Ot’s fair to say that we haven’t quite finished celebrating our 500th ‘birthday’ yet. This month sees a continuation of our chat with the Fourth Doctor – Tom Baker! When I was thinking a few months ago about what should go into Issue 500 (and thank you so much for all the nice comments, many of which you can read in Galaxy Forum – which is unusually on page 86), I knew that Tom had to be a big part of the celebrations. After all, he was the Doctor who launched this magazine onto an unsuspecting public, back in 1979.
But, of course, the 500th issue had to be about everything – and so that’s when Benjamin Cook and I started talking about the idea of producing a Tom Baker Special for Issue 501. So this month we’ve done things a bit differently. You won’t find Gallifrey Guardian over the page (that’s moved temporarily to page 84). Instead, you’ll find the start of the biggest interview Doctor Who Magazine has ever published. I assure you this is a one-off (I don’t think there’s anyone else who we could, or would, give this sort of treatment to), but then... Tom Baker is a one-off.
Before we dive in, a thank-you to Oliver McNeil for his brilliant photography, which features on various pages, including the cover. Thanks also to Tom’s wife, Sue Jerrard, who has been wonderfully supportive of the magazine, especially over the last few weeks. And, finally, of course, huge thanks to Tom Baker himself. I don’t think it’s possible to overestimate Tom’s importance to Doctor Who – and to DWM. Quite simply, the man is a living legend!