Saturday, January 21, 2012

Fernando Fro Reza's "The Man from Gallifrey" Art Print

I remember being a youngster in the Bay Area and staying up late on school nights watching PBS. I know, badass, right? We didn't have cable, meaning there wasn't much in the way of channels, and I didn't have a computer in my room, so the Internet wasn't easily accessible after the bell tolled midnight, but I did happen to have an old TV set. Every once in a blue moon, KQED (at least, I think it was KQED) would host a telethon with some pretty amazing programming. Occasionally the on-air fundraiser would yield a disappointing evening filled with British sitcoms that clearly weren't aimed at my demographic, like Are You Being Served, As Time Goes By, and the Canadian handyman series, The Red Green Show. But sometimes, the planets aligned and I was introduced to some spectacular science fiction, like Neon Genesis Evangelion, Red Dwarf, and the focus of tonight's post, Doctor Who. I was immediately taken with The Doctor. Now keep in mind, this wasn't the new Doctor Who, this was the older series, the 1963 to 1989 series. And I loved every corny, weird, cost-effective minute of that show. I mention all this, because when I first saw Fernando Fro Reza's impressive Doctor Who inspired print, I was immediately reminded of just how much the series meant to me when I was younger, and the indefatigable nature of the Who franchise.

"The Man from Gallifrey" Art Print
Fernando Fro Reza (Fro Design Co.)
11" x 17" - Signed and Numbered
$60 - Limited to 150
Inspired By: Doctor Who

Fernando Fro Reza's "The Man from Gallifrey" art print features not only the newer Doctors (Eccleston, Tennant and Smith), but all the Doctors past (even Paul McGann). And while the fact that it covers the entirety of the Who-niverse is great, the print also offers a ton of smaller Easter egg-type touches for all us Who-ligans (please, somebody stop me). I had the opportunity to ask Fernando why he was such a fan of the series, but even more importantly, who his favorite Doctors were - here's what he had to say:
"I've heard from a few people that your favorite Doctor is always the one you came in with, and for me that was Eccleston who did an amazing job. But after watching all of the new series and a bit of the older ones I think it really comes down to David Tennant and Tom Baker. Something that Doctor Who does really well is treat incredible situations in a very real and grounded way and as zany and stylized as Baker's and Tennant's portrayals could get, they still felt very real. I really like the idea that for 50 years there has been a lineage of men playing the same person, each actor adding more layers and quirks to the character. And based on its success it's poised to continue for a 100 more. Which is why I hope this tribute is fitting, in a way it features all the Doctors past present and future."
For the record, I totally agree with his opinion of Tennant and Tom Baker. And when asked to point out a few of the hidden gems this print features, Fernando was nice enough to share a secret or two:
"As for the Easter eggs there's a few little things thrown in, if you look closely the broken spring in the top left is actually the spinning flight trail of a small Tardis. At the bottom there's a group of Doctor Who villains, the character on the far right has two hearts and is supposed to represent the Master."
It's a fantastic design, but I think the coolest thing about the poster, besides Tom Baker's colorful scarf of course, is that Fro Design Co has "future proofed" the print. Here's the basic concept: every time a regeneration takes place, Fernando will send you a vinyl press-on of the new Doctor along with instructions on where to place it. It's a pretty novel idea, and one that I think is incredibly inspired and totally in line with the themes of Doctor Who. So, there you have it. The print is a bit more expensive than many of Fro Design Co's past offerings, but the idea of having an always up-to-date Doctor Who picture is pretty awesome.

Unique Certificate that Comes with Each Poster

Fernando Fro Reza's "The Man from Gallifrey" art print is currently available from Fro Design Co's website for $60. The giclée measures 11" x 17" and is limited to 150. To learn more about the artist and his work, be sure to visit frodesignco.com and follow Fernando on Twitter @frodesignco. EX-TER-MIN-ATE!

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