DWAS celebrates 45 years of fandom this month with a new look Cosmic Masque and a commemorative coin!
The Doctor Who Appreciation Society is forty-five years old this month. The longest running Doctor Who fan club in the world, with members across the globe, DWAS started in May 1976 when a group of Westfield College students decided to make their college Doctor Who society into a fan club. Since then, DWAS has been a mainstay of Doctor Who fandom. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s it was the semi-official liaison between fandom and the BBC production office. They were also organizers of the famous Panopticon conventions. In a time before the internet, they were a major part of bringing fans together for the first time. They’re also the publishers of the popular Celestial Toyroom fanzine about the show, alongside the Cosmic Masque fanzine about fandom itself, including fan fiction, articles and reviews.
To help celebrate, later this month DWAS will also be issuing a special, limited edition, 45th Anniversary Commemorative Coin. The coin will be available in standard and special packaging and available firstly to DWAS members and then to wider fandom. Each coin sold will raise money for NHS Charities Together. The charity is dedicated to supporting those in the healthcare sector who have kept us safe over the past year. The coins will be launched in Celestial Toyroom issue 518 and available to buy by post and online. One side features the Doctor Who Appreciation Society logo and the text “1976-2021 45 Years.” The reverse shows an art deco style representation of the 2005 TARDIS prop in a blue time vortex.
The next Celestial Toyroom (issue 518) will contain items from some special contributors talking about their experiences of fandom. Meanwhile, DWAS have also launched a brand new look for their Cosmic Masque fanzine. Cosmic Masque is available now as a free download and there will also be a limited print run.
But there’s more to come. The autumn will also see a very special DWAS-exclusive item available to every fan. More news on that one later.
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