SFX Issue 201

The Walking Dead invades SFX as we embark on our Fall season TV preview

It’s back to business as usual this month as SFX returns to 148 jam-packed pages filled with gooey sci-fi goodness.

Note: issue 201 won’t be going out to subscribers early due to an embargo on some fantastic exclusive imagery. It’s not all bad news see.

Correction: one advertorial pages in this month's issue features the wrong date, naughty naughty! Just to be clear the correct dates are:

Space: 1999, available on Blu-ray from Network DVD on 1 November.

Robin Of Sherwood, available on Blu-ray from Network DVD on 15 November.

New season telly preview

It’s that time of year again, as summer shows True Blood and Warehouse 13 bow off the screens, a whole raft of autumn treats spring up in their place, including SFX favourites Supernatural, Chuck and Fringe. This year we’ve gone in-depth talking to the talent behind returning shows Smallville, Stargate Universe and The Vampire Diaries as well as debuts-to-watch-out-for The Event and No Ordinary Family. There’s even a round-up of all the mid-season shows to look forward to – it’s your one-stop US telly shop.

A show too big and icky to fit into our fall TV season preview, The Walking Dead – based on the long-running comic book series by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard – makes its debut on both sides of the pond in October so we went behind the scenes to talk to everyone involved. And we mean everyone. Director Frank Darabont, FX legend Gregg Nicotero, producer Gale Ann Hurd and the cast spill their guts as zombies invade the small screen.

The Sarah Jane Adventures

The Doctor Who spin-off series returns for its fourth season on our screens later this year, so we took a trip to Cardiff to witness Who-history in the making as Sarah Jane met Pertwee-era companion Jo Grant for a story featuring the Eleventh Doctor! Read all about it inside.

It’s not all TV this issue, though, as SFX speaks to animation supremo Chris Meledandri and producer Janet Healy about the new 3D supervillain family comedy giving Pixar a run for their money, Despicable Me.

The League Of Gentlemen ’s Mark Gatiss does HG Wells in an adaptation of the classic 1901 novel. We speak to Gatiss and director Damon Thomas.

Jim Lee

The world’s leading superhero artist talks to SFX about his life and awe-inspiring body of work.

Profiles

Bath’s own Anthony Head on ruling Camelot in the third season of Merlin , Dan Abnett on Sabbat Worlds and Warhammer 40,000 adaptation Ultramarines , and Fringe’s Astrix Asteroid Astrid, Jasika Nicole, on her alternate universe alter-ego.

Heroes And Inspirations – Mark Millar

The Kick-Ass and CLiNT creator on what makes him tick.

Science Fiction’s Greatest Hoaxes

Orson Welles’s War Of The Worlds , The Area 51 autopsy, you ain't heard nothing yet. SFX ’s Believe It Or Not.

Retro Features

We turn off the lights and board the windows for classic fright flick Poltergeist, and 20 reasons why we love The Avengers (and before you ask, we’re not talking about the comic).

The SFX Awards 2010

Voting starts here! All the information inside.

Don’t Miss:

Wishlist: the Spider-Man reboot starts shooting before the end of the year so what better time to give those studio big-wigs a piece of your mind? Plus where else can you see Vinnie Jones as the Rhino, bitch?

Spoiler Zone: True Blood , Warehouse 13 , Futurama , Eureka , The Gates and Haven in the last Spoiler Zone before next month’s new TV explosion.

Big Shot: The Chronicles Of Narnia: Voyage Of The Dawn Treader – Aslan jumps ship to 20th Century Fox as the third instalment in the Narnia franchise takes to the seas.

  • Bristol isn’t the only thing being left behind for the third season of Being Human as we find out what’s in-store on Barry Island from new producer Phil Trethowan.
  • Former Gentlemen Steve Pemberton and Reese Shearsmith are dressing up for Halloween as we chat with the pair about the return of Psychoville .
  • Spielberg on the small-screen: the first news on alien invasion series Falling Skies and dino drama Terra Nova.
  • Star Wars strikes back this autumn as we quiz supervising producer Dave Filoni on The Clone Wars season three and discover what’s in-store for Vader’s secret apprentice in The Force Unleashed II .

Rated: Despicable Me , The Hole 3D, Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time , Fringe Season Two, Ian M Banks’ Surface Detail , Doctor Who: The Only Good Dalek and Halo Reach .

Next issue : SFX 202, on sale Wednesday 20 October. Why not subscribe and receive tasty coverline-free issues?

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.