Red Dwarf Magazine #1

Mar 1992; Cover price £1.50.
40 pages. Colour.
Fleetway Editions.

Edited by Mike Butcher.

Painted cover by Jon Rushby.

Contents:

.2 Introduction / Indicia photo by Chris Ridley.

.3 The End part one, w: UNKNOWN, based on the scripts by Rob Grant & Doug Naylor; a: Alan Burrows, lettering by Elitta Fell.

18 A Beginner's Guide to Red Dwarf text feature (uncredited).

19 The Red Dwarf Interview Chris Barrie.

22 Holly's Amazing Facts!.

23 The Complete Judge Dredd advertisement.

24 Series V Preview text feature (uncredited).

26 Danny John-Jules photo pin-up.

27 "Could You Pilot 'Red Dwarf'?" quiz.

30 Fixing Reality! interview with Prof. Neider-Lewis by Brian M. Clarke.

31 Caption Competition (half page).

32 We've Got the Power! in-house advertisement.

33 The Red Dwarf Fun Page puzzle page.

34 Craig Charles photo pin-up.

35 Red Dwarf Studio Report text feature.

38 Test Your Red Dwarf Knowledge quiz.

39 BMS mail-order advertisement (half page).

39 Next Issue ... (half page).

40 Chris Barrie photo pin-up.

The cover does not inspire confidence, with Kryten looking like a Conehead who has suffered a horrific industrial accident, Rimmer seemingly being a spliced clone of Chris Barrie and Gilbert Gottfried, and the likenesses of the others similarly loose. It doesn't feel like an official product, which isn't helped by lazy trade dress. No matter how good the contents are, when there is an instinctive dislike of the illustration chosen to represent a title it is unlikely that opinion will be swayed by a brief perusal of the contents in a newsagents.

You've seen the TV show, read the book, watched the video and worn the T-shirt ... well, now it's time to read the RED DWARF MAGAZINE! You will be thrilled by our funny, yet highly informative features; you will be chilled by our nerve-angling adaptation of the very first TV episode of RED DWARF; and you will be spilled if you try sitting in a cup of coffee held by Dave Lister the morning after a particularly heavy night on the lager and vindaloos. Such is life, read on...

There's a sense of continuity between the series and the magazine in the handling of information - a through-line of irreverent humour, a touch of surrealism, and a solid grasp of self-aggrandizing hyperbole. The one thing painfully missing from the cover is "The Galaxy's Greatest Magazine," which could have convinced readers of 2000 A.D. to pick up the issue.

Adapting the stories from the series (which, presumably, everyone reading the issue had seen) is the biggest mis-step, especially when the likenesses are so loose. It isn't awful, but the strip feels redundant when compared to other tie-in titles. That it takes more than one issue to wrap up such a simple tale is an indulgence that really harms the issue overall, but as it is the sole comic strip in the title is by default the highlight.

From here on in things are less than impressive.

A Beginner's Guide is little more than a recap of the main cast, and is (oddly) placed after the strip. It should have appeared at the front of the title or been dropped, as it adds nothing that those familiar with the series will be aware of. The interview with Chris Barrie is much better, though the spartan presentation is somewhat off-putting. He makes plenty of good points, and is aware enough of the critical reception to the series to acknowledge flaws. It is always a pleasure to read his thoughts, and he doesn't disappoint.

Holly's "facts" are, sadly, a wasted opportunity to expand on just how little she understands about the ship, and focuses instead on random subjects which have little to do with the series. The quiz page and fun page are good for a few seconds entertainment, Fixing Reality!, an interview with a fictional character, is pointless, and the Series V Preview is, with hindsight, a fluff piece which could have run in any SF-centric title from the era.

The Studio Report is slightly better than I had expected, given the presentation, with behind-the-scenes information which the likes of Starburst were doing, but - again - the harsh white backgrounds don't convey the sense that this is an officially-licensed title. That much of the issue's problems are cosmetic isn't a great surprise, but that so much of the issue is disposable padding is odder. There are no features regarding the models used in the series, the photos used are generic publicity shots, and a respectful distance is kept from the background details.

There are fanines which carry more information.