and more from Doctor Who, a much-appreciated contributor to Doctor Who Magazine back in my day as its editor, urgently needs our help to try to save his work.
Julian has always been a great fan of Doctor Who, and especially Daleks and has built a great many of them down the years, some even appearing on TV. In fact, if you are a Doctor Who fan, and you have a collection of merchandise, then you probably have some of his work in your collection, without knowing it. Perhaps you have copies of the Radio Times, published in 2003 for example, which featured his creations on the covers; or various issues of Doctor Who Magazine, where his work featured on covers and inside.
His Daleks have also appeared on posters, in articles, in documentaries – and one even appeared in a Kit Kat advert!
“I have basically spent my life making things, many of which are related to Doctor Who,” Julian acknowledges.
But these objects, both full size and model, take up space – ask anyone who owns a Dalek. Things have to be stored somewhere, and, unfortunately, all of Julian’s wonderful creations can only be kept in storage where he had hoped they’d be safe. But storage is expensive, and if you get behind with payments the things in them stop being protected, and start being taken.
Unfortunately, Julian now find myself in a position where, literally, his life’s work is about to be taken due to his getting behind with ever increasing storage fees, and he risks losing them all – and unless fans of his work can help, he’s powerless to stop it.
“I literally have decades of my things, trapped, waiting to be rescued, but it’s looking very likely that they are about to be taken away from me forever,” Julian explains on a GoFundMe page set up as a last ditch attempt to help him after some very difficult years. “Frankly, it’s overwhelming. I’ve tried to carry on getting the fees together to get up to date, but it’s not happened. It’s embarrassing, it’s humiliating, and it’s frustrating, but worst of all it’s devastating to think that total strangers will be going through your personal, private things looking to sell them to get their money back.”
Last year, Julian had hoped to get some of his Doctor Who and Dalek work out of storage, and put on display in a museum, where they could be enjoyed again by the public, but, sadly, that didn’t happen. “I knew that the public love to see Daleks, and if that museum had realised it, they would have benefitted from the increased visitors, but it came to nothing,” Julian says. “I’m sure there must be a museum or some such organisation out there who would love to put some of my things on display, but how to find them? If I’d got the museum display going, some of my Daleks would not now be trapped in this storage awaiting a devastating outcome.”
Now, Julian is seeking support via GoFundMe in one last effort to save his life’s work – so if you’ve enjoyed seeing his creations in print and at events down the years, please do consider giving him your support, or sharing his story with other Who fans who might be able to help.
“I’m hoping it isn’t too late, and that my life’s work and Daleks, and sets, and models can be rescued,” says Julian.
“Unfortunately, this is not a Doctor Who adventure, but real life, and real life doesn’t always have a conclusion that saves you from the thing you are fighting against. I can only hope enough people feel my life’s work is worth saving from people who couldn’t care less about what they are about to do to it, and consequently me.
“As the person who made these and many other things over a lifetime, I would be grateful in having my things be saved so that they could continue to give pleasure to the many fans of Doctor Who, and those naughty monsters that we love so much. Thank you for anything that you can contribute.”
• If you can help Julian in any way, please give him your support, or share his appeal on GoFundMe
Doctor Who © BBC Daleks © BBC/ Terry Nation Estate
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
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