Doctor Who Files: Captain Jack...

[fajrdrako]

Today I received in the mail Doctor Who Files 10: Captain Jack. It's a kids' picture book, detailing Captain Jack's life and career, though only as it pertains to Doctor Who: no mention of Torchwood or Torchwood characters here, though it does tell about Jack waiting for the Doctor in Cardiff and keeping his hand as a "Doctor Detector". All the photos of Captain Jack are from Doctor Who. Fifty-first century sexual customs are not mentioned. There are many trivia quizzes, all of them easy, some of them funny. For example:(from page 21) 2. WHAT CAN CAPTAIN JACK NEVER DO?

1. Win at cards
   
2. Find matching socks
   
3. Be killed

(I think it's likely he can and does win at cards, but he has Ianto to find his socks for him.)

The text says that Jack and the Doctor became "friends" while Jack and Rose became "good friends". I wondered what scale they were using.

There's a rather lovely short story called "Best Friends" about Jack helping a boy in Victorian times. Jack visits him, years later, when Anthony is an old man.

...It was Jack - exactly as he had been, all those years ago. 'You - you haven't changed,' Anthony Bradshaw said in surprise.

Jack laughed. 'Oh, I've changed,' he said. 'I just look the same.'

Comments

[catslash.livejournal.com]

I expect Jack's socks were regularly mismatched before he had a Ianto to keep track of these pesky details for him.

[raissad.livejournal.com]

That's sweet. I've often thought about getting the K-9 book in that series.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Well, I'd say that depends how fussy they are about socks in the 51st century military - or just what kind of con Jack was trying to pull!

But yes, having Ianto to take care of details must be a great relief.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I found the book totally charming, and very nicely put together - iwth an artistic eye. Not to mention some very nice pictures of Captain Jack, and some of those Gallifreyan circular graphics I like so much. Yes. I'd certainly like to read the book on the Doctor - and the one on Martha. And... aw, heck, I wouldn't mind reading them all.

[schneestern.livejournal.com]

Jack laughed. 'Oh, I've changed,' he said. 'I just look the same.'
That line got to me for whatever reason. Oh Jack.

[catslash.livejournal.com]

Naturally! But on the occasions when it was up to him - I just can't really see him sitting there patiently folding his socks together when he's dealing with laundry. He's more likely to toss them all into the drawer and just grab the first two he finds every day. The first time Ianto got a look at Jack's sock drawer, he was horrified, and Jack's socks have matched ever since.

[msp-hacker.livejournal.com]

Little known fact: the only reason why Jack can find matching socks is because they're all of the same style, and they're all brown.

It helps that Jack only wears brown boots. = )

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

Such a neat book you found! I don't know, have we ever seen Captain Jack win at cards? Loved the very idea of the little story, and deeply loved that exchange: yes, I've changed; I just look the same. I feel like that lately.

[chatona.livejournal.com]

I adore that sentence by Jack there. It's gorgeous and so true!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I think we might manage a nice piece of sock-fic from this notion. Just another way Jack might drive Ianto to disctraction - and then they find ways to mutually fix the problems.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It got to me too. It's a wonderful line - and a nice bit of depth to suddenly appear in the middle of a story for kids. But it's so true, and it illustrates so well Jack's type of self-awareness.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Ah, but this is not by coincidence - Jack is a good organizer, when he needs to be, and he likes to cut out problems that are solvable. So: eliminate the sock problem by only wearing brown. Next on the agenda: find the Doctor, save the world...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

have we ever seen Captain Jack win at cards?

I don't think we've ever seen him play cards. Seems to me he'd be a natural, though. Doesn't being a con man and being a card shark go together?

Changes are not always visible.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It is, and I love it that he would say it to an old friend. I love the moments when he seems so self-aware.

[laurab1.livejournal.com]

I have that book too! The story's lovely, just that bit dark, like TV Who. Oh, and mine's signed by Justin Richards (the author - his name's in tiny text on the second page), as he was a guest at the Oxford Literary Festival, a couple of weeks ago :)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

How wonderful to have a signed copy!

Yes, I was quite impressed by it, and by that story. The whole thing was really quite delightfully in its appreciation of Jack.

I wish I could have been at the Oxford Literary Festival. Sounds just like my kind of thing.