- You may be looking for the in-universe ship.
TV Comic was a weekly anthology magazine published by Polystyle Publications, Ltd. in Britain from 1951 to 1984. It printed Doctor Who strips between November 1964 and May 1979.
History[]
Originally started by the then-publisher of News of the World, TV Comic was later sold to Beaverbrook Newspapers which, in 1960, sold it to TV Publications. The latter company was rebranded as Polystyle Publications from 1968.
Initially, TV Comic was aimed at young children; the original front cover star was Muffin the Mule. Other regular strips included Mr. Pastry, Larry the Lamb, Tom Puss, Jack & Jill and Prudence Kitten. Over time, however, some of the content in TV Comic appeared to mature along with its readers, although for much of its history there remained an uncomfortable tension between the action adventure strips aimed at older children and the numerous “funny animal” cartoon-based strips targeting younger readers.
As was common practice at the time among British comics publishers, numerous less successful publications were “merged” into TV Comic during its run, including those of its competitors. These included TV Land and TV Express (published by City Magazines) in 1962, TV Action (formerly Countdown) in 1973, Tom and Jerry Weekly (Spotlight Publications) in 1974 (a nominal “merger”, given that original Tom and Jerry strips at the time graced the front covers of TV Comic), and the short-lived Target in 1978.
During its later years, TV Comic increasingly relied on reprints – of both its own and other companies’ material – to reduce costs. Most infamously, this included reprinting existing Doctor Who strips with an “updated” Doctor.
Editors of TV Comic included Dick Millington (who also edited juvenile sibling title Pippin and created original strip TV Comic character Mighty Moth), Robin Tucheck, and John Lynott. Frequently commissioned artists included Bill Titcombe, John Canning, Neville Main, H. Watts, Gerry Haylock, Mike Lacey, and Steve Maher.
Dr Who Strips[]
Throughout the TV Comic run of strips, the Doctor was primarily called "Dr. Who" by his companions and the narration. For convenience, the later-established incarnation numbering schema is used on this page instead of, for instance, "William Hartnell's Dr. Who".
The TV Comic strips are notable for introducing a number of original characters, including companions and aliens. Original companions included the Doctor's grandchildren, John and Gillian (who travelled with both the First and Second Doctors), as well as a young boy called Arnold who briefly traveled with the Third. As the comic rights to the Daleks were initially held by competing magazine TV Century 21, original recurring villains called the Trods were used in their place. However, in 1967, once the rights to use the Daleks were finally acquired by TV Comic, the Trods were shown to be massacred by the Doctor’s arch foes in The Trodos Ambush.
From the years 1971 to 1973, new Dr Who comics were published in TV Comic's sister magazine, Countdown/TV Action. Doctor Who was one of three strips (the other two being Droopy and Dad’s Army) to initially transfer back to TV Comic.
Beginning from TVC 1386, in July 1978, old TV Comic Second and Third Doctor strips (the majority illustrated by Gerry Haylock) were reprinted with new art showing the then-current Fourth Doctor's face. This budget-saving modification and reuse of pre-existing material continued until TVC 1430, dated 11 May 1979, after which Polystyle opted not to renew their licence with the BBC.
Comic stories[]
First Doctor[]
Second Doctor[]
Third Doctor[]
Fourth Doctor[]
- From Issues 1292 to 1325, the Doctor Who comic strip is reduced from the usual two pages to one.
Back-up strips[]
The Doctor fights with a police officer, wanting to get to his TARDIS.
The cast of TV Terror accidentally steal the TARDIS.
Two Daleks talk, in TV Comic 798.
TV Comic used the Doctor and the Daleks in five known back-up comics, four times in "Pick of the Jokes" and once in TV Terrors. One notable aspect was that these cameos appear to follow licensing restrictions: for instance, Daleks did not appear in these comics until TV Comic obtained a license to use them from the Terry Nation Estate.
These comics are:
- TVC 696: In an untitled comic, the Doctor attempts to get back to the TARDIS, or perhaps just a police box, but is blocked by an officer.
- TVC 709: TV Terrors: An instalment of TV Terrors saw Monica, Buttons, and Cuthbert trying to meet "Dr. Who" after watching him on television.
- TVC 740: In another untitled comic, the Doctor enters a police box, only to find an officer exiting. The Doctor responds "Oops! Sorry! Wrong box!"
- TVC 794: In an otherwise non-Who strip, a child carries a small Dalek on a leash.
- TVC 798: In a third untitled strip, two Daleks talk, one speaking of their "transistors".
Special issues[]
TV Comic Holiday Specials[]
First Doctor[]
- TV Comic Holiday Special 1965
- TV Comic Holiday Special 1966
Second Doctor[]
- TV Comic Holiday Special 1967
- TV Comic Holiday Special 1968
- TV Comic Holiday Special 1969
Third Doctor[]
- TV Comic Holiday Special 1970
- TV Comic Holiday Special 1973
- TV Comic Holiday Special 1974
Fourth Doctor[]
- TV Comic Holiday Special 1975
- TV Comic Holiday Special 1976
- TV Comic Holiday Special 1977
- TV Comic Holiday Special 1978
TV Comic Annuals[]
First Doctor[]
Second Doctor[]
Third Doctor[]
- TV Comic Annual 1971
- TV Comic Annual 1975
Fourth Doctor[]
- TV Comic Annual 1976
- TV Comic Annual 1977
- TV Comic Annual 1978
- TV Comic Annual 1979
External links[]
- TV Comic Strips - First Doctor at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
- TV Comic Strips - Second Doctor at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
- TV Comic Strips - Third Doctor at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
- TV Comic Strips - Fourth Doctor at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
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