Back in the depths of early Big Finish Doctor Who main range, one Kenny Smith (he who now produces the Big Finish Vortex magazine) produced a fanzine. It’s 44 pages long, was released May 2001 and covered the whole of the first run of Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor for Big Finish.

If you ever get a chance, grab a copy and tuck into a feast of delights.

McGannzine issue one

The list of interviews alone makes it fascinating. There’s India Fisher, Barnaby Edwards, Alastair Lock, Clayton Hickman and of course Alan Barnes, Paul Magrs and Nick Briggs. I’ve left out another half-dozen. Kenny has content for each of the first stories, everything from Storm Warning to Minuet in Hell. He touches on the overlaps with Audio Visuals, and a lot more besides. It’s a great set of fascinating pieces and even looks ahead to the next run of Eighth Doctor stories.

For me the big interest is in looking back at how people thought then, not how they might look back from now at the same events. It really is an historic document.

Perhaps Kenny might find a way to bring it online one day? He has a blog!