Feature by JONATHAN HELM
One of the Cybermen designed by Richard Gregory; and Richard himself in 1983, with an original head from Earthshock (1982).
Richard Gregory, who died on 7 February, started his career building body panels and superstructures for Panther Westwinds, a manufacturer of sports cars. Then in 1979 he set up his own company with fellow technician John Powell and sculptor Rod Vass. The name Imagineering came from Richard, who was a science-fiction fan. Adopting the motto “We do anything, anytime, anywhere”, Imagineering began by sending out their portfolio to film and television companies, with the BBC and independent producer Gerry Anderson among the recipients. Richard explained the ethos behind Imagineering in an interview with Doctor Who Magazine in 1983: “Basically it’s a team of artists working for themselves. Anyone hiring us can get a wide range of experience because we’re not tied to any specific subject. It’s a talent pool really.”