Both organized and general fandom for Doctor Who is thriving all over the world.
Last week, we brought you an article titled ‘Doctor Who is Bringing Students Together.’ It is about the popularity of student Doctor Who groups in Indiana, United States. Obviously, Indiana is not the only place where fandom for the franchise is going strong and making news.
Milwaukee Time Lords: Beginning and Present – credit: milwaukeetimelords.org
For another example, we take a short jump to up to Wisconsin where the Milwaukee Time Lords are located. According to Milwaukee Record:
"The Milwaukee Time Lords were founded in 1989, produced a newsletter, and had screenings way before any of this was cool. They still hold monthly meetings to talk Who and other sci-fi programming. A younger fan base of Whovians fills Turner Hall for cosplay, EDM music, and Doctor Who-themed cocktails every year at 42 Lounge’s Time Lord’s Ball, held December 26 last year."
Dalek Asylum Milwaukee – credit: milwaukeerecord.com
But, wait! There is more to Milwaukee’s enthusiasm for Doctor Who. The group Dalek Asylum Milwaukee — a group solely dedicated to building Daleks — is attempting to best the British for the Guinness Book of World Records record for the most amount of Daleks assembled in one place at one time. This prestigious accolade will not be easy to attain, but DAM is determined:
"The goal is to have the group of record-breaking Daleks assemble and storm Maker Faire Milwaukee in 2017 or 18, all rolling together and crying “Exterminate! Exterminate!” It’ll be a challenge to outpace the British Dalek-building community, but Hughett notes that Dalek Asylum Milwaukee can put out a call to the region for all Daleks to assemble and join them to beat the record.“There’s a large amount of Daleks in the Midwest. There’s a map on Project Dalek. You can see where the concentration of Daleks are, what they’re named, and who owns them.”"
More from Doctor Who
- Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor Who Christmas special is a “complete reinvention”
- Ncuti Gatwa is “so nervous” to take on Doctor Who role
- The Doctor and Donna are better than ever in “Wild Blue Yonder”
- Take the Black: House of the Dragon season 2 trailer hints, the Fallout show, and more
- Jodie Whittaker didn’t pick up on any of the hate for her version of the Doctor
Not only that, but their victory will unofficially hold more legitimacy. In another excerpt from Milwaukee Record, DAM co-founder Jon Hughett says that:
"[the British had] a paltry 95 assembled Daleks. He points out that only 44 were full-scale model Daleks, and that the rest were “people in Dalek costumes.”"
Travelling back across the pond, we turn our focus to Sunderland, England where, according to Sunderland Echo, “the first ever police box in the UK was put in place at Sunderland’s Kayll Road in 1923.” You can see a really cool vintage photo of it below:
The original police box at Kayll Road, Sunderland – credit: sunderlandecho.com
“The Mayor of Sunderland Coun Barry Curran and Mayoress Carol Curran join youngsters Chloe Maw, Emily Smith and Luke Richie as they enter Dr Who’s Tardis in Barnes Park to step back in time to 1915” – credit: sunderlandecho.com
This is relevant to recent news in that Sunderland will be hosting a replica TARDIS in the Bridges through the end of February 2016.
"[F]ans will be able to pose for a picture next to the famous police box. . . .The replica was commissioned by Sunderland City Council for an event last summer which highlighted the heritage in the west of the city."
If you are in the area, head over to this attraction while you still can!
(Article continues below the next post box.)
Next: Doctor Who: BBC to Re-Release Classic Novels
These examples of local fandom are, of course, only a small sampling of what is going on around the globe. What is happening in your neck of the woods? Let us know in the comments.