THE DALEK CHRONICLES ARE NOW ONLINE
Last update: Wednesday April 28, 2004 19:38
THE DALEK BOOK: Following their
first appearance in 1963, the British public were hungry for anything and
everything to do with Daleks. This was forthcoming in the form, initially of THE
DALEK BOOK, published on the 30th of June 1964. It was one of the very first
items of Dalek merchandise. The styles of the Daleks were
unlike those on the TV show, odd at first, but owners of the book came to love
them. The book was said to be "Based on the Dalek Chronicles discovered and
translated by Terry Nation" and was credited to David Whitaker and Terry
Nation, the illustrations were by Richard Jennings, John Woods and A.B.
Cornwell. It sold at a cost of 9/6- (nine shillings and six pence, 47.5p in
modern day terms). The book told the story of the Daleks invasion of our solar
system and their ultimate apparent defeat. This story was recently used as a
vague basis for the Dalek Empire audio series by Big Finish.
TV CENTURY 21: The following year, 1965, a new comic came out which covered almost everything that was good about TV at that time, Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds, Lady Penelope (fit or what?) My Favorite Martian and Burke's Law (!) On the back cover was a series that ran for 104 issues called simply "THE DALEKS". The comic sold for 7d (seven old pennies, about 3p).
The comic itself was superb - geared mainly towards the boys of the day. To please the girls, Lady Penelope comic was brought out (at about the same time issue 52 of TV21 hit the streets) but not I don't think with the same success. (I collected it never-the-less, and still have my free Lady Penelope x-ray vision Alice Band - in fact I'm wearing it as I write).
Anyway, THE
DALEKS comic strip told a story which was credited as another component of the
"The Dalek Chronicles". It began by relating how the Dalek machine came to be created
a totally different tale to that
told in the TV story "Genesis of the Daleks" which told how
they were created by Davros. Once again the illustrations were of the weird
style used in the Dalek Book, probably because once again the illustrator was
Richard Jennings, who went on to illustrate the first 49 installments of the
story. Eric Eden illustrated installments 52-58, and the remainder up to 104
were by Ron Turner. The first edition was published on the 26th January 1965,
but dated at 26th January 2065.
During the lifetime of the comic the two Dalek movies were released and this was reflected both in the photographs used in the comic and in the freebies that were given away from time to time. Disappointingly the original style of illustration continued only for 6 episodes...
So, here we are, as promised, THE DALEK CHRONICLES. A fresh page will be added each Sunday until all 104 installments are online, so be sure to return......
THE DALEK CHRONICLES:
1-3 Genesis of Evil. Writer: David Whitaker. Art: Richard Jennings. col
Synopsis: After a neutronic war on Skaro in 2003, the last two surviving Dals find that their robot fighting machine is now the housing for mutated survivors of their own race: a Dalek.
| INSTALMENT | DESCRIPTION | PUBLICATION DATE |
| 1. | In which the Daleks intention to destroy the Thals with a neutron bomb is thwarted by a devastating meteorite storm, but not before they have invented a sinister new War Machine..... | January 26th 1965 |
| 2. | Two years on Skaro recovers from the effects of the neutron bomb - and from the ashes, survivors emerge.... | February 2nd 1965 |
| 3. | After manufacturing an army of Daleks the last of the old Daleks die. The Golden Emperor is born and his first act is to plan the enslavement of workers to build an new invasion force. It is the dawn of the Dalek Empire.... | February 9th 1965 |
4-10 Power Play. Writer: David Whitaker. Art: Richard Jennings on 4-6,10
Synopsis: A spaceship of Krattorian slavers land on Skaro to mine sand, and the Daleks aim to gain their space travel technology.
| INSTALLMENT | DESCRIPTION | PUBLICATION DATE |
| 4. | An alien slave ship lands on Skaro and the Daleks hide by covering their city with sand. | February 16th 1965 |
| 5. | The magnetic sand is interfering with the slave ship instruments. The slave-girl Sala is captured by the Daleks and taken to their city. Her uncle treacherously reports the slaves planned rebellion to Kest the cruel Krattorian | February 23rd 1965 |
| 6. | In which the Daleks plot with the captured slave-girl Sala against Kest and the traitor Andor gets a well-deserved smack in the mouth. | March 2nd 1965 |
| 7. | Sala leads Kests away from the spaceship. The Daleks capture the Krattorian space ship and Kest sees what has happened and threatens Sala with death | March 9th 1965 |
| 8. | Despite having been lobbed off a cliff, Kest hears Sala describing the way to the Daleks undergound city. He follows Sala and Astolith into the city and immediately gives himself up to the Daleks, offering to show them how to fly the ship in return for the lives of the slaves. | March 16th 1965 |
| 9. | Kest agrees to show the Daleks the secret of Space travel if they agree to destroy Sala and Astolith, however the slaves get to the ship before the Daleks do..... | March 23rd 1965 |
| 10 | Sala and Astolith take off to freedom while the cowardly Andor hands the Space ships' instruction manual to the Daleks, giving them the secret to space travel. | March 30th 1965 |
11-17 Duel of the Daleks. Writer: David Whitaker. Art: Richard Jennings.
Synopsis: Zeg, a Dalek worker, discovers a new alloy called Metalert which makes him invincible, and so challenges the Emperor.
| 11. | An explosion at the Dalek's invention factory covers the Zeg the Dalek in chemicals. Other Daleks rush to his aid... | April 6th 1965 |
| 12. | Believing himself to be invincible, Zeg offers his discovery to the Dalek Nation if they will make him Emperor... | April 13th 1965 |
| 13. | The Daleks gather to watch the duel between Zeg and the Emperor... | April 20th 1965 |
| 14. | The Emperor wins the first round as Zeg plunges into the river of Sulphuric Acid.... | April 27th 1965 |
| 15. | Emerging unscathed from the acid, Zeg destroys the Emperor with a mighty blast from close range... | May 4th 1965 |
| 16. | In which Zeg discovers he actually destroyed an inflatable Emperor yet still manages to entrap the Emperor for a last stand! | May 11th 1965 |
| 17. | The Emperor gives Zeg the cold shoulder and defeats him finally. | May 18th 1965 |
18-24 The Amaryll Challenge. Writer: David Whitaker. Art: Richard Jennings
Synopsis: The Daleks head out into space and attack the planet Alvega where they are attacked by the plant life, the Amarylls.
| 18. | The Daleks conquer Space and exceed the speed of light all on the same page! | May 25th 1965 |
| 19. | The Daleks land on Alvega and start making new roads - to the annoyance of the locals! | June 1st 1965 |
| 20. | A Dalek Scout discovers the meaning of "Flower Power"! | June 8th 1965 |
| 21. | The Amarylls attack the Emperors Space Ship.... | June 15th 1965 |
| 22. | Escaping from the attack the Daleks destroy the Amaryll vegetation from space... | June 22nd 1965 |
| 23. | Getting to the root of the problem.... the Daleks and their ship are set upon by a giant Earthworm! | June 29th 1965 |
| 24. | The last surviving Dalek fires on the planet core and blasts it to smithereens!!!!! | July 6th 1965 |
Synopsis: The Daleks head out into space and attack the planet Alvega where they are attacked by the plant life, the Amarylls.
25-32 The Penta Ray Factor. Writer: David Whitaker. Art: Richard Jennings on 25-27, 30-32
Synopsis: The Daleks attack Solturis where the leaders of a highly advanced civilisation are plotting against each other.
33-39 Plague of Death. Writer: David Whitaker. Art: Richard Jennings.
Synopsis: A cloud of radioactive dust forms on Skaro from the Daleks' manufacturing, creating a plague that attacks the creatures.
40-46 The Menace of the Monstrons. Writer: David Whitaker. Art: Richard Jennings.
Synopsis: The Monstrons and their Engibrain robots arrive on Skaro to study the Daleks before attacking and sealing their city.
47-51 Eve of the War. Writer: David Whitaker. Art: Richard Jennings to 49, Ron Turner from 50.
Synopsis: The Daleks build space stations to defend their planet, but find themselves attacked by the Mechanoids.
52-58 The Archives of Phryne. Writer: David Whitaker. Art: Eric Eden.
Synopsis: The Daleks attack the library planet of Phryne for information on weapons they can use against the Mechanoids.
59-62 Rogue Planet. Writer: David Whitaker. Art: Ron Turner. col
Synopsis: A rogue planetoid is formed and named Skardal by the Daleks who direct it on a collision course towards Mechanus.
63-69 Impasse. Writer: David Whitaker. Art: Ron Turner.
Synopsis: The rulers of Zeros send a robot called 2K to intervene in the forthcoming Dalek/Mechanoid war by averting Skardal.
70-75 The Terrorkon Harvest. Writer: David Whitaker. Art: Ron Turner.
Synopsis: The Emperor Dalek has to come up with a strategy to regain a nuclear rocket stolen by a two-headed Terrorkon monster.
76-85 Legacy of Yesteryear. Writer: David Whitaker. Art: Ron Turner.
Synopsis: The Daleks survey Skaro and come across a polar base, inside which three of the original Dals are in suspended animation.
86-89 Shadow of Humanity. Writer: David Whitaker. Art: Ron Turner.
Synopsis: Civil war almost errupts on Skaro when one Dalek begins to devlop human qualities and emotions such as compassion.
90-95 The Emissaries of Jevo. Writer: David Whitaker. Art: Ron Turner.
Synopsis: The Daleks capture a spacecraft containing two Jevons who are on a desperate mission to stop the spread of giant plants.
96-104 The Road to Conflict. Writer: David Whitaker. Art: Ron Turner.
Synopsis: An Earth liner, the Starmaker, makes an emergency touchdown on Skaro and the Daleks finally learn the co-ordinates of Earth.
