By David Wharton | 6 years ago

The Daleks have been the thorn in the side of the Doctor throughout his five decades of adventures through time and space. No matter how many times he defeats them, the shout-y homicidal pepper pots just keep coming back. No matter how many outlandish schemes the Doctor lays low, they’ve always got another one on the drawing board. Frankly, it has got to be exhausting, because it’s not like the Daleks are the only trouble-makers the beleaguered time lord has to deal with. Just last week the Ice Warriors tried to convert the Earth’s entire water supply into ice-9! Did anybody send the Doctor a thank-you email for that? Not bloody likely. So yes, he’s oh so sorry that he hasn’t had time to stop the Daleks’ latest master plan to invade like every movie ever made, at least in poster form, a nefarious ploy to…I don’t know…give poster collectors a migraine or something. Seriously, people, the guy’s over 900 years old, can’t he take a couple weeks vacation every now and then?

See, the Daleks have given up trying to just flat-out murder everybody they consider their inferiors (i.e., everybody), and have instead begun infiltrating pop culture itself. Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s horror classic The Shining? The Daleks are there!

Beloved Disney films? The Daleks are there!

Is even Alfred Hitchcock safe? Not a chance, because the Daleks are bloody there.

The posters were rounded up by the folks at GeekTyrant, but without a link or an explanation where they originated. A bit of old-fashioned Internet snoopery seems to lead back to the UK site ToneCartoons, which specializes in Doctor Who-related swag of various types, especially of the sort making comedic use of Terry Nation’s iconic Who foe. In fact, they’ve apparently been running a “Daily Dalek” feature that ranges from fake posters like the ones here to webcomics.

So by all means, enjoy these clever Dalek-related posters. Drink them in. Let them simmer in your hindbrain. But for god’s sake, leave the poor Doctor alone. If anybody’s earned that holiday in Fiji, it’s him and whichever companion or companions he sees fit to include. If you simply can’t abide the Daleks being all up in your movies, call Torchwood or something. Pretty sure their schedule is clear these days, assuming any of them are still alive.

(I must admit, I really like the Rosemary’s Baby spoof. Satan isn’t ready to tangle with Badwolf Rose, though.)