The Faces of Time
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Faces of Time |
| Publisher: | Permanent Press/Dawnseeker Press |
| Editor(s): | Mary D. Bloemker |
| Date(s): | 1981-1984 |
| Series?: | |
| Medium: | print zine |
| Size: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | Doctor Who |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Faces of Time is a gen Doctor Who anthology.
It has one Special Edition, The Pawn of Leptos.
Issue 1
The Faces of Time 1 was published in May 1981 and is 88 pages long. Art by Connie Faddis (front and back cover, interior), Stephanie Hawks, Deb Walsh, Lenore Dunlop, and Mary Bloemker.
From the editorial:
I realize that some among you may think is presumptious [sic] of us upstart Yanks to publish a DOCTOR WHO fanzine. After all, the most devoted of us American DW fans have been exposed to maybe half the aired Tom Baker series and a smattering of Jon Pertwee episodes—if we're lucky—all judiciously edited for our viewing pleasure. (Let's hear a rousing chorus of Bronx cheers for judicious editing!!) We don't quite have the cultural advantage of this TV show that is probably older than half the population of the North American continent (unless you want to count Captain Kangaroo and/or Walt Disney in its various incarnations, but compared to DOCTOR WHO, neither the Captain or Disney count for much. Sorry about that, Cap, Walt...). Please to consider that our heart is in the right place, fellas. And I would hope that the following pages are ample proof of that claim. It's our own special way of paying homage to a innocuous little TV show that has tweaked our imaginations and tickled our funny bone; material evidence that imaginations thus tweaked and funny bones thus tickled do not shut down after thirty or sixty minutes (as most major TV networks would prefer to believe). We proffer many thanks to Terrance Dicks, a gracious and terribly charming man who sincerely surprised us by turning out to be a bigger fan than any three of us combined. Terrance, you make us proud to be DOCTOR WHO fans—thank you. Thanks also to our wonderful contributors. On the surface, it may sound a bit redundant to say that without them, there would be no zine, but when I say that, I mean that they, every one, contributed much more than just something to fill up the space between covers. Connie, Stephanie, Peter, Sue,# Deb, Lenore, Ruth— am I being unnecessarily pedantic when I say that each of you contributed a little part of yourselves as well? And, speaking of indispensable moral support, thanks must also go to ORAC, Jr., without whose self-correcting feature and interchangeable elements I would have never even considered putting together an effort on this scale. Much less survived the effort. And to the most important contributors to this zine, my special thanks. Pat, Liz, Mary, Terri, who can collate and staple with wild abandon on occasional refills of Tab (I wish I had a car that was as inexpensive to maintain); to Nellie, who already knows how indispensible [sic] she was (one of these days, I shall show my gratitude by treating her to a tankful of high octane); and to Deb, whom we have to thank for not getting stuck with mucho Aesthetic White Spaces. Maybe I should mention the kitchen table while I'm at it. No joke, either — when its day finally comes, we'll probably have that table bronzed in appreciation of services rendered...
A scarf origin story from "Terrance Dicks' Tales of the Unexpected: The Scarf":
TD: Once it was decided what the Doctor's costume would basically look like, the BBC chose this woman, who made her living by knitting, to make a scarf for the Doctor. That was all she was told to do, just make a scarf. Nobody gave her any instruction on precisely how to make it. Nobody thought to do that. So the BBC just sent her a lot of yarn in different colors, enough to make a decent-sized scarf, plus about twice as much more than she would need, in case there was a problem, you see. But no one told her it was extra, so what happened was that she just knit and knit and knit. Eventually we received at the BBC this package with our Doctor Who scarf. We opened it, and Tom put it on, and the thing fell around his ankles. And Tom is quite tall! We thought this was so marvelous that we decided to go with it.
- Interview With Terrance Dicks by Peter A. David (2)
- The Runaway by Ruth Berman (20)
- Terrance Dicks' Tales of the Unexpected: The Blooper (22)
- Hail and Farewell by Mary D. Bloemker (23)
- Terrance Dicks' Tales of the Unexpected: The Scarf (29) (a scarf origin story)
- The Cathedral Affair by Sue Brundige (30)
- Terrance Dicks' Tales of the Unexpected: Modesty (50)
- Doctor Who and The Four Doctors by Peter A. David (52)
- Terrance Dicks' Tales of the Unexpected: The Pen Name (88)
- a pullout poster: A Life in the Life of a Time Lord by Mary B. Bloemker
from issue #1, Stephanie Hawks
from issue #1, Connie Faddis
from issue #1, Deb Walsh
from issue #1, Stephanie Hawks
from issue #1, Mary B. Bloemker
from issue #1, Deb Walsh
from issue #1, pull-out poster by Mary B. Bloemker -- "To remove, cut along dotted line. "
from issue #1, sample text
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1
Contains a good and fairly lengthy interview with Terrance Dicks, some anecdotes including one on how the scarf came to be so long.
Three short stories and one long story (featuring four Doctors) and poetry.
Contains some good artwork. This is a quality zine and well worth the price. [2]
Issue 2
The Faces of Time 2 was published in July 1982 and is 42 pages long. It includes a pull-out poster: The Faces of Time II by Deb Walsh. The other art is by Mary D. Bloemker and Steven Eramo.
Excerpt from "In a Glass Lightly" (RPF)
It had been most satisfying. He'd finished his last scene, walked over to one side and saw Peter step into his outfit. He only hoped that the younger man knew what he was getting into. He had tried to talk to him later, in the BBC bar, but the noise level was so bad that he didn't think he'd been heard. Well, experience would be the best teacher after all. It was the end of a long run. His fiancee was out of town for a couple of days, so he'd gone to the Fox and Hounds where the conversation had been spirited. Now the landlord had called time and he was walking home through the streets of Soho.
With visibility narrowed to inches, he nearly bumped into the box that was standing on the street corner. He stopped and looked closely at it. Even through the fog he could see the letters "POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX . He frowned at it. There was nothing in the script that called for exte rior shots of the TARDIS on a London street. Even if they had needed such a shot, this was certainly not a night for filming. Real fog was uncontrollable; studio fog was not. Standing by the box, he peered through the fog hoping to see signs of crew or equipment. Either nothing was there — or the fog was too thick.
- In a Glass Lightly by Jean Airey (RPF, the night Tom Baker hands the role over to Peter Davison is the night Baker becomes the actual Doctor.) (1)
- Oh, Sarah by Erika Rauscher (9)
- Companions of the Past: Jamie McCrimmon by Mary Fall (11)
- The Reason by Linda Lanzi (13)
- Close Encounters... Some Other Time by Linda Terrell (crossover with The Avengers) (15)
- Harry by Christy Reynolds (21)
- Reverie by Lenore Dunlop (23)
- Doctor Who Major Arcana Tarot Design Portfolio by M.D. Bloemker (25)
- The Fool (Tom Baker)
- The Magician (Jon Pertwee)
- The High Priestess (Lalla Ward)
- The Empress (Elizabeth Sladen)
- Strength (Louise Jameson)
- The Devil (Roger Delgado)
- The Star (Matthew Waterhouse)
- Judgement (Patrick Troughton)
- Conflict by Rob St. John (34)
from issue #2, Mary D. Bloemker
from issue #2, Steven Eramo
from issue #2, Mary D. Bloemker
from issue #2, centerfold by Deb Walsh
from issue #2, from the Tarot Portfolio, Mary D. Bloemker
from issue #2, from the Tarot Portfolio, Mary D. Bloemker
from issue #2, from the Tarot Portfolio, Mary D. Bloemker
from issue #2, from the Tarot Portfolio, Mary D. Bloemker
from issue #2, from the Tarot Portfolio, Mary D. Bloemker
from issue #2, from the Tarot Portfolio, Mary D. Bloemker
from issue #2, from the Tarot Portfolio, Mary D. Bloemker
from issue #2, from the Tarot Portfolio, Mary D. Bloemker
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2
FOT2 stares at you with one of Mary Bloemker's beautiful covers of Baker as the Doctor. His Cheshire cat grin and mischievous eyes should melt any fan's heart. This rendition of Baker's face is an excellent demonstration of the contradiction in his features. There's a story in thish ("Close Encounters . . . Some Other Time," by Linda Terrell) that describes his face in a few well-chosen words: "There wasn't one part of it which could stand alone as even passably good-looking," yet the author concludes that the effect, as a whole, in quite attractive. Exactly. (Although, judging from a recent RS episode in which he appeared, Baker is not taking care of himself too well.) "In a Glass, Lightly," by Jean Airey, takes a rather old idea (the real Tom Baker is transported to the real Gallifrey) and doesn't do anything new with it. It largely consists of Baker trying to convince his Gallifreyan captor, Castellan Andred, that he isn't the real Doctor. He is unsuccessful and agrees reluctantly to help rescue a pregnant Leela from the Carvans. There are some good incidental bits here, like Baker's good wishes to Peter Davison as he takes on the role of the Doctor. Then there are Baker's amusing reactions and expectations when confronted with the real crazy universe he's been playacting on a TV series. ("Are you sure you're not a fan? That's the kind of thing they come up with.") But it's too sketchy overall. One of the most interesting pieces here is an all-too-short article, "Jamie McCrimmon," by Mary Fall, about the Doctor's longest-running companion, who appeared during Patrick Trough ton's run. American viewers have never seen the character, and Fall's handily written summary is a good demonstration of British TV's outrageously unpredictable treatment of its regular characters. Deborah Walsh's illo of Troughton and his various companions is a tour de force. "The Reason," by Linda Lanzi, is a lovely little poem told by Baker as the Doctor, explaining why he hops all over the galaxy. "Close Encounters . . . Some Other Time," by Linda Terrell, is a pleasant DW/Avengers crossover. Mrs. Peel, whom Terrell characterizes remarkably well in just a few short pages, almost has a collision with the TARDIS on the highway. The biggest problem here is that a switch in point of view, from the Doctor to Mrs. Peel, mid-way through the story serves only to distract. The editor should have caught this flub. Another of Bloemker's stunning Baker/Doctor illos graces the story. "Harry," by Christy Reynolds, is an amusing story-poem in whteh the miversally underestimated companion defends himself by explaining, "I'm not really an idiot, you know.""Reverie," by Lenore Dunlop, is a rather nondescript piece in which Sarah is apparently abandoned by the Doctor, thinks gushy, terrified thoughts, and winds up not being abandoned after AU. Bloemker's fllos, especially her Sarah, complement the vignette. An impressive pull-out poster, by Deborah Walsh, a melange of the Doctor and various companions is the second most striking art offering thish (although I am getting tired of the stipple style). The most striking is a portfolio, by Bloemker, of Baker, Pertwee, Roman, Sarah, Leela, the Master, Adric, Troughton, Jamie MeCrimmon, and Zoe as various Tarot figures in the Major Arcana. Quite a lovely compilation. "Conflict," by Rob St. John, is a fascinating story about two Gallifreyan students who steal away on a TARDIS and learn the value of non-interference with another culture the hard way. I like entertaining stories like this with an ethical message. The ending is the most interesting, as I believe it's the origin of the Doctor. The cat-like aliens that the two encounter are a nice, alien creation. I think that, for the price, FOT2 should have been a bit longer, but it does have a lot of DW fandom 's finest art. Not a bad buy. [3]
Issue 3
The Faces of Time 3 was published in March 1983 and contains 90 pages. The subtitle on the cover is: "A New Body at Last."
The art includes two pull-out pages (posters). The art is by Mary D. Bloemker, Cheryl Duval, C.R. Faddis (front cover), Stephanie Hawks, Carol McPherson, Erika Raushcer, Robert St. John (art and EARTHSHOCK! poster), and Deb Walsh (art and TRANSITIONS poster, plus back cover).
[The editorial]:
As originally conceived, this issue of THE FACES OF TIME was to be a kind of episode guide/art portfolio devoted to the trio of episodes THE KEEPER OF TRAKEN, LOGOPOLIS and CASTROVALVA. At the time, we had only seen the first two, when they 'premiered' at the Panopticon West '81 convention in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Peter Davison had not even officially started filming as the new Doctor, so, understandably, the idea was sketchy at the time, taking nearly a year and a half to grow and eventually coalesce into the zine which you hold in your hand even now. As will become evident, the original concept, as proposed by Connie Faddis and fueled by the creative input of Stefanie Hawks, underwent a number of changes. Most of this was due to those special people who make up the contributing author and artist roster of this issue. Each in their own way helped to crystallize the theme of this issue, and they did that by contributing their ideas in the form of artwork and stories which they felt tied into the theme as explained to them.
I should like to explain one small thing for the benefit of those who have not yet been able to see even THE KEEPER OF TRAKEN and LOGOPOLIS, let alone CASTROVALVA and EARTHSHOCK. The theme of this issue, "A New Body — At Last!" is a sigh of relief voiced by the Master upon successfully regenerating (if that is what it could be truly called) into a new body. I say this only to remind the reader that the Doctor was not the only Time Lord to change appearance in recent times, and as you read through these pages, you will notice that our contributors have given the Master his full due. For what would THE KEEPER OF TRAKEN, LOGOPOLIS and CASTROVALVA have been without his dastardly machinations? Dull, indeed!
My thanks to Connie and Stefanie for building such a solid base, and for contributing such beautiful artwork to the effort; to each and every author represented herein for responding so positively to the summons; to each and every artist for their uncanny ability to bring to life just want was wanted; to Jean Airey and Carol McPherson especially, for a Great Dilemma would have never been solved without their help in providing PMT's for the more complicated artwork; to Deb Walsh for providing numerous sketches on short notice just to make the episode synopses a little more interesting to look at; to Mary Fall and The Little Blue Bug, (aka Nellie, otherwise known as The Zinemobile) without whose aid this zine would still be sitting in boxes at the printers.
Thanks to you, too—you're the most important one of all!
- Faces of Time, poem by Patrice Heyes, art by Mary Bloemker (1)
- Episode Synopsis and Art Portfolio (printed on thicker paper)
- The Keeper Of Traken by Laurie Haldeman (7)
- Logopolis by Robert St. John (17)
- Castrovalva by Mary A. Fall (28)
- Earthshock by Mary A. Fall (33)
- Orphans Of The Vortex Art Portfolio by Deb Walsh
- Adric (38A)
- Nyssa (38B)
- Tegan (38C)
- The Doctor (38D)
- View From The Bridge by Jackie Paciello--What did the Watcher tell the Doctor when they met in "Logopolis"? (39)
- The Omen, poem by Ruth Berman (43)
- Aftermath by Jean Airey (44)--After the break-in at the Pharos Project, somebody had to write up the report...
- I am the Master, filk by Erika Rauscher (46)
- Nexus At Pharos by Connie Faddis--The Master's viewpoint on the end of "Logopolis". (47)
- Instant Replay by Jan Lindner--Romana gives the Fourth Doctor a new lease on life. (53)
- Triumvirate by Robert St. John--The Master has a run-in with the Megara. (57)
- Aftershock by Kathryn Yount--The Doctor must watch Adric die. (67)
- Life Begins, poem by by Kathryn Yount (68)
- In Memoriam by Janet Ellicott--The Doctor tells Nyssa about the experiences that caused him to flee Gallifrey. (69)
- Reflections, poem by by Kathryn Yount (79)
- Adric, poem by Deb Walsh (81)
- Stranger at the Door by Deb Walsh--In his final regeneration, the Doctor has a bittersweet encounter with an older Jamie McCrimmon. (82)
from issue #3, Stefanie Hawks
from issue #3, one of the Doctors thus far, Mary D. Bloemker
from issue #3, one of the Doctors thus far, Mary D. Bloemker
from issue #3, one of the Doctors thus far, Mary D. Bloemker
from issue #3, one of the Doctors thus far, Mary D. Bloemker
from issue #3, one of the Doctors thus far, Mary D. Bloemker
from issue #3, Deborah M. Walsh
from issue #3, Connie Faddis
from issue #3, Stefanie Hawks
from issue #3, Connie Faddis
from issue #3, Connie Faddis
from issue #3, one of the posters, Deborah M. Walsh
from issue #3, Deborah M. Walsh
from issue #3, Deborah M. Walsh
from issue #3, Deborah M. Walsh
from issue #3, Mary B. Bloemker
from issue #3, Connie Faddis
from issue #3, Deborah M. Walsh
from issue #3, Erika Rauscher, the caption reads "Yes, Father."
from issue #3, Robert St. John
from issue #3, one of the posters, Robert St. John
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3
As emblazoned on the cover, the theme of this issue is "A New Body at Last," or at least the end of a few old bodies. The primary focus is on the events of the DOCTOR WHO episodes "The Keeper of Traken," "Logopolis," "Castrolava," and "Earthshock," in which Dr. Who's archenemy. The Master, steals a new body, Dr. Who trades in the Tom Baker model for the Peter Davison model, and Adric, a sidekick from E-space, gets obliterated. Bloemaker very considerately includes synopses of the episodes for anyone who came in late; they are somewhat tedious but necessary if one isn't a devotee of the program.
The fiction is nearly all vignettes or poems that concentrate on the most thrilling aspects of the four episodes, i.e., Dr. Who s regenerative death and Adric's sacrificial death. This throws the zine rather out of balance--surely there was more to write about than just the horror bits. But the authors, most of them well-known for their skill, write with sufficient power and clarity that the events stay properly sorrowful and don't become silly from repetition. Jackie Pacieilo's "View From the Bridge" and Ruth Berman's "Omen" both show Dr. Who #4 having a premonition of Dr. Who #5; Connie Faddis's "Nexus at Pharos" gives the Master's point of view of the Doctor's changeover (and incidentally a good reason why he didn't keep trying to finish the good Gallifreyan off); Jan Lindner's "Instant Replay" is a break from the morbidity as Romana (who is between universes) manages to peel off a Baker-Who clone to live with her, presumably to the envy of all the female readers. Also on the less dismal side are Jean Airey's "Aftermath," local officialdom's view of what happened at the Pharos tower, and Rob St. John's "Triumvirate," how the Master picks up a couple of assistants to help him with later evil plots. Kathryn Yount's "Aftershock" elaborates on the tag of "Earthshock," wherein Adric dies, and Janet Ellicott's "In Memoriam" follows up with Dr. Who grieving for the boy. This one is quite good not only in explaining events, but explaining some of the Doctor's history and composite personality. Finally, Deborah Walsh's "Stranger at the Door" is a sort of epilogue to the series, in which the Doctor returns to old haunts in his last, final, sesquipostantepenultimate regeneration.
The extreme brevity of each piece doesn't allow much depth or complication to develop, else this could have been an excellent zine. Quite nice illos by Walsh, Bloemaker, Faddis, Cheryl Duval, Stephanie Hawks, Erika Rauscher and Rob St. John.
[rated on a scale of 1-5]: Content -- 3, Graphics -- 4 $'s Worth -- 3 [4]
Issue 4
The Faces of Time 4 was published in May 1984 and contains 68 pages. The front and back covers are by Cheryl Duval, other art by Lenore Dunlop, Mary D. Bloemker, Mary Ludwig, Deb Walsh, and Karen Taylor.
From the editorial -- the editor explains this issue's demise, and rebirth:
A few of you are aware of that fact that, until a month or more ago, this zine had been cancelled, and the contributions I'd collected to that date returned. Well may you wonder what changed my mind after having gone to those extremes. Look at the front and back covers; those are the reasons I'd changed my mind. I'd managed to forget that I'd asked Cheryl Duval to interpret a whimsical idea of mine for the covers of issue #4; fortunately, she hadn't forgotten. The front cover arrived not a week after I'd returned the last contribution from what I thought was the now-defunct FACES OF TIME. The zine was uncancelled less than five minutes later.
From the editorial -- the editor asks for more detailed feedback, and signs off of "Faces of Time":
In conclusion, I would like to make a heartfelt plea to you, the reader. While many of you have told us how much you liked the past issues of FACES OF TIME, not many of you have gone into specifics. For my part, I anxiously await crictical comments from readers so that I can learn from whatever mistakes they feel I've made, and from there, make the next issue of the zine that much better. And my authors and artists in each issue are also anxious to know what you thought of their work. Now, while there won't be another FACES OF TIME, there are plans for several other DW zines in the future; in specific, THE 500 YEAR DIARY, which is very definitely far advanced in the planning stages at the moment. Write and let us know what you think of this issue; and of past mssues as well. I assure you, we listen to everything you have to say! Thank you, everyone. You've made my years of editing FACES OF TIME one of the happiest of my life. Take care ... adieu.
- The Faces of Time by Patrice L. Heyes (1)
- Fair Play by Susan M. Garrett--Zoe plays the Celestial Toymaker's games for high stakes -- the lives of the Doctor, Jamie, and herself. (3)
- Ode to Jellybabies, poem by Kathi Lynn Higley (17)
- Leela's Move by Linda Terrell--A bored Leela enlists Rodan and K9 to build a TARDIS to explore away from Gallifrey, and accidentally drops in on the Third Doctor. (19)
- The Big Sleep (As Transcribed from Doctor Sullivan's Journal) by Lorraine Bartlett--Harry Sullivan's medical skills are put to the test when the Doctor mysteriously collapses. (27)
- Doctor Who Major Arcana Tarot Designs Portfolio by Mary Bloemker (35)
- The Chariot
- Strength - Romana and Tharil
- The Hermit - William Hartnell
- The Tower
- The Moon
- The Sun - Peter Davison
- Entracte by Vicki F. Newton, "from Arc of Infinity" --Nyssa is stricken by the Doctor's apparent death in "Arc of Infinity". (43)
- Sarah Jane's Lament by M.D. Bloemker (49)
- The Company I Keep by Patrice L. Heyes--Tegan has a welcome reunion with the Doctor and Nyssa. (51)
- Fugitive by Patricia A Kimball (57)
- The Bad Companions by Ruth Berman, a post "Five Doctors tale" --The Master strikes a bargain with Rassilon for Borusa's release from immortality, but is he getting more than he bargains for? (59)
from issue #4, Mary Bloemker
from issue #4, Deborah M. Walsh
from issue #4, Mary Ludwig
from issue #4, Mary Ludwig
from issue #4, Karen Taylor
from issue #4, one of the tarot cards, Mary Bloemker
from issue #4, one of the tarot cards, Mary Bloemker
from issue #4, one of the tarot cards, Mary Bloemker
from issue #4, one of the tarot cards, Mary Bloemker
from issue #4, one of the tarot cards, Mary Bloemker
from issue #4, one of the tarot cards, Mary Bloemker
from issue #4, one of the tarot cards, Mary Bloemker
References
- ^ a fantastic typo in itself!
- ^ from The Gallifreyan Dispatches #2
- ^ from Universal Translator #27
- ^ review by Paula Smith in Warped Space #49