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If you grew up in the '60s or '70s you might remember the Dalek Chronicles comic strip, either in its original run in TV21 magazine or (as I saw them) in later reprints. Written very early in Doctor Who's run, the strip established a continuity about Dalek origins that consistent with what had been alluded to in the first Dalek serial, although it was later rendered non-canonical by Genesis of the Daleks. It also followed the original depiction of the Daleks as having a somewhat wider emotional range and even degree of personality than the near-automatons they later became - although New Who reversed this to an extent.
Well, if you liked The Dalek Chronicles you'll probably love Second Empire, an amazing fan-produced CGI comic strip of some seven hundred pages that gloriously hearkens back to the old comic's design aesthetic and approach. The author/illustrator - who goes by the name MechMaster - clearly has immense enthusiasm and affection for the subject, beautifully capturing the aesthetic of not just the original strip but other classic comic-strip sf of the era such as The Trigan Empire.
Second Empire is set in a continuity of its own, neither that of The Dalek Chronicles nor of Classic or New Who. These Daleks are far more human in their behaviour - they even have names - and the strip at times heads into outright parody and humour. But it's also well-written, chock-full of references, and features an amazing gamut of Dalek designs based on everything ever seen in comics or on TV (or in some cases, only in early concept art). I actually think MechMaster's rendering of the basic Dalek design is perhaps the most convincing-looking I've seen, even more so than the more realistically-rugged redesign done for New Who. (The less said of the godawful New Paradigm Daleks the better, and Second Empire even gets in a joke at their expense.)
I came across Second Empire looking for comments on a rather different Dalek-related spin-off I'm planning to review. Second Empire could hardly contrast more in tone with I, Davros but it certainly pleased my inner 9-year-old, whilst giving the actual 45-year-old me some good chuckles of recognition.
Well, if you liked The Dalek Chronicles you'll probably love Second Empire, an amazing fan-produced CGI comic strip of some seven hundred pages that gloriously hearkens back to the old comic's design aesthetic and approach. The author/illustrator - who goes by the name MechMaster - clearly has immense enthusiasm and affection for the subject, beautifully capturing the aesthetic of not just the original strip but other classic comic-strip sf of the era such as The Trigan Empire.
Second Empire is set in a continuity of its own, neither that of The Dalek Chronicles nor of Classic or New Who. These Daleks are far more human in their behaviour - they even have names - and the strip at times heads into outright parody and humour. But it's also well-written, chock-full of references, and features an amazing gamut of Dalek designs based on everything ever seen in comics or on TV (or in some cases, only in early concept art). I actually think MechMaster's rendering of the basic Dalek design is perhaps the most convincing-looking I've seen, even more so than the more realistically-rugged redesign done for New Who. (The less said of the godawful New Paradigm Daleks the better, and Second Empire even gets in a joke at their expense.)
I came across Second Empire looking for comments on a rather different Dalek-related spin-off I'm planning to review. Second Empire could hardly contrast more in tone with I, Davros but it certainly pleased my inner 9-year-old, whilst giving the actual 45-year-old me some good chuckles of recognition.
