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Marvel Premiere Featuring Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Marvel Premiere Featuring Doctor Who
Issue 57 (December 1980)
The Front Cover
"1st American Comicbook Appearance! " "Collector's Item Issue! " A
very bright cover, mostly yellow, featuring the Doctor and the TARDIS. The
likeness is…reasonable…although for some reason the Doctor's scarf goes on and
on and on for far longer than it should. The artist is uncredited (the signature
on the actual cover is unreadable), but the next issue will identify it as drawn
by Walt Simonson. The Doctor's face appears in the corner box (in an
illustration taken from The Iron Legion Part Seven), as it will for the
next three issues. The unique diamond logo, while also used for the later comic,
is placed lower on these four Marvel Premiere issues to accommodate the
extra captions.
The Strips
"Doctor Who and the Iron Legion" Part One ("The Iron Legion" Parts One –
Four)
The first strip story from Doctor Who Weekly makes a natural starting
point. Curiously, the first page's credit to the editor seems to have been
removed and replaced by one for 'Colors: Andy Yanchus'. The caption and dialogue
spellings have been changed for Americans ('favourite' to 'favourite', etc).
The Articles
"Who is the Doctor" (by Mary Jo Duffy)
The first of several articles designed to bring Americans up to speed on
Doctor Who and its continuity. Basically just a long history of the Doctor,
complete with actor and personality changes in the Doctor. Includes some very
strange facts about the Doctor's physiognomy (see Fun Mistakes, below) and the
same illustration of the Doctor as on the cover (albeit with different
colouring).
The Pin-Ups
Four full art pages by Cockrum & Giacoia, depicting different Doctor Who
characters and destined to be used in the later Doctor Who comic.
"The Five Doctors" shows Hartnell, Troughton, Pertwee, Tom Baker, and Peter
Cushing – although only Cushing really looks like the actor at all;
"The Tardis and K-9" features, uniquely, everyone's favourite police box and
everyone's least favourite mechanical mutt;
"The Daleks" presents the Michael Wisher version of Davros, numerous Daleks
(including a purple one), and an Ogron; and
"The Doctor's Most Fearsome Foes!" depicts the Sontarans, a Revenge-type
Cyberman, a Wheel-type Cybermat, an Abominable-type Yeti, a
Silurian, and the Delgado and Pratt versions of the Master (although curiously,
Delgado is wearing full Time Lord regalia from The Deadly Assassin).
The Adverts
Wildfire handheld pinball machine, from Parker Brothers;
NBC Saturday Morning! (featuring The Godzilla/Dynomutt Hour,
The Flintstones Comedy Show, The Space Stars, and
The Daffy Duck Show);
comics classifieds;
Grit family newspaper;
Marvel Comics 20th Anniversary Calendar 1981;
Saturday Morning on ABC (featuring Super Friends, The Happy
Days Gang, Richie Rich, Scooby and Scrappy Doo,
Heathcliff and Dingbat, Plastic Man, and
Thundarr the Barbarian);
Marvel Comics subscription offer (featuring Doctor Doom);
Electronic Marvels (handheld Spider-Man and Incredible Hulk games);
Great Whoppers From History (Whoppers malt balls);
"Iron Man vs. the Bank Robbers!" (humorous comic 'adventure' advertising Hostess
Fruit Pies);
"The Saga of Johnny West" (another comic page, this time for Acme boots); and
LEGO Expert Builder Series.
Highlight
"Iron Man vs the Bank Robbers!" The bad guys are hilarious: "Ooooh…we should
never have put down our weapons!" "But who could resist the real fruit
filling?" "And the light, tender crust."
The Back Cover
The back covers start off inauspiciously with a full-page ad for LEGO Expert
Builder Series. "Ready for a challenge? You're ready for the LEGO Expert Builder
Series."
Cool Colours
The Ectoslime is green with pink feelers, while the Malevilus is a bright
magenta. The skin tones of the human characters, including the Doctor, variegate
from a very pale peach to a bright reddish-orange. The Doctor's scarf includes
some very strange colours, including dark brown, purple, dark blue, red, bright
green, and orange. On the cover, though, it's yellow, blue, gold, red-orange,
and grey.
Fun Mistakes
From "Who is the Doctor" (see 'The Articles'
above): "[The Doctor's] blood pressure is 70/70, and his blood itself, while
structurally similar to human hemoglobin, differs in many respects, including a
much greater capacity to carry oxygen. The Doctor only breathes about four times
per minute (as opposed to the average human respiratory rate of 12-16), and
although his skin is warm to the touch, his body temperature is only 60 degrees
Fahrenheit." What book has Mary Jo been reading?
Conclusion
The Doctor makes his debut on the American comic market, and he's reasonably
entertaining. The quality of the paper, though, is pretty bad, and the inks and
colours are often washed out. Also, if you've only ever seen the post-Premiere
Doctor Who comic, the adverts can be rather off-putting…they are funny,
though! Worth finding for "The Iron Legion" in colour, but who would've guessed
this would lead to such a nice, exclusively Doctor Who comic?
Issue 58 (February 1981)
The Front Cover
"He's Back!" Green is the background colour du jour, and the cover art –
credited to "Miller and Austin – Dat's Who!" – shows Magog dragging the Doctor
away to be eaten. "Come along, Doctor! I've never eaten a Time Lord before!"
Sadly, the Doctor is drawn very poorly, and he looks more like Gareth Hunt than
Tom Baker… He has very hairy legs, too.
The Strips
"Stan Lee Presents: Doctor Who and the Iron Legion – Book Two: Against the
Gods!" ("The Iron Legion" Parts Five - Eight)
The Doctor's adventures in alternate Rome continue. Once again, the editing
credit has been removed, this time replaced by "Color: A. P. Yanchus". The usual
logo (as seen on television) has been replaced on the first page of the strip by
the new comics logo. The closing caption invites us to "Join the Doctor in…CITY
of the DAMNED!", despite that story being renamed.
"K-9's Finest Hour"
The first back-up strip to be presented to American audiences, which features
K-9 – although he hasn't even appeared in the main comic yet.
The Columns
"First Class Mail" (curiously, Mary Jo Duffy's article appeared in the previous
issue under this banner, but it had nothing to do with mail)
The first set of cards and letters sent in to congratulate Marvel on their fine,
fine Doctor Who comic. Some fairly basic comments expressing love for
Doctor Who and Dave Gibbons' art come from Mike Wall, of Eimhurst,
Louisiana; Margaret R. Purdy, of Ridgewood, New Jersey; Scott E. Taylor, of
Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania; and Mark Alessio, of Brooklyn, New York. Ann
Larimer of Lincoln, Nebraska, recites the old "But who is he?" "Yes!" joke and
signs off with the unusual "Till K-9 eats People Crackers, Make Mine Marvel!"
The Adverts
Fun Factory Super Gifts & Gimmicks; comics classifieds;
Doctor Who Full Colour T-Shirts! (from Time & Space Travel
Agency);
Captain Universe;
Grit newspaper;
Join the Official Star Wars Fan Club;
Pez Candy;
Marvel Comics 1981 Calendar;
Mighty Marvel's Big Money-Saving Holiday Offer! (subscription offer);
Doctor Strange;
"Daredevil vs Johnny Pink!" (another comic ‘adventure' advertising Hostess Fruit
Pies);
204 pc Revolutionary War Soldiers set;
Johnson Smith Company (more gag and trick items); and
LEGO Expert Builder Series.
Highlight
"Daredevil vs Johnny Punk!" Yes, Hostess wins the prize again. "I sure dig that
real fruit filling!"
The Back Cover
Once again, the LEGO Expert Builder Series. "You build them from scratch with
gears, pistons and universal joints that really work."
Cool Colours
The Beast Men are…light yellow? On the front cover, the Doctor wears an orange
waistcoat, and a scarf of light blue, purple, orange and yellow. He also wears
yellow socks. In "K-9's Finest Hour", the Doctor is shown wearing a brown shirt,
and later, his red coat from season 12. K-9, for his part, is blue in some cases
and grey in others…very odd.
Fun Mistakes
Aw, none to be had. We're very sad now…
Conclusion
Slightly more entertaining on the strip front, but there aren't any articles or
pin-ups to balance out the wacky fun. Probably the most entertaining of the
Premieres at the time, but now rather standard and dull – after all, would
you have chosen "K-9's Finest Hour" as the first back-up strip? Bring on
the Barabara!
Issue 59 (April 1981)
The Front Cover
"TV's Cult Hero Now in His Own Marvel Mag!" The Brains Trust take over the cover
this week – as drawn by Gene Day – with their huge, imposing magenta forms. A
rather cartoonish little Doctor flies overhead, proving that, indeed, the Brains
Trust are…100 ft tall? Okay…
The Strips
"Stan Lee Presents: Doctor Who: City of the Cursed" Part One ("City of the
Damned" Parts One – Four)
Now here's a strange one. Who decided to change the title from "Damned" to
"Cursed", and more to the point, why? The previous issue advertised it as
"Damned", and relevant dialogue hasn't been changed. Are we really to believe
that Marvel is this prudish? The editor caption is gone again, replaced by
"Colorist = Gafford", and once more the comic logo replaces the program's on the
first page.
"Werewolf by Night!: Full Moon on the Highway!"
The only non-Doctor Who strip to appear in the American Doctor Who
comic, this is a very irritating and clichéd werewolf story. Why couldn't they
find a six-page back-up strip to fill in the space?
The Columns
"First Class Mail"
Everyone wants a monthly Doctor Who comic, at least, five fans do:
(unsigned) of Framingham, Montana; Bruce Goodness of Wakefield, Rhode Island;
Bill Vinyard of Sedalia, Missouri; David Gene Morrison of Paul Valley, Oklahoma;
and Mrs. Connie Tittle of Rock Island, Illinois. They'll only have to wait, say,
3.5 years… Accompanied by an ad for The Savage She-Hulk.
The Adverts
Johnson Smith Company (gags and tricks);
comic classifieds;
Bubble Yum bubble gum;
Mile High Comics;
more classifieds;
Mighty Marvel's Big Money-Saving Holiday Offer! (in April?);
Grit family newspaper;
Heroes World action figures and kits;
Spider-Man in "The Rescue!" (guess what? Hostess Twinkies!);
100 pc Toy Soldier Set; Olympic Sales Club, Inc; and
MONOGRAM truck models.
Highlight
Oh, the 100 pc Toy Soldier set is precious. For $1.98, you get all these
soldiers "Packed in this footlocker!", which is a ‘pasteboard toy storage box'.
Note that the word "pasteboard" is in tiny letters…
The Back Cover
Oh, it's not LEGO this time! No, it's MONOGRAM Peterbilt truck models. Six
different varieties, with two optional Snap-Tite trailers and two truck-trailer
combo sets!
Cool Colours
On the cover, the Doctor's brown coat has long orange lapels. His scarf is
mostly yellow, green, orange, and red in both the cover illustration and the
strip story (with predominance towards yellow). The Brains Trust have red and
yellow uniforms, but are solid purple on the cover. Some of the inhabitants of
the city have triangles on their clothing – and they're of a pinkish-orange
shade. Interesting…
Fun Mistakes
From "First Class Mail": "Walt Simonson's cover for [Marvel Premiere] #57
proved to me that he could draw a great Dr. Who. And from Mary Jo's article, we
take it that she's very familiar with the characters. […] A
Duffy/Simonson/Janson Doctor Who book would be to my liking!" Who is this
guy, and how much was he paid?
Conclusion
Another pretty standard issue. This issue easily has the least Doctor Who
material of any in the whole series, and as such might be the most disappointing
issue. At least it's got one good strip story.
Issue 60 (June 1981)
The Front Cover
"How Can the Doctor Save the City of the Cursed?" Paul Gulacy was intended to
draw the cover, but as is explained on page 23, he ran out of time. Earl Norem
of Savage Sword of Conan was brought in as a replacement. The cover
illustration is probably the best of the four Marvel Premieres, depicting
a version of the lower left-hand panel on page 16 (including the "By George! I
think I've got it!" speech bubble). The colour scheme is quite muted. Also
includes a little yellow circle advertising "The Inside Story on the New
Doctor!".
The Strips
"Stan Lee Presents: Doctor Who: City of the Cursed" Part Two ("City of the
Damned" Parts Five – Eight)
Although Half-Daft's dialogue regarding "the city of the damned" hasn't been
altered, the Doctor's cliffhanger line has ("Now nothing can save the city of
the cursed!"). Once again, the logo has been replaced, and the editor's caption
removed – the colorist is "Gafford", just like in issue #59. The ‘Next Issue'
caption has been altered to advertise "Star-Lord in Planet Story!"
The Articles
"Hello, Goodbye, Hello" or "Who's Coming and Who's Going" (by Mary Jo Duffy,
illustrated by Walt Simonson)
Duffy witters on at some length about how hard it is to come by interesting
heroes these days, her first experience of Doctor Who (either the
end of Robot Part Two or the start of Part Three), and how
much she enjoys Tom Baker's characterisation of the Doctor. Some considerable
space is given over to a biography of Baker, and a multiple-paragraph quotation
from his interview in the documentary Whose Doctor Who. Toward the end,
we learn that Baker – this incredible, magical guy, according to Duffy –
is leaving the show, and will be replaced by Peter Davison. How terribly sad.
Two cartoons are included, one depicting the Fourth Doctor and Romana II, the
other showing the Fourth Doctor being chased by a gigantic Zygon ("A Last Look
at an Old Enemy… Let's Let Zygons By Zygons, Shall We?"). There's a group
illustration of "Sgt. Major Benton, the Brigadier, and Harry", as well as one of
Leela (clearly based on a photograph). Also along for the ride are two rather
appalling portraits of people named "Peter Davison" and "Sarah Jane". We wonder
who they are? Hmm...
The Columns
"First Class Mail"
And they want a regular comic more than ever: Warren C. Sinclair Jr (no address
given); Kevin C. McConnell, of Warren, Pennsylvania; David Brierley (no, not
that one) of North Smithfield, Rhode Island; Mitchell Rentzier of Brooklyn, New
York; and Michael Mornard of Minneapolis, Michigan. Sandra Fenniak of Ontario,
Canada, wants to see a strip with Leela in, while Leon Allen Jr of Sacramento,
California, thinks the comic should be helmed by Roger Stern and Frank Miller!
At the end is a small box telling readers that "Marvel Premiere #60 ends
out four-issue run of Doctor Who."
The Adverts
Attack of the Mutants (Yaquinto Publications roleplaying games);
Life Savers candies;
comics classifieds;
Bubble Yum bubble gum;
Heroes World comic ‘collectibles';
Grit family newspaper;
announcement of the winners of Mighty Marvel's win-yourself-a-Toys 'R' Us
shopping-spree sweepstakes;
Marvel Comics subscription offer;
more comic classifieds;
Johnson Smith Company (gags and tricks); and
Olympic Sales Club, Inc.
Highlight
Mighty Marvel's win-yourself-blah-blah-blah sweepstakes. "The Grand Prize
winner, a lucky recipient of a hectic three minute spree at Toys 'R' Us is…Sean
McDonald from Sacramento, California!" Not to mention thirty second prize ("AMF
'Hawk 3' bike") winners, sixty third prize (Entex ‘Baseball 3' game") winners
and one-hundred fourth prize ("‘Cruiser' skates") winners. And the ‘special
announcement' is made by Spider-Man and Geoffrey the Giraffe (in a shirt, fedora
and necktie)!
The Back Cover
The 100 pc Toy Soldier set. "Made of durable plastic, each with its own base."
Cool Colours
On the cover, the Doctor's shirt is brown (or at least, his cuff is). The
Barabara are hot pink from head to toe – except for a single cell on page 14,
where they are bright blue! The Doctor's coat varies from brown to a sort of
dark red, and his necktie is gold. The portions of people's bodies being
transported are lime green.
Fun Mistakes
Keeping with a long-standing tradition of getting his name wrong, Sherlock
Holmes' nemesis is Professor "Moriarity". And what about Sgt. Major Benton, eh?
In her article, Mary Jo Duffy expresses her surprise upon first seeing the
fourth Doctor: "That was a scientist? […] Impossible! Where was his age? Where
was his superior intellect? Where were his lab coat and his weapons? Why was he
so much fun? So interesting? So young?" Clearly, she's never seen the Pertwee
era… The Whose Doctor Who documentary is said to be spelled incorrectly,
but it's not. Tom Baker is said to be leaving the show after six years, and
Peter Davison apparently played a character named "Tristam" on All
Creatures Great and Small.
Conclusion
Well, We're happy to say goodbye to the Marvel Premiere issues. This is a
reasonable issue, though, dedicated almost entirely to finishing "City of the
Cursed". Baxter paper, better colors, better reproductions, original Dave
Gibbons covers and a distinct lack of ads are just around the corner…
Doctor Who
Issue 1 (October 1984)
The Front Cover
"1st Collector's Item Issue"! The first of the Dave Gibbons covers, which began
the pattern of the same artist drawing both the reprinted feature comic and
exclusive new cover art for the same issue. This is a really fun one, with the
Doctor, Sharon, Fudge, K-9, and Beep surrounded by Wrarth Warriors. Also making
its debut with this issue is the Gibbons-drawn Marvel TARDIS for the corner box.
Text at the bottom of the picture elaborates what we'll find inside –
"Beginning: The Star Beast Saga! Plus: The Return of the Daleks!" Ooooh….
The Strips
"Doctor Who and the Star Beast" Part One ("The Star Beast" Parts One – Three)
Choosing to skip over "Timeslip" for now, the editorial team is probably banking
on both a bigger, longer story, and the recognisable Dave Gibbons art.
"The Return of the Daleks" ("The Return of the Daleks" Parts One – Four)
Strangely, more pages are given over to present this back-up strip in its
entirety than to run the featured 'Doctor' strip. For the first time, the recaps
of the back-up strips are handled by removing the Doctor panel entirely and
centring the next panel on the page. This creates a very stilted edit between
the Part One and Part Two material: two panels essentially show the same
action, and the second has a recap caption for no apparent reason.
The Articles
"Who's Who" (author uncredited, illustrations by Walter Simonson)
Another of the potted history articles, focusing mostly on the different
incarnations of the Doctor (including Cushing). Four of the five illustrations
from Marvel Premiere #60's "Hello, Goodbye, Hello" article accompany the
item (the Fourth Doctor and Romana cartoon, the Fourth Doctor and Zygon cartoon,
the Sarah Jane portrait, and the Peter Davison portrait), although the Zygon one
is missing its original caption and speech bubble.
The Columns
"Introduction" (by Jim Salicrup)
Getting off to a slow start, the editor introduces us to the new comic. At the
end is a cartoon parodying Peanuts character Lucy's 'Advice 5 cents', by
an unknown artist.
The Adverts
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month".
The Back Cover
Another splendid piece of art by Dave Gibbons, showing a close-up of the Doctor
with a starscape and characters from "The Star Beast" around him. This same
piece of art – albeit in black-and-white, with the comic logo at the top – was
also used as a promotional poster for the comic's debut.
Cool Colours
The Marvel TARDIS – now featured in the top left corner of every cover - is
bright blue, with a white light, windows, and 'Police Box' lettering, and a
purplish-blue base. The Wrarth Warriors are very green, and Beep the Meep is
bright blue, with purple hands and feet. The Anhautans in "Return of the Daleks"
are orange-skinned. As shown on the front cover, the Doctor's scarf is made up
of all kinds of bright, bright colours (including a rich yellow and bright
blue). Also on the front cover, his coat (for the first and only time) is seen
to be the same dark brown as his waistcoat and trousers. On the backcover,
although he is clearly wearing the season 17 outfit, the Doctor's coat lapels
and cuffs are bright red and his tie is green with yellow spots.
Fun Mistakes
"John Nathan-Turner promises [that Colin Baker's Doctor] will be a gentle clown,
in something of a return to the Troughton image. Colin Baker's first story aired
this spring in Great Britain, and should be available for viewing in the U.S.
next year." Obviously the writer didn't see it...
Conclusion
A zippy little first issue, but the evolution from this to the final issues of
the reprint comic is pretty dramatic. The articles and columns are barely
existent, and this is the only time a multi-part back-up strip is printed
entirely within one issue. However, already we are seeing improvements over the
Marvel Premieres: the cover art is much better, the paper and art
duplication are far and away of a higher quality. With this issue the comic is
printed on Baxter paper – Baxter paper is a high quality, white, heavy paper used in the printing of some comics.
Also the laughable Marvel ads
("Buy Hostess Fruit Pies!") are nowhere to be seen. A good start.
Issue 2 (November 1984)
The Front Cover
"The Thrilling Conclusion to… 'Star Beast!'" A bigger, bolder graphic
representation of the cliffhanger to part six of "The Star Beast". Sharon has
forced the Doctor off the scaffolding, and they fall through the air as Beep the
Meep watches on. Good stuff, and the Doctor's scarf isn't quite so blazingly
bright this month.
The Strips
"Doctor Who and the Star Beast: Revenge of Wrarth!" ("The Star Beast" Parts Four
– Eight)
The splash page from the beginning of part five has been retained, thus giving
its title and credits to the entire twenty-one pages.
"Throwback: The Soul of a Cyberman" Parts One and Two
Although the "Throwback: The Soul of a Cyberman: Part One" and "Part Two"
captions have been kept, part two's Doctor recap has been removed.
The Pin-Ups
Three of Cockrum and Giacoia's pin-ups from Marvel Premiere #57 make a
return: "The TARDIS and K-9", "The Doctor's most fearsome foes!", and "The
Daleks". So where is "The Five Doctors"? Stay tuned…
The Adverts
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month".
The Back Cover
"The Five Doctors" by Cockrum & Giacoia, as originally seen in Marvel
Premiere #57.
Cool Colours
The Marvel TARDIS is entirely bright blue – body, windows, and base. It does
have a white light, though, and retains the white 'Police Box' lettering.
Conclusion
A good issue, almost entirely filled with comic content. It's amusing to note
that, while the colouring sometimes leaves something to be desired in these
early days, we actually get a lot more comic pages per issue than in later ones,
filled with letter columns and factoids and the like.
Issue 3 (December 1984)
The Front Cover
"The Doctor isn't himself today…" A great cover by Dave Gibbons shows the
Doctor's metamorphosis into a Werelox. It's a really fantastic piece of art, one
of the best in the series.
The Strips
"Doctor Who and the Dogs of Doom" Part One ("Dogs of Doom" Parts One - Four)
"Throwback: The Soul of a Cyberman" Part Three
"The Final Quest"
They're just working their way down the line of popular villains in the back-up
strips, aren't they? First the Daleks, then a Cyberman, now a Sontaran…
The Articles
"The Fans of Doctor Who" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill, illustrated by Walt
Simonson…and others?)
O'Neill interviews prominent American fans Jean Airey and Gail Bennett, the
secretary / treasurer and president of the North American Time Festival Board,
respectively. They discuss American Doctor Who
conventions, Bennett making a point that she's "never seen a distinction in fan
groups based on any kind of race, religion, sex, handicap, or length of time as
a fan". Mention is also made of how fans can keep up with the latest news, and
how to encourage their local PBS station to run the show. The piece is
illustrated with a re-coloured version of Simonson's Marvel Premiere #57
cover, and the Leela and UNIT illustrations from Marvel Premiere #60.
"The Doctor Who Bookshelf" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill, illustration by unknown)
Reviews of three Doctor Who-related books: The Doctor Who
Technical Manual, (headlined as "Build Your Own TARDIS", with appropriate
illustration from the book), Doctor Who: The Unfolding Text (headlined as
"Deep Scholarship, with photograph of cover), and Doctor Who: A Celebration –
20 Years Through Time and Space (headlined as "Celebrating Two Decades",
also with cover photograph). Clearly O'Neill intended to be read in a different
order than printed, as The Unfolding Text begins, "The last of this
trio", and yet is clearly only the second of the two. Naturally, he recommends
all three to readers. The uncredited illustration at the beginning depicts the
Doctor and a bunch of flies (?) reading a pile of books, including "The Bronze
Age of Ballooning", "The Lizard of Oz!", "Socks Can Be Fun", and "200 Dalek
Jokes to Amuse Your Friends"; the style clearly indicates the artist as being
the same who drew the Peanuts-style cartoon for issue #1.
The Columns
"Introduction" (by Jim Salicrup)
That zany Jim Salicrup is back! He recaps the comic's purpose for those of us
not in the know, before moving on to a discussion of his meeting with Dave
Gibbons. He relates how he wasn't a fan when he started editing the comic, and
how their resident expert – Patrick Daniel O'Neill – insists that the Doctor
never be referred to as "Doctor Who" or "Dr.". Maggie Thompson, co-editor of
The Comic Buyer's Guide, told Salicrup that nine actors have played the
Doctor – obviously she's a time-traveller from post-1996 (and before you mention
it, Peter Cushing was cited earlier in the introduction as if he played an
entirely separate character named "Doctor Who").
"Who Cares"
The comic's regular letters column starts rather inauspiciously, with two
letters. The first, from Matt Haverstick of Pennsylvania, recommends they get as
many old monsters in the comic as possible (he thought DWM "was best when the
Ice Warriors and the Meddling Monk appeared"; you mean someone liked
"4-Dimensional Vistas"?), keep TV companions in, and "experiment with various
portrayals of the Doctor". Oh, and he'd "like to see Logopolis or
Terror of the Zygons in [the] new comic." Sherry Daynard of Ontario, Canada,
takes the editors to task for advertising the Doctor in Marvel Age Magazine as a
"jelly bean eating time traveller." Tsk!
The Adverts
"Timespirits" (from Epic Comics),
"Subscribe to Doctor Who: The Magazine of Time and Space";
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month".
The Back Cover
A black background, against which is set a black, yellow and red version of the
diamond logo (very stylish it is, too).
Cool Colours
The Marvel TARDIS is a little wonky today. One side of the thing is pale blue,
including the windows, but the five panels are bright blue. The other,
shadowed side, the base, and the stacked roof are all bright blue. The lamp's
casing on top is pale blue, and the lamp is an even paler grey-blue! It's just
bizarre…. Similarly odd is that while the Doctor transforms on the front cover,
so does his coat; the regular Doctor seems to be wearing a yellow coat, the
hairy Doctor a peach coat, the really hairy Doctor a mustard-coloured coat, and
the werewolf Doctor a bright orange coat. The Doctor's eyes are clearly brown
(going against both the back cover of issue #1 and Tom Baker's real eye colour).
At the end of the "Dogs of Doom" material, the red Dalek appears to have a
partially pink grill. Sharon's uniform is yellow with red piping.
Conclusion
The sign of things to come. The "Who Cares" letter column and Patrick Daniel
O'Neill's factual articles make their debut alongside what is probably the worst
of the Tom Baker strip stories. Not the best issue, but not the worst either.
Issue 4 (January 1985)
The Front Cover
A special wraparound cover, without any captions at all! The Doctor looks on in
horror as K-9 frees the beasts from their Dalek prisons (basically, a
large-scale version of part six's cliffhanger). Brill and the Daleks also
feature. Really nice and very eye-catching.
The Strips
"The Stolen TARDIS: A Tale of the Time Lords" ("The Stolen TARDIS" Parts One –
Three)
The same technique is employed as with "Throwback"; the "Part One", "Two" and
"Three" captions are retained.
The Columns
"Introduction" (by Jim Salicrup)
Salicrup finishes his story of meeting Dave Gibbons, as begun in the previous
issue. He also talks a bit about the writing team of John Mills and Pat Wagner,
regarding their policy on the writing partnership, as well as the thrilling news
that "one of our very own Doctor Who scribes will be writing for the
Doctor Who television program!" Er…no, they won't. There's a little
illustration at the bottom to remind us "Next time: The Time Witch!". Quite.
"Who Cares"
Ooh, the natives are opinionated today. A. T. Barone of New Jersey is quite
pleased with the comic's portrayal of Tom Baker's Doctor, and wants a checklist
of companions. Ben Camburn of Pennsylvania would like some comic adaptations of
episodes featuring Sarah Jane or one of the Romanas, and thinks a comic of "The
Five Doctors" would be great for a comic annual. "Lady Jennika" of California
has some very strong feelings: "Dave Gibbons has all the artistic capability of
a gibbon", it would seem, and she would prefer someone "who can draw Tom Baker
competently". If this cannot be arranged, she'd like "Mr. Gibbons [to] meet a
Dalek in the dark"! The editorial team, naturally, disagrees with her. Finally,
Michael Thompson of Ontario, Canada, would prefer they use the "new neon tube
logo", and run some strips starring Peter Davison or Colin Baker's Doctors. The
whole thing is accompanied by a panel from "The Star Beast", featuring a Wrarth
Warrior and some dialogue from the Doctor and K-9.
The Adverts
"Timespirits" (from Epic Comics),
"Subscribe to Doctor Who: The Magazine of Time and Space";
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month".
Cool Colours
Thank heaven, it's a normal Marvel TARDIS. The whole thing is bright blue, with
white windows, lettering, and lamp (which seems, strangely, to give off yellow
luminescence). On the front cover, the Doctor's waistcoat is blue (it's totally
dark in the inside comic). As we failed to mention last issue, the President
would seem to be of African descent. The Daleks are led by a red Dalek, instead
of the more traditional black or gold. In "The Stolen TARDIS", Sillarc is lime
green with a purple uniform.
Conclusion
A very content-heavy issue; Dave Gibbons' only wraparound cover is wonderful, so
it's a shame that "The Dogs of Doom" and "The Stolen TARDIS" are such lacklustre
tales.
Issue 5 (February 1985)
The Front Cover
"Doctor Who Meets the Time Witch!" An action shot combined from several panels
of the comic: Brimo simultaneously wraps Sharon in chains and disintegrates the
Doctor's hat. His only comment: "My Hat--!" A caption box in the lower
right-hand corner tells us, "Plus: An Exclusive Interview with the New Doctor –
Colin Baker and Doctor Who producer, John Nathan-Turner!"
The Strips
"Doctor Who and the Time Witch" ("The Time Witch" Parts One – Four)
"Warlord of the Ogrons" ("Warlord of the Ogrons" Parts One – Two)
We return to the old tactic of editing the two back-up strip episodes to look
like one.
The Articles
"Fellow Travellers" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill, artist unknown)
A complete rundown of the Doctor's companions, from Susan Foreman to
Perpugilliam Brown. O'Neill is keen to remind us that while Susan "called the
Doctor 'Grandfather'...their true relationship remains unknown." Actually, the
thing is remarkably accurate, and even includes Katarina and Sara Kingdom.
Accompanied by the same illustration of Leela seen in issue #3 and Marvel
Premiere #60, but - yes! - recoloured.
"John Nathan-Turner and Colin Baker: The Producer and the Doctor" (interview and
photos by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
Another interview, conducted this time at Panopticon West '84 in Columbus, Ohio.
O'Neill questions the two celebrities about the "certain characteristics common
to all the Doctors", what will happen when the Doctor reaches his last body
(both offer some pretty bizarre ideas on how the show could continue), their
opinion of US fandom, and whether they're afraid of typecasting. Ironically,
Baker says he has "set no time limit on playing the role", while JN-T, although
not worried about it, admits that "if [a producer] stayed for ten years it could
be dangerous." And, oh yeah, they tackle the whole TARDIS-changing-shape debacle
(with JN-T trying to fob it off on educational interests!).
The Columns
"Introduction" (by Jim Salicrup)
Salicrup reveals his big, exciting secret: Pat Mills will be writing for the
Doctor Who television program! (Except, of course, he never did.)
"Now don't ask when his episodes will hit the airwaves, even Pat doesn't know."
He then spends most of the rest of the column providing a checklist of which
Doctor Who comics have appeared in each issue of the comic, as well as the
earlier Marvel Premieres.
"Who Cares"
Tom Seger of Maine writes to simply congratulate Marvel on their fine comic.
Trevor Ruppe of North Carolina gets all picky that Telos was mentioned as the
Cyber homeworld in "Throwback", when it's clearly Mondas. Jason Dargo of
Kentucky likes the contents of the Doctor's pockets, as seen in "The Star
Beast". Patricia Fogleman (address withheld by request) writes one big
praise-a-thon for the comic, and how it turned her into a full-on Doctor
Who fan. More pedantry comes from Philip Salomon of Illinois, who knows
exactly what colours the Doctor's scarf should be, as well as yarn lengths ("…8
mustard, 16 grey, 8 rust, 54 camel, 10 purple…"). Naturally, the comic's
colorist promises to try and work in all those colours…and then promptly ignores
his promise and goes right on back to his usual scheme. Oh, and Philip wanted
some Peter Davison and Colin Baker strips, too…doesn't everyone? Finally, more
praise comes from David Hayes of Pennsylvania, who enjoyed "The Star Beast" and
"Throwback", but didn't like "The Return of the Daleks", "probably because the
Doctor was not in it." Oh, and he wants strips featuring other Doctors. Ay carumba… Accompanied by the same picture used as the Marvel TARDIS. With
different colouring, naturally.
The Adverts
"Subscribe to Doctor Who: The Magazine of Time and Space";
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month".
The Back Cover
The same logo-on-black as seen on issue #3.
Cool Colours
The Marvel TARDIS is entirely bright blue. That's right, bright blue from head
to toe, lamp and all. It still gives off pale blue light, though. The Doctor's
coat, both in the comic and on the cover, finally gains its dark brown cuffs
again after two issues (the collar, however, remains unchanged). On the cover,
the Doctor's scarf comes as close as it ever will to the proper TV colours:
yellow, orange, red, dark green, and purple. The highlights of Brimo's black
hair are…green. Ogrons have purple skin and orange whiskers, it would seem…
Fun Mistakes
John Nathan-Turner experiments in retconning: he wants everyone to think back to
that classic Peter Davison story, "The Keeper of Traken". And there had to be an
error somewhere in that companions article, don't you know; apparently "The
Caves of Androzani" was Peri's first story, and Turlough's swansong.
Conclusion
A good issue, with a fun Doctor/Sharon comic and an acceptable back-up strip.
The interview with Colin and JN-T is a definite highlight, particularly when
read these days… Truth be told, we got a kick out of the obsessive fans in this
month's "Who Cares", too.
Issue 6 (March 1985)
The Front Cover
"The Doctor's on the Run Again – This Time in Ancient China!" The Doctor is
attacked by the Shaolin monks, in a scene extrapolated from (but not actually
in) "Dragon's Claw". He protests heartily: "You've got the wrong chap! I'm just
a tourist!". A fun action cover from Dave Gibbons.
The Strips
"Doctor Who: Dragon's Claw: The Summer of Death!" ("Dragon's Claw" Parts One –
Five)
"Deathworld" ("Deathworld" Parts One – Two)
Quite oddly, the "Part One" caption is gone, but the "Part Two" caption has been
retained.
"Abslom Daak… Dalek-Killer" Part One
The Columns
"Introduction" (by Jim Salicrup)
More praise for the original British magazine, as well as the US colorists.
Comics Collector magazine has "selected DOCTOR WHO MONTHLY, as well as
Groo The Wanderer, and Elfquest, as one of the 12 ‘finest
direct-sales comics.'" Salicrup is also extremely proud to know that
"best-selling novelist Jerry Ahern" (who?!) called to find out "how he could
subscribe to Doctor Who." Awww…
"Who Cares"
T.J. Campbell of Wisconsin has a lot to say: he lists all nine Doctors
(including Trevor Martin), liked "Dogs of Doom" more than "Star Beast",
complains about the book reviews in issue #3, thinks Sharon is boring, wants
Romana instead, liked "Throwback" but would've preferred it in one issue, and
thinks "The Final Quest" wasn't as good as it could've been. Gad, do some people
ever shut up? The editors respond with a nearly as long reply, including
responses to frequently asked questions (like, say, "Will other Doctors besides
Tom Baker be appearing in your stories?"). Mike Lord of Chicago "bought four
copies of each of the four Marvel Premieres featuring [the] beloved
Doctor", "11 copies of the first issue" of Doctor Who, and "five of the
second". Cripes. Mary Lowe from Nashville, Tennessee wants to know the
significance of one Irving Forbush. And the editors take some time to "comment
on the amazing amount of mail Doctor Who received from female readers."
The Adverts
"Subscribe to Doctor Who: The Magazine of Time and Space";
Marvel Subscriptions Savings.
The Back Cover
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month".
Cool Colours
The Marvel TARDIS finally settles down into something reasonable – bright blue,
with yellow windows, white lettering and lamp, with white and pale blue light.
On the cover, the Doctor's waistcoat is dark brown. In part one of "Deathworld",
one Ice Warrior appears to have purple legs.
Conclusion
The beginning of a run of content-packed issues. "Dragon's Claw" is one of our
favourite strip stories, and the first portion ends on just the right
cliffhanger. "Deathworld" is, well, pretty dead, but it's nice to see Abslom
Daak make his first appearance. A nice tight issue.
Issue 7 (April 1985)
The Front Cover
Continuing last month's theme, a cover clearly inspired by the featured strip
but not relating to any specific scene: a gigantic, bronze, helmeted Sontaran
holds the Doctor, Sharon and K-9 in its hand. A very cool cover, and quite
eye-catching, in our humble opinion.
The Strips
"Doctor Who: Dragon's Claw: Men of Bronze: Fists of Iron!" ("Dragon's Claw"
Parts Six – Seven) (Wow, lots of colons…)
Beginning with this instalment, the editors start listing which issues of
Doctor Who Weekly or Monthly the comics come from, in a caption below
each comic's first page.
"Abslom Daak… Dalek-Killer" Parts Three and Four
No attempt is made to disguise that this segment of "Abslom Daak" is culled from
two British instalments, complete with title captions and "End of Episode #"
caption boxes.
The Articles
"The Doctor Who Bookshelf" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill, artist unknown)
In this instalment, O'Neill examines four Target novels from the first Doctor's
era: Doctor Who – An Unearthly Child, Doctor Who and the Daleks,
Doctor Who and the Keys of Marinus, and Doctor Who – The Aztecs.
Each review describes the plot, makes comments on the author's writing style,
and includes a brief excerpt. O'Neill actually recommends we start reading
Doctor Who and the Daleks from chapter 3 onwards! He is, of course, quite
complimentary to all four books and their authors, even going so far as to say
that Terrance Dicks has "an ability to write for several different readers at
once: the youngster, who merely wants a chance to read about his favorite TV
hero; the SF reader, who wants an interesting plot; and the Who fan, who
requires an accurate record of that original broadcast." All this about An
Unearthly Child? Wow…
The Columns
"Introduction" (by Jim Salicrup)
The editor explains the new policy of telling readers which issues of the
British magazine the comics come from (see above), and defends the decision to
keep the British spellings. Oh, and he lavishes praise on the British team
again.
"Who Cares"
Michael "Doctor" Webster of Sandy, Utah, is a big fan of Tom Baker; John Caples
of Hanover, Massachusetts, makes the usual demands for different logos,
different Doctors, new stories, etc. David Alan Wright of New Britain,
Connecticut, defends the comic from "Lady Jennika"'s scathing comments in issue
#4, but he still wants more Doctors. Paul Antonowicz of East Islip, New York,
thinks there should be crossovers with "anyone from Conan to Indiana Jones to
the X-Men! The possibilities are endless!" He also thinks the letters page
should be called Time Passages. Trevor Ruppe of Statesville, North Carolina, is
back, with comments on the strips of issue #3 (he liked them all). And, oh
yeah…he wants Peter Davison strips. .::sigh::. Accompanied by the Dalek
cliffhanger panel from "Dogs of Doom", with new (but really hardly different)
colouring.
The Adverts
"Subscribe to Doctor Who: The Magazine of Time and Space";
Marvel Subscriptions Savings.
The Back Cover
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month".
Cool Colours
The Marvel TARDIS is – shock of shocks! – exactly the same colours as last
month, with the exception of a little more pale blue light and a little less
white light (hey if you're gonna be picky…). The whole thing about "Bronze Men"
would make a lot more sense if the Sontarans' armour was bronze-coloured, as it
is on the front cover or in the initial splash page.
Conclusion
It's another packed issue, with the great conclusion to "Dragon's Claw" and more
Abslom Daak. The book reviews are rather self-serving, but overall it's a very
fun instalment.
Issue 8 (May 1985)
The Front Cover
The Doctor socks himself in the jaw, in a scene from "The Collector". A caption
in the corner tells us what a treat we're in for: "2 Tales of the Doctor in This
Issue: 'The Collector' 'Dreamers of Death'".
The Strips
"Doctor Who: The Collector"
"Doctor Who and the Dreamers of Death" ("Dreamers of Death" Parts One – Two)
Unusually, the two episodes both carry their original title captions, instead of
being combined into one strip.
"Abslom Daak… Dalek Killer" Part Three
Well, they tried. They've changed the caption on this one to read "Part Three",
when clearly it's part four – part three, complete with caption, ran in the last
issue!
The Columns
"Introduction" (by Jim Salicrup)
Salicrup repeats the usual facts, and informs us that the editor of the included
comics, Paul Neary, is now pencilling Captain America. He also talks
about Denis Gifford, "the famed British comics historian", and his
International Book of Comics, which features a whole chapter on Doctor
Who comics (titled "The Where and When of Dr. Who"), including the covers of
Doctor Who Weekly #1, Marvel Premiere #57, and TV Action
#1, as well as information on the Time Lord's comics appearances from the very
beginning. Accompanied by a two-colour version of Walt Simonson's cover from
Marvel Premiere #57.
"Who Cares"
Alex Afterman of San Francisco, California, Daryl A. Christensen of St. Louis,
Missouri, and Helen Lesser of Norwalk, Connecticut all offer their praise of the
Doctor Who comic. They're particularly appreciative of Andy Yanchus'
colouring effort, and of course want strips featuring other Doctors. Matt Rogers
of Deerfield, Illinois writes in with a bullet list of points on how the comics
(more specifically issues #1 – #4) take liberties with the TARDIS and how it's
"supposed" to work; he doesn't like the "slightly incompetent" portrayal of the
Doctor, either. Eric Stafford of Lenoir, North Carolina writes to mention the
"Keeper of Traken" mistake (see issue #5), while a demand for Sharon's immediate
dismissal comes from Gregg Evans of "Gallifrey".
The Adverts
Marvel Subscriptions Savings;
"Subscribe to Doctor Who: The Magazine of Time and Space";
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month".
The Back Cover
Another wonderful piece of original art by Dave Gibbons. The dream Doctor and
Sharon, in their spacesuits from "Dreamers of Death", float over a
blue-and-white background of the dreaming Doctor. This is one of our very
favourites from the series of original Gibbons covers, and would've made a much
better front cover than the piece used.
Cool Colours
The Marvel TARDIS is bright blue, with yellow windows, white lettering, and a
red lamp…that gives off yellow light. Unusually, the Doctor's waistcoat and
trousers are both dark brown on the front cover (as opposed to the trousers'
traditional green); his cuffs are also back to being the same colour as the rest
of his coat, and his boots are reddish-brown. On the cover, the Doctor's necktie
is the typical red, while in the comic, it's blue… On the back cover, the
Doctor's scarf is made up of fairly muted colours, far different from the usual
colour scheme in the comic, and much closer to Tom Baker's actual scarf
(including white, cream and dark green). The Collector has blue-green skin and
blue hair, while his robot is purple with pale purple face and hands. The
slinths in "Dreamer of Death" are dark purple, but they combine into a bright
red Devil.
Fun Mistakes
This isn't so much an error as something that could be construed for one: in
"Dreamers of Death", the Doctor has ditched his usual shirt and necktie for his
season 18 shirt (with question-mark collars). On first glance, you might think
this is a case of the colorist making a mistake and not knowing when to switch
to the all-red palette, but if you stop and look you'll notice the Doctor is
still wearing the speckled coat and check trousers of his earlier illustrated
form. Thus, these two strip episodes represent a transitional phase for his
costume…
Conclusion
Another packed issue! Two full stories with the Doctor, Sharon, and K-9, plus
the last four pages of the first Abslom Daak script. "The Collector" isn't a
terribly strong story, but we have a soft spot for "Dreamers of Death" and the
interesting idea of the Doctor having friends he drops in on every so often
(even if the ending is very silly and somewhat Quatermass and the Pit-inspired).
The comic is really on a quality roll right now.
Issue 9 (June 1985)
The Front Cover
"Beginning This Issue: Who Knows, With All the Latest News!" A wonderful
illustration of the Doctor and Prometheus escaping in Helius' chariot heralds
the first issue to feature the Doctor in his season eighteen outfit. A real
doozy of a cover.
The Strips
"The Life Bringer"
The first Doctor strip not to have the Doctor Who logo in the title, it
must be mentioned…
"Star Tigers" Part One ("Star Tigers" Parts One – Two)
Although the title is seen at the start of each segment, there are no "Part One"
or "Two" captions.
The Articles
"A Probable History of the Daleks" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill, illustrations by
Ron Zaime)
A rather bizarre chronology of the Dalek stories up to "Destiny of the Daleks".
For those interested in such things, the order goes: Genesis of the Daleks,
The Daleks, Planet of the Daleks, Evil of the Daleks,
The Day of the Daleks (sic), The Dalek Invasion of Earth, The
Chase, Frontier in Space, The Power of the Daleks, Death to
the Daleks, Mission to the Unknown, The Dalek Masterplan
(sic), Destiny of the Daleks. O'Neill defines Dalek Year 1 (Genesis of
the Daleks) as being roughly 2200 BC. Accompanied by illustrations depicting
the first Doctor's original meeting with the Daleks, Davros, and the Movellans
finding the unconscious fourth Doctor.
The Columns
"Introduction" (by Jim Salicrup)
Our enterprising editor discusses the Thanksgiving Creation Convention in NYC,
where he was a guest alongside Merritt Butrick, Karen Allen, and Doctor
Who's own Louise Jameson. He convinced the latter to pose for a couple
of photos (reproduced alongside the column), and feels John Nathan-Turner should
make immediate plans for Leela to guest star in a future story. He loved meeting
the fans, too, and seeing the comic "displayed on virtually every table" in the
dealer's room. He also lets us know about the next issue's double dose of the
Doctor (even though the titles he mentions are inaccurate; see below).
"Who Knows" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
O'Neill gives readers the skinny on the new season of Doctor Who
in the UK, revealing full details for Attack of the Cybermen,
Vengeance on Varos, The Mark of the Rani, and The Two Doctors.
Also included is the lowdown on the Doctor Who Fan Club of America's
upcoming tour (later known as WHO USA), the latest performing credits for
Patrick Troughton and Mark Strickson, and a brief mention of the 1984
Cinderella pantomime starring Colin Baker, Anthony Ainley, and others.
Accompanied by an illustration of issue #10's cover (with a yellow background
instead of white), captioned "Next Issue".
"Who Cares"
Eileen Jones of Minneapolis, Minnesota, lavishes praise on the comic and wants to
know if the editors accept unsolicited story ideas, while Dave Pratt of Union,
New Jersey, would like to see the Doctor's past adventures from TV 21,
TV Action, and Countdown (oh, and he's looking for pen pals…any
takers?). Bob Schaefer of San Antonio, Texas, feels that there's more to say
about the "Keeper of Traken", "Mondas", and "Caves of Androzani" errors (see
various issues), while remarking that soon (ie this issue), colorist Andy
Yanchus need worry no more about the Doctor's scarf colours. "Doktor Dan" of
Newark, New Jersey, watches Doctor Who on NJN, and encourages all
readers to support their PBS station and convince them to run the show.
The Adverts
Marvel Subscriptions Savings;
"Subscribe to Doctor Who: The Magazine of Time and Space".
The Back Cover
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month".
Cool Colours
Oh boy…the Marvel TARDIS. Did it ever change. One side of the main body and base
is pale blue, but the other side is bright blue, as is the stacked roof. The
lamp casing is pale blue, the lamp is red, the windows are yellow – who colours
this thing, anyway? In the first of many variations on a theme, the Doctor's
clothes are burgundy, with a red-and-black scarf.
Fun Mistakes
In what must be excitement over the Doctor's new look, the colorist for the
front cover has even made the Doctor's question-mark collar burgundy. According
to editor Jim Salicrup, the next issue's strips will be "The Deal" and "War of
the Worlds"; both are wrong. Instead, issue #10 will see "War of the Words" (not
Worlds) and "Spider God", thus following the publication order of DWM.
In his "Who Knows" column, Patrick Daniel O'Neill says that season 22 "will be
broadcast in a fifty minute time slot, twice a week", and that the Rani is
played by "Katie O'Mara". The first illustration for the "Brief History of the
Daleks" article is an artistic representation of a rehearsal photo; thus,
Hartnell is drawn in a regular shirt and trousers. The illustration of Davros is
accompanied by the caption "Stravos" (?!).
Conclusion
A nice issue, although not as grand as the last few.
"The Life Bringer" is a swell little story, with the comic's first ambiguous,
almost downbeat ending (soon to become the norm for the Doctor's season eighteen
comic adventures). "Star Tigers" is just okay.
Issue 10 (July 1985)
The Front Cover
"In This Issue: Doctor Who Fan Club Information! Cybermen History! And More!"
The Doctor faces the Biblios robot; a new version of the "This is your life!"
conversation, and a lovely full-size illustration of the fourth Doctor to boot.
Curiously, this one has a completely blank background…
The Strips
"Doctor Who in War of the Words"
"Doctor Who in Spider-God"
"Star Tigers" Parts Three and Four
Again, the "Part Three" and "Four" captions are gone.
The Articles
"A Probable History of the Cybermen" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
Some people just can't stop. The order of events, according to O'Neill, is:
The Tenth Planet, The Invasion, The Wheel in Space, The
Moonbase, the Cyber wars, The Tomb of the Cybermen, Earthshock,
and Revenge of the Cybermen. Interesting that O'Neill places UNIT's
formation at no earlier than the late 1980s, probably later. Accompanied by
illustrations of a Cyberman breaking from his tomb, Zoe confronted by two
Cybermen, a Cybermat, and a Cyberman emerging from the London sewers.
The Columns
"Introduction" (by Jim Salicrup)
Salicrup relates, in excruciating detail, his panel at the Thanksgiving Creation
Convention. ("...How many of them had seen an episode of Star Trek[?]
Every hand went up. How many had seen an episode of Doctor Who?
Every hand went up. How many had seen every episode of Star Trek?...")
Apparently, some twenty people at this panel had seen "every episode of
Doctor Who". Yeah, right. Salicrup was staggered – well, so are we.
Every episode from Robot on, maybe…
"Who Knows" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
Breaking news! 14 more Pertwee serials are available to the US distributors,
making nearly every story from Spearhead from Space onwards viewable by
Americans. O'Neill lists all twenty-four Pertwees, noting which are now
available to the US market. He brings us up to speed on the Whovian Festival
Tour developments, and some mentions of Doctor Who in well-known
publications (such as the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal,
and The New York Times Magazine).
"Who Cares"
Mary Ellen Kundrat, location unspecified, wants contact information for the
Doctor Who Fan Club of America or the North American Doctor Who
Appreciation Society; if she doesn't get it, her "fanatical husband just might
self destruct"! Mike Stanbridge of Quincy, Illinois, helps out by providing info
for the DWFCA, Time Lord Academy (?), and The Anthony Ainley Fan Club (?!). John
Brittan of Daly City, California, is the thirty-three billionth reader to want a
comics adaptation of The Five Doctors. Marr Cropley of Hudson, New
Hampshire, is a little different; he wants an adaptation of The Green Death.
Also desiring stories featuring earlier incarnations is Andrew Rolfe of Norwich,
England – erm, doesn't he have his own mag, called DWM? Donald Moore of
Trail, British Columbia, really liked "Dragon's Claw", and compliments Dave
Gibbons' artistry. He would like to know how to get DWM in the USA,
though. Finally, Kurt Friedman of Oxon Hill, Maryland, seems to have written a
letter to a totally different comic – one that had an issue #274 – pointing out
lots of possible Doctor Who references. It reads rather like
listening to just one end of a telephone conversation.
The Adverts
Marvel Subscriptions Savings;
"Subscribe to Doctor Who: The Magazine of Time and Space".
The Back Cover
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month".
Cool Colours
Thankfully, the Marvel TARDIS returns to some sort of normality: bright blue,
with yellow windows and a red lamp. On the front cover, the Doctor has a magenta
coat, burgundy trousers, socks and shoes, and a hot pink-and-black scarf.
Inside, his outfit also seems magenta-ish, and his scarf varies between red and
pink. Lots of bright colours in this issue: most notably, the Biblios robots are
gold, the Vromyx are bright orange with lime green ships, and the Garynths are
lime green with bright blue ships! The butterfly people in "Spider-God" are
green, with red eyes, and wings that go from purple to red to orange, with
yellow edges.
Fun Mistakes
In a panel on page 6, the Doctor has green hair.
Conclusion
A packed issue, with three strips and an article. "War of the Words" and "Spider
God" are both great single-issue strips, while "Star Tigers" presses onwards.
The "Who Cares" writers continue to inspire that exact reaction; we mean, how
many people have to ask for a comic of The Five Doctors? Criminey…
Issue 11 (August 1985)
The Front Cover
The Doctor is confronted by the trooper in a scene from "The Deal", complete
with dialogue compressed from several panels of that story: "Freeze, creep! I'm
spreading you all over this junkheap planet!" Eek, we're scared. "The Doctor
Stars in "The Deal" and "End of the Line!" Plus: Who News, An Interview with
Terrance Dicks, and Abslom Daak, Dalek-Killer!"
The Strips
"Doctor Who in The Deal"
We'd guess that the use of Dave Gibbons' original art (see the next issue's
"Introduction") began with this strip. The art is much cleaner than in previous
strips. "End of the Line", though, has several pages which must have been taken
from photostat.
"Doctor Who: End of the Line" Part One
"Star Tigers" Parts Five and Six
The Articles
"Interview with Terrance Dicks" (by Ken Hart)
Interviewed "during a recent convention in Philadelphia", Dicks is asked about
his time on Doctor Who, his scripts for the show (with emphasis on
The Five Doctors), whether or not new writers can break into the show, if
there will ever be original novels (he thinks not – ha!), and if the Doctor
could be a woman in his next incarnation. Actually, a lot of the article is
given over to reciting facts about Dicks (such as how many Targets he's written,
or what the original plot of The Brain of Morbius was), as opposed to
presenting quotes from the man. Illustrated with several uncredited photos.
The Columns
"Introduction" (by Jim Salicrup)
Not the most exciting introduction ever. Salicrup just barely has time to talk
about a radio campaign to advertise Doctor Who, Marvel Fanfare,
and Dreadstar, while also pointing out the new "Who's on First" feature
(commonly known to us slow-witted readers as a table of contents).
"Who Knows" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
More details on the newly-available Pertwee stories, and news that Lionheart is
preparing five Troughton stories for distribution. Also some brief information
on DWIN's Who Party 7 (a Canadian con), and addresses to write the current cast
and crew, Troughton, Pertwee, Tom Baker, and Davison. Accompanied by a
black-and-yellow picture of the next issue's front cover.
"Who Cares"
Audrey Church of Nashville, Tennessee, is a new fan, and very much enjoys the
comic; J. Young of Salt Lake City, Utah, is neither a fan of sci-fi or comics,
but is also a steadfast follower of the good Doctor – at least, in his Tom Baker
incarnation. Brad "Who fan #1" Huppert of Prescott, Wisconsin, begs the editors
to ignore "Lady Jennika"'s comments from issue #4, and makes his Mom stop and
buy the comic for him. Secundra Beasly of Cleveland, Ohio, has just about had it
– she's "mad as hell and…won't take it anymore!!" She loves the work the team
has put into the comic, and isn't too happy with the naysayers. Anthony Padilla
of Stillwater, Minnesota, thinks "Dragon's Claw" was "the best yet!" and wants
more crossovers and less Bullpen Bulletins. Taking issue with Patrick Daniel
O'Neill's "Bookshelf" columns is Thomas F. Smith of Haworth, New Jersey, and
Victor Wong of Vancouver, British Columbia, doesn't like the combined costume
the Doctor wore in "Dreamers of Death".
The Adverts
"Dreadstar and Company";
Marvel Subscriptions Savings.
The Back Cover
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month".
Cool Colours
Disturbingly simple: the Marvel TARDIS is bright blue, with a white lamp and
yellow windows (on one side). The Doctor's costume is all-red on the front
cover; inside, it's settled down to a dark magenta outfit with a burgundy scarf.
The trooper in "The Deal" has purple hair, as does the receptionist at "Star
Tigers"' Murderama.
Conclusion
A nice, packed issue, even if "The Deal" isn't really that great a story. At the
time, the Terrance Dicks interview was probably a big thing – nowadays, it's
full of information every fan with an Internet connection knows.
Issue 12 (September 1985)
The Front Cover
A horrified Doctor faces the cannibals, in a room covered with graffiti messages
(two of which, although obscured, seem to be "Gibbons" and "Forbush").
The Strips
"Doctor Who: End of the Line: Part II"
Since the comic is now using Dave Gibbons' original art, instead of photostats
(as mentioned in Jim Salicrup's "Introduction"), both Gibbons-drawn stories are
remarkably cleaner than previous strips. The one exception is "End of the Line:
Part II" page 1, which seems to have been taken from photostat.
"Doctor Who and the Free-Fall Warriors" ("The Free-Fall Warriors" Parts One and
Two)
Because "The Free-Fall Warriors" begins directly after "End of the Line", it's
easy to make the mistake of thinking that the first page of "Warriors" is a
continuation of the previous story (especially if you miss the tiny little ‘The
End' box). The Part captions have been removed.
"Star Tigers" Part Seven
The Columns
"Introduction" (by Jim Salicrup)
Our erstwhile editor discusses Doctor Who's imminent hiatus, and
the (far better) news that Dave Gibbons will now be providing the originals of
his art for reproduction in the comic.
"Who Knows" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
Congratulations are in order for Peter Davison and Sandra Dickinson, on the
occasion of the birth of their daughter, Georgia Elizabeth. More news on the
1985 Time Festival, and an explanation for the lack of sound and visual effects
in the second half of the movie-format "Resurrection of the Daleks". Some
indication is given when Americans will see Colin Baker's Doctor on their
screens, and contact addresses are provided for Anthony Ainley, David Brierly,
Nicholas Courtney, Janet Fielding, Louise Jameson, John Leeson, Ian Marter,
Elisabeth Sladen, Mark Strickson, Sarah Sutton, Mary Tamm, Lalla Ward, and
Matthew Waterhouse. Finally, O'Neill relates the news of Cyprus returning
episodes 1 – 3 of The Reign of Terror.
"Who Cares"
Brad Huppert of Prescott, Wisconsin, is back: defending the idea that the TARDIS
could materialise in the ship's floor in "Dogs of Doom". An incredibly long
letter comes from Seth Goodman of Phoenix, Arizona, going on and on about how
great the comic is, although he doesn't like the repetitious "Introduction" or
the fact-based articles for newbies. Allen Lane of West Milford, New Jersey,
wants to see a brand new comic adapting one episode of the Doctor Who
TV program each issue (the editorial team is quick to point out such an
endeavour would last over 61 years). Finally, Marc Campbell of Denver, Colorado,
wants to know if Whoites, Whoies, or Whovians is the preferred term for Who
fans. Accompanied by a recoloured panel from "The Star Beast" Part Two (with the
Doctor in his season eighteen colours, despite it clearly being an earlier
illustration).
The Adverts
"Doctor Who Convention Calendar" (complete with illustration from Timeslip; the
Doctor – in season eighteen colours – tells you conventions are "Coming to these
cities on these dates");
"Doctor Who Merchandise Sale";
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month".
The Back Cover
An action-packed illustration of the Freefall Warriors in flight, with close-up
detail of Machine Head's ship and its occupants. Notable for the first cover use
of the neon tube logo.
Cool Colours
The Marvel TARDIS is bright blue, with white lettering, yellow windows, and an
orange lamp that gives off orange light (?!). On the covers, the Doctor's outfit
is burgundy with a red scarf. In a few panels of "Free-Fall Warriors", the
Doctor's outfit is a brighter magenta, with a pink scarf and socks. Doctor
Asimoff is lime green, with a pink-and-purple shirt, dark blue shorts, and
bright blue shoes. The Freefall Warriors' uniforms are blue and yellow, with a
red-and-yellow insignia. The raiders' leader's skin changes from a sort of
greenish-brown in part one to dark green in part two.
Conclusion
Another fun issue, with twenty-four pages of pure Doctor, and two great covers
by Dave Gibbons. "Star Tigers" finally reaches its end, and even the
advertisements see a few changes…
Issue 13 (October 1985)
The Front Cover
Although it was promised the neon logo would be used from this issue onwards,
the back cover of issue #12 turns out to be a fluke – the Hartnell/diamond logo
is back. Even stranger is that the cover illustration is drawn by Dave
Gibbons…who did not do the art for the interior story. It depicts the Doctor,
Flotsam and Jetsam having coffee inside the TARDIS, and startled by the entry of
an annoyed Cyberman. Curiously, a bit of the TARDIS console is there, too –
something that barely appears in the strip itself…
The Strips
"Junk-Yard Demon" ("Junk-Yard Demon" Parts One and Two)
"Yonder the Yeti"
The Doctor panel in this comic has been coloured to match the season eighteen
costume.
The Articles
"The Doctor Who Bookshelf" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
O'Neill reviews the next four Target novelisations of the Hartnell era (which,
at the time, represented all the remaining ones!). He quite enjoyed Doctor
Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth, of course, telling us how Terrance
Dicks' "feel for dialogue makes nearly all of [his] Doctor Who novels
such a joy for the fans of the series." Astonishingly, though, he seems to have
taking a great disliking to Doctor Who and the Zarbi, commenting how "the
writing is childish", and that it is, in fact, "arguably the worst Doctor Who
novel published." Wow! But it's back to the praise for Doctor Who and the
Crusaders and Doctor Who and the Tenth Planet. Accompanied by
black-and-white photos of the book covers, and that same Peanuts-esque
cartoon, but with the book titles changed (ie "Fun with Dust", "Tequila
Mockingbird", and "200 Vogan Jokes to Amuse Your Friends").
The Columns
Remarkable. Issue #12 promised a change in how the editor's "Introduction"
worked, and…boy, they weren't kidding. The whole thing's gone! Where the
editorial should be, there's a big black page, with a white-and-black version of
the comic's logo. The "Who Cares" letters column is gone, too. Staggering
genius.
"Who Knows" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
And yet this is still here. Ah, well, you can't have it all... Lots of
discussion about the 1985 hiatus, and how it will indeed be only a 'break' for
the show. One rumour is confirmed – the changing of the TARDIS' shape in
Attack of the Cybermen – while another, plans for Lionheart packages of
Hartnell and Troughton stories, is regrettably denied. Many addresses are given
for American fan clubs.
The Adverts
"Moonshadow" (twelve-issue miniseries from Epic Comics);
"Doctor Who Convention Calendar";
"Doctor Who Merchandise Sale";
"Dreadstar".
The Back Cover
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month".
Cool Colours
The Marvel TARDIS reaches new weird heights with a dark blue shell, bright blue
base and roof, yellow windows and lettering, and a white lamp. Who decided to
torture us this way, anyhow? The Doctor on the front cover wears a burgundy
outfit with a purplish scarf. Inside, the Doctor's hat is brown (is it his pre-Leisure
Hive hat?). Flotsam's skin is light purple, and Dutch is mostly yellow.
Cybernaut Zogron has many multi-coloured tubes connected to his chest unit.
Conclusion
We really like the wacky art of "Junk-Yard Demon"; it complements the story
totally, and makes for a really fun, unusual read. It's also pretty neat to see
Dave Gibbons' take on the same characters for the front cover. Unfortunately,
"Yonder the Yeti" is a ridiculous back-up strip, and completely worth skipping,
so it's merely a good issue, not a great one.
Issue 14 (November 1985)
The Front Cover
"Clash of the Neutron Knights!" The last cover to feature Tom Baker's Doctor,
quite unusually, is perhaps the one to which he is least essential. He appears
in the background with Merlin and the TARDIS, staring in horror at the
foreground fight between Catavolcus and Arthur (it must be Arthur, unlike the
strip panels the illustration is based on – he's wearing a helmet, as well as
Arthur's red cape). This is also the last appearance of the comic's diamond
logo.
The Strips
"The Neutron Knights"
The run of Tom Baker stories comes to a great end, with some of the most
detailed reproductions of Gibbons' art yet, and wonderful colouring.
"A Ship Called Sudden Death"
"The Fabulous Idiot"
"Black Legacy" ("Black Legacy" Parts One – Four)
The Doctor's outfit has once again been coloured to resemble his season eighteen
variation.
The Articles
"The Master Log" Part 1 (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
Possibly the only article to ever compare the Master to Indiana Jones' Belloq.
Basically, this is just a rundown of the Master's appearances in Doctor
Who, from Terror of the Autons to Castrovalva. Includes
three coloured illustrations based on publicity photos: two of Anthony Ainley,
and one of Roger Delgado.
The Columns
"The Editor's Space" (by Jim Salicrup)
The old "Introduction" is gone, replaced by two separate sections: the "Who's
Who", which replicates Salicrup's old recap of the show's history and its
transformation to Marvel comic, and "The Editor's Space", where he gives his
monthly comments. This time, he explains the reason for no "Introduction" last
issue – he went on vacation! He introduces his "spanking new assistant editor",
Adam Philips, and explains the concept between the aforementioned two intro
sections. He also compares Doctor Who to Dallas…heaven
knows why…
"Who Knows" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
The beginning of this month's article is taken up with a JN-T interview
(actually conducted back in March), concerning the future of Doctor Who
after the 18-month hiatus. This section is accompanied by a coloured
illustration from the end of "The Tides of Time" Part Two (as seen in the next
issue), featuring the Doctor in the Matrix. After that, there is a brief notice
regarding JN-T's new book, The TARDIS Inside Out, and a long list of all
the missing episodes from Hartnell – Pertwee, with additional info for Canadians
who may have colour Pertwees. Accompanied by a coloured panel from "The Tides of
Time" Part One, of the Doctor fighting the Roman soldier. Finally, there's
congratulations in order for Colin Baker and Marion Wyatt, who gave birth to
daughter Lucy, and Elisabeth Sladen, who gave birth to daughter Sadie
(apparently without a male participant!).
"Who Cares"
Brian W. Engler of Depew, New York, encourages fans to write Alisdair Milne and
Michael Grade, going so far as to provide addresses! Sheldon F. Collins of Essex
wanted to say how much he likes the comic, thinking he is their first letter
from the UK (he's not – the first was in issue #10). Ronald Bialkowski (address
unspecified) would like to see the comic print the overlooked story "Timeslip",
as well as "Spider-God" (which was already done in issue #10), "K-9's Finest
Hour", "Twilight of the Silurians", "Ship of Fools", and "The Outsider". Christy
Keither of Sacramento, California, wants answers to her subscription questions,
and Kevin S. Wilcox of Woodland, California, very much enjoyed the interview in
issue #5. Writing to ask lots of questions and answer them at the same time (!)
is "Nestene Consciousness" (!!). Bit far from the circus, aren't you?
The Adverts
"Doctor Who Convention Calendar";
"Doctor Who Merchandise Sale";
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month";
"The Doctor Who Collection" (sales on t-shirts, pins, DWFCA memberships,
photographs, and more).
The Back Cover
"The West Coast Avengers" / "The Vision and the Scarlet Witch" (quite a detailed
ad, really, with lots of background history…).
Cool Colours
Back to tradition! The Marvel TARDIS is bright blue with yellow lamp and
windows, and a white lamp base and lettering. Yet it gives off orange light… On
the front cover, Catavolcus' armour is green. His hair and beard are red there,
but brown inside. Merlin, who was probably supposed to look like a Time Lord,
has lavender robes and a red-and-purple collar. The Dragon is, of course, green.
Ivan Asimoff's illustrator is orange-skinned, with blue hair.
Fun Mistakes
In the "Who's on First" table of contents, the final strip is misnamed "The
Black Legacy". In O'Neill's list of missing episodes, "The Crusade" episode 4 is
conspicuous by its absence, and "The Invasion" is represented by the episodes
that do exist (as opposed to the missing 1 and 4).
Conclusion
A good issue, with lots of content, but the cover sums up the Doctor's
involvement pretty well – that of a supporting character. He's only in eight
pages of the comic material, and while those are very memorable, it's a bit of a
paltry send-off for the beloved fourth Doctor.
Issue 15 (December 1985)
The Front Cover
"Beginning This Issue: The Peter Davison Doctor Takes Over!" The fifth Doctor,
and his neon tubing logo, take over the comic! A fantastic cover, with the
Doctor, Sir Justin and Shayde featured over a blue-and-fuchsia background
collage of images from the strip story (adapted from the opening panel of "The
Tides of Time" part six). And for the first and only time, we get the name of
that main comic story on the front: "The Tides of Time".
The Strips
"The Tides of Time" Parts One and Two
Quite unusually, both parts of the story are indicated as such, with full title.
"Business as Usual" ("Business as Usual" Parts One – Four)
Presented in the old 'movie' format, if you will. Again, the fourth Doctor has
been coloured to fit his season eighteen costume.
The Articles
"The Master Log, Part Two" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
O'Neill continues his history of the Master from Castrovalva to Planet
of Fire" followed by biographical information on both Delgado and Ainley.
Clearly this was written some months before the December '85 publication date,
because while "neither [Ainley] nor producer John Nathan-Turner will reveal if
the character will return" following Planet of Fire, he already had –
eleven months earlier, in The Mark of the Rani.
The Columns
"The Editor's Space" (by Jim Salicrup)
Ah, that wacky Jim Salicrup. He spends this issue's tiny little space trying to
convince us (in a follow-up from the previous issue's "Editor's Space") that our
favourite show is just like Dallas, with folks regenerating all
the time, and that it has tremendous potential for broadcast on "local
commercial television stations." Yeah, we all know how that turned out…
"Who Knows" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
In this month's exclusive, Ray Kraft of Lionheart Television International
reveals that PBS will start broadcasting Who on their satellite.
"We'll send out the half-hour version of the show five days a week, and on
weekends we'll transmit the feature version for the stations who use that
format," says Kraft. He also mentions that they'd "like to start all the
stations with Tom Baker, let them build an audience, then introduce the earlier
Doctors." (This never actually happened as not enough PBS stations could be
interested.) He also discusses the delay in running Colin Baker stories in
America, hinting that the actor might not return in the lead role for the 1986
season. John Nathan-Turner chimes in for a few fan responses regarding filming
in America, missing sound effects in Resurrection of the Daleks,
completing Shada, designing the sixth Doctor's outfit, releasing stories
on home video, and changing the TARDIS' police box form. The article is
illustrated with two coloured panels from "The Tides of Time" part three (one of
which is from the same page adapted for next month's cover art).
"Who Cares"
David Dale, the Vice-President of the Whovian League (no address given), is
under the impression that Dave Gibbons is redrawing the comics based on DWM's
output, and provides a few fan club addresses. Alvin Helms, of Xenia, Ohio,
tells the comic a lot of what he won't say (meaning, of course, that he says it
anyway), and chimes in that they should "adapt particularly popular adventures,
like The Day of the Daleks (sic) or The Five Doctors." Michael
Wagner, of Alberta, Canada, wants to know where to get more issues, while Thomas
F. Smith, of Haworth, New Jersey, inquires as to how Patrick Daniel O'Neill came
up with his Dalek chronology (issue #9). Whoter Hindman (no address, and let's
have a show of hands – do you think that's his real name?) also has a lot he's
not going to say, and frankly feels nobody else needs to say it, either.
Illustrated with a four-colour version of next month's cover.
The Adverts
"Doctor Who Convention Calendar";
"Doctor Who Merchandise Sale";
"The West Coast Avengers" / "The Vision and the Scarlet Witch";
Marvel Subscriptions Savings.
The Back Cover
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month".
Cool Colours
The Marvel TARDIS is the same mostly-bright-blue configuration we saw on issue
#2 (even the windows are blue!). The Doctor's coat and trousers are a
mustard-gold colour, and his coat's piping is rarely coloured differently. His
hair is bright yellow. On the cover, the stripe of his sweater is yellow, but in
at least one interior panel it's the proper red (usually, it's too small to be
coloured at all). The inside of his shirt collar is red, presumably placing this
story before Warriors of the Deep. The event synthesiser is mostly blue,
and the demon Melanchius is green with green-brown hair and maroon armour. Sir
Justin, on the other hand, is brown-haired with blue and gray armour. Rassilon
wears green robes.
Fun Mistakes
There are two large errors in the "Master Log" article. The first is a matter of
interpretation regarding the Master's fate in Castrovalva: "the Master
was left in the hands of that city's citizens, apparently destined for
imprisonment, if not death." Actually, wasn't the latter precisely the case,
considering the fictional city was collapsing in on itself? The second error,
however, has no room for rationalization – according to the article, Roger
Delgado died in June 1963. Bit interesting, that, if he played the Master during
the 70s… In the "Who Knows" column, John Nathan-Turner feels that the three
stories released on UK home video "[wouldn't] sell very well over here. They're
Tom Baker stories, but who here hasn't got a copy of Pyramids of Mars,
The Brain of Morbius, or Genesis of the Daleks?" That's really
interesting, considering Revenge of the Cybermen preceded Brain,
and The Five Doctors preceded Pyramids, while Genesis
wasn't released until 1991. He also suggests the first video America will get is
a concurrent US/UK release of The Seeds of Death, which is untrue –
The Five Doctors heralded the start of the US range in 1985 (Seeds
wasn't released until 1990).
Conclusion
This issue heralds the beginning of what is, in our opinion, the very best
Doctor Who strip story ever. The art is lovely, and the colouring quite
solid – despite an over-reliance on publicity photograph poses, Dave Gibbons has
always drawn a wonderful Peter Davison, perhaps an even better representation of
the actor than his Tom Baker (although, admittedly, this fifth Doctor has rather
broader shoulders than he should). Pair that up with one of the best back-up
strips, a downbeat tale by Alan Moore (!), and you have a wonderful issue that
tops most of the others before it.
Issue 16 (January 1986)
The Front Cover
"Into the realm of SATAN!" Wow, that's an attention-grabber, isn't it? And well
it should be, as the cover features the Doctor plummeting towards the huge
Melanchius (and losing his hat) in his amusement park car. Shayde, accompanying
him, takes the opportunity to fire off a quick, utterly useless shot at the
gigantic demon. And for those with a keen eye, we're reminded that inside,
there's an "Exclusive: all-new Peter Davison interview!"
The Strips
"The Tides of Time" Parts Three and Four
Once again, both parts are fully indicated as such.
"Ship of Fools" ("Ship of Fools" Parts One – Two)
Truncated into a single instalment.
The Articles
"The Peter Davison Interview" Part One
Davison, always one of the better speakers for the series (being neither
reclusive or overly-gushing, but certainly more than tactful), answers questions
about his career and, specifically, Doctor Who. Among them are
details about recent projects (including Anna of the Five Towns,
Miss Marple, and Magnum, PI), his thoughts on his
time as the Doctor, and how hard it was to take over from Tom Baker. Nothing
terribly remarkable, but a pleasant little read. Illustrated with two panels,
one of the fifth Doctor from "The Tides of Time" Part Five, one of the TARDIS
from an indeterminate strip.
The Columns
"The Editor's Space" (by Jim Salicrup)
Salicrup as good as wastes his space by simply repeating his Doctor Who
/ Dallas argument of the previous two months. He also mentions the
potential problem of Doctor Who being edited in syndication like
Star Trek (as indeed it had been for many stations in 1978).
"Who Knows" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
John Nathan-Turner announces that he'll leave as producer after the 23rd
season! (Uh-huh.) Also, in response to the previous month's statement by Ray
Kraft, it is confirmed that Colin Baker will return as the Doctor. However,
there's two more rumours to be dealt with: one, that Colin "found out about the
[hiatus] by watching the evening news broadcast", and that the hiatus occurred
because "John Nathan-Turner had…a tremendous row with BBC controller Michael
Grade." Both false, naturally. Addresses are provided for those who want to
complain to Michael Grade (Controller), Stuart Young (BBC Chairman), Alisdair
Milne (BBC Director General), Bill Cotton (Managing Director), Jonathan Powell
(head of drama serials), and Brian Wenham (Director of Programming). An address
change is given for Jean Airey, secretary for the Time Festival conventions, as
well as a programming note that Louise Jameson is appearing in Tenko
on A&E . Finally, Patrick Daniel O'Neill blows his horn a bit by discussing his
appearance on the "New Jersey Network during its fund drive", where he met
several Who celebs. Illustrated with a coloured panel from
"The Tides of Time" part five, and a photo of O'Neill and NJN's
producer/director Eric Luskin.
"Who Cares"
David Reed of Collinsville, Illinois, wants an interview with Tom Baker, "bigger
parts for K-9", whole-book stories, and more info on conventions. Mark Panetti
of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, hates Dr. Asimoff (of "The Free-Fall Warriors")
and lets it be known. Philip P. Jones of Norristown, Pennsylvania, would like to
see some stories with the Delgado Master adapted for the comic. Disliking the
comic's characterization of the Doctor are Lord Angraton of Huntington Valley,
Pennsylvania, and Dan Campbell of Detroit, Michigan. Richard Dixon of
Holtsville, New York, wants to know how to buy a fourth Doctor scarf, and
Richard Washburn of Hudson, New York, doesn't like that "The Dogs of Doom"
(issues #3 and #4) features a red Dalek in command, but otherwise enjoys the
comic (in fact, he'd like to see a recognition of K-9's tenth anniversary in
1987).
The Adverts
"The Doctor Who Collection" (merchandise);
"For Epic Excitement…the Epic Experience" (Epic Comics);
"The Punisher."
The Back Cover
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month".
Cool Colours
The Marvel TARDIS is bright blue with white lettering and windows, and a red
lamp that gives off…yellow light. The character widely assumed to be (second
Doctor companion) Zoe wears a yellow-and-orange dress. Kroton's cruiser is
magenta, and the Flying Dutchman's robotic pilot has cream armour with red
'eyes'.
Fun Mistakes
Quite obviously in hindsight, John Nathan-Turner went down with the ship, never
being allowed to leave after the 1986 season. That's it, bizarrely…
Conclusion
Another really good issue. Sixteen more pages of "Tides" fun and another fairly
bleak back-up story are supported by a reasonable (if extremely typical) Davison
interview. There's not much to say, simply because it maintains the high
standard set by the previous issue! Next month will be a little different,
though…
Issue 17 (February 1986)
The Front Cover
"Exclusive Peter Davison interview!" Yes, yes, we get it already. This month's
cover is actually one of our least favourites, because it features a rather
unsuccessful portrait of the Fifth Doctor staring blankly ahead in – shock?
Horror? Bad digestion? – against a red-and-black tableau of images from the
comic story. This sort of idea was done far better for issue #15's cover.
The Strips
"The Tides of Time" Parts Five and Six
For the first time in the comic, two instalments of the same main Doctor strip
have been separated in the comic by the Davison interview and a back-up strip
("Devils of the Deep"). Gibbons' colour double-page spread for part six has been
faithfully reproduced, despite the fact Sir Justin and the Althracians' colours
are rather different.
"Devil of the Deep"
One of the later, lesser-known back-up strips, featuring a gang of pirates and a
kindly Sea Devil. Hardly stellar stuff.
"Crisis on Kaldor"
More back-up fun, this time with Voc robots ("The Robots of Death"). The fourth
Doctor is, again, recoloured to resemble his season eighteen visage.
The Articles
"The Peter Davison Interview" Part Two
A good portion of this second part of the interview focuses on Davison's other
well-known-in-America series, All Creatures Great and Small. A bit
of word association is also done, with names thrown out including Janet
Fielding, Graeme Harper, John Nathan-Turner, Anthony Ainley, and Patrick
Troughton. Davison discusses his favourite stories, and how he'd like, one day,
to write and direct. Just because he thinks someone actually cares, O'Neill asks
him how the anti-gravity sequence in Four to Doomsday was done. And,
finally, would he go back for a multi-Doctor special? (He would.) Illustrated
with a black-and-white publicity photo of himself, Janet Fielding, and Sarah
Sutton (all in costume, from season nineteen), and a coloured line drawing of
the fifth Doctor by Jack Abel.
The Columns
All of the text features have been revamped somewhat, with new fonts and
backgrounds, and a better layout. As Salicrup goes on to say, this is the work
of designer Janet Jackson. In fact, Salicrup's editorial no longer even has a
title, but we'll keep referring to it as "The Editor's Space" for continuity's
sake.
"The Editor's Space" (by Jim Salicrup)
First off is a pitch for the "Doctor Who 1985 Summer Special Classic", which
reprinted the Marvel Premiere versions of "The Iron Legion" and "K-9's
Finest Hour" (from Marvel Premieres #57 and #58). Salicrup also mentions
Gibbons' appearance at the Doctor Who / Creation Convention, and,
of course, the new design of the columns.
"Who Knows" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
Ah, dig that geometric ‘80s "Who Knows" logo. Details are finally available for
the Hartnell/Troughton package of stories available to PBS (basically including
every ‘60s story that exists complete today, excluding – naturally – Tomb of
the Cybermen), which are due to be broadcast first on NJN. Also listed are
details for the show's 22nd season, offered first to stations signing
up for the 60s package, with the caveat that they will be split into four- and
six-episode stories. Congratulations are given to DWM's staff for its
one-hundredth issue. The rest of the column is given over to a recap of the 23rd
season/hiatus situation. Illustrated with a colorized black-and-white photo of
Patrick Troughton, in costume (complete with wooly hat!), from Fury from the
Deep.
"Who Cares"
Jim Douglas of Raleigh, North Carolina, loved issue #12, and gives out an
address for his fan club. Robert Iro, of Boulder, Colorado, liked issue #13's
"Junk Yard Demon," but dislikes the wasted space in the "Doctor Who Bookshelf"
articles; he'd also like some bios for the show's stars, and a review of FASA's
roleplaying game. More fan club addresses come from Clint E. Middleton of
Cochran, Georgia, and Joe Mason (no address) wants to see Dicky Howett's comic
spoof of "An Unearthly Child" (which was eventually printed in issue #23).
Robert Robinson of Franklin, Tennessee, writes in a bit late requesting Peter
Davison adventures, while Tracy Rosenberg of Glencoe, Illinois, wants to know
why the neon logo wasn't used (right away) after its introduction on the back of
issue #12. Accompanied by an art deco-style colour illustration (no doubt based
on a publicity photograph) of the fifth Doctor and the TARDIS.
The Adverts
"The Doctor Who Collection" (merchandise);
"For Epic Excitement…the Epic Experience" (Epic Comics).
The Back Cover
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month."
Cool Colours
The Marvel TARDIS this month is all blue, all the time, but the windows and door
panels are a lighter blue than the rest. Somehow, though, it still gives off
cream/yellow light. The new "Editor's Space" background (with little WHOs and
TARDISes) is purple. On the cover, the Doctor's sweater stripe is again yellow.
The Althracians are also yellow, with red eyes, and blue robes with
red-and-white trim. Their computer is purple, with various blue mechanical
parts. The Sea Devils have red skin , and the sea monster (a giant Myrka?) is
bright green, with light green dorsal scales and red eyes. The Voc robots have,
quite appropriately, retained their green and silver armour; the Ultra-Voc is
gold.
Fun Mistakes
On page 4, the Doctor's entire collar is red. One of Colin Baker's adventures
is, apparently, Time-Lash. It is suggested in the "Who Knows" column that
Doctor Who's hiatus could resemble that of Blake's 7,
"which underwent a similar production delay, came back for one season, and
was then axed for good." Not quite true – Blake's 7 really was
cancelled, intended to end with the third season finale Terminal, and
renewed at the very last possible minute for its final season (necessitating
major cast, crew, and set changes).
Conclusion
Wow – they're just getting better and better! Nary a page is wasted in this
issue. The back-up strips may not be of the finest quality ever, but at least
they're comics content, as opposed to more silly articles. The second half of
Davison's interview is much more interesting than the first, to boot.
Issue 18 (March 1986)
The Front Cover
"The beast must DIE!" This is the first time we've had dialogue on the front
cover since issue #11, and the immortal line is spoken by Sir Justin. This is
really a packed cover – Sir Justin squares off against Melanchius, who is
breathing fire in…a sort of unspecific direction. We guess it's there to provide
a background for the second caption: "Plus: a complete story starring Four
Doctors!" At the same time, though, the fire is creeping towards the fallen
Doctor, who is fending off a living cadaver. Quite an action-packed
illustration, really.
The Strips
"The Tides of Time" Part Seven
DWM's famous epic storyline
finally comes to a close.
"Stan Lee Presents: Doctor Who: Timeslip" ("Timeslip" Parts One and Two)
The American comic finally finishes reprinting DWM's regular fourth
Doctor strips. The two instalments aren't indicated as separate parts, but the
title caption for Part Two is retained. (Unusually, the "Originally presented
in…" caption is placed at the start of Part Two.)
"Twilight of the Silurians" ("Twilight of the Silurians" Parts One and Two)
Once again truncated, and once again featuring the fourth Doctor in season
eighteen duds.
The Articles
"Recurring Evils Part I" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
O'Neill recounts the histories of various secondary villains, including the
Meddling Monk, the Yeti, and the Ice Warriors. Pretty basic stuff these days, if
you're at all familiar with the 60s era of the show. Illustrated with a
full-page, coloured line drawing based on a publicity photo of Jon Pertwee with
a Yeti.
The Columns
"The Editor's Space" (by Jim Salicrup)
The esteemed editor reveals that "in a few issues [they'll] be launching two new
regular features." In the meantime, he gives the addresses for several American
Who clubs.
"Who Knows" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
Confirmation is in that Colin Baker will return for the 23rd season,
along with a listing of the next year's Target output. There are more sightings
of Who celebs on American television, but the series itself is
being delayed from the national satellite transmission discussed in issue #15.
Rounding out this month's report are a recap of the events of July's Panopticon
New Orleans, and more fan club addresses. Illustrated with two panels of the
fifth Doctor (from "Stars Fell on Stockbridge" part one and "The Tides of Time"
part five), and one of the TARDIS (from an indeterminate strip).
"Who Cares"
Jennifer Garien of Jesup, Georgia, really likes the comic – but Anthony Padilla
of Stillwater, Minnesota, hated nearly everything about issue #14. Bob Schaefer
of San Antonio, Texas, thought "Junk Yard Demon" was a fantastic strip story,
but wasn't wild over "The Neutron Knights"; he admits, though, that things may
be cleared up (as, indeed, they are) in "The Tides of Time." He also thinks
Patrick O'Neill should've gone lighter on his review of Doctor Who and the
Zarbi (issue #13). J. Richard Godfrey, of Hillsboro, Oregon, wants to see a
Dalek/Cybermen war, or a crossover with the Doctor meeting other Marvel heroes.
All that and he doesn't even know who Irving Forbush is… Illustrated with a
coloured panel from "Stars Fell on Stockbridge" Part One (with some very, very
different colouring for Max's clothes).
The Adverts
"Six from Sirius 2" (four-issue Epic Comics miniseries);
"The Doctor Who Collection" (merchandise).
The Back Cover
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month".
Cool Colours
The Marvel TARDIS is blue with yellow windows and lamp, and orange light. In
"Timeslip," the fourth Doctor is coloured to match his season twelve and
thirteen outfit of red coat and grey trousers, with a multicoloured scarf. K-9
varies between a dark and a very, very light gray. In the same story, the TARDIS
console is purple with bright blue, pink, and yellow highlights! The first
Doctor's waistcoat ranges from light grey to purple, and the third Doctor wears
his regular red smoking-jacket. The Silurians are light green with red eyes, and
the dinosaurs they ride are light brown.
Fun Mistakes
This month's "Who Knows" incorrectly identifies Louise Jameson's wartime series
as Tanks (in issue #16 it was correctly called Tenko).
Patrick Troughton, as well, is said to be starring in PBS' Wonderworks
series in December; that was, in fact, merely a weekly showcase for ‘family'
fare, often imported (such as the BBC's The Chronicles of Narnia)
– the program starring Troughton was The Box of Delights.
The "Recurring Evils" article lists the Yeti as "one of a number of creatures
involved in The War Games…brought together by the War Chief and the War
Lord", which implies something quite different from their actual cameo.
Conclusion
More jam-packed-ness. The quality is a little lower this time, with less of the
regular Doctor strip ("Timeslip" is hardly fantastic), but overall it's good
stuff. Next month, sadly, will be Dave Gibbons' last…
Issue 19 (April 1986)
The Front Cover
This is, sadly, the very last Dave Gibbons cover. It's nice, but ultimately, not
one of his best. Oddly reminiscent of his issue #14 cover (for "Clash of the
Neutron Knights"), the Doctor and his ally (this time, Max) are very much in the
background, dwarfed by the massive figure of the alien astronaut. For the first
and last time, both protagonists have dialogue on the cover, essentially
completing each other's thoughts: "Fear not – the bigger they are – the harder
they –" "-Hit!" The latter being Max, of course. This issue also introduces a
detail seen on the remaining covers: the "Marvel 25th Anniversary"
logo over the TARDIS, instead of the simple black "MARVEL".
The Strips
"Stars Fell on Stockbridge" Parts One and Two
Just like "The Tides of Time," both parts retain their captions. This is the
last appearance of Dave Gibbons' art in the comic, and is probably one of the
best-coloured of the series, thanks to many light effects.
"The Touchdown on Deneb 7"
A bizarre little K-9 story. In this strip and the next, the Doctor is back to
being coloured ala season twelve, with a red coat and multicoloured scarf (just
like the previous issue's "Timeslip").
"The Outsider" ("The Outsider" Part One)
The return of the Sontarans was hyped on the cover, but it wasn't really much to
crow about. Four pages of Sontaran fun does not a party make…
The Articles
"Recurring Evils Part II"
O'Neill presses on to the returning monsters of the ‘70s and ‘80s, including the
Autons, the Silurians, the Sea Devils, Aggedor, Omega, the Sontarans, the
Rutans, the Black and White Guardians, and the Mara. Illustrated with a
colour-tinted black-and-white photo from "The Silurians" (now featuring a green
Silurian, orange dead UNIT soldier, and purple background – oooh!), and a
black-and-white photo each of Linx (from The Time Warrior) and a Sea
Devil (from the eponymous story).
The Columns
"The Editor's Space" (by Jim Salicrup)
Salicrup takes the time to thank outgoing artist Dave Gibbons for his immense
contributions, going so far as to suggest that "if the BBC ever needs to replace
Colin Baker, they need look no further than Dave Gibbons." Now that's a
testimonial…
"Who Knows" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
Details are given for a USA Today article about the hiatus, as well as
notes on Peter Davison's recent Magnum, PI appearance, and
Colin Baker and Frazer Hines' upcoming play. For the first time, O'Neill also
takes some space to answer questions from readers, this issue focusing on debate
over his "Probable History of the Daleks" (issue #9). Illustrated with a small
colour graphic of the TARDIS, a cartoony graphic of a blue Dalek (with lots of
red "Exterminate"s) and…a large pink stripe?
"Who Cares"
Edward A. Rozanski of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, would like to see polls
conducted in the comic, and has a few salient thoughts on the hiatus. Allen Lane
of West Milford, New Jersey, likes the new neon tube logo, and gives address for
the Prydonians of Princeton and Jersey Jagaroths (?!) clubs. Mark Hunt of Tulsa,
Oklahoma, didn't like "The Neutron Knights" and, indeed, most of issue #14; he
wants to know if the Doctor will meet Abslom Daak, and if there will ever be
annuals. Michael Toth has found an interesting, er, Autonal link between
Doctor Who and Planet Terry, while Andersen Silva of Patterson, New
Jersey, wants to clue fans in as to where they can buy a fourth Doctor scarf,
and likes the Absolm Daak and Kroton stories. Ted Wynde (no address) has picked
up on the Delgado typo in issue #15, and Brad Huppert of Prescott, Wisconsin, is
eager to see Colin Baker strips make the jump to the American comic.
The Adverts
"Doctor Who Conventions";
"Doctor Who Giftshop", with two illustrations: one of the fourth Doctor (in a
light brown outfit, with multicoloured scarf), the other of two Daleks (one
blue, one red).
The Back Cover
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month".
Cool Colours
The Marvel TARDIS is light blue with a bright blue side and roof (oookay…),
yellow windows and red lamp. Maxwell Edison may be the worst fashion offender
ever: he wears an orange check shirt, a green tie, a blue sweater, and a red
parka with gray lining. He also wears a dark green beret. Errgh! The effect of
darkness means many of the panels of "Stars Fell on Stockbridge" are coloured in
shades of grey and blue (including one, on page 8, that will later be adapted
for a full-colour flashback in issue #22) – two, however, remain mostly black
and white (with only small colour details). As in the previous issue's
"Timeslip", the fourth Doctor in "Deneb-7" and "The Outsider" is wearing what
looks to be his season twelve outfit. The robots of Deneb-7 are each a different
shade of orange or yellow.
Fun Mistakes
In the "Editor's Space," Jim Salicrup doesn't seem to know the meaning of
"nihilistic" (or else, he simply likes the way it sounds when teamed with
"nineteenth"). Despite the lighting effects in "Stars Fell on Stockbridge,"
there are at least two panels where the Doctor's coat is coloured a dark olive,
and probably shouldn't be (his hair and skin remain light).
Conclusion
The back-up strips may not be wildly wonderful, but the main strip is (it's one
of our personal favourites). This is the last we'll see of Dave Gibbons' art in
the comic, and it will definitely be sorely missed. As if in tribute, the
colouring on "Stars" is probably the best of the entire 23-issue run. Overall,
the issue may not be on the quality level of those containing "Tides of Time",
but it's still pretty darn great. Had the eventual cancellation of the comic
been known at the time, this would've been a perfect issue to end on.
Issue 20 (May 1986)
The Front Cover
"The Stockbridge Horror". Steve Parkhouse and Paul Neary provide their first
cover, of the Doctor running to escape the fire and the being causing it.
Although the proportions and design of the cover are just fine, Davison's
features are badly captured, not looking at all like the actor. A caption circle
at the bottom directs us towards a newsworthy item: "The Doctor on Radio?! See
Page 17 for Full Details!"
The Strips
"The Stockbridge Horror" ("The Stockbridge Horror" Parts One and Two)
Both instalments have been edited together, without any captions or indication
of a break between the two.
"The Outsider" Part II
"The Greatest Gamble"
An odd choice for inclusion in the American comic, since most Stateside fans
would not recognize the Celestial Toymaker
The Articles
"The Doctor Who Bookshelf" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
Reviews of three books: Peter Haining's The Key to Time ("Between this
title and Haining's previous work, if there's anything about the program's
history you still need to know, I'd be surprised."), Terrance Dicks' The
Doctor Who Monster Book ("…a nice, glancing overview of the first 12
seasons") and John Lucarotti's Target novelization of his own Marco Polo
("one of the best new releases from Target"). O'Neill loves his books…
The Columns
"The Editor's Space" (by Jim Salicrup)
Salicrup's space is given over to welcoming new cover artists Steve Parkhouse
and Paul Neary.
"Who Knows" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
More details on the show's 23rd season, including the revelation that
there will only be fourteen episodes, and "the first and last adventures [will]
be written by Robert Holmes, with the last titled Gallifrey." Also
detailed are the summer broadcasts of the six-part radio drama Slipback,
and a pitch for the 1986 North American Time Festival in St. Louis, Missouri.
Illustrated with a black-and-white panel of John Ridgway's sixth Doctor art
(with a pink question mark superimposed over), and a stylized colour
illustration of a radio with a cartoon speech bubble 'containing' the same
incarnation.
"Who Cares"
Tim Scharr of St. Peters, Montana, likes the comic, but doesn't understand what
a "logo" is. Jerry Ferraccio of Temple, Arizona, and Steven Bottos of Ontario,
Canada, also enjoy it, but the former takes Patrick Daniel O'Neill to task over
a few things. Jon Hunt of Crystal, Michigan, actually prefers the lighter paper
and darker colours of the Marvel Premieres, and would like to see Marvel
change the format. John Kaluta of Col Heights, Michigan, and John (The Doctor)
Poppos of North Adams, Montana, both just adore the mag. Tom Nerwinski of
Marrisville, Pennsylvania, is worried the show is being cancelled. Bill
Cuthbertson of Layton, Utah, wants to see the comic run the Davison strips
"4-Dimensional Vistas" and "The Moderator" – sadly, the comic will later end
with issue #23, when #24 would've included the start of "Vistas."
The Adverts
"The Boxx Chronicles" (six-issue Epic Comics miniseries);
"Miranda the She-Wolf" (a Marvel graphic novel);
"The Doctor Who Collection" (merchandise).
The Back Cover
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month".
Cool Colours
The Marvel TARDIS is probably the best it's been so far – all blue, but for
light blue windows and light, and white lettering. The title caption for "The
Stockbridge Horror" is a bright pink. The TARDIS console is predominantly
purple. Clearly Andy Yanchus has some publicity photos to go by, though: the
Celestial Toymaker's robes are black/blue with yellow and a couple red
highlights.
Fun Mistakes
The assumption that Haining's Key to Time is a seminal reference work, or
in fact especially factual, is rather a mistake. O'Neill refers to "Barbara and
her young Chinese friend Ping-Cho," when he in fact is referring to Susan and
her friend.
Conclusion
Another good issue, but we miss Dave Gibbons' art. Parkhouse's art is certainly
acceptable, but lacks that certain something that Gibbons provided. Thankfully,
at least one of the back-up strips is worth reading.
Issue 21 (June 1986)
The Front Cover
"The Thing in the TARDIS!" A very red cover, depicting the end of "The
Stockbridge Horror" Part Three from the opposite angle (facing the Doctor). It's
not bad, but Davison's features are still rather off. "The Stockbridge Horror
Continues!" That it does, mate.
The Strips
"The Stockbridge Horror" ("The Stockbridge Horror" Parts Three and Four)
Again, no indication is given as to the part numbers, although this time the
second instalment at least retains its title caption and author/artist credits.
It must have been very disorienting for American readers to suddenly jump from
Parkhouse's relatively clean art to Austin's sketchy drawings. On the sixth page
of part three, although the star remains next to the caption, the footnote
referencing "Stars Fell on Stockbridge" has been cut.
"Skywatch-7" ("Skywatch-7" Part One)
Like "Stockbridge," no part number is given.
"The Gods Walk Among Us"
Continuing the lame Sontaran back-up strip trend…
The Columns
"The Editor's Space" (by Jim Salicrup)
The first hint that the Doctor Who comic might not always be around –
Salicrup suggests readers pick up back issues from their local comics shop,
instead of waiting for "ten years when the price may have sky-rocketed." Which
is, doubtless, why you can now find $1.50 issues for as little as 80 cents.
"Who Knows" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
Details on NJN's new one-hour documentary special Doctor Who's Who's Who,
as well as the six game books featuring Colin Baker's Doctor, and Jacqueline
Lichtenberg's Dushau Trilogy (two of which have Who-related
dedications). The rest of the column is spent with O'Neill answering a reader
question about finding jelly babies in the USA, and reader comments regarding
typos in issue #14 and disagreement over O'Neill's Dalek and Cybermen
chronologies. Accompanied by two stylized illustrations: one in the style of the
RKO Pictures' openings (with WHO instead of RKO), and another showing a
letter-in-progress that begins "Dear Dr Who". The final page of the column is
excessively hard to read, printed, as it is, over a rather brightly-coloured
watermark pattern of Daleks and Cybermen.
"Who Cares"
Doug Whitney of Brooklyn, New York, loves the comic but hated "Junk Yard Demon"
and Dr. Ivan Asimoff; what he would like to see include strips featuring the
first three Doctors. Nick Seidler of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, wants to see the
fifth Doctor's coat piping coloured red in the art, and gives the address for
his fan club, the Earthbound Timelords. Robert Rausch of Albany, New York,
really likes the redesign of the comic that started in issue #17, but doesn't
like all the articles geared towards new fans. Hewitt Pratt of San Mateo,
California, has enjoyed "Ship of Fools" and "Throwback," but Josh Seat (no
address) absolutely despises the Davison Doctor being in the comic. Roman White
Sr., of Elizabethton, Tennessee, wants to know if there will be any non-Marvel
reprints, and M.A. Kistler chips in with his positive comments about the
redesign, the location of the colour "Tides of Time" spread, and Joe Mason's
suggestion (in issue #17) to use Dicky Howett's "Unearthly Child" parody.
Finally, some more simple compliments come from Patrick Wollard, of San Carlos,
California.
The Adverts
Epic Comics (advertising titles such as "Elektra: Assassin," "Groo the
Wanderer," and "ElfQuest");
"The Doctor Who Collection" (merchandise);
"1961 / 1986" (the new Marvel Universe);
"Doctor Who Conventions";
"Doctor Who Giftshop".
The Back Cover
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month".
Cool Colours
The Marvel TARDIS is almost exactly the same as last month, although it now has
white windows and a central circle of white light. For the first time, Peter
Davison's coat piping has been coloured in red (perhaps in response to Nick
Seidler's request?). The Zygon in "Skywatch-7" is brown and orange.
Fun Mistakes
The "Who Knows" article refers to the six Doctor Who game books as
"Doctor Who Solve it Yourself Mysteries", but they were in fact marketed as
"Make Your Own Adventure with Doctor Who" in Great Britain and "Find Your Fate:
Doctor Who" in the United States.
Conclusion
More good stuff. The back-up strips aren't so fantastic this month, but at least
the editorial team continues to dish out a consistent 24 pages of pure comics.
Unfortunately, after Parkhouse's drawings - which were at least reasonable on
the eye - the quality of "The Stockbridge Horror" falls heavily with the
introduction of Mick Austin's art. Sketchy and dense, the man seems to have a
very odd sense of proportion regarding humanoid characters, which is especially
noticeable with the Doctor.
Issue 22 (July 1986)
The Front Cover
Easily our favourite of the post-Gibbons covers, and the first since issue #13
(which was a last-minute save, anyway) not drawn by the artist of the main strip
(Parkhouse did much of the art in issues #20 and #21, but his only credit here
is as a writer). The Doctor stands, back to the viewer, at the console, watching
(on an absolutely huge scanner screen) as the military TARDIS fires its time
torpedoes. "Time torpedoes! Heading right for me!" cries the Doctor. "This is
most distressing!" So it is. Never fear, though, boys and girls, because
this is merely a sign that "The Stockbridge Horror Continues!" (Sorry, couldn't
resist the segue.)
The Strips
"The Stockbridge Horror" ("The Stockbridge Horror" Parts Five and Six)
One panel in Part Six, referring back to "Stars Fell on Stockbridge," has a
footnote caption amended to "see issue no. 19 - ed."
"Skywatch-7" Part Two
Why not present this whole in the previous issue? Who knows.
"The Fires Down Below"
Another weird choice, since it features the Quarks and a Dominator. How many
American fans will know who they are?
"Doctor Who?"
This isn't so much a separate feature as two three-panel editions of Dicky
Howett and Tim Quinn's strip, illustrating the "Who Knows" column. The first is
about the trials of being a Cyberman (also printed in David Banks' book
Cybermen); the second, a "what-if?" scenario of the Doctor played by Oliver
Reed, Sylvester Stallone, or Ronald Reagan.
The Columns
"The Editor's Space" (by Jim Salicrup)
The editor beats on his drum from issue #21 a while longer, emphatically
insisting that we should collect each and every issue while we can – and, at the
same time, feeding us a veiled plea for more readers. Times are sounding
desperate, Jim…
"Who Knows" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
The 23rd season has begun production! And…that's all they know. There
are brief snippets regarding the new Doctor Who play, The Inheritors
of Time (which was ultimately never produced); the next North American Time
Festival in St. Louis; and the Target fan guide Travel Without the TARDIS.
The rest of the article is given over to an interview with Terrance Dicks, who
discusses his new role as producer of the BBC's Classic Serials,
his thoughts on the eighteen-month hiatus, the persona of Colin Baker's Doctor,
whether or not he'd like to produce Who, and his various
children's book series.
"Doctor Who Fan Clubs" / "Pen Pals"
Take a guess what's listed here…
"Who Cares"
Jonathan Murphy of Orrington, Maine, loves the comic; so does Rich Farrell, of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but he wishes the fourth Doctor's regeneration had
been shown. Steve Morrison of British Columbia, Canada, doesn't like the new
comic design (as introduced in issue #17). Ralph Maness of Cahokia, Illinois,
would like to see pre-Marvel fourth Doctor strips run when the back-up strips
run out, and adaptations done of missing stories. Matt Vincent of Hudson, New
Hampshire, responds to Anthony Padilla's letter in issue #13. Chris Heaney of
Belleville, New Jersey, writes to say that NADWAS has reached its membership
limit, and that the Doctor's American comics debut was the Doctor Who and the
Daleks Dell Movie Classic. Trin of Gallifrey in Peru, Indiana, doesn't want
any meetings between the Doctor and other famous comic characters, but would
like to see stories and art by fans, or really any new material at all (she even
includes a list of six TV stories worth adapting. Oy!).
The Adverts
"Sergio Aragone's Groo the Wanderer";
"The Alien Legion Poster";
"Doctor Who Conventions";
"Doctor Who Giftshop".
The Back Cover
"10 Reasons to Pick Up Marvel Age Every Month".
Cool Colours
The Marvel TARDIS is…dematerializing: white, with blue details, on a red
background. Hmm…what could it mean? For the first time, in the main strip story,
the Doctor's coat piping and sweater stripe are – in some panels – colored red.
The gigantic thing that "eats" Shayde is red, with purple lips and yellow eyes.
The color scheme is retained later when it appears in humanoid form, with red
cloak and hood, purple leggings, and yellow eyes. The Gallifreyan foot soldiers
have orange uniforms, with green gloves and boots (socks?).
Fun Mistakes
Ralph Maness' letter on page 31 says, "I do now want to see the Doctor meet
other Marvel characters, be revealed to be a mutant, and join the Avengers."
Going by the context of his letter, he meant "I do not want…". Meanwhile,
reader Matt Vincent refers to issue #14 when he meant #13. Silly fans…
Conclusion
This month's issue is on roughly the same level as the previous one – reasonably
good main strip, reasonably bad back-ups. No articles to speak of, although the
"Fan Clubs" and "Pen Pals" listings are new (and, in 1986, were probably quite
useful indeed). Only a particularly perceptive fan, though, would've realized at
the time that this would be the next-to-last issue…
Issue 23 (August 1986)
The Front Cover
"Is This the End of the Doctor?!" Well, yes, because it's the last issue. But
more immediately, the Doctor can be seen on the cover running from an impending
bombing of the TARDIS, in a nice piece of art by Steve Parkhouse. "Plus: The
Story You Demanded: 'An Unearthly Child!'" Yes, it is. But it isn't what you
think.
The Strips
"Lunar Lagoon" Parts One and Two
The first instalment carries no part one caption, but the second has its title
and caption intact. Naturally, as with the British printing, it is never
explained why the story is called "Lunar Lagoon"!
"Voyage to the End of the Universe"
An odd choice for the final back-up strip, focusing on the Dæmons.
"An Unearthly Child"
And yet, somehow, this is still odder. Dickey Howett and Tim Quinn's parody of
the first TV serial – requested back in issue #17 by reader Joe Mason – is
officially the last strip reprinted by the American comic, but, by its very
nature, bears little resemblance to anything that came before.
The Columns
"The Editor's Space" (by Jim Salicrup)
Salicrup explains why the comic is ending, and takes a final opportunity to
thank his staff, as well as "Terry Nation and everyone who ever contributed to
the creation of Doctor Who."
"Who Knows" (by Patrick Daniel O'Neill)
More details on season 23, including that "a planned Celestial Toymaker script
is on hold". The full results of DWM's annual survey are printed,
followed by a listing of upcoming books. Accompanied by illustrations of the
Doctor Who neon logo on a TV, tumbling figures of Daleks and Cybermen
(first used as a watermark pattern in issue #21), and some Doctor Who
books.
"Doctor Who Fan Clubs" / "Pen Pals"
More of the same from last month.
"Who Cares"
Richard Thomas, of Cheshire, England, writes a really long letter – he very much
enjoys the redesign of the comic, and is looking forward to seeing the Colin
Baker comics in colour (too bad he'll not get the chance right away…); he also
takes time to disagree with the idea of the Doctor crossing over into other
Marvel titles, and to give his stats for a potential pen pal. Terry Gwardowsky
of Windsor, Maine, enjoyed "The Touchdown on Deneb-7" (issue #19), and gives a
recommendation for FASA's Doctor Who roleplaying game. Jon Malamy of New
York, New York, likes that there's so few ads in the comic, and would like to
see more art from Dave Gibbons. Jonathan Walker of Old Fort, North Carolina,
very much liked "Stars Fell on Stockbridge," while M. P. Festick, Jr., of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, wants a list of back issues. Shannon O'Connor of
Tiburon, California, has found an interesting link between "Timeslip" (issue
#18) and another comic illustrated by Paul Neary, hates Remington Steele,
and provides the address for the Friends of Tom Baker club. Finally, Bob Paulson
of Sharon, Pennsylvania, gets the final word in the comics, with compliments for
the redesign and Davison's Doctor, info on the 23rd season, and an
address for a Doctor Who merchandise store.
The Adverts
"The Doctor Who Collection" (merchandise);
"Doctor Who Convention Calendar";
"Doctor Who Merchandise Sale".
The Back Cover
"1961 / 1986" (the new Marvel Universe).
Cool Colours
The neon logo is red with a black outline. The "Editor's Space" background is,
once more, a sea green colour. There is no Marvel TARDIS at all – merely a black
starscape beneath the Marvel 25th Anniversary logo. The Doctor's fish
in "Lunar Lagoon" is purple. In "An Unearthly Child," Susan's hair is green.
Fun Mistakes
On the front cover, the TARDIS is missing its roof lamp. Despite the editor's
claim that he "made sure that all the story lines ended nicely and neatly", they
don't – neither the events of "The Stockbridge Horror", nor the anachronistic
1983 setting of "Lunar Lagoon", are ever explained. The "Who Knows" column says
that the 1986 season will be "a season without the Master", and that "there will
be no 2-part stories". The companion Target novels are listed as Turlough and
the Earth-line Dilemma (instead of the correct Earthlink) and
Harry Sullivan – War of Nerves (a working title for Harry Sullivan's War).
Conclusion
Just like that – it's gone. The final issue of the American comic is solid, if
not outstanding. "Lunar Lagoon" is a pleasant little story that makes a better
finale than the strange "Stockbridge Horror." Mick Austin's art is noticeably
better this time around, although still not perfect. The other two strips,
though, are stranger choices. Sadly, with about four more issues, the American
comic could've finished the Davison strips, thus providing fans with an unbroken
body of colour material from "The Iron Legion" to "The Moderator" (actually a
bit farther, if you include the Voyager graphic novel that featured the
first several Colin Baker strips). In lieu of that, though, we still have a fine
series of Doctor Who comics guaranteed to make any fan happy, at their
best a showcase for the finest of DWM's output, at their worst a
whimsical and, in hindsight, rather naïve approach to the world of Who.
If nothing else, we got twenty-seven brand new, full-page pieces of art, most by
the masterful Dave Gibbons…and surely that alone is worth recognizing and
celebrating.
