Business as Usual (comic story)

Business as Usual
Main enemy:	The Nestene Consciousness Autons
Main setting:	England, UK, Earth, 1989 England, UK, Earth, August 1990
Key crew
Publisher:	[[publisher::Marvel Comics]]
Editor:	Dez Skinn
Writer:	Alan Moore
Artist:	Dave Lloyd
Letterer:	no credit given
Release details
Printed in:	Doctor Who Magazine Issues 40-43
Release date:	17 July-7 August 1980
Format:	B&W 4 parts / 8 pages
DWM backup comic stories
← Previous	Black Legacy
Next →	Star Death

Summary

In 1989, ex-plumber Winston Blunt finds a sphere that’s one of six fallen from the sky. Winston soon patents a new method of bonding carbon atoms and sets up Galaxy Plastics Inc. Before shooting himself, he appoints a Mr. Dolman to run the company. When industrial spy Max Fischer breaks into the factory, he is attacked by plastic action figures before being caught by Dolman and the Nestene Intelligence. Max throws a spanner that damages the Nestene tank and causes an explosion, but Max is pursued by the remains of the Dolman Auton. Having survived a car accident whilst fighting miniature dolls, Max is killed by Dolman. However, in August 1990, one Max Fischer invests money in a plastics factory and leaves behind flowers on a shallow grave (that of the real Max Fischer) hidden in the grounds — plastic flowers of course!

Characters

• Winston Blunt
• Mr Dolman
• Max Fischer

References

to be added

Notes

• This is one of five collaborations between writer Alan Moore and illustrator David Lloyd, who would go on to create the graphic novel V for Vendetta.
• This back up strip story was introduced and tailed by the Fourth Doctor as if recounting a story.
• For the DWM Issue 184 reprint, the opening frame sees the Fourth Doctor replaced with the Seventh Doctor.

Original print details

Publication with page count and closing captions

1. DWM 40 (2) … To be Continued
2. DWM 41 (2) To be Continued ...
3. DWM 42 (2)
4. DWM 43 (2) The End

Reprints

• Coloured and reprinted by Marvel in Doctor Who (1984).
• Reprinted in the DWMS Summer 1981.
• This story was reprinted as a one-part story in DWM 184 as a filler. There was a delay in the regular ongoing adventures of the main comic strip (Evening's Empire). Artist David Lloyd kindly provided the original boards for the story, which let it to be re-lettered. This apparently angered writer Alan Moore who complained to Marvel UK Editorial Director Paul Neary about the reprint. On hearing of this at the Vworp! Vworp! convention in Manchester in 2008 from former DWM editor Gary Russell, the editor who made the reprint decision but was unaware of the fallout, John Freeman, wrote a letter of apology to Alan Moore. Alan telephoned John almost immediately to say he bore no ill-will about the reprint, saying he could not recall complaining after the strip was re-published.

Continuity

to be added