The genesis of The Delaware Road, reasonably described as a graphic novel while not being solely that, is multifaceted and interesting – certainly if you’re curious about topics including British counterculture, hauntology and electronic music. Alan Gubby, also a recording artist and label owner, very much is, and has played a leading role in the reappraisal of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Their 1963 Doctor Who theme music is recognised by millions, but as recently as 2006, vast hours of their original tapes were destined for landfill.
Gubby rescued them, curated a compilation and became increasingly fixated on Radiophonic lore – spinning this into various semi-fictionalised accounts of its history, incorporating tribute albums, festivals, a play and an illustrated zine, which forms the basis of The Delaware Road. Pairing Gubby’s script with illustrations by Jarrod Gosling and Nick Taylor, it should not be mistaken for a pat introductory guide to events in and around the Workshop. Rather, thinly-veiled versions of real-life entities (including composers Delia Derbyshire and John Baker, plus the BBC itself) battle for the upper hand: the proverbial Swinging Sixties, but in a dystopian, steel-jawed Britain with an occult undercurrent.
Niche yet accessible and engaging, The Delaware Road is further notable for its packaging, which includes postcards, a tiny (playable!) vinyl record and even a sealed pack of tablets “to be taken in a radiation emergency only”.
The Delaware Road, Alan Gubby (Buried Treasure)
Price: £17-£28. Info: thedelawareroad.com
words NOEL GARDNER
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