M is for Magnetic Monsters on Magazines

It's been quite a while since we visited Dr. Who Adventures Magazine, but I spotted these on Wednesday, so time for a return visit clearly, and more Doctor Whatisname stuff for the collection!

Given that the cost of the mag. is the same whatever is on the cover, this is better than some of the generic shite they give away with a DW sticker on it! A set of four semi-flat (or relief), PVC/hybrid styrene- rubber, paint-your-own, fridge magnets.

The figures; approximately 30mm. Since out last visits to the publication it's gone to bi-weekly, then monthly, then it just petered-out. For several months I didn't see it anywhere, and then about six-months later I noticed it again, had a shufti and noticed it was issue 5! It had re-started; as if it had never gone away, or - given the numbering - as if it had never previously existed!

I'd rather lost interest as it had stopped putting useful stuff on the cover (although I picked-up enough for a mate), and the new-shape Daleks never got a re-issue, even though the old Fatleks kept getting outings, including a gold issue before last Christmas. Then when it did have a new-shape on it a couple of months ago, it was with a load of other 'real' crap; so I left it!

We've heard my view on this sort of marketing before - with this mag, with the Horrible Histories and with the Star War Command stuff, and it's so annoying to see young flibbertigibbets with their degrees in publishing, digital-marketing, history of art &etc . . . not exploiting a good idea properly...and it's not a question of me applying my old-school sensibilities to something I don't understand, it's clear they don't give the ideas time to grow, they don't market them properly, they give-up at the first sign of 'bottom-line' damage, they drop-back to lowest common denominator novelty face-masks without 'building brand' . . . frustrating . . . I tell's yer!

The magnets were A) not strong enough to hold the figures on a vertical surface and B) had suffered some catastrophic reaction to either the glue or the figures, resulting in them all coming loose and sitting in a chemical puddle, which may well have had a degree of toxicity! I gave them all a good clean with a spirit-based cleaner and chucked the magnets - those funny little rubber chads with magnetic dust mixed it. But it hardly helps sales when the cheapie-novelty is unworkable and sticky, straight out of the box!

There was no Advent calendar for 2015, this is the 2014 one; the contents were the same as the previous years, just new artwork with a cut-out 'Battle Scene' on the back and the same tray-insert.