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What are the Dalek Chronicles?

On 23rd January 1965, the Daleks made their first appearance in their own full colour comic strip on the back page of the lavish new children's weekly comic TV Century 21. Written largely by David Whitaker, who was the series' original script editor, and illustrated by such legendary comic strip artists as Richard Jennings, Ron Turner and Eric Eden, this popular one-page strip ran for 104 instalments, and finally concluded on the brink of the Daleks' planned attack on the inhabitants of Earth.

These strips have been reprinted many times in Dalek Annuals and other Doctor Who-related books, plus Doctor Who Weekly, Doctor Who Monthly and Doctor Who Classic Comics, as well as being issued complete and in colour as a special edition magazine. Now, for the first time, they are brought to life using CGI generated in Truespace, Poser, and Vue Infinite, convincing 2D Flash animations, stills taken from the 3D models, special effects, and specially recorded soundtracks which include sound effects, purpose-written incidental and theme music, and, of course, the best actors that we can possibly find.

What form are these adaptations taking?

Please send your reviews to: empire639@msn.com

Last update: 4 April 2008

Gerry Briody writes:

I have just received Genesis of Evil and Duel of the Daleks.I think your efforts are absolutely brilliant. Both stories are beautifully done in the style of the Century 21 comic but, particularly with 'Duel', brought wonderfully to life. The animations are excellent as is the merging of 2D and 3D scenes to make a fluent whole. The voices, particularly the Dalek ones, are well done.

I'm no expert and it would seem almost impertinent to pick out flaws - not that I can see any! .The whole thing seems very polished from beginning to end. I do remember the old comic strip and Zeg in particular. For some reason or other he/she/it attracted my sympathy. A great job.

As to your future projects, I think Masters of Luxor is a good idea. I read the script and thought it an intelligent story if a bit long.

If you want suggestions, how about some of the stories from Colin Baker's cancelled season such as The Nightmare Fair and the one with the Ice Warriors in it (Mission to Magnus). Both good stories. There's also the Dark Dimension. I know you say that you aren't going to do any missing stories but what about just one (please). What about an edited version of one of the 'simpler' ones like Galaxy Four or The Celestial Toymaker.

Dave Aldridge writes:

Well first off, thank you! For copying and returning them so quickly! I have only had time to watch Genesis of Evil (before I left for work this morning!) and Duel of the Daleks so far, but cannot wait to see the rest.

I'm amazed! I was expecting something good, but not spectacular. It certainly looks like a labour of love. They took me back to being a kid again, reading them in DWM. I just cannot get over how fantastic they are. Is this what you do as a career? How on earth do you get into it? I'd love to get into something similar.

Anyway, I'd better stop now, before I drown you in praise!

Good luck with future and, of course, current projects, I will certainly be checking them out.

Andy McDonald writes:

I must say how impressed I am with the overall quality of the productions. The visuals are very impressive and seem to get even better with each succeeding episode. The stories and dialogue are easy to follow and the use of music and sound effects are excellent. I will certainly be getting all of your future productions.

With regard to your proposed future projects, both Masters of Luxor and the Radio Times strips look promising. My preference would be Masters as I am very curious as to how your depiction of a Hartnell era story would look and compare with existing reconstructions. I feel you have set a new standard in recons. Certainly you have shown a very promising and acceptable way to breathe new life into the subject. Finally, with all the recent discussion about the viability of VHS video, thank you for making your productions available on VCD. It really is more convenient and, although the picture resolution is not the same as DVD, it is perfectly acceptable quality. Thanks for everything and good luck with your future projects.

Bryan McCormack writes:

In January 1965, just as Dalekmania was hitting Britain (or should that be 'exterminating'...?) Alan Fennell, editor of the forthcoming TV21 comic, wisely realised that the Daleks would make great comic strip material. With the Daleks` creator, the late Terry Nation, unable to author the strip himself, David Whitaker wrote the scripts with artwork provided by Richard Jennings.

And now Stuart Palmer is bringing these stories brilliantly to life with stunning 3D animation in The Dalek Chronicles.

Each story uses a combination of both Flash and full motion animation with voices supplied either by Stuart himself or other talented fans. Add sound effects and some original atmospheric incidental music and you have something that, in places, would not look out of place on BBC1 after Newsround. I kid you not.

Watching this initial batch of episodes (see individual reviews elsewhere) I was struck by how easily Tery Nation`s proposed Dalek spin-off series could have worked. Perhaps it`s the lack of new Who since 1989, but this seemed as fresh and new as the Daleks themselves must have seemed when they first appeared. These episodes will quickly transport you to a world where Dalekmania is in full swing again. If only!

And those metal meanies from Skaro not only look the business, they sound it too. Close your eyes and you would swear you were listening to a deleted scene from one of the two Peter Cushing movies. Stuart has got the voices spot on!

Easily on a par with either 'Reboot' or 'Insektors' (now there`s an idea for a crossover!!!),and given that Stuart Palmer is one man and not Pixar Studios, what he has created is not only true to the spirit of the Dalek strips but to the Daleks themselves.

Prepare yourselves for Dalekmania 2.

Steve Herbert writes:

I got the CD's back in incredibly quick time. The postman knocked at the door sometime after nine Saturday morning, I knew what it was, and opened the package up, and the 1st CD was immediately placed in my DVD player. Yes I can play it! What a relief, I don’t have my own PC at the moment, I use internet cafes and use internet at work etc. So that was a relief. So I watched Genesis of Evil first. And up popped the menu, pressed one and I'm away in another world, your TARDIS animation pops up 1st, then the TV21 card, wow I'm impressed, and I've seen nothing yet. Then the dates of the original strips. (I cant find my Doctor Who mags easy, I've so much stuff taking up so much room, can't even find the special reprint that repeats all the chronicles.) Then there's the superb title sequence and Richard Jennings artwork, and the music is so well chosen it fits the title sequence so well. The Skaro desert is before me, and then visual heaven, oh the pictures aren’t moving, (Guess I didn't read everything properly, I think I was expecting full CGI animation, wishful thinking I think.) But it didn't matter, everything was clearly a labour of love for you guys to produce. Where the humanoid Daleks didn't really move, when there was some kind of movement it was always effective, oh and then there's the first sight of a Dalek, behind that screen. and later the production line, and then the first moving animation. And who or what was that green figure, looking on at Zolfian and Yarvelling? And then a Dalek turns up. Wow!

On to Duel of the Daleks, and plenty of animated Daleks. And out of all four episodes so far, I think this is my favourite. Zeg, what a character, there's no other Dalek like him I guess, he's a loose cannon, he is indestructible? Least he thinks he is, he also thinks he can outsmart the Emperor, but he clearly lacks the brain power and wants his way. The opening of this episode is amazing as we see the Dalek city, what an animation, all the detail, all those little Daleks, Wow! (and the 'Making Of' was a real nice touch, wasn’t expecting extras, oh and the music video, great stuff!) Then Zeg gliding through a few corridors and into his workshop. Great shots, and after a quick chat with a fellow Dalek, which exposes that he's not that bright, he gets down to his work, and all hell breaks out. Out to the top of the city and a Dalek cries a warning, and then there's another spectacular shot, as a Dalek is thrown into the air, it looks so good. And then Zeg is shown in his workshop on his side, it's not long till he's uprighted. How? Does it matter? Course not, really, I guess there must be some kind of device that can pick him up? Jumping ahead, as I'm running out of time, after the new red coloured Zeg has been tested, in the test chamber, and proved indestructible even to the mighty Black Dalek, then the story moves to the duel, Zeg v the Emperor. Great stuff again, and I haven’t yet commented on how good the Emperor looks. So they now face each other on cliffs on opposite sides of a flowing acid river, and then Zeg's falling, great animation again, still picture as he crashes in, then he's sinking, then he's rising out of the water, sorry acid, and then the still off him on the bank, half in and half out, it's a shame sequences like this can't be fully animated, but time, money etc... and I guess they would be? And we're getting this at the cost of a CD and postage. What is done is surely amazing, and the fact is, if someone wanted to do a series for the small screen like this, just how good could it be. But where you can't fully animate everything, where you're restricted to 2D, stills etc it's oh-so well crafted, it definitely has a certain special charm, that I guess any professional production would lack. There's plenty more excellent animations, plenty more great scenes, but I've probably written too much already. And as I said, I've little time to write more. A huge big thank you for an exceptional product. And I can't wait to see part 2, and I'll try and find time to review The Amaryll Challenge sometime soon too. Again great stuff! But that's it for now, home to watch it all again maybe I think.

Paul McNally writes:

I'm lost for words.

I finally had a chance to watch two of the CDs, my God they are awesome, it's a shame you can't mass market these cause you'd make a fortune.

They really are beautiful, congratulations.

Paul Richmond writes:

As a forty-something old enough to remember being caught up in the original burst of Dalekmania in the mid-sixties, I wasn't sure how I would react to these animations… after all the original TV21 strips are a cherished part of my childhood. I was sure that these would be technically very clever and impressive (that was clear from the other reviews and the images displayed on Stuart's website), but would they capture the spirit and the sense of wonder of those early enthusiastic comic-strips?

I needn't have worried. There is as much love and care evident throughout The Dalek Chronicles as there is technical and artistic brilliance (and there's a lot of that!). Clearly these have been made by someone to whom the TV21 strips are as important and special as they are to me…

Forget Kaleds and Davros and dull gunmetal grey. This is a world where the Daleks are more devious, sneaky and formidable than they ever were on DOCTOR WHO… This is a world where their cities and machines are more fabulous and imaginative than anything a television designer could hope to match… This is a world of Gold and Silvers and Blues and of terrible Black… Oh, and it's also a world where the Emperor was actually the true author of all the plays and sonnets of William Shakespeare…

Stuart: you are a genius and these are astounding films that are also obviously a labour of love…! You have made a forty-something kid very happy! Cheers...

Mark writes:

These CD's are fantastic, I was totally blown away!!!

When I sent off for these titles I really wasn't sure what to expect, but hey they are FREE so what does it matter.

However when I received them I was hooked, the animation is top rate, Stuart is really talented.

Its really cool seeing my favourite TV21 strips brought to life, I really can't wait for Power Play, I only hope that there are many more to come.

Stuart - once you've finished the Dalek Chronicles, how about starting on the Absalom Daak strips.

Keep up the excellent work.

Patrick Furlong writes:

I got the discs today thank you.

Two words: ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT! Very well animated and the voices are very good.

The extra features are also good. It was intresting to hear the whole of the Dalek Christmas song - I remember hearing a clip of it on the Dalek Early Years tape. It was nice to see a Making Of feature..

Looking forward to the next installments.

Tony and Jonathan (aged 5) write:

Stuart, just a quick note. Thanks for the first lot of discs, they all play fine.

Even my five year old son watched them with me and thought they were brilliant, which is surprising as so far anything to do with Dr. Who or related he's hated.

I'm sending a disc for Episode Two of The Dalek Chronicles (the new one) and looking forward to it. Many thanks.

Paul J. Guest writes:

I was sceptical at first, the stories being so well known, so I was wondering what animation could bring to them. Life, frankly, and a menace that was easily dismissed in its text form.

The strips are brought to vivid life merging the Cusick sets and styling from the '60s with the original TV21 house style. They tell the tales with the true Dalek physics.

We all knew the 'heartbeat' effect ran throughout the comic, but it's a reassuring presence here, as are the other cameo effects like the Liberator comm's chime.

When the Emperor reuses the "we are entombed" speech from Genesis of the Daleks it is as much a statement for the series as familiar colour for the fans. The animation brings a pace showing the Daleks absolute conviction in themselves. Some stories give a good insight into why Daleks shouldn't give big speeches. The voice does begin to grate after extended periods.

The 3d animation and flash animation is often seamless, the two styles expertly entwined. But this is not just a demonstration of how wonderful CGI Daleks are, the animation is there to tell the story, which it succeeds with admirably. Indeed any failings are more the fault of the original sources than of the adaptation. For those familiar with the Dalek stories of the Hartnell era there are a lot of visual gags, but I shan't ruin it by pointing them out.

Ken “you-would-die-from-shock-if-you-saw-me” Grundy writes:

The Dalek Chronicles were based upon scripts supplied by David Whittaker, Doctor Who Script Editor, from story lines supplied by Terry Nation himself, and as such I regard them not only as canonical, but the real genesis of the Daleks. I always thought that the second Dalek story should have seen the TARDIS taking the travellers back to Skaro at the time of the neutronic war, and thanks to "Altered Vistas" I've finally seen the story they should have made (more or less).

I use computers only for word processing, spreadsheets and the Internet, so can't comment on the technical aspects of the work, except to say that I am amazed at the effort that has obviously gone into it, and all for no charge! Apparently something called "Flash" was used for a sort of less than perfect animation for some sequences, but it all looked the same to me, although understandably it is easier to animate Daleks than human(oid) characters so perhaps this is what was being referred to. And despite very careful scrutiny, I couldn't spot Davros anywhere in Duel (another reviewer reckoned he'd spotted him; was he there, Stuart!?).

Hats off to Stuart for not tampering with the story (genetic mutation doesn't change individuals, it's a generational effect), or some cringe worthy dialogue.

I look forward to seeing the rest of the Chronicles.

Lindsay Blackwood writes:

After receiving all 5 episodes so far, I played the lot.

I just want to say thanks. I was blown away by everything. You guys are the best. Can't wait for the rest.

Thanks again.

Matt Dale writes:

Just writing this having idly watched Genesis of Evil (planned on watching them here and there, over the next few weeks, at random moments of boredom), then having instantly and without thinking bunged the Power Play disc on, then realised that, Hell, I seem to be running an unplanned Dalek Chronicles marathon in preparation for tonight.

Surprisingly fantastic stuff, Stuart, and the first fan production I've watched in ages (recons included) that I've got hooked on straight after that "Aah, the disc's just arrived, I might as well just watch the first 2 minutes to check out the quality" moment.

Yup, all 5 episodes now running straight through the afternoon I think!

Excellent :) Thanks!

Steve Swales writes:

You are amazing - I received them today -what a quick turnaround, thank you!

I've watched them all now in one go: words fail me so just string a dozen superlatives of you own choice together. I'll try to do something resembling a proper review when I've calmed down...

Triffic.

Andy Green writes:

Just watched eps 1-4 and 6.

Can I just say, they are the dog's b******s! When are more available?

Keep up the great work!

Charles Norton writes:

I got the discs yesterday. They were waiting for me when I got home. Just one word - Fantastic. You really should send some of your stuff to the Restoration Team - perhaps with the odd extra animation, something like Duel of the Daleks, wouldn't seem at all out of place as a DVD extra; the same can be said for the cutaway - in fact that could be stuck on the BBC's next DVD as it is now. Except for the odd bit, Duel gives the illusion of being fully animated and would be great as an extra on something like The Chase. Much of this would be quite at home on BBC1. I'd seen Episode 1 before, and been blown away that time, but I had no expectation that in just one release's time you'd be making something as technically professional and elegant as Duel. Even if the Restoration Team weren't interested in the Chronicles, (and they'd be mad not to be) it might at least get some work put your way.

I must confess that initially my expectations were not very high for the Dalek Chronicles. I've always found myself somewhat let down at past amateur productions (although with Altered Vistas it seems almost an insult to call them amateur) . Even with professional independent projects like The Zero Imperative I have been left a little underwhelmed and deflated at the end product, which usually looks far better on the websites and in magazines than in reality, and although I had read the reviews, there was part of me that didn't fully believe them - thought that they might have been trying to be kind to the things despite, what I expected would be, the less than brilliant product quality. I was even prepared to be kind to them myself, bearing in mind the conditions under which they were made.

However, I didn't need to be. I know this has been said before, but they are brilliant, near perfect. Not only are they free, they are professionally; shot, rendered, accompanied and presented. I won't linger upon just the beauty of these products, as it's been talked about many times before, but, particularly in the case of Duel of the Daleks, this would take very little to be up to the standard of a BBC broadcast, and I would not be disappointed to see some of this work on a future BBC DVD.

However, there is one thing, which I feel hasn't really been touched upon by other reviews of this work, which really should - and that is the writing quality of the scripts. Speaking as a writer myself (I believe a suitable title would be 'Struggling Writer' - It's always a struggle) I was considerably impressed at the calibre and faithfulness of these adaptations. The attitude which Stuart Palmer takes to adapting these is the one of a purist, which is always the best way of adapting anything. It is always important to be faithful. Yes, some of your own personality is bound to come through, but if you are not doing the closest adaptation you can, then you might as well start from scratch.

The adapter's job is to translate, in the best possible way, a story from one media to another, and most simply that is what has been done. The adventures are pacy but not so breathless as to be painful (I mention no names... ahem, Rose). The stories have a charm, and indeed wonder, which is uniquely all of their own, and are the very best example of what can be achieved with the right attitude, good skills of composing, writing and animating, and above all a love of your source material and belief in it as something worthy of attention.

Steve Purbrick writes:

Received the disks today in excellent order. I have to congratulate you on them- they are wonderful! The presentation style reminded me of 'vidematic' roughs I sometimes see if I'm doing voice-overs for pre-visuals or animation soundtracks. You've really captured the spirit of the comic strips.

I like your rendition of the Dalek voices too - reminiscent of Peter Hawkins' voice.

Joe Cassels writes:

Thanks for sending the AVs out to me. I was very impressed indeed. They are a remarkable achievement and easily stand up against professional productions.

Mark Carter writes:

My initial reaction is that, whatever I was expecting, these have surpassed it. I don't think it's any exaggeration to say that they would not be out of place on TV (and a damned sight better than a lot of what's on there!).

Both my son Jamie and myself have watched and rewatched the first five and have thoroughly enjoyed them. Jamie loved them, by the way, and didn't take his eyes off the screen! For me, it brought to life those old TV21 strips more than I could have hoped for, and, for Jamie, it introduced him to an exciting Dr. Who offshoot that he appears to have loved just as much as he's loving the new TV series.

I'm gob-smacked as to the sheer professionalism of the series so far, and I reckon they're heads and shoulders above most of the animation that makes it onto "proper" TV.

So, from one literal 6 year-old and his Daddy, who will always be 6 years-old somewhere deep inside (especially now that I have your discs!), thanks a million.

Mike Daws writes:

Many thanks for the disks you were kind enough to copy for me a little while back. They were great. Every one who has seen them has commented on how great they look, far surpassing the television Daleks themselves!

Richard Bennett writes:

Thanks for the disks - I can see an awful lot of hard work went into them and the results are very impressive indeed. I particularly enjoyed Episode 3, the 3-D animations are stunning! The Dalek cut-away on Episode 2 was a great idea and an unexpected bonus.

John Porter writes:

Just a very short note to say how much I am thouroughly enjoying your efforts.

Thank you very much for all your hard work, and making such thouroughly entertaining animated films.

Jon V. Way writes:

I've finally found time to write back and say a big Thank You for sending me the Dalek Chronicle Video-CDs.

I've only watched the first two so far, but I can really appreciate how much time and effort you and your team have put into them.

I've never actually read the comic strips, so it's all new to me!

Thanks again, for all your hard work and creativity, and also for making them available.

Bryan Preston writes:

I received my copies of AV01, Genesis of Evil, AV02, Duel of the Daleks, and AVO3, The Amaryll Challenge, on Tuesday. Absolutely brilliant! My kids thought they were the bees knees. I will be ordering the rest of the series ASAP. Cheers, mate.

Katherine Rhodes writes:

Received the discs yesterday. Many thanks for such a fast turnaround. I have just finished watching them and have to say that I'm pretty impressed! It's a very professional looking piece and has managed to retain the feel of the original beautifully. A big congratulations to you and all involved. Very much looking forward to your next releases.

Terry Cooper writes:

I received the Dalek Chronicles today. Although I haven't watched all of them yet, I must write to congratulate you on such a brilliant success and a well-made serial. I'm a degree student (amongst other things!) studying CGI using 3D Studio MAX, and I know exactly what's involved in putting together
an entire production, so I take my hat off to you.

I only vaguely remember reading some TV21 comics as a kid (I'm 35), and mostly read Dalek Annuals, and I love the way you've evoked the same colourful feel of the strips. To see and hear 'new' Dalek stories is a joy.

I shall be spending this weekend having a grand showing of all the Dalek Chronicles, with my two children, who'll no doubt love it as much as I do!!

Alan MacKenzie writes:

Many thanks for the prompt dispatch of the Dalek Chronicles, which arrived here safely yesterday morning. I have to admit, I then spent most of yesterday evening, watching through the whole lot!

Well, what can I say? They're absolutely stunning – I never would have thought that seeing the old TV21 stories again, forty years after they were first written, could have been so thrilling – I felt 9 years old again! If only these techniques had been available in the 1960s, what a superb TV series this would
have made. Probably would have been more popular than "Thunderbirds"!

The production is highly professional and whilst adhering strongly to the original stories, the extra "fleshing out" you have given them serves only to enhance the overall effect. The Daleks become real "characters" again, instead of the rather insipid cardboard cutouts they had tended to be in the later Dr Who stories of the 70s and 80s. By that time, they seemed to be used only as adjuncts to Davros and were depicted as being pretty stupid, an illustration quite at odds with their earlier appearances and indeed, with the Chronicle tales.

The little extras taken from other sources are very good – e.g. the use of the Pyroflame attachments to burn down the vegetation on Alvega. These devices never actually appeared in TV21 but rather, were used in the television series, The Daleks' Master Plan, where they were employed to demolish the jungles on Kemble.

At one point during the sequence where Zeg asks the computer for information on the Oquolloquox storm, there is a flashback to one of the human Daleks – was this meant to illustrate a race memory, or was this actually supposed to be Zeg himself in his pre-mutated human form? [the latter - Stuart]

Technically, the rendition of the Daleks is superb. It is very hard in some scenes, to realize that they are in fact, computer generations, rather than the live, full-sized props as used on television. The one and only suggestion I have to offer for future episodes is perhaps, that you could speed up the Dalek voices slightly. This could I feel, be done without losing any of the effect and in any case, it is so good to hear them actually "saying something", rather than just ranting "Exterminate!" all the time, another failing I thought, of later Dr Whos.

I also liked very much, the depictions of the planets, Skaro and Alvega. Alvega looks like a paradise – pity it was blown up! The Skarosian sunsets are spectacular too – wonder if this is a function of all that radioactive dust floating around in the upper atmosphere???

Thanks again for the superb Chronicles and I shall eagerly await further episodes and of course, Children of the Revolution, if you would be kind enough to e-mail me when they are available.

Paul Twamley writes:

I have watched all the Dalek Chronicles and can honestly say they are truly a professional piece of work worthy of any major slot on television; the computerised graphics are absolutely excellent, I particularly enjoyed the "how it was done "bonus feature.

I have nothing but praise to you for bringing this comic strip to life, it is a must for all Dalek fans.

Thankyou!

Francis Douse writes:

I watched episodes 1, 2 and the first half of 3 last night, by the end of ep1 I was hooked, can't wait to watch the other half of part 3 and the remaining ones. I really have enjoyed them so far, very well executed and a wonderful tribute to Terry Nation and those who created the original stories.

My only WISH.. is that they were movie-type Daleks instead because I think they look neat :-)

I'll let you know when I've finished, Stuart, but so far, they are FANTASTIC (to quote the new Doctor)

Bob writes:

I received the 5 episodes yesterday. I have watched all 5 and I really enjoyed them.

They brought back some memories. You have done a really good job, can't wait for the next one.

Keep up the good work, thanks.

Benji Clifford writes:

I am shocked at how amazingly good your Dalek Chronicles are. They are brilliant and I think the Daleks are much more a team then they have ever been. You really have made the Daleks amazing to watch. Thank you for doing them for me. I shall when episode 5 is done send another disk for you to dub for me. (as I want the whole set) (Because i think they are amazing)

Anyways thank you. Real great stuff, Terry Nation would be proud.

Francis Douse writes:

Sorry I didn't write before. I finished watching them, they got better and better and the last episode was really great. I can't wait to see what the next one is like, I nearly didn't get to see the last one as the disc had a duff sector, just as the Emperor was arriving to sort the chaos out. Brilliant, there were a few minor things which stuck in my head, nothing bad in any way, overall I think you've done them proud.

Keep in touch, I'll be wanting the next installment ;-)

Mark and son Thomas write:

Having stumbled across the website by accident then ordering all the episodes in one go and not quite knowing what to expect, my son and I were simply... amazed!

Such talent.

At the risk of repeating other comments; why on earth don't the BBC/Terry Nation inc. let Stuart loose and give him a TV spin-off show? The daleks are easily the best thing on Dr Who and these animations would make the corporation even more money.

These should be shown nationwide!!

Michael Johnson writes:

Well I have just finished watching all six episodes and (like everyone else who has commented) I am stunned. The production on all of them is top notch. The general public (and probably a lot of Dalek fans) do not know what they are missing. The BBC should sign you up to make these for television. I cannot wait for the next one! Keep up the good work.

Richard Dadd writes:

You really understand that 'Saturdayness' thing don't you? My letter box clattered Saturday morning with an exciting parcel. I'd actually been out at a gig Friday night and hadn't got home till about 3am but I still watched Genesis of Evil as soon as I knew it was there to be watched. Skaro looks so good in it, and the integration of Atom bomb footage works impressively. It all feels so grim and desolate when they come out and the nuclear wind is howling round the ruins. Oh and I laughed long and hard at your 'DALEK CHRISTMAS' video.

I think your direction in Power Play is particularly effective. The scene where the ship descends below the sand into the Dalek city, and the generally dark scariness of the submerged city all come across very well. I'm pacing myself with the rest of them (that's a good thing - I don't usually open my last Christmas present till Boxing Day!)So I'll tell you what I think as and when.

Overall, the Dalek Chronicles are brilliant. You should be very proud. Oh, and you've achieved something that nobody else has ever achieved: Dalek voices that ALWAYS synchronise with the lights. Even in the new series, the flashing is out sometimes. Give yourself a pat on the back.

RetroRobot writes:

These 'animated comic stories' are simply Tremendously Good Fun!

I come to this under a combination of fortunate circumstances:

I'm one who's lucky enough to have been a first-run viewer of the entire original Doctor Who series(a pathetic attempt to avoid saying "old"), from the Pilot story on, when they were shown on the Australian Broadcasting Commission's Channel 2 in the mid-60's. I was a mad-keen 'Despicable Dalek-Lover' from the get-go, too!

Of course even then I utilized Leading-Age, state-of-the-heart, 'Cerebral Graphix Inyerhead' psychology to make those wobbly, rattling, jiggling-wiggling studio props (conceptualized by Terry Nation; designed by Ray Cusick; and constructed by Bill Roberts) into vastly-Superior-mentality REAL Daleks – as y'do – and Still do! ("well yer forced-to, really").

I'm also privileged to be one who rediscovered my love of Daleks due to the ABC rebroadcasts of the surviving Doctor Who stories for the 40^th Anniversary year. In fact the delight of watching the first 3 original Dalek Adventures ('The Dead Planet Mutant Dals'*; 'The Darlack Inversion of Dirt'; and 'The Choice' [me – I Love it!]) inspired me to do a serious research project on Daleks in fandom and popular culture (which took nearly a year and only just concluded) during which I re-steeped myself in (tea &) DalekWhovian WebCulture**.

[* if you'd ever eaten at our local takeaway you'd know exactly what this is like!]

[** a sticky, penetrating growth that creeps horribly over the brain causing it to look like a low-budget combination of frock-coats, fluffy-hats, ruffles, striped-scarves, celery, multicoloured mould-patches, questionable insignia - and a touch of youthful enthusiasm]

Through all this I discovered things about Daleks; thinks about Daleks; and doings with Daleks you just wouldn't want to know about! Also very many such that you Would – e.g., A.V.'s Dalek Chronicles 'Conceptual Graphic Interpretation' versions of the original Century 21 Comics' Dalek stories.

The privileged position I mentioned at the start of this rave is one of being able to realistically relativize these works in comparison with the astoundingly wide range of amazingly good Amateur Creative Works visualizing Dr Who stories that are to be found on the net. Each one of these has its own original look and style and usually tell new tales, too. Stuart Palmer has done us the unique favour of translating original 60's graphic tales into what must surely be the next publishing Standard for Graphix Arts, the digitally animated comic book. And he's done this very well indeed!

Do Not Expect 'Professional/Commercial' Production Standards! (Don't expect to find them absent, either). This is a Labour of Love – a work of superb Amateur quality: i.e. that which is made to the best ability of an unpaid, tiny team of dedicated home workers, using domestic equipment to produce lovingly designed, painstakingly faithful and textually accurate visual reinterpretations of material that was not only wildly popular in its own time, but which also still reads well as Classic Comic stories today. I'd only just discovered and read most of the original story pages on websites dedicated to their preservation, promotion and sharing when I turned up a 'Dalek Links' reference to Stuart's (beautifully produced) Altered Vistas web pages. From the thoughtfulness and visual & conceptual quality of these screens I could instantly tell that I was on to a really good thing. Following those clear instructions allowed me to be in possession (of the Daleks) of the 1^st four 'AV' discs within a Fortnight of posting my blank discs to the UK from Australia!

Going by the enjoyable (and accurate) reviews on this site I knew almost exactly what to expect and was thrilled to find said expectations exactly met. The visual quality was all I'd hoped for. The animation style & technique ranges from effective to brilliant, showing a good eye for detail and layout – from the wonderful Standard Titles Sequence edit to the economical-yet-pleasing manipulations of single images and multiple combinations of elements.

Then there's the soundtrack (perhaps you should add some Soundbytes to your site, Stuart!?). There are, inevitably the (few) occasional audio problems... as an experienced Amateur sound-editor I can attest to just how tricky soundworks can be – more so than with visuals! …but, with one oft-mentioned (oh-well-too-bad) exception, these are competently dealt with and would be unnoticed by any but those with trained ears. ("sit! listen!") For the (very-much) greater part, the soundtrack is superb – not only the entirely-appropriate-to-comic-book-style of the voice acting (which easily attains so-called 'professional' standard on lots of occasions). but also the bloody-good musical scoring!

Not only are these themes quite 'un-amateurish' (small 'a' there) but the excellent Standard Title Theme never gets boring and would stand the test of time as the opener for an entire Season of Shows. These various (and original) soundscapes are used with exquisite appropriateness* throughout the (5) stories now available, imparting an excitement and freshness to what are really quite corny old pulp-sci-fi tales that lifts them up into a seriously believable narrative experience! [* something which too often could Not be said of the original series!]

I was often chortling with scurrilous delight at the scenes and antics of both Protagonists (or, in the case of Daleks, Antagonists) and Animator alike. A shameless revelry, wallowing in nostalgic Dalekness and home-made modern art (and artifice). And all for Free! (plus postage).

In short, AV's Dalek Chronicles project is an utterly worthy service to the history and pleasure of an underrated British Media Icon and which is not only typical of the authentic generosity of Who fandom in particular, but also an entirely worthwhile experience in general for those of us who are pleased by well-made Amateur Productions of all kinds the world over.

So there!

(Now, Stuart and friends – how can We help You?!)

Mark Davies writes:

The discs arrived today, so I just wanted to say thanks.

I've watched the first episode and the work is just astonishing. It's of such a high standard. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I'm flying away on holiday tomorrow, so I'll have to wait until I get back to watch the rest.

So, sincere thanks and congratulations on these great productions.

Craig Hinton writes:

I just wanted to say thank you! Quite apart from the prompt return of the disks (have you a transmat?) the content is better than I could have imagined. I sat and watched the first three last night with a look of awe and wonder on my face. It was like being a little kid again. When the Emperor appeared for the first time, I was punching the air (and then had to explain to my boyfriend how this Emperor was indeed the one from The Parting of the Ways without going into a full-on Dalek continuity debate!).

The whole thing is wonderfully done, from the music to the direction to the acting (Zolfian is just plain *evil*). And the quality of the CGI is superb. Kudos to everyone involved. I shall digest the others this evening when I get home - and then I'll be hassling you for the next installment!

Aaron J. Climas writes:

I am a fan from South Australia, and have just seen the first 5 episodes of the Dalek Chonicles. I didn't know about them until they were to given to me.

I am working to become a professional animator one day, so I can appreciate the amount of hard work that has been put into the project. And I think, for the most part, it has paid off.

It's great the way you have managed to cut between marcomedia and CGI so easily. My only question would be, are the characters created in Truespace or are they created using a separate program like poser or maya? (Poser - Stuart)

The only criticism I can offer is that for me I feel the Dalek voices are a little slow, and it would be nice if there was a bit more variation between them. I found that in the Zeg Dalek episode it almost became a little confusing as to who was who. No offence.

Keep up the good work!

Colin Gunn writes:

I got my discs this morning and am already on disc 3... they are F***ing brilliant, mate. What a tremendous job you have done. I don't want to miss a single production that you do.

Keep up the great work mate. You have a dedicated fan here.

Thanx again

Steve Swales writes:

Thanks to Stuart's work, The Dalek Chronicles have come back home after forty years to their original inspiration: the small screen.

Yet the Chronicles were never a mere "Doctor Who and Daleks minus the Doctor" spin-off serial. Shockingly, they provide a much more amoral perspective on this epitome of evil than is customary. Whereas each week in the television series the Daleks were invariably defeated (since evil could never be seen to triumph), in contrast in the Chronicles they usually make some net progress. Furthermore, the original strip allowed the Daleks to display a much wider gamut of traits than the one-dimensional Nazis they would later become on TV in the 1970s and 80s. That the same subtleties can be seen in the present computer generated work is a tribute to Stuart's skill.

Many of us probably grew restless as children during the "people bits" in Who, longing for the next Dalek scene. The grown-up writers however, tended to see the "Dalek-bits" as being a problem, with the oft quote complaint that "Daleks are boring conversationalists". Stuart has not only solved this problem by giving us a convincing Dalek–centric viewpoint, but no doubt finds having entire Dalek-only episodes actually facilitates the production techniques (humanoids being very difficult to animate).

It is intriguing to reflect back that had Terry Nation's proposed spin-off series ever been made, then more rounded Dalek characters such as those presented here would have been essential for its success. Stuart has finally provided us with an extremely convincing proof of concept.

Tony Kennedy writes:

All I can say with regards to the Chronicles as a complete whole so far is, US FANS HAVE NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD, great sound, excellent graphics, grand moments from my own child hood when reading the originals.

And I am introducing my son aged 5 to how I think the Daleks should appear: evil and menacing, but damned exciting.

Keep up the great work, Stuart, this is one family that's grateful to you.

Have you not thought about trying to get them broadcast on the SCI FI channel. I'm sure they would would bite your hand off to get such fine productions.

Looking forward to vol 7.

Stephen Bayes writes:

Have now watched all six parts of The Dalek Chronicles twice. AWESOME!! Having read the original strips when they were first published in TV21, it has always been one of my favourite Doctor Who related items.

The animation is incredible, bringing the whole strip alive. I'm really looking forward to future parts and other projects as well. 'Masters of Luxor' would be fantastic. Any other lost William Hartnell/Patrick Troughton scripts/stories would be a wonderful idea.

Thanks so much for sending me copies with such speed.Your sterling work is deeply appreciated.

Philip Morley writes:

Just got back from holiday and have just finished watching the productions. Quite frankly, I think the BBC should employ you to make it for TV, not feel frightened or threatened by it. I really do hope that you will adapt more comic stories.

Has anyone from the Terry Nation estate seen them? If so, what do they think of it? You've certainly done them proud! Well done, Sir!

Many Thanks

Keith Baldock-Grimes writes:

Firstly I have to say that the service offered in dubbing and returning discs is excellent and of the standard that one would expect to pay for. Friendly e-mails and incredibly prompt delivery are much appreciated and a credit to you.

I don't feel qualified to comment on the technical aspects of the discs but as a forty-odd year old lifelong fan of the Daleks I can see the care and enthusiasm that has gone into reproducing the chronicles. In my view the discs look great and I look forward to each new release with much anticipation. Just as in the Dalek Empire audios and even more recently in the new TV series these Daleks are back to being the force to be reckoned with which the Daleks were back in the sixties and not the watered down versions of later years.

The sixties atmosphere is captured beautifully, even down to the retro technology, for example the "Brain Machine" but it's nice to have the benefit of 21st Century graphics and production values.

Congratulations on a well presented, professional quality product. I'm very grateful that you are prepared to give us the opportunity to relive that Saturday teatime feeling - and for some people to experience it or the first time (My kids are two and four and they love them as much as I do). Keep up the good work - I'm dying to see what you've done with Children of the Revolution.

Thanks again - good luck with future productions.

Peter Christy writes:

Episode 5 was fun the magic bowl the lazy prince them swapping the real pentaray for a fake one plus the bit were the Dalek cowareded out and the animation was more smooth then in your last one. I give you 3/5 for that one

Episode 6 That was Amazing Dalek destroying each other blaming each other that they have the Virus most robots would try to find a cure and do it peacefully, Plus people say Daleks are emotionless but in your animations you've shown they do feel pain and enjoy thier victory.

I give you an Amazing 5/5 becaused it was so exciting.

Episode 7 Started off slow but got exciting when I seen those robots that they had they froze the Dalek and then trashed the Dalek city. Lip movement makes them more animated. Dalek do not think for themselves I thought while watching why don't one of them take over but no emperor is safe. I Give you a 5/5 for that one.

Gary E. Swift writes:

Thank you very much for the DVDs, that I received in good condition - no reflection on the postage system (ahem!) there.

I have just, last night, finished the complete collection of Dalek Chronicles.. I can only say - EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT!

You must have spent absolutely hours in the production of these episodes and I must salute you for your hard work and fantastic fine detail.. I was/am very impressed.

My son, another great fan of the Daleks, has not yet seen these discs; so I am awaiting to see his reaction to them (I'm sure he'll react the same) while watching them (another excuse for me to see them again).

Once again, many thanks, especially for the privilege of being able to relive these stories (as my original magazines have been lost over the years with consistent moving to different parts of country with my family in the earlier years) of my childhood.

I shall be visiting your website regularly for the latest updates, etc., that you may post. Also, I shall spread your website address to all those other Dalek fanatics out there!

Paul Davies writes:

I must thank you for the recent CDs you sent (Dalek Chronicles Vols 1-5) and congratulate you on a superb interpretation of the series. I must admit that the original artwork did create a specific 'atmosphere' and succeeded brilliantly within that format. However, to 're-imagine' the series as you have through your efforts has proved to be a stroke of genius. Some of the effects are truly professional and are better than some of the efforts on Terrestrial television. Well done. I know the amount of effort you must have put in (I have an audio-visual aids/computing background and know of the complexities and how time-consuming it can be) but I also know that this would be a 'labour of love'. Still, congratulations are in order.

Lindsay Blackwood writes:

Just a line to say thanks again for the latest instalments which I received Friday last. Just got to say absolutely superb. It is really great to see these stories in this way. The Dalek voices are truly spine tingling. Thanks again.

Matthew Boult writes:

Thanks again for making the copies for me - and so quickly! My apologies for not getting back to you sooner with my comments.

I have happy memories of reading the TV 21 Dalek comic strip back in the '60s, and was always impressed by the alternative Dalek universe it portrayed, where BBC budgets and the Doctor didn't stand in the way of the Daleks. The Golden Emperor was an outstanding creation, and made the strip quite distinct from the TV show. I've often wondered what it would be like to see an animated version and was delighted to see you have undertaken this.

What you have done is amazing. You've succeeded in bringing The Dalek Chronicles to life. You've captured the essence of the strip and have produced some excellent graphics, and animations. Camera zooming and movement are extremely good and add visual impact. Likewise the transitions from one scene to the next, particularly the one through the 'eye' of the Emperor.

The Daleks' city with its lifts, walk-ways ('glide-ways'?!) and instrument panels are impressive and the Emperor looks superb.

As well as the visual experience, the sound effects and music are brilliant. When the red Dalek is pursuing the Emperor into a building, you can hear this with the changed acoustics. That's a nice touch.

The format is very good - the moving TV21 logo, then some action, followed by pictures from the strip set to rousing music. And I mustn't forget the extras - that Dalek Xmas song was really, really bad, and you've put some very funny graphics with it.

There are just a couple of things I would change. I think the Emperor could benefit from having a more distinctive voice to differentiate it even more from the other Daleks. Also, the human figures are quite acceptable without animation, as in the first episode. Compared with the Daleks, their movements can look a little ungainly, which is not surprising, because it must be so incredibly difficult to animate them.

So, well done. I look forward to watching the other episodes, and maybe in time, seeing this developed into a TV series.

Thanks again, and all the best with this project.

Zbigniew Hierowski writes:

Thanks for the swift turnaround in sending back the disks.

I have now watched all of them and though that they were great.

The animations improve in quality as the series progresses and the storylines are engaging.

I look forward to any more you produce.

Ken “I think I’m in love with the voice of Anne Lister’ Grundy writes:

Today I received productions AV05, 6 & 7. I intended to wait a week to watch them with a fellow fan, but this afternoon I gave in.

My personal preference is for sci-fi stories which don't feature humanoids; nevertheless I have to say that Stuart is getting better at animating these, and their clothing, all the time. By Menace he's mastered lip (and tongue) synchronisation, which has to be very difficult. I'm particularly impressed by the detail of backgrounds, for example the mountains of Skaro, Solturis' trees and bodies of water. My father has recently become a computer buff/internet nerd, using Nero to add titles and captions to family cine films and videos he's transferring to CD; I'll be showing him Stuart's disks as an example of what can be done with the software.

It's interesting to note how the Emperor is still finding a reason to fly elsewhere before the shooting starts, and the Black Dalek doesn't hang about while his two subordinates are trying to prevent an explosion. Come to think of it, for rational, logical beings they ALL seem prone to panic!

And Davros DOES appear in Duel of the Daleks; Zeg and the Emperor seem to have driven him up the wall…

Alan Boyd writes:

Thanx for burning the 3 discs - they were waiting for me when I got home.

Put one in for a quick peek which was a big mistake cos I just had to watch the whole damn thing through, it was so cool - to hell with making the dinner I said to myself, though strangely Glynnis had a different view upon coming home! (lol)

Apart from being a really classy production, some neat touches didn't go by unnoticed such as the Hartnell Dalek ship humming (you beat the 9th Dr to the punch there) and your very own Dalek voice sign-off.

As I produce stuff myself, I appreciate and know all about the effort that goes into this sort of thing and so I'm really looking forward to seeing the others in the series and have a feeling that I'll be asking for the remaining Chronicles in the near future if you are happy to dub them for me.

Anyway, thanx again.

Charles J. Geers writes:

I have just watched the first three episodes(I have all of them) and wanted to drop you a line congratulations you on such a great achievement!

I expected basically still pictures with little movement, like those old Marvel Superhero cartoons from the sixties. What I got was wonderful animation and great direction. This continues to fuel my high opinion of Doctor Who fans as a creative force. Keep up the excellent work, PLEASE!

Alan Wright writes:

Just wanna say that the discs arrived safe and sound, and so far are brilliant. My eleven year old and I are loving every minute of them. Thanks ever so much for such a quick return.

Lindsay Blackwood writes:

Just a line to say thanks again for the latest instalments which I received Friday last.

Just got to say absolutely superb. It is really great to see these stories in this way. The Dalek voices are truly spine tingling. Thanks again.

Frank Whiteley writes:

Once again I really enjoyed the last two episodes of your 'Dalek Chronicles' series [Duel of the Daleks and The Amaryll Challenge].

These were a lot smoother and much more animated than the first two. I think the reason why I liked these so much was the fact that they were just Dalek stories, with no humanoids in sight. As for the plant race with their 'hissy' voices, these worthy opponents of the Daleks fondly reminded me of classic TV Doctor Who monsters.

Matthew Ridge writes:

The package came on Wednesday, I am able to say the discs arrived safely. Since then I have watched through them all once. True to what people have said, your work has improved, especially in the area of humanoid movement, which includes The Pentaray Factor and The Menace of the Monstrons. My favourite stories are the ones featuring all Daleks, basically Duel of the Daleks and Plague of Death.

One downside I have to mention is the tendency to over animate some scenes, while neglecting others and repetitive animation (to a lesser extent) such as the scene in Power Play where the Emperor and another Dalek appear to 'dance' back and forth as they discuss their plans in the scanner room. I also think that the Flash animation should not be used a lot as the quality is not as good as the CGI animations. This I assume was used a lot in Plague of Death.

Apart from the odd criticism, the work is of excellent standard and I look forward to more of the productions including Children of the Revolution.

Porl Cooper writes:

What can I say??? Wow!! I’m just completely blown away man!! I haven’t watched them all yet but what I have seen looks absolutely top notch - miles better than anything I was expecting!!

So just wanted to say thanks - looking forward to Children of the Revolution, and the Mechanoids!!

And please don’t stop doing what your doing cos it’s superb - quite a talent!

Anthony Rooney writes:

Many thanks for the three Dalek Chronicles, which I received in the post this morning. The timing could not have been better since both myself and my son are suffering with the flu at the moment, and these stories really cheered us up. All three of the stories were stunning but Duel of the Daleks was our favourite, with it being played four times in one day! Oh, and I loved the incidental music on Menace of the Monstrons, it reminded me a lot of the soundtrack to a 1960's German Sci-Fi series called Raumpatrouille. Great stuff! Anyway, from my seven year-old son and myself, thanks for putting a smile on our faces.

Stephen and Tara write:

Well, the first of the ‘Chronicles’ arrived today. And to be honest - well, I don't know what to say. They are truly AWESOME - I was NOT expecting anything so good.

"Good?" an understatement or what?

TRULY AMAZING!

(Well done!)

Thank you SO much Stuart. You've made me very happy!

Oh well, this is only a quickie for now, and it's simply to say - (here I go again) - THANK YOU!

Pat Bryars writes:

Received the discs you copied for me and I just had to drop you a quick note to say how superb the ones I have watched so far are. You seem to be getting consistently good performances from your actors and the pictures/animation are superb - a real tribute to their TV21 source material.

Keep up the good work.

Nick Scovell writes:

Just wanted to drop you a line to say how much I enjoyed your films. I recently got Menace of the Monstrons, Duel of the Daleks and Children of the Revolution from you. Very enjoyable and dramatic.

All the best and looking forward to Eve of the War!

Paul Gardner writes:

Thanks for the discs, which arrived this morning, and I have already watched the first three! I think you have done a superb job and that your confidence has grown over the complete set. (I cheated and took a quick look at the later ones).

I thought your Dalek voices were tip top! I always think it’s one of the hardest things to do.

Mark Scott writes:

Firstly, thanks for your brilliant productions. You sent me all nine at once, and I watched them all over a few days, culminating in the utterly fantastic Children of the Revolution (although Duel of the Daleks and Plague of Death are worthy runner ups).

After reading your Daleks in the Comics article I decided to pick up some of the more interesting ones, and soon found myself owner of the wonderful Dalek Book 1965 and Dalek World 1966.

Incidentally, I know it's a looong way off, but Return of Elders should count as Dalek Chronicles. And don't forget to do the Abslom Daak: Dalek Killer strips! Actually, you could fill the next few decades making all these great comics! Nevertheless, keep up the good work, and I can't wait till Eve of the War.

Martin Hearn writes:

Thanks very much for my discs of the first four instalments of the Dalek Chronicles which arrived today.

ABSOLUTELY MARVELLOUS! Have just watched all four back-to-back and they were just brilliant! Has Mr Spielberg given you a call yet? (should have done!)

Rest assured that I DEFINITELY want to place an order for the other currently available instalments and look forward to Eve of the War which was a favourite of mine from when I first encountered the Dalek strips in the 1976 Typhoo Tea tie-in book The Amazing World of Doctor Who which featured a reprint of that particular strip.

Jason Brooks writes:

Just wanted to say thank you for the CDs. The quality was nothing short of amazing, I am so impressed at the high standards you have set for this type of production. Apart from taking me back to my youth watching the various Gerry Anderson shows, they also managed to keep my young nephews enthralled, no mean feat in these days of multi channel kids TV.

Roger Simpson writes:

I ordered productions AV01-AV07 from you last year and after viewing them wish to report that I consider their standard to be truly amazing. I was impressed with the increasing complexity and sophistication of succeeding productions and sound tracks. In particularly, the lip-sync work in Episode Seven adds a whole new dimension to the viewing experience.

Please keep up the good work.

Dean writes:

Woooooooooooow ! Stuart... you must know wot I'm gonna say !... The Dalek Chronicles VCD's are awesome matey... I'm surprised that some bright spark at the Beeb ain’t seen them and asked for them to be included on some of the doc/dalek dvd releases... They are that good in my humble opinion ! ;-)... Well done, the extras you've put on the discs are great too... I'm just amazed at the great quality. Fan stuff can be a little erm... how can I put it... self indulgent at the best of times... but your's are brilliant... plus most of the vcd's I have had in the past have been pretty cack! Anyway hopefully you're getting the drift I am impressed...

Stuart, once again well done, I'll def send you some more cd's for the rest of your ep's and thanks again for the vcd's they are ace!

Kevin Western writes:

Just to say thank you very much for The Dalek Chronicles, I was very impressed, by what I have seen so far.

It must take a very dedicated person to do what you have done.

Keep up the good work.