That time Tim Worthington’s “Looks Unfamiliar” podcast tackled Doomlord

By John Freeman on October 26, 2024

Looks Unfamiliar is a podcast in which writer and occasional broadcaster Tim Worthington talks to a guest about some of the things that they remember that nobody else ever seems to. Well, unless they read downthetubes, of course, because the 1980s permutation of Eagle is in the spotlight in this episode, “Martin Ruddock – I Made A Plasticine Harold Macmillan”.

*Eagle Issue 2 cover dated 3rd April 1982, featuring, probably, Mike White as Doomlord and Fleetway staffers Barrie Tomlinson, Doug Church and Kelvin Gosnell facing his wrath*

Joining Tim on Looks Unfamiliar was writer Martin Ruddock, who was trying to get a show of nostalgic hands for the short-lived Children’s BBC Sherlock Holmes spinoff The Baker Street Boys, continued as books by Anthony Read, who planned out the show’s format; Eagle’s SF/horror comic strip Doomlord, often featured here on downthetubes; techno-powered toy range Robotix; Commodore Amiga game The Fairy Tale Adventure; dubbed German drama serial The Legend Of Tim Tyler (also known as “Timm Thaler”); and Britpop band Thurman and their somewhat mysterious past.

Doomlord at Lawless 2023 by "TB Grover", with photos by Simon Belmont and Philip Vaughan — *Doomlord revived, a fan created item to promote last year’s Lawless convention in Bristol!*

Along the way you’ll find out why history has failed to recognise the Baker Street Girls, why Slough’s playing fields are to be avoided at all costs, and why a song called ‘Evil’ might not quite have the intended effect on its target audience.

But did anyone ever solve a Tim Tyler-related mystery, mentioned in the podcast?

Martin Ruddock writes regularly for a number of magazines including Doctor Who Magazine and Shindig!. You can find Martin’s website here and follow him on X at @SugarRayBuzzard.

Tim Worthington – author of The Golden Age Of Children’s TV, writer, occasional broadcaster, and TV’s ‘Clangers Expert’ (well, that’s what the BBC decided to call him) started off a long time ago contributing to – and eventually publishing – paper-and-ink (and very badly stapled) fanzines. Since then he’s gone on to write for The Guardian, The Independent, Shindig!, Doctor Who Magazine and the BBC Music website amongst others. I’ve also written sleevenotes for reissues of amongst others Sapphire And Steel, Children Of The Stones and the Not The Nine O’Clock News albums. Read his full bio here.

• Looks Unfamiliar: Martin Ruddock – I Made A Plasticine Harold Macmillan, first aired in 2017, is available here on Tim Worthington’s website | Looks Unfamiliar Archive

• There’s lots more about The Baker Street Boys, The Legend Of Tim Tyler and tons of other magnificient eccentricities from the BBC’s post-Newsround drama slot in Tim Worthington’s The Golden Age Of Children’s TV, available in all good bookshops and from AmazonUK here (Affiliate Link) – or directly from Black And White Publishing here

• Check out The Baker Street Boys novel by Brian Ball on AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)

• Check out The Baker Street Boys novels by Anthony Read on AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)

The Baker Street Boys by Brian Ball (1983)

The Baker Street Boys: The Case of the Disappearing Detective by Anthony Read

The Baker Street Four Volume One by by J.B. Djian & Olivier Legrand (Writers), David Etien (Artist) (Insight Comics, 2017)

The Baker Street Four Volume Two by by J.B. Djian & Olivier Legrand (Writers), David Etien (Artist) (Insight Comics, 2017)

• “A Consideration of Children in The World of Sherlock Holmes” – an article in The Seventeen Step Program blog

About the Author
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John Freeman

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.