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12 Blogs 6: Working Space
I thought it might be interesting, and perhaps prompt other writer/bloggers to do the same, if I showed you lot some of the room in which I work. I've always thought, and the last time I said this was when I saw Tara O'Shea's packed but classy basement flat, that an illustrated book about fan rooms would be cool. So here's mine...
On my mantlepiece, from left: my Doctor Who Magazine Award for Best Book (they don't mention they mean Doctor Who book, and I'm keen to leave it like that); piles of Big Finish audios; a soft tree sprite thing from Princess Mononoke; a glass bottle of unknown provenance; a fob watch given to me by Johanna Mead; owl-related cards sent to me over the years by Lloyd Rose.
A wooden saki-drinking box given out at the Nippon convention party at the L.A. Worldcon; a John Picacio print of the cover to Fast Forward 2; a Laurie Pink original.
Detail on those two. The Laurie painting always makes me smile. It's the expressions!
And onto a nearby bookcase, where lurk radio-controlled Daleks, which were gifts from the production office (no other show I've worked on ever sent me presents!); Totoro from My Neighbour Totoro, and a tiny version from the Ghibli Museum; a Lloyd owl and an owl that was a birthday gift from Lawrence Miles.
In front of a cupboard door stand a Captain Britain stand-up figure, made by Ben Fardon at Proud Lion Comics in Cheltenham for a signing there, and the Scream of the Shalka Doctor and Master, sent along to me this year rather than be pulped by the BBC. Ann Kelly used the BBC internal mail system to get them all the way to the studios of BBC Radio Swindon, where I picked them up from Daniel Garrett, an old fellow member of the Swindon Local Group of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society. It was like something out of Secret Army.
Here's the bookshelf next to my desk where I plonk action figures. From the left; the tiny team from Patlabor (who, rather wonderfully, all look puzzled or fed up); a Green Lantern ring; Heroclix Pete Wisdom; a Tachikoma (the gossipy spider robots from Ghost in the Shell); Captain Scarlet; Heroclix Captain Britain; Marina from Stingray; the Mayor from Trumpton; a bigger Cap; Kona-chan from Lucky Star (the only one I could find, I didn't seek out the bathing costume and rubber ring!); a gorgeous Black Knight bust bought at the New York Comic Convention; Hellboy; Minimates Defenders (I couldn't believe they did the originals!); a Scarecrow from 'Human Nature'; and just on the edge, there, a bust of the Buddha, given to me by Graham Sleight.
I'm not sure why my Doctor Who figures are lined up on the cricket books shelf. The Ninth Doctor is the limited edition in the 'Father's Day' shirt, because I had to have that one.
A hint of the bookshelving disaster that is my front room. Note Runaways and Scott Pilgrim on my pile of comics collections there.
Two huge piles of Marvel Essentials!
I'm sure a number of you have a version of this: the shrinking rows of the complete Doctor Who, with VHS slowly being replaced by DVD.
More bookshelf terror, with just a glimpse of all of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine on VHS beside it. Gary Russell lent me them years ago. I wonder if he wants them back? Fairy lights on bookcases: possibly a mistake.
There we go. Tomorrow I hope to get into a more crunchy part of the Twelve Blogs, with an essay or two.
The Adventures of the Amazing Scale Guy... Day Five.
‘Scale Guy, Scale Guy, does whatever a Scale Guy does. But he’s the best at what he does. And what he does is demonstrate relative size. Da de dah de dah...’
Today, because he was feeling left out, we ask Scale Guy was his favourite things are...
Favourite Movie: 'I guess that would have to be Little Big Man. Or maybe Big Trouble in Little China.'
Favourite Novel: 'The Big Sleep.'
Favourite Single: 'Blur's "This is a Low".'
See you tomorrow! Ho ho ho! Cheerio!
Labels:
Christmas,
Comics,
Doctor Who,
Scale Guy
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There was an article the other day on the BBC news website which talked how certain people work better in clean workspaces and others work better in more cluttered workspaces. I'm more of the latter(piles of papers everywhere). Thanks for giving us a peek-though I'd of thought you might have built a shed out back a la R.Dahl?
My world of mess.
I love the bust of the Black Knight and the pile of Marvel Essentials. I'd kill for my local Waterstones to stock something more than Essential Dazzler.
Personally, my workspace is fairly basic. Computer, a few shelves of video games and various pieces of Christmas bric-a-brac scattered here and there.
Good Scale Guy adventure today, Paul. Favourite television show? Little Dorritt. He's never seen it, he just loves the title.
But then again, he also likes Little and Large.
So his sense of humour, at least, is not to be trusted.
Loving your Xmas blogs, and this is a peach of an idea.
Sadly I can't reciprocate, as my life is strewn across three houses and fifty miles at present. My lounge is ridiculously neat and tidy, and thus hopelessly boring.
I do have a Weeping Angel on top of the telly, though...
Todays word-veri: ILWIPRE. A hygenic tissue for hospitals?
Yay plush kodama! I need to put my plush Bou someplace more prominent. And thank you for calling my digs "classy" instead of "somewhat terrifying". I realised after you'd left for the airport that among the stacks of comics next to the sofa were all my Cap issues... And yes, all those comics and magazine and VHS boxes are still in my foyer.
Now I want to take and post pictures. Unfortunately, that would require me to clean first... Maybe this week-end.
I have both of those Captain Britains, as well as a couple others: The Marvel Legends one, and the PVC one from almost 20 years ago. It's neat to think you have the same guys looking at you from your mantle a half a planet away as I do on mine.
My workspace renovation is here. I've just got back from a trip buying a new daybed for the attic, at which point the whole room will be fixed up.
It really only indicates where I work in the sense of typing up, though. I mostly work in various cafes across Exeter, and on trains.
The Black Knight bust and episodes of Deep Space Nine (the best Star Trek show)! Very Nice!
It's much neater than my work space. Though not sure I will be able to do pictures just yet. I only exist on facebook and to access pics there, I think you have to be a member.
Anyway my main computer and desk is out of commission. And the computer is in my friends workshop because having tried to repair it myself. And having failed to reverse the polarity of the neutron flow. Have enlisted the aid of my former systems installation tutor.
So right now I'm working from my laptop, which occupies a cluttered coffee table, which has an assortment of MI13 comics in their sleeves as well as Flash Gordon and Fantastic 4 True story comics. FF4 are unread. Have read issue 1 but struggling to get issue 2, and don't want to read out of sequence.
Also on my desk is three unopened packs of smints, I quit smoking 6 years ago, so when I get an urge I suck a smint. The James Bond Encycopedia, an Encyclopedia of Television, Movie and Written Sci-Fi by Hugo Winning Writer Dave Pringle. I love looking at the pictures. One of those lip thingy's for chapped lips. Some batterys and a copy of the region one version of Doctor Who season 4, which is awaiting my attention for review.
And a print out in a pair tree.
As to my computer desk. Well best not go there. It's messier than the coffee table.
Your workspace is much cooler and more shelf-ful than mine. Also, I am amused that you still have borrowed . And the Captain Britain cutout is awesome (I love CB so very, very much). I think I'd like to trade.
Thanks all, especially those that posted their own! I actually need to keep it pretty tidy, within its own terms.
Awesome to see your work place!! very envious!
No 10th Doctor Figure?
There are so many Tenth Doctor figures that I'm waiting for one specifically from Human Nature!
Good call. If I'd written a Doctor Who script I'd do the same!!!
Do you fancy a Doctor in John Smith outfit or maybe a Doctor with Poppy?
I suspect a friend has got me Doctor Who stuff for Christmas. I got a Tardis Money Box last year. So when you open the door you get Mr Tennant in Doctor Mode saying a few things. And when you close the doors it makes the Tardis noise. It's great fun.
I have it guarded by two Borg Head money boxes.
I enjoyed viewing your collections! I also have photos of my books and Doctor Who action figures, which are located on Flickr. I have quite a lot of Doctor Who figures and other toys. Your novel and TV versions of "Human Nature" are my favorite Doctor Who stories!
I'd like either of those, Lindle. Great photos, Monika!
Thanks!