TV Comic
TV Comic was a weekly magazine published by Polystyle Publications, Ltd. in Britain from 1951 to 1984. It printed Doctor Who strips from 1964 to 1979.
History
Throughout the TV Comic 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, as well as Arnold. As the comic rights to the Daleks were initially held by competing magazine TV Century 21, original villains called the Trods were used in their place; however, in 1967 the Dalek rights reverted to TV Comic, the Daleks were shown to massacre the Trods in The Trodos Ambush.
From the years 1971 to 1973, new Doctor Who comics were instead printed in TV Comic's sister magazine, Countdown/TV Action.
Beginning with TVC 1386 in July 1978, old TV Comic Second and Third Doctor strips were reprinted with new art showing the then-current Fourth Doctor's face. This modification and reuse of pre-existing material continued until TVC 1430 in 1979, when the rights to Doctor Who comics moved to Marvel Comics UK's new magazine Doctor Who Weekly.
The TV Comic run of Doctor Who concluded with TVC 1430 on 11 May 1979.
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
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
Second Doctor
Third Doctor
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
Fourth Doctor
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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