FROM THE SFX OFFICE

Deadline madness, a run in with an Avenger, bad dreams and yet more Skyrim in this week's peek behind the blast door

For the past month/year preparation for the SFX Weekender has been such a big part of life in SFX Towers it’s been easy to forget sometimes that there’s also this magazine thing to put together as well. An impending deadline brought that sharply into focus this week, with the team working extra hard to ensure issue 220 meets the usual high standards of the galaxy’s greatest sci-fi mag. And, hey, we’re journos, we’re at our best with a deadline broadsword hovering a few inches above our necks.

As a result you’ll have to forgive us if this week’s From The Office is a tad shorter/24 hours later than usual. Fortunately help is at hand from workie Helena Cole, who’s already been assisting Russell with a future (top secret) special and has been chatting with Being Human series four’s special effects wizards. And you thought work experience at SFX was two weeks of glorified tea-making duties.

Speaking of Russell, he’s been having bad dreams. Could it be the movies he's been watching before bed? ( Drive - "very cool indeed"; The Adventures Of Tintin - "don't like mo-cap, don't know Tintin, so didn't much like it"; a Jess Franco film he doesn't want to reveal the title of - "not exactly a classic".) Or maybe it's the gin he's been imbibing in the evening that's been affecting his somnolence.

Nick fulfilled a childhood dream last week. He met Diana Rigg at the V&A, and then had to have a bit of a sit down afterwards, the lucky blighter. Rob went to Manchester yesterday for a super-secret set visit and spent a long time travelling, Ade is wondering if it’s really been two weeks since we invaded Wales and Dave G is compiling a list of sexy people. We’re not sure if this has anything to do with the job or not. He’s also inherited a porcelain horse with no tail.

Jordan’s been excited all week because he’s getting his archaic windows (like much of Bath, his windows look as though they’ve been around since the time of Jesus) replaced with spangly new ones. Anything to get out of cleaning them, basically. He’s also started playing Skyrim again after a month off and is now a hair’s breath from 150 hours in Tamriel. He probably could have learned Esperanto, or binary, or the meaning of life in that time, but being able to slay a dragon in one swipe has given him a much greater sense of accomplishment.

Ian is ready to lie down in the snow and fall asleep, frankly, having worked continuously right through two weekends in a row, but the week has had its meagre pleasures. Firstly, reading an advance copy of Gareth Roberts’s very funny new book of the never-completed Douglas Adams Doctor Who “Shada” (we’ll have a big interview with Gareth on the site in a week or two); secondly, watching Buffy in bed with his lovely missus (season one’s “The Pack”). Otherwise it’s been a living hell. A LIVING HELL.

. Random Quotes Of The Week:
“I remember a few years ago I was on a sunbed and I burnt my bottom.”
"Are there any quangos on Mars?"
"How about 'hot kids on holiday'?"

Whose Weird Vietnamese Chocolate? (Bonus SFX point if you can guess which of our esteemed freelancers sent it to the mystery team member. Last week’s answer: it was Russell’s spirit funnel!)