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| Dr. WHO copyright BBC TV. DALEKS copyright BBC TV and the Estate of TERRY NATION |
DOCTOR WHO has appeared in comic-strip format from practically his earliest days. First in Polystyle Publication's TV COMIC, then in COUNTDOWN, followed by TV ACTION (when the former changed its name), and then back to TV COMIC. However, in 1979, under the helm of editor DEZ SKINN, the time-travelling titan was awarded his very own British MARVEL magazine in the shape of (unsurprisingly) Doctor Who Weekly.
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The first issue was cover-dated October 17th (meaning it would've come out the week before) and lasted in its weekly format until issue #44, when it then became a monthly. Essentially a children's adventure comic originally, with the change to monthly publication it gradually became more of a geeky, anorak-type title aimed primarily at diehard fanatics. (Does anyone really need to know that the un-credited 'extra', third from the left in the background of a scene in UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS was also on view for all of two seconds in a 1976 episode of Doctor Who? Some people can't survive without such information, apparently.)
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As well as original strips, the comic also featured reprints of various U.S. Marvel stories (from their mystery, suspense and Marvel Classics titles) with a TALES From The TARDIS logo and illustration of TOM BAKER pasted onto the splash page of each tale. So, here's a select few pages from that premiere issue from all those years ago. Apparently, the magazine is now listed in the GUINNESS BOOK Of RECORDS for being the longest-running TV tie-in publication in the history of everything. What can I say? Timeless.
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One more thing: Back then I had no way of knowing that, nearly 25 years later, I would be a freelance contributor to several issues of the mag - at least one of which reprinted a back-page DALEKS strip from TV CENTURY 21. It gave me a strange sense of connection with my childhood days to see a page I'd read as a kid presented alongside contemporary work that bore my name. A very TWILIGHT ZONE-ish moment indeed.
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*Oops! I typed 50th Anniversary in the post's title instead of 40th. Blame Whizzer & Chips for being 50 and confusing me! Now sorted. (Actually, I published this post from ten years in the future when me and the Doctor - the real one, a man - were visiting Gront-el III, so it really was 50. However, obviously you'd never believe that, which is why I never said. Oops - just did.)
I had the first couple of issues but wasn't impressed and so dropped the comic pretty quickly.
ReplyDeleteCan you tell if a comic is going to be any good after only two issues though, CJ? I wasn't particularly a Doctor Who fan anyway, but I bought it because it was a new comic. I think I preferred it back then as to how it is today, but I eventually stopped buying it regularly and only picked up the occasional ish.
ReplyDeleteI found it great when it first came out but after a few years I found it became very repetitive. As the actual TV series began to slide down the gurgler I gave up with the magazine. I suppose one would have to take their hat off to it for still being around 40 years later.
ReplyDeleteThese days it's a bit too deep in pointless detail for my tastes, HS, but like you say, it's good to see that it's still around after 40 years.
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