The Age Of STEEL & JELLY babies

Philip, one of my readers, recently sent me a link to a curious item being sold on eBay.

At first glance it is a rather unremarkable brown suit jacket, but once you start looking closer it becomes a bit more interesting.



Ironically this is just the jacket, unlike the source of the original fabric for the suit, which was just the trousers!

STEEL & JELLY two button brown/blue pinstripe jacket

AN EXCELLENT QUALITY STEEL & JELLY BROWN PINSTRIPE JACKET

This well tailored two button jacket is a soft feel polyester blend fabric in Brown with a fine Electric Blue pinstripe design.

The jacket has a stunning blue Bull's Eye pattern satin like polyester and viscose lining.

Two side pockets with flaps plus ticket pocket, one outer breast pocket, two inner breast pockets and a ticket pocket.

Two 8" vents, 3" lapels and four button detail on cuffs. Two spare buttons.

Size label states 38" Reg
External measurements: Armpit to armpit 21".
Shoulder seam to shoulder seam 18.5".
Length; base of collar to rear hem 30.5".
Sleeve; shoulder seam to cuff 25.5"

Titan Comics covers - Ten by ten

This week sees issue ten of the New Adventures With The Tenth Doctor from Titan Comics.

There’s the usual graphic art cover, but I have found a photo variant with another previously unpublished image of The Doctor in his brown suit.

Again I think they have plundered the left over images from the joint photocall with Catherine Tate for series four, cutting her out of the picture and replacing her with their own companion!

Although the angle of David’s head is different and his had is in his pocket, you can see a lot of the creases on his suit match perfectly.

I imagine the image used on the comic cover was original rejected as David is look far too down his nose at us - which is not a good look!

You can buy copies of the Titan Tenth Doctor range from their website

Graphic Novels @ Titan Comics

Titan Comic covers - Free Comic Book Day special

The past couple of covers for Titan Comics’ New Adventures With The Tenth Doctor have been a bit disappointing as they haven’t had any photo variants.
So far the photo variant covers have been a gold mine of previously unpublished images from the Tenth Doctor publicity shoots.

This weekend sees Free Comic Book Day, and there is a special issue from Titan with all three of their Doctors sharing the cover.

The image of the Tenth Doctor is cleverly cut from an early series four photo, which unedited is shared with Catherine Tate as Donna Nobel.

Ironically it was one of the rare times two actors were photographed alongside each other, rather than being shot separately and composted together later.

The Titan cover unpicks this!

You can buy copies of the Titan Tenth Doctor range from their website

Graphic Novels @ Titan Comics

Titan comic covers issue 7 - candid camera

This week sees issue eight of the New Adventures With The Tenth Doctor comic from Titan Comics.

Unlike the last issue (which had a photo variant cover of a weeping angel), there is a subscription photo cover variant worth mentioning.

The image used is quite a candid image of David in his brown suit with the Hechter tie.

This matches the series four photocall with Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, during which a number of solo shots were taken as well.

The shot is handy as a reference image, as it almost gives a side view of the suit, without David’s arm getting too much in the way.

You can buy copies of the Titan Tenth Doctor range from their website

Graphic Novels @ Titan Comics

Titan comic covers issue 5 - photo cover variant

This week is issue five of Titan Comics’ New Adventures With The Tenth Doctor.
I didn’t report on last month’s issue as it didn’t have any covers worth mentioning, but this issue does have an image worth flagging up.

It has the usual graphic art cover, but for subscribers only there is a second photo variant.

The photo cover version has a nice picture of David in full costume, taken from the archive of publicity stills used for The End Of Time in 2009.
The pose is the same, but the hang of the coat and suit is ever so slightly different - and here we see it head to toe for the first time.

Other shots from this shoot appeared on the DVD packaging for the series four specials.

You can buy copies of the Titan Tenth Doctor range from their website

Graphic Novels @ Titan Comics

Doctor Who Magazine: The 2015 Yearbook

Today sees a end-of-year special edition yearbook from Doctor Who Magazine.

I don’t usually mention stuff like this, but this contains something a bit special you’ll like to read - especially if you’re a regular reader of my blogs.

The magazine reviews an incredible year for the programme, its spin-offs and the licensed merchandise available.
Highlights include our first major interview with the show’s executive producer, Brian Minchin, in which he reflects on Peter Capaldi’s first year as the Doctor and looks forward to further adventures with the Twelfth Doctor.

ALSO INSIDE THE ISSUE

• Features on every episode in Peter Capaldi’s first series
• Interviews with the team that accompanied Capaldi and Jenna Coleman on the Doctor Who World Tour
• Fourth Doctor Tom Baker discusses his return to television and audio Doctor Who
• Eighth Doctor Paul McGann reveals what he thinks about Capaldi’s Doctor
• Orchestrator and conductor Ben Foster previews the 2015 Symphonic Spectacular
• Inside the new ‘making of’ show, Doctor Who Extra
• Behind the scenes at the new Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff
• Interviews with some of the key players behind recent books, soundtracks, audio dramas, DVDs, Blu-rays and action figures
• Highlights from the year’s newspaper and magazine reviews of Doctor Who
• A round up of Doctor Who’s awards and honours from the last 12 months
• Detailed tributes to the Doctor Who luminaries who passed away in 2014..., and much more!

Also included in the “much more” is an interview with me!

I was approached by Simon Guerrier, who as well as writing for Doctor Who Magazine has written adventures for Big Finish. We met in London a few weeks ago where we chatted about my work and some background information about how I do what I do.

We talked about a number of my projects, including making the Ultimate Tennant Suit from the genuine GAP trousers.

I provided a number of images for use with the article, including getting permission from Louise Page to share the picture of her with the Ultimate Tennant Suit.

I was hoping for maybe a half page, but in the end it turned out as a full page - which is awesome!

The magazine is available at
WH Smiths from
Thursday 18th December 2014

St George by Rip-off

Of all the original screen-worn ties that come up on eBay, the St George By Duffer tie from Utopia is one of the most common.

They often exchange hands for £75 to £100, so it’s raises some eyebrows to see a tie listed with a BuyItNow of £175.

Do read the update at the end of this posting.

I also noted it uses the very same photos (aside from the main picture) from a listing that closed in March this year, which I reported at the time. That was a listing that started at £3.99 before being pulled and relisted at £99. Hummmmm.

Mens ST GEORGE BY DUFFER 'Dr Who' Brown Floral Silk Tie

****Mens Beautiful Brown Floral ST GEORGE BY DUFFER Silk Tie****

As worn in Dr Who by David Tennant, the 10th Doctor, in episodes 'Utopia', 'The Sound of Drums', and 'The Last of The Time Lords'

There are no nicks, pulls or stains on the tie.

Sold as seen. No returns.

UPDATE

The tie has been repeatedly resisted over the past few days, for £175, £165, £15 (yeah, not sure what happened there), £135 (with the new photos below - I guess he’s a reader of my blog) and is now at £105.

Titan Comic covers issue 3 - nothing special

The thirds issue of Titan Comics’ New Adventures With The Tenth Doctor is out this week.

Aside from the two graphic art covers, and there is a subscription only photo cover to collect.

Unlike the previous issues it’s not an unseen image from the archive, but a cut out previously used in a composite picture used to launch series three with Martha Jones.

The colour has been played around with too, so it’s not great reference material this time. Pity.

You can buy copies of the Titan Tenth Doctor range from their website

Graphic Novels @ Titan Comics

Titan comic covers - New York ComicCon special

Titan comics first two issues of New Adventures With The Tenth Doctor gave us a couple of previously unseen portraits of The Doctor.

This month, to coincide with New York ComicCon, they are issuing a number of convention exclusive variant covers, including one for The Tenth Doctor.

This exclusive cover uses a shot of David in his blue suit with the Nina Ricci tie from a round of publicity stills associated with mid series four.

The specific image used was previously composited with a portrait of Frema to publicise The Sontaran Stratagem.

You can buy copies of the Titan Tenth Doctor range from their website

Graphic Novels @ Titan Comics

Titan comic covers issue 2 - another rare unseen image

Last month’s launch issue of Titan Comic’s New Adventures With The Tenth Doctor treated us to a previously unseen photo portrait.

Issue two is out this month, and aside from a number of alternative graphic art covers, there is another photo based version using another previously unseen image.

I think this image dates to a shoot done during the latter part of series four.
He is wearing the same shirt (though its hard to see the tie) and he’s holding his trusty sonic.
Also, if you look closely at David’s hair, there is a distinct single point to his fringe which seems to match.

You can buy copies of the Titan Tenth Doctor range from their website

Graphic Novels @ Titan Comics

St George by Next

Last year I showed you a tie being sold at Matalan, which was the right colour combination and a similar design to the St George by Duffer as worn by David in The Day Of The Doctor.



The following month I also came across a tie being sold by Scott Allen which used the exact same loom-weave as the Thomas Nash from The Idiot’s Lantern, but again in a radically different colour way. It was thread-for-thread the same, just in an uninspiring grey and silver.

Well today, almost a year the the day later, one of my readers was out shopping and came across something quite surprising.

Next are currently stocking a tie which is a dead ringer for The Day Of the Doctor St George by Duffer, but in a striking pink colour scheme!

This was spotted in the Portsmouth branch. It’s only £8 (compared to the £14 of the original St George tie) with the flowers in pink and lilac on a navy blue background.

Looking at it closer, the flowers are really reminiscent of the St George tie.

I wondered if they did another colour that was closer to, or fingers crossed, the same as screen-worn.

So I went into my own local branch and found the tie - in a second colour choice, but still not the dark brown and sky blue. Damn.

Once I got it how I put it alongside my St George tie and realised it IS the exact same loom-weave.

As you can see from these photos, the flowers are IDENTICAL, it is purely the colour choice that differentiates them.

This, along with the Scott Allen version of the Thomas Nash tie, makes me think that manufactures in the Far East have designs on their books which they sell to retailers who then choose what colours they want them in.

Having now seen two versions, I’m wondering if there are further colour ways. Can you help?

Do you have a branch of Next near you? Does your branch stock a tie in a closer colour match? If so, drop me a line at tennantcoat@me.com 
and share what you have found.

As an aside, I also spotted a rather creepy tea-light holder in the form of a cherub which reminded me of those in The Angels Take Manhattan.

Don’t blink!!

Titan Comic covers - ComicCon specials

The launch of Titan Comics’ New Adventures With The Tenth Doctor graphic novels series seems to have gone into overdrive, with multiple cover variants to be had.

Last month’s San Deigo ComicCon often has convention exclusives, and Titan Comics jumped on the band wagon with not one but two sets are variants.
Both versions join with the New Adventures With The Eleventh Doctor to make a single panoramic image.

The first variant has The Doctor in his blue suit, worn with the burgundy shirt and Keno tie, wielding his trusty sonic in a pose I haven’t personally seen before.

This combination relates to the series four two part story Silence In The Library.

David’s hair seems to match the composites with Alex Kingston as River Song as show here.

I think the second variant (which was only available at the BBC Shop stand) originates from the photoshoot at the start of series four with Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble.

This too is an image I don’t recall being published before - probably due to its pose being so candid in nature.

Again, if you look at David’s hair it matches the photo shown here.

FOOTNOTE

Not to be out done, Forbidden Planet in the UK had their very own variant based on the BBC Shop version.

Using the same background, it has yet another previously unpublished image from the series four photoshoot.
Note again how David’s hair matches the sample shot above.

You can buy copies of the Titan Tenth Doctor range from their website

Graphic Novels @ Titan Comics