Raymond Cusick RIP

[tony ingram]

Ray Cusick, the designer of the Daleks, has died aged 84 after a short illness. Cusick designed the Daleks in half a day based on a few brief notes from Terry Nation about wanting a creature that glided along rather than walking, and his design has endured for fifty years. The merchandise rights made Terry Nation a millionaire and still generate millions for both the BBC and the Nation estate, but as an in-house designer, Cusick never saw a penny of it. Shades of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...

[matrix]

I was on my way to six years old when the Daleks arrived, and what an impression they made. I can remember queuing for what seemed like hours to see them on the big screen, and staring at the amazing posters that advertised their presence, for me they made Dr Who, without them?