MacMantis
Active Member
So on a whim I grabbed the new Argos (For non UK'ers, Catalog shop, sells most everything except consumables) catalog and immediately flipped to the toy section. In addition to some more Nerf guns (but sadly no longer The Maverick) I noticed they had listed some of the new Doctor Who character option products for 2009. The ones that immediately thrust themselves out at me were:
The Future Sonic Screwdriver
Jack's Vortex Manipulator
The Journal of Impossible things.
The Future-Driver and the Journal were in stock. The Vortex Manipulator, sadly not. In a new record for Argos, I paid, collected, and was out in under 5 minutes, proudly clutching it whilst my wife walked a few paces behind, probably shaking her head and wondering if people automatically assumed I was with her.
Once home I did what anyone would do. I started photographing it for the RPF. Now I sit, I gather my thoughts, and I post some pictures. I apologize if you consider the quality of the pictures poor. My camera and technique are not the best. Particularly when I'm rushing.
A few quick details from the box:
78 Printed pages
Leather Style Cover
21 Blank Pages for you to fill (if anyone takes a pen to mine, I will shoot them)
Includes: Sonic Screwdriver with Blue LED and Black Ink Pen.
The first thing to say is this is not a life-size replica. If we look at a screengrab we can see that the original book was quite large. The Character options version, shipped with Mini Sonic Screwdriver is decidedly not. It is what you would call child sized. I took pictures with the mini-driver, the original CO Screwdriver, and a ruler for some sort of scale. For the Price and the fact it's markete as a toy, the build quality is quite good. The 'leather effect' cover is certainly not the worst I've seen on a mass produced toy, and whilst small it does have a nice feel to it. Although naturally, fresh out the pack, it stinks of chemicals. Undo the binding and inside the you get the weave of fake leather, somewhat sad there isn't a lining, but again this is a toy. The Paper quality is nice. Not as thick as it could be, but also not terribly thing. The Print quality is high and clearly they took the sensible option of just scanning the original prop. All the pages seen on screen are there and many many more, I shall make myself a nice hot mug of tea once this is done, sit down and read the book. One thing that shines through, even in this cheap replica, is the care and quality put into the original. It looks and reads like the scattered dreams and 'memories' of someone, written partially in haste and also with some degree of confusion. Of course the now infamous double page spread of the previous Doctors is there in all it's glory. Full credit to the artist Kellyanne Walker, and of course to Paul Cornell who provided text for the book.
I have taken numerous other pictures of the pages, and a few other scale shots. These will be added to this post with an edit.
I don't know if there any plans to do a 'collectors edition' version of the Journal. A more accurate replica in a real leather cover with a heavier pressed paper type. If nothing else this book will alow replica prop makers to fashion their own, providing as it does excellent quality images and reproduction of the pages themselves. Despite the scale being off, all the information is now there for the taking. I intend to pick up a second copy at some point for that exact purpose (for I don't think scanning the pages will work without dismantling the book. It's not terribly keen on staying open, hence the occasional use of a screwdriver or my own hideous digits to keep the pages open enough to take pictures).
On a last note you get with this a Mini Sonic Screwdriver. It is considerably smaller than the CO standard edition as can be seen. How it compares to the on screen prop... who can say. I guess at some point in the future we will have a high end replica to compare it with. It has a button, the light is quite bright, and I'm sure as a moderately robust one-piece it will find favor with playground hi-jinks and some costumers who don't want the larger 'driver ruining the lining of their 10th Doctor Suit.
Additional Pictures of Pages:
The memory of Rose
Slitheen, The Doctors Sketch of Joan Redfurn
The other side, and more Slitheen
Self Portrait
Good old Will.
Bigger on the inside...
Clockwork men from the future...
Why is the watch so important?
Who looks at a screwdriver and goes 'oooh, this needs to be more sonic-y'...
Additional Pictures for Scale:
Open...
... and Closed
The Future Sonic Screwdriver
Jack's Vortex Manipulator
The Journal of Impossible things.
The Future-Driver and the Journal were in stock. The Vortex Manipulator, sadly not. In a new record for Argos, I paid, collected, and was out in under 5 minutes, proudly clutching it whilst my wife walked a few paces behind, probably shaking her head and wondering if people automatically assumed I was with her.
Once home I did what anyone would do. I started photographing it for the RPF. Now I sit, I gather my thoughts, and I post some pictures. I apologize if you consider the quality of the pictures poor. My camera and technique are not the best. Particularly when I'm rushing.
A few quick details from the box:
78 Printed pages
Leather Style Cover
21 Blank Pages for you to fill (if anyone takes a pen to mine, I will shoot them)
Includes: Sonic Screwdriver with Blue LED and Black Ink Pen.
The first thing to say is this is not a life-size replica. If we look at a screengrab we can see that the original book was quite large. The Character options version, shipped with Mini Sonic Screwdriver is decidedly not. It is what you would call child sized. I took pictures with the mini-driver, the original CO Screwdriver, and a ruler for some sort of scale. For the Price and the fact it's markete as a toy, the build quality is quite good. The 'leather effect' cover is certainly not the worst I've seen on a mass produced toy, and whilst small it does have a nice feel to it. Although naturally, fresh out the pack, it stinks of chemicals. Undo the binding and inside the you get the weave of fake leather, somewhat sad there isn't a lining, but again this is a toy. The Paper quality is nice. Not as thick as it could be, but also not terribly thing. The Print quality is high and clearly they took the sensible option of just scanning the original prop. All the pages seen on screen are there and many many more, I shall make myself a nice hot mug of tea once this is done, sit down and read the book. One thing that shines through, even in this cheap replica, is the care and quality put into the original. It looks and reads like the scattered dreams and 'memories' of someone, written partially in haste and also with some degree of confusion. Of course the now infamous double page spread of the previous Doctors is there in all it's glory. Full credit to the artist Kellyanne Walker, and of course to Paul Cornell who provided text for the book.
I have taken numerous other pictures of the pages, and a few other scale shots. These will be added to this post with an edit.
I don't know if there any plans to do a 'collectors edition' version of the Journal. A more accurate replica in a real leather cover with a heavier pressed paper type. If nothing else this book will alow replica prop makers to fashion their own, providing as it does excellent quality images and reproduction of the pages themselves. Despite the scale being off, all the information is now there for the taking. I intend to pick up a second copy at some point for that exact purpose (for I don't think scanning the pages will work without dismantling the book. It's not terribly keen on staying open, hence the occasional use of a screwdriver or my own hideous digits to keep the pages open enough to take pictures).
On a last note you get with this a Mini Sonic Screwdriver. It is considerably smaller than the CO standard edition as can be seen. How it compares to the on screen prop... who can say. I guess at some point in the future we will have a high end replica to compare it with. It has a button, the light is quite bright, and I'm sure as a moderately robust one-piece it will find favor with playground hi-jinks and some costumers who don't want the larger 'driver ruining the lining of their 10th Doctor Suit.
Additional Pictures of Pages:
The memory of Rose
Slitheen, The Doctors Sketch of Joan Redfurn
The other side, and more Slitheen
Self Portrait
Good old Will.
Bigger on the inside...
Clockwork men from the future...
Why is the watch so important?
Who looks at a screwdriver and goes 'oooh, this needs to be more sonic-y'...
Additional Pictures for Scale:
Open...
... and Closed
Last edited:
