Are you a Hoopy Frood who really knows where your Towel is at? Then stick out a thumb and hitchhike your way to Britain’s National Space Centre in Leicester on 25th May for Towel Day. Strags welcome!
Towel Day is celebrated every year on 25th May as a tribute to the author Douglas Adams, the creator of The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to The Galaxy, Dirk Gently and much more – and who worked as a script editor on Doctor Who during part of Tom Baker’s tenure in the lead role. On this day, fans carry a towel with them, as described in Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, to demonstrate their appreciation for the books and the author.
This year the National Space Centre will be celebrating Towel Day with special guests, displays, talks, workshops and something for everybody to enjoy. These include not one, but two Marvin the Paranoid Robots.
BBC Marvin is now living in a “futility cupboard” owned by BAFTA Aaward-winning Visual Effects designer Mike Tucker who today runs The Model Unit and is perhaps best known for his work on Doctor Who, but whose numerous credits also include work on Red Dwarf and who has also written Doctor Who novels and audio dramas). Mike is bringing Marvin, as well as signing copies of his book, BBC VFX: The Story of the BBC Visual Effects Department, which was published in 2010.
Thanks to Dirk Maggs, Director of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Radio Show, and some infinite improbability, BBC Marvin will be joined by Theatre Marvin. So proving Marvin is square(d).
Activities on the day will also include a Dirk Gently challenge and a screening of animator Kevin Davies rarely-seen interview with Douglas Adams himself.
And, who knows? you might even find copies of British comic creator John Carnell’s official adaptations of The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (and subsequent books), published in 1993 by DC Comics with art by Steve Leialoha.
You knew there’d be an oblique comic connection to this story, didn’t you?
• The National Space Centre is at Exploration Drive, Leicester LE4 5NS. For more info on their Towel Day celebrations and how to book, visit this page on the National Space Centre web site
• More about Douglas Adams at: www.douglasadams.com
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The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “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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