FROM THE SFX OFFICE

The redesign has landed! Plus the team battle on the football field and which top SF writer upgraded SFX to first class this week?

It’s been an anxious week in SFX Towers. With issue 208’s arrival imminent (our redesign issue) the postie has been a figure of child-like hope and ultimately dashed expectations. Until yesterday when our TARDIS-tastic new issue finally docked at Starship SFX! That noise never gets old.

You can read all about it in our new issue preview , and once you’re done why not take a gander at all the work that went into crafting your new look SFX ? In related new issue, er, news the latest Comic Heroes has just gone to press, so editor Jes Bickham is doing the happy dance around the office. There’s no rest for the friendly comic-book loving types though it seems as we’re putting Jes back to work next week on the next SFX special, which is all about anime. Holiday, wassat?

Take a look around the top floor of SFX towers and you’d think some fatal contagion had made the rounds, with marketing bods dropping like flies. This could because nearby demolition is causing ominous rumblings underfoot, but more likely it’s because of a company switch around which will see SFX relocated to our new home just round the corner in the very near future. First pics in two weeks time!

Rich, Nick, Jordan and Rob are getting ready for Kapow! Comic Con this weekend in London (come drop by our stand and say hello if you’re there), while Rich, the lucky so-and-so has also just interviewed Steve Pemberton of The League Of Gentlemen and Psychoville fame, having spent the morning raving about the first two episodes of the new series. Keep an eye out for that interview in a future issue.

Nick, Dave G and SFX blog-droid Will Salmon headed to London on Monday evening for the dribblingly anticipated press launch for the new series of Doctor Who . Complimentary crisps were scoffed, Lizo from Newsround was schmoozed and, yes, “The Impossible Astronaut” and “Day Of The Moon” were duly watched and judged to be fabulous. Team SFX bumped into Life On Mars co-creator, and longtime pal of the mag, Matthew Graham on the way home, and he earned himself a place in heaven for upgrading them all to first class. The soot-faced Future Publishing peasants tugged their caps and muttered “Gawd bless yer, Mr Graham, yer a toff and no mistake.” Ninety minutes of high-end geek conversation in luxury seats ensued. Bliss.

Tuesday also found Nick on the TARDIS set, on a classified mission. He spent a deliriously happy five minutes spinning dials, cranking levers and flicking switches, resetting all of Matt Smith’s carefully calibrated settings (“Have you seen what he’s done to the lateral balance cones?” he was heard to mutter, crossly). And then he combusted into a pool of pure joy.

Still recovering from a weekend spent pickling his liver in the Lake District, Rob has spent the week comforting himself with soft drinks, rejuvenating potions and gentle exercise. He has also been scarring himself all over again with a re-read of The Walking Dead from issue one, and is thoroughly excited about Kapow! this weekend.

Ahead of this weekend’s trip to London Jordan steamed down to the Big Smoke yesterday for a day of square-eyed videogaming fun. Being the sunniest day of the year with near tropical temperatures in the Big Smoke it was almost a shame he spent the whole day inside popping the heads of undead nasties and meeting gaming hero Suda 51. Almost. Ade meanwhile is in sunny London today with the boys and girls of Marvel talking superheroes and showing off the sexy new look SFX !

SFX ers clashed on the football pitch again on Monday when Russell’s Goalrushe took on Rich and Rob’s Bath Galaxy. It was a titanic clash, with Russell’s team eventually emerging 4-2 victors – but Galaxy played out of their skins and gave the team eight places above them in the league a massive scare.

At home Russell has been relaxing watching Patrick McGoohan’s The Prisoner yet again (on Blu-ray). Last night saw him get to the end of the run with the final episode and he enthused: “It’s just amazing. Even more incredible than I remember – the most remarkable hour of British television EVER!”

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Random Quote Of The Week : “Touching my own genitals is like dancing with an Octopus."

Whose T-shirt? (last week’s answer: it was Jordan’s t-shirt!)

Jordan Farley
Deputy Editor, Total Film

I'm the Deputy Editor at Total Film magazine, overseeing the features section of every issue where you can read exclusive, in-depth interviews and see first-look images from the biggest films. I was previously the News Editor at sci-fi, fantasy and horror movie bible SFX. You'll find my name on news, reviews, and features covering every type of movie, from the latest French arthouse release to the biggest Hollywood blockbuster. My work has also featured in Official PlayStation Magazine and Edge.