I love London. I grew up there, after all. West London born and bred and damned proud of it. I try to go back as much as I can. My Dad lives there. My agent and two of my publishers live there. My girlfriend lives there. Some of my best mates live there.

So of course, when I do go to London, I try to cram in as much as possible, get a drink with a friend, meeting with an editor, that sort of thing - but even I bit off almost more than I could chew yesterday!

Warning - we're coming in at about 2,000 words with photos under the cut - about the length of my average column. Enter at own risk...



So at 8am or there abouts, my housemate (and vital Doctor Who historian) Craig and I gathered our bags and clambered into my trusty old red Cavalier car and drove down to London. For a surprise the traffic wasn't bad at all, and I was impressed to discover that my ETA estimation was actually within ten minutes. We got into Earls Court around 10.30am and, after some faffing about discovered 'Red One', the car park we had been designated for the Doctor Who Museum. For that was where we went this fine morning, to the Press and Preview showing of this fine event, two days before it opened to the public.

Parking the car, we made our way to the 'Museum Hall' where we were to meet Pia Guerra and her husband Ian Boothby, also there for the exhibition and the photoshoot for PR pictures that IDW could use for our upcoming comic, Doctor Who: The Forgotten, a six part series out later this year. Is that enough pimping? Of course not.

We entered the main reception to a tray of free champagne - Craig, still sober for lent was strong however and stuck to coffee and orange juice. I was very impressed. We saw a variety of bored looking media types waiting to get in, a Tenth Doctor lookalike and a few exhibition organisers. While waiting for Pia and Ian, I found Martin Wilkie, the director of the company running the show and the man who was enabling us to do the shoot (as you're not even supposed to stand on the plinth near the TARDIS, and he was allowing us to paw all over it) and he said it was all sorted, even providing us with a photographer if needed.

Just before 11a, Pia and Ian arrived and we received our 'swag bags' which included a T Shirt, toy, comic, badge etc. Both Craig and Pia were understandably excited, even more so when Craig discovered in the bag a hastily put together PR release that said that the unnamed Doctor Who expert who was to open the event was none other than Tom Baker!

And of course, we ensured we were at the front for when Tom arrived. I love Tom. He's utterly insane. We've met a couple of times, I have a signed copy of his autobiography and also a signed print of the 4th Doctor's costume design on my wall. And he was as eccentric as ever, clutching a Waterstones bag tightly to his chest as he informed us of his trip there with wit and panache and informing us that he was there because 'David Tennant was too busy', not noting the Cyberman that was making it's way down the escalator beside him.

Tom Baker tells an anecdote (Picture by Tony Lee)

Now, we believe that at this point Tom, who was already supposed to be on the stage and not wandering about, was supposed to be surprised by the Cyberman who states 'You will be deleted', pick up a sonic screwdriver left on the lectern for him by the previous speaker, so something with it, and hit the big shiny red button in front of him, causing a massive explosion. In fact, what happened was Tom looked at the Cyberman like it was his bastard stepchild, root about in his pocket and pull out a five pound note, offering it to him going 'Here's a fiver - go buy yourself a drink, there's a good chap.'

Tom Baker and bastard stepchild. (Picture by Craig Andrews)

And so the exhibition was opened, kind of. And the people hung around, taking photos of Tom, having pictures taken with the Cyberman. With Tom not having pressed the shiny red button in the end, show organiser Martin Wilkie allowed me and Pia, as obviously the next biggest celebrities there (which shows you the drop from Tom to the next) to press it instead. :-)

Tony and Pia 'open the exhibition'... (Picture by Craig Andrews)

As for the Exhibition? It was fun. Being there two days before the rest of the world was a definite rush, and the lack of crowds made it easier to walk around. Obviously it's mainly props from the last three seasons, we have nothing from pre-9th Doctor there, but that said we had a TARDIS, complete with mannequin of the Tenth Doctor (in actual clothing) that with magical jiggery-pokery had a blank face that had a moving and speaking image of David Tennant's own physog which, when directly facing you was mildly terrifying but, when taken from a side view (with no nose etc) was incredibly disturbing.

There was a Cyberman exhibit, a section on props, masks, costumes, a K9, some set pieces, a whole ton of mannequins in an 'Auton alleyway', a load of dummies in show costumes - the only down side was the Dalek section where there was a kind of animatronic Dalek 'show' that really didn't seem to work, but it was two days before the exhibition opened, we live in hope. There was however a Dalek that shouted things out when you hit a button, which was fun. And of course there was a 'Face Of Boe' that was really rather excellent.

Craig and the Face Of Boe. (Picture by Tony Lee)

Once we'd made our way around the exhibition we returned to the TARDIS, ensuring from the two burly security guards who watched it like hawks that we were in fact allowed to stand on the plinth to have our photoshoot. Which we were - BBC Worldwide had kept their promise. The only downside of the plinth was the aforementioned creepy mannequin of David Tennant, which we tried our best to keep out of the shot, but still managed to sneak in. The offered photographer not appearing, we waited for Craig to be interviewed by BBC London and then we started. We all managed a few photos - obviously Pia and I were the main focus, this being the whole reason we'd been allowed by BBC Worldwide to appear in the first place, but we also managed a couple of pictures of other things. I expect Pia's will appear on her own blog at some point, but here are a few of the many we took. And don't worry - this is the last batch of photos - click on each one for the larger image...

The exhibition finished, merchandise tat bought by Pia and Ian and finding ourselves a good hour or so ahead of schedule, we made our way out of Earls Court and into a adjoining pub, where over the next two or so hours we discussed comics, Doctor Who, editors, Y The Last Man and more importantly Doctor Who: The Forgotten, looking at the sketches of Nick Roche's covers to #1 and #2 (which look brilliant) and a work in progress of issue #1 inks from Pia which blew me and Craig away. This book? It's going to look incredible. Obviously I can't show you any, but keep an eye out over the next few months, I'm sure some sneaky peeks will occur!

And after some lunch we went our separate ways - Pia and Ian back to their hotel, Craig into Oxford Street and me into Vauxhall, for a 4pm meeting with Walker Books...


The first thing that happened when I arrived at Walker Books was seeing Sam Hart, the artist on Robin Hood: Outlaw's Pride. Now me and am go way back, we first worked on Starship Troopers together four years ago and we've always been in contact about Robin Hood. And over the years it's been cool to see Sam getting more and more exposure out there. He's also a good friend and considering that he won't be at Bristol this year due to the fact that it's a hell of a journey from Brazil, I was really happy to see him. It was like the band was back in town.

And of course editors Lizzie and Patrick at Walker hadn't met him either, even though Patrick's been dealing with him across the Internet for almost two years now. So the meeting was a good chance to catch up, discuss what was happening and work out a strategy. Sam reckons the finished pages will be lettered, coloured and print ready by Summer, and it looks like Robin Hood: Outlaw's Pride has a release date of Spring 2009. And apparently we already have interest from foreign rights agencies for it. Most exciting.

Even more exciting was that due to the excitement and buzz that the book was causing in the Sales and Marketing department, pretty much the one area we have to keep on our side or else the book simply doesn't sell, there's talk that we could be looking at a possible sequel to follow directly after. I know I've mentioned this before, Robin Hood: Outlaw's Return - but with Sam there confirming that if it happened he could return for art duties, suddenly it all looks very real. We also discussed my King Arthur trilogy - for those with long memories, this was a Graphic Novel trilogy, Stoneblade, Circleborn and Warchild that I discussed with Walker over two years ago, when first pitching Robin Hood to then editor Emil Fortune, but when nothing happened it went briefly to Markosia and then, after an artist disappeared once more dropped off the radar over a year back. Well, new editor Lizzie has gotten back on board, found it in the old emails and this was also discussed in the meeting. Nothing to say as yet, only that there is a possible artist if this goes ahead, and he's an old friend and brilliant. So keep your fingers crossed kiddies, I might have news for you within a month.

Book issues sorted, artwork drooled over and friendships created and reaffirmed, Sam and I left Walker Book about 6pm. getting in the car, I promised to give Sam a lift to Tottenham Court Road so he he could meet up with his girlfriend, over from Brazil with him, while I went onto the Fitzrovia.


Don't worry, we're nearly done now. I got to the Fitzrovia around 6.30pm knowing that it would be quite busy at this point and that grabbing a table was crucial, but I needn't have feared for Craig was there already and prepared. So was Kieron (Gillen) and his other half Chrissie, which was great as I only ever seem to see Kieron at Bristol or San Diego, and never for long enough. He's just interviewed me and Dan for art magazine Imagine FX, so I'll be returning the favour over the weeks following Easter at my column, He's Only A Writer. Although next Monday, being an Easter Holiday? I'll most likely reprint this. :-)

But it was good to sit with Kieron and discuss what other things he's got coming up - I said it after Phonogram came out and I'll say it again - Kieron Gillen is a name to watch out for. He's going to be big.

Also arriving was Sam and his other half and over the next couple of hours we had a number of surprised including Lee "Budgie" Barnett (We always hope he'll be there, but he has a bad foot and therefore we never take his visits for granted), Craig's friend Vanessa, Dom Reardon (currently doing Cabbalistics Inc with 2000ad and Raven's Gate with me for Walker Books) who's now London based and wishing he was back in Devon, Harry Markos who kindly brought over copies of all five issues of Hope Falls for people to see, Andie Tong (who I'll hopefully see again in NYCC) who's just done the art for an online Smallville comic on the CW network website,David 'Geek Syndicate' Monteith, fresh from a run of shows across the country, Anna Mondo, Pia and Ian (once more) Of course the irreverent Dan Boultwood was there, even Tracy braved the comic geekness of my crowd and came by as well which was great and once more began ribbing of my friends who still 't work out how someone like me can get someone like her... :-)

We also had a fan who'd just flown in from Florence come by with two copies of The Tizzle Sisters for me and Dan to sign - that was most bizarre. But nice, in a way.

As ever in these things, people flit in and out, but in general the night was a success, Dan and I got to toast our departed project and talk about the next one, The Prince Of Baghdad, as well as show artwork from the first two issues. It seemed to go down well!

There were of course the surreal moments - the above fan for example, and more worrying was Dom and David bursting into a rousing German song which is apparently from the TV show Lexx...

By 11.30pm we were being turfed out of the bar and so it was time to return to the car where Craig and I made our way back to Birmingham, getting in around 1.30am.


All in all? A good day. Highlight of it? Yeah the TARDIS was cool, seeing Tom Baker was okay - but I got to finally meet Pia properly, one of my favourite artists in the world, and the most unassuming person you'll ever meet in the industry. Both Pia and Ian were absolute stars all day, and hopefully this was the start of a strong and long friendship.

This is what I do for a living, guys. And I wouldn't change it for the world.