We are the Knights (of Dr. Who) who say ... green cake

The Knights are well-fed at their monthly meetings.

Welcome to the first post that offers the latest news about The Knights of the White Guardian, a Dr. Who fan club that originated a long, long time ago in a galaxy far ... no, wait. It's really a five-year mission to explore strange new ... no, that's not quite right either.

We're purposely mixing our sci fi pop culture references to make a point. Well, two points.

Number 1: This is a site for Dr. Who fans - both old and new.

Number 2: It's also about all manners of science fiction and related interests - from television shows, movies and superheroes to comic books, anime and websites. And occasionally we are guilty of some random piece of fandom ... just because.


Enough with the history.

Rob checks out a laptop.

The club meets monthly at the homes of members in Western Massachusetts. On Saturday, we gathered in West Springfield for the annual Green Cake (St. Patrick's Day) Party celebration. Lots of good snacks and good conversation. Several Knights took the time to visit nearby members who recently celebrated the birth of twins (two new Knight-lings!). A run to 5 Guys completed the day's menu.

Other Knights (for the sake of clarity - yes, we have both male and female members) gathered in a separate room to record a podcast. The topic was to share our thoughts on the recent Disney purchase of the Star Wars franchise from George Lucas. The general feeling was that the series is in dire need of fresh ideas, as long as the new direction is not too Mickey Mouse. It was even suggested - jokingly, we think - that Disney erect a "fake" movie set for Lucas to visit while the real movies are safely being filmed elsewhere. Many plot ideas were tossed around, including everything from a continuation of the story with the original cast ("The Wrath of Han," anyone?) to handing off the series to a new set of characters ("Star Wars: The Next Generation")? You can check out the podcast here.

Jim and a different type of  laptop.

Knights who were not interested in talking into a microphone put their wits to the test with a game of No Thanks. Gaming is among the activities that are a regular part of the club meetings. We're also discussing special viewings of select Dr. Who episodes at our monthly meetings. Outside of the regular meetings, members get together for road trips (a recent Alex Ross comic art exhibit at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, for example), movie nights, trips to conventions (Supermegafest in Framingham, the Philadelphia Comic Con - Nathan Fillion and Summer Glau! - and others) and similar events.

Whatever you do, don't miss what our friends at the Dr. Who Club of Western Massachusetts have planned for Conbust on March 30 at Smith College in Northampton.

Even Mets fans are allowed.

With Dr. Who returning at month's end with the further adventures of Matt and Jenna-Louise, the Knights are looking forward to renewed interest in the beloved cast of characters and the inevitable debates about favorite doctors and episodes. Some of the liveliest discussions, somewhat oddly, stem from discussions about the least-favorite moments in the show's long run. Hint: Mention "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" at your own peril.

The best part? You don't need psychic paper for admission to the Knights. You can sign up to follow this blog on the main page, via our Twitter feed (The_Knights87) and on Facebook (Knights of the White Guardian). If you'd like to take the next step and attend a "meeting" (in quotes because they are rather loosely structured), send an email to DWhoKnight@aol.com. Our calendar, including our April 27 meeting in Chicopee, is listed on this site's main page as well.

All are welcome.

Stay tuned!

The kids think we're boring sometimes.