Telos Publications present a guide to the Daleks in toy form throughout Doctor Who‘s 60 years. 

For many fans, a toy Dalek may have been the first piece of Doctor Who merchandise they acquired. Created by writer Terry Nation and designer Raymond Cusick, the Daleks – while terrifying on screen – were instantly recognizable.

Soon after their debut, the hate-filled pepper pots were available to play with in a variety of shapes and forms. Merchandisers cashed in on ‘Dalekmania’ off the back of their two big screen appearances opposite Peter Cushing’s Dr. Who.

Toys continued to be issued throughout the 1970s and, naturally, the resigned Daleks invaded toy shops again in 2005.

The fascination continues to this day – there’s a Dalek model partwork which is just getting underway.

Now, illustrator and graphic designer Alex Storer has written a book charting the history of the toy Dalek.

Here’s the synopsis for Evolution of the Toy Dalek: Collecting Through The Ages:

One of the most iconic creations to come out of the BBC’s cult television show Doctor Who is the Dalek. Its deceptively simple shape, movement and voice have beguiled fans since the very start, and it wasn’t long before the merchandisers came on board and started to produce Dalek toys in a variety of shapes and sizes, and with variable features and functions from push and go, to voice activated.

Dalek enthusiast Alex Storer takes us on a fan and collector’s journey through the multitude of Dalek toys which have been produced over the years. From the early days of Louis Marx and Selcol in the 1960s, to the modern Character Options variants, every type of toy Dalek is pictured and discussed. This is not an exhaustive catalogue or a guidebook, but an enthusiastic and appreciative love letter to the toy Dalek, explaining the challenges and elements of their construction, and how these changed as technology grew more sophisticated.

With interviews and input from many of those who were involved in the creation, design, manufacture and marketing of the toys, this book is a gloriously designed and illustrated celebration of the Dalek in miniature form.

For more information, you can visit Telos Publishing where the book is available to pre order, priced £29.99. It’s out on 1st March 2025.

The book is also available in North America from WHONA, and in New Zealand via RETROSPACE.

Telos Publications

Telos also have a wealth of other cult TV and film publications, with many behind-the-scenes Doctor Who books. These include the memoir of director Andrew Morgan and a production diary of the William Hartnell era.

Plus, there’s a forthcoming look at Peter Cushing’s film, television and radio career in Peter Cushing – The Reluctant Globetrotter.