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Doctor Who Magazine is the world's longest running magazine based on a television series.[1][2] It is currently published every four weeks and offers Doctor Who news, reviews, articles and comic stories. There are also occasional standalone publications. The abbreviation "DWM" is widely used in fandom to refer to the magazine, even though it has had other names that do not fit the acronym.
History[]
DWM was initially launched as Doctor Who Weekly, published by the UK branch of Marvel Comics and edited by Dez Skinn. The first issue, published on 11 October 1979, arrived on newsstands midway through broadcast of City of Death, and Tom Baker spent some time promoting it while in the midst of production of the ultimately cancelled Shada. At this time, weekly comics were still a popular format among children in the United Kingdom. Doctor Who Weekly's initial cover price was 12 pence, roughly equivalent to 25 American cents.
Although initially healthy, weekly sales of the publication fell regularly during the title's first few months—from a firm sales peak of 124,000 to 53,000. While falling sales had been anticipated, the severity of the drop – not helped by the premature end of Season 17 in January 1980, which had taken the show off the country’s television screens – proved genuinely concerning. Newly-appointed second editor Paul Neary initially attempted to retain and attract back younger readers by introducing more child-friendly features, such as a "UNIT Hotline" members club and the inclusion of non-Doctor Who-related "Fantastic Facts", not dissimilar to those often featured in contemporary editions of The Dr Who Annual published by World Distributors. These innovations – and especially the “simplified” synopses of the show’s earliest stories – not only failed to improve sales among younger readers but also annoyed the comic's older purchasers. Neary consequently decided to relaunch the publication – from its 44th issue in September 1980 – as a monthly title which would focus on a slightly older readership and reduce some of its production costs. (This fate had befallen several previous Marvel UK titles which had failed to attract sufficient sales to survive as weekly comics, but had been thought to have sufficient “potential” by editorial staff to survive in a format with a longer shelf-life.)
There remains some debate whether the publication’s title officially changed at this point to Doctor Who: A Marvel Monthly, given that “A Marvel Monthly” was a sub-heading commonly used across all the publisher’s monthly titles at this time, including Starburst magazine. To confuse matters further, the interior indicia (the small text giving the official name of the publication, its publication date, issue number, and useful editorial information) featured in the earliest monthly issues still referred to the title as "Dr Who Weekly"—presumably because the text simply hadn’t been changed. By its 50th issue, however, the listed title in the indicia had been updated to “Doctor Who Monthly”.
The masthead on the front cover was finally updated to Doctor Who Monthly from DWM 61 (published, 14 January 1982), with a redesign coinciding with the broadcast of Peter Davison’s debut season. (In addition to full colour covers, the otherwise monochrome magazine began to include a full colour poster in the centre spread).
In 1984, the masthead was changed again, to The Official Doctor Who Magazine—this was at a time when several fan-made publications, such as Dreamwatch Bulletin, were increasing their public distribution. The following year, this was shortened to The Doctor Who Magazine, and then, from issue 107 (published in December 1985) just Doctor Who Magazine. (It’s worth noting that, throughout this period, the interior indicia simply referred to the publication as Doctor Who Magazine.) The title has remain unchanged ever since—any subsequent revisions to the masthead have been solely to incorporate the programme's current logo.
The continuity of the numbering system — the principal indication of whether a title is considered "continuously published" — has remained intact from October 1979 to the present day.
Masthead[]
Issue 120, dated January 1987.
For most of its history, the magazine's masthead has understandably been based on whatever was considered the "current" logo used by the TV series.
The most notable exception to this was the period between 1991 and 1999, when – with the show no longer in regular production – the magazine reverted to using the "diamond logo" designed by Bernard Lodge in 1973 and used by the show itself between seasons 11 and 17. This choice was intended to emphasise the now retrospective focus of the publication; plus, as editor Gary Gillatt subsequently pointed out, it helped that BBC Enterprises had themselves decided to use the diamond logo on their VHS releases of Doctor Who stories, irrespective of the logo actually featured in the episodes themselves.
Surprisingly, given its speedy adoption by the new line of Doctor Who novels from BBC Books, the reimagined version of the first Pertwee logo (also designed by Lodge), introduced in the Paul McGann TV Movie, was initially only featured on a one-off "Special" about the new production, published in 1996. The regular DWM continued to use the diamond logo until 1999; it then retained the TV Movie logo until the successful relaunch of the series in 2005.
As an official licensee, DWM has consequently followed the official branding for the show, as dictated by either the BBC or BBC Studios—this is currently the revamped version of the diamond logo, initially introduced to mark the show’s 60th anniversary and first featured on the cover of DWM 584, cover-dated December 2022.
Publisher[]
Marvel UK published the magazine until DWM 236 in 1996 when the company was sold to Panini Publishing Ltd. Marvel Comics continued to publish DWM as a division of Panini until DWM 285 in 1999. Panini continues to publish Doctor Who Magazine as of 2025.
Contributors[]
Although a regular viewer of the series, original editor Dez Skinn did not consider himself a knowledgeable fan, and so initially recruited several “experts” from the programme’s growing fandom to “fact-check” any originated material before publication. Initially, the principal contributor was J Jeremy Bentham, who had helped co-found the Doctor Who Appreciation Society and had led its “Reference Department” until 1980. Credited as “associate editor”, Bentham in fact was given pretty much a free hand by both Skinn and Neary when it came to deciding what articles would be included in each issue of the magazine. He continued in the role for two-and-a-half years.
Bentham’s initial successor as the magazine’s chief writer was Richard Marson; subsequent editors opted to increase the number of regular writers working on the magazine in order to reduce the publication’s reliance on a single contributor.
Over the years, many writers connected with the series have written for the magazine, while others who have written for DWM have contributed to Doctor Who or its spin-offs. Email correspondence collected over the course of several years between Doctor Who producer and lead writer Russell T Davies and DWM writer Benjamin Cook were collected in the book Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale in 2008; an expanded second edition was published in early 2010.
Comic Strips[]
Since its first issue, a major feature of each issue has been an ongoing comic strip based upon the series. It has featured adventures of every incarnation of the Doctor and many of their TV companions. Particularly during its initial weekly format, and occasionally in later editions, the magazine has also included “back-up” comic strips focused on different characters from the Doctor Who universe. During the 1990s, DWM was affiliated with the Virgin New Adventures book line, publishing short stories (dubbed "Brief Encounters") related to the books and comic strips that linked closely with current New Adventures novels.
The comic strip has, to date, been used as source material for two television stories: 2010's The Lodger and 2023’s The Star Beast. Contributors to DWM have also been featured in other similar publications such as Doctor Who annuals, Yearbooks and Storybooks.
Notable Issues[]
In October 2008, DWM published its 400th issue, and celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in October 2009. It published its 500th issue in June 2016, and marked its 40th anniversary with DWM 544 in October 2019. It published its 600th issue in February 2024: DWM is recognised as the longest-running professionally published and licensed magazine based on an English-language television series, while its associated comic strip is the longest-running comic based upon an English-language television series to be published without significant interruption.
Issue 480, dated December 2014.
In an appearance on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross in October 2006, Billie Piper revealed she was a regular subscriber to DWM and that she loved the magazine, defending it when Ross attempted to dismiss it as "only for geeks". (CD: Doctor Who at the BBC: The Tenth Doctor) Alexa Havins, in an interview published in DWM 437, also said she was a fan of the magazine, which was often available for reading on the set of Torchwood: Miracle Day.
In addition to these superlatives, Doctor Who Magazine is a survivor of the print medium, having now outlasted many long-running science fiction-based publications such as Starlog and Dreamwatch which abandoned print for website-only productions or closed down completely.
During its lifetime, the magazine has been frequently relaunched and redesigned; the number of pages has increased over time, as has the number of full colour pages. In late 2013, a Doctor Who Magazine app was launched, allowing users to purchase easily navigable digital versions of the print issues.
Regular issues[]
Further information relating to the various periods of the magazine's publication can be found through the links below.
By "era"[]
From 1979 through to November 1985 the magazine was known by a variety of titles, including Doctor Who Weekly and names that referred to its monthly status. Issues in the following pages are arranged by the "eras" when the magazine was known by a slew of titles titles.
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By year[]
From issue 107 in December 1985, the magazine was retitled, dropping "The" from its name to become, as it is known today, Doctor Who Magazine. All issues following this change are arranged by year based on their cover date; this is the date that is listed on the front of the magazine and indicates the last date the issue was current. It is not a publication date, rather it can be viewed as an expiry date.
Milestones[]
Issue numbers[]
| Issue | Year | Special stories |
|---|---|---|
| DWM 1 | 1979 | |
| DWM 50 | 1981 | |
| DWM 100 | 1985 | PROSE: The Legacy of Gallifrey |
| DWM 150 | 1989 | |
| DWM 200 | 1993 | PROSE: Rennigan's Record |
| DWM 250 | 1997 | COMIC: A Life of Matter and Death |
| DWM 300 | 2001 | AUDIO: Storm Warning (part 1) / Last of the Titans (CD) |
| DWM 350 | 2004 | |
| DWM 400 | 2008 | |
| DWM 450 | 2012 | |
| DWM 500 | 2016 | COMIC: The Stockbridge Showdown |
| DWM 550 | 2020 | |
| DWM 600 | 2024 |
Show anniversary[]
| Issue | Anniversary (Year) | Special stories |
|---|---|---|
| DWMS Winter 1983/84 | 20th (1983) | |
| DWM 141-142 DWMS 25th Anniversary Special |
25th (1988) | COMIC: Planet of the Dead |
| DWM 207 DWMS Winter 1993 |
30th (1993) | COMIC: Time & Time Again |
| DWM 272 | 35th (1998) | COMIC: Happy Deathday |
| DWM 337 | 40th (2003) | COMIC: The Land of Happy Endings |
| DWM 456-461 DWM 467 |
50th (2013) | COMIC: Hunters of the Burning Stone COMIC: John Smith and the Common Men |
| DWM 485 | 10th (BBC Wales, 2015) | |
| DWM 597 | 60th (2023) |
DWM anniversary[]
| Issue | Anniversary (Year) | Special stories |
|---|---|---|
| DWMS Tenth Anniversary Special | 10th (1989) | |
| DWM 283 | 20th (1999) | COMIC: TV Action! |
| DWM 350 | 25th (2004) | |
| DWM 414 | 30th (2009) | |
| DWM 544 | 40th (2019) |
"...is the Doctor!" covers[]
![Peter Davidson [sic] is the Doctor! (DWM 61)](/wiki/File:DWM_061.jpg "DWM 061.jpg (116 KB)")
Comic strip reprints[]
Over the years, the Doctor Who comic strip has been reprinted – often with colour added (it was published in black-and-white before late 2001) – in a number of different publications. In the United States, Marvel Comics and, more recently, IDW Publishing have issued reprint titles in comic book and graphic novel format. Panini has reissued the comic strips in deluxe omnibus form and in magazine-sized publications (see Doctor Who Magazine graphic novels).
Distribution outside the UK[]
Distribution of DWM and its forebears outside the UK has been sporadic. In areas where Doctor Who has been popular it has found limited distribution through specialty stores such as comic book shops and cult/fantasy shops.
During the Doctor Who Weekly era of the magazine it was not circulated in North America, but regular distribution through Marvel US occurred during the 1980s, following its move to monthly publication. This continued into the late 1990s. When ownership of the magazine shifted to Panini, distribution in North America became less widespread. Few magazine shops and comic book retailers carried it month-to-month, only occasional issues.
The re-emergence in the popularity of Doctor Who post-2005 has meant that Doctor Who Magazine can be found in most newsagents within Australia.
Due to distance considerations for areas such as North America and Australia, (two of the larger markets for the magazine) the magazine is often available on or after its cover date, rather than the few weeks before the magazine is distributed locally in the United Kingdom.
Whilst this lag time often means articles intended to promote upcoming episodes in the United Kingdom arrive overseas out of sync with their UK broadcasts, they sometimes fall into sync with their local broadcasts. However the lag time does impact on a reader's ability to participate in deadline-specific activities such as contests, polls and surveys. Aside from this, the magazines generally arrive intact, including giveaways and premiums such as free CDs and cards included with the original UK release.
Inserts and special features[]
From the very beginning, occasional magazine issues have featured special bonus items and inserts. The first few issues in 1979 came with free transfers and many issues have come packaged with posters and other paraphernalia. These premiums have become less frequent in recent years, but still occur at least a couple times a year.
Notable items included with DWM releases over the years have included flexi-discs of soundtrack music, CDs of specially commissioned audio dramas by Big Finish Productions and in the summer of 2008, issue 397 came packaged with one of twenty-seven vintage Target novelisations (or related books). Issue 411 in August 2009 included a code that allowed readers to download an exclusive Big Finish audio drama, The Mists of Time, for a limited time. All issues following this issue that included a free or exclusive audio story with the magazine included it in this matter, as a digital download rather than as a physical CD.
Unusually, as many magazines strip inserts before shipping overseas due to licensing issues (or are prevented from international distribution as a result such as Doctor Who Adventures), DWM's international distribution includes most inserts, including the Big Finish CDs/downloads and Target Books bonus.
Special editions and other publications[]
Doctor Who Magazine has been in continuous publication since its launch, offering special editions each year in addition to its regular issues.
A number of sister publications have been published at various times. Some ongoing features alternated between titles.
- Doctor Who Magazine (special issues) (Marvel produced specials)
- Doctor Who Classic Comics
- Doctor Who Poster Magazine
- Doctor Who Marvel Adventure Comic (crisp promotion editions)
- Doctor Who Magazine graphic novels
- Doctor Who Magazine Special Editions (Panini produced specials – ongoing releases)
- The Essential Doctor Who (previously Doctor Who 50 Years; Panini produced "bookazines")
In addition, DWM editorial staff also oversaw a spin-off publication, Doctor Who Insider, which Panini initially published exclusively for North American markets.
Fanzine[]
In January 2010, Doctor Who Magazine became one of – possibly the only – fan-focused magazine to itself become the subject of a fanzine, with the launch of Vworp Vworp!, a fanzine dedicated to the Doctor Who comic strips and the history of DWM.
Logos[]
| Based on | Image | Year(s) | Issues |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 logo | 1979-1980 | DWM 1-43 | |
|
1980 | DWM 44-45 | |
| 1980 logo | 1980-1981 | DWM 46-49 | |
| 1981-1982 | DWM 50-60 | ||
| 1982-1983 | DWM 61-79 | ||
| 1983-1984 | DWM 80-84 | ||
| 1984 | DWM 85-91 | ||
| 1984-1985 | DWM 92-98 | ||
| 1985 | DWM 99-106 | ||
| 1985-1987 | DWM 107-129 | ||
| 1987 logo | 1987-1988 | DWM 130-134 | |
| 1988-1991 | DWM 135-169 | ||
| 1973 logo | 1991-1994 | DWM 170-219 | |
| 1994-1997 | DWM 220-249 | ||
|
1997-1999 | DWM 250-278 | |
| 1996 logo | 1999-2003 | DWM 279-325 | |
| 2003-2005 | DWM 326-351 | ||
| 2005 logo | 2005-2007 | DWM 352-389 | |
| 2008-2010 | DWM 390-416 | ||
| 2010 logo | 2010-2012 | DWM 417-449 | |
| 2012 logo | 2012-2013 | DWM 450-455 | |
| 2013-2014 | DWM 456-476 | ||
| 2014 logo | 2014-2018 | DWM 477-499, DWM 501-522 | |
| 1973 logo | 2016 | DWM 500 | |
| 2018 logo | 2018-2022 | DWM 523-583 | |
| 2022 logo | 
|
2022-present | DWM 584-present |
External links[]
Footnotes[]
- ↑ Marcus (01 April, 2010). Doctor Who Magazine wins Guinness World Record. Doctor Who News. Retrieved on 26 February 2013.
- ↑ Touted on the magazine's cover from issue 421.
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