Evolution of the Toy Dalek: Collecting Through The Ages

One of the most iconic creations to come out of the BBC’s cult television show Doctor Who is the Dalek. Its deceptively simple shape, movement and voice have beguiled fans since the very start, and it wasn’t long before the merchandisers came on board and started to produce Dalek toys in a variety of shapes and sizes, and with variable features and functions from push and go, to voice activated.
Dalek enthusiast Alex Storer takes us on a fan and collector’s journey through the multitude of Dalek toys which have been produced over the years. From the early days of Louis Marx and Selcol in the 1960s, to the modern Character Options variants, every type of toy Dalek is pictured and discussed. This is not an exhaustive catalogue or a guidebook, but an enthusiastic and appreciative love letter to the toy Dalek, explaining the challenges and elements of their construction, and how these changed as technology grew more sophisticated.
With interviews and input from many of those who were involved in the creation, design, manufacture and marketing of the toys, this book is a gloriously designed and illustrated celebration of the Dalek in miniature form.
This book will be available in NEW ZEALAND from RETROSPACE – keep an eye on their website for ordering details: https://www.retrospace.co.nz/
This book will be available in NORTH AMERICA from WHONA – keep an eye on their website for ordering details: https://www.whona.com
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
ALEX STORER is an illustrator and graphic designer with a lifelong passion for Doctor Who and science fiction. He is also the creative force behind ‘The Light Dreams,’ an instrumental music project blending electronic and ambient styles to create otherworldly soundscapes. Alex’s artwork has featured in Doctor Who Magazine and he has maintained fan site, sevenzero.net since 2002. He has previously written the digital publications Who, Where and When and Up Close as well as collaborating with John Collier on a series of free publications about the original Doctor Who exhibitions: Blackpool Remembered, Blackpool Revisited, and Longing for Longleat.
RICHARD HAYES has been an enthusiast for science fiction for as long as he can remember. It no doubt contributed to him taking a degree in astronomy in the early 1970s, but probably not to his subsequent career in accountancy and the law. Now happily retired, as a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society he continues to take a close interest in developments in astronomy and space science. He has written occasional articles on speculations in science and themes in science fiction, which have almost certainly been considerably more entertaining than his writings from time to time in accountancy journals. Over the years he has followed Doctor Who’s ups and downs, much like life in general, but remains impressed with the consistent originality and popularity of science fiction, and has accumulated a fair library in the genre. Like Alex, he has a very understanding wife.
164pp. 11×8.5 format full colour paperback.
ISBN 978-1-84583-236-0
Published 1 March 2025