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First Doctor comic stories: Difference between revisions
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==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
As with the television series, the [[William Hartnell]] version of the Doctor was the original comic strip Doctor. However, the actor's portrayal of the character was often lost in ''[[TV Comic]]'', the dominant publication to feature [[First Doctor]] stories. At a superficial level, the character wasn't called "the Doctor", but "Dr. Who". | As with the television series, the [[William Hartnell]] version of the Doctor was the original comic strip Doctor. However, the actor's portrayal of the character was often lost in ''[[TV Comic]]'', the dominant publication to feature [[First Doctor]] stories. At a superficial level, the character wasn't called "the Doctor", but "Dr. Who". Yet at a basic level, the comics were hampered by the inclusion of two children as his companions. Though they may well have made it easier for kids — the primary target audience for the comic strips — to relate to the Doctor, they made it almost impossible for a well-rounded portrayal of the First Doctor's many qualities. Especially profound was the loss of the Doctor's inherent "grumpiness"; with no adults around, the Doctor had no targets for his anger. Thus, the comic First Doctor was reduced to being just a grandfather with a time-space ship. | ||
However, even these two points were somewhat in doubt. | |||
The comic [[the Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]] wasn't actually much of a time-travel device. As almost every story was set in the far future, it was really more of a simple space ship. | The comic [[the Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]] wasn't actually much of a time-travel device. As almost every story was set in the far future, it was really more of a simple space ship. That threw the First Doctor's inclination towards historical adventures out the window. In addition, his status as "grandfather" was a point of some incredulity, as well. How could he be the grandfather to [[John and Gillian]]? What was their relationship to the never-referenced [[Susan]]? How did the stories told in the comic strips relate to the television series? These were all questions left completely unanswered. | ||
Worse, still, the comic First Doctor was deprived even of the [[Dalek]]s. Since [[Terry Nation]] had licensed the comic Daleks to appear only by themselves from [[1965]] to [[1967]], the comic First Doctor never encountered them. He was forced instead to repeatedly face the ''TV Comic'' "substitute", the [[Trod]]s. | Worse, still, the comic First Doctor was deprived even of the [[Dalek]]s. Since [[Terry Nation]] had licensed the comic Daleks to appear only by themselves from [[1965]] to [[1967]], the comic First Doctor never encountered them. He was forced instead to repeatedly face the ''TV Comic'' "substitute", the [[Trod]]s. | ||
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The best the ''TV Comic'' First Doctor could muster by way of resembling himself was a lone story that tied in with an atypical television adventure: ''[[On the Web Planet|Dr. Who and the Zarbi on the Web Planet]]''. | The best the ''TV Comic'' First Doctor could muster by way of resembling himself was a lone story that tied in with an atypical television adventure: ''[[On the Web Planet|Dr. Who and the Zarbi on the Web Planet]]''. | ||
It really wasn't until ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' began publishing a handful of original First Doctor stories that the William Hartnell portrayal was really seen in comics. Consequently, most of the First Doctor's companions didn't have their comic debuts until the early 1990s. | It really wasn't until ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' began publishing a handful of original First Doctor stories that the William Hartnell portrayal was really seen in comics. Consequently, most of the First Doctor's companions didn't have their comic debuts until the early 1990s. By then, thirty years after the fact, it was really a case of "too little, too late". Ironically, comic readers are ''still'' waiting for the First Doctor to encounter the Daleks. | ||
Given these facts, It is perhaps not surprising that, as a matter of ''Doctor Who Magazine'' continuity, the entirety of the First Doctor's ''TV Comic'' run was retconned out of existence as a dream of the [[Eighth Doctor]]. ([[DWM]]: ''[[The Land of Happy Endings]]'') | Given these facts, It is perhaps not surprising that, as a matter of ''Doctor Who Magazine'' continuity, the entirety of the First Doctor's ''TV Comic'' run was retconned out of existence as a dream of the [[Eighth Doctor]]. ([[DWM]]: ''[[The Land of Happy Endings]]'') | ||
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*{{dwrefguide|tvcomic1.htm|TV Comic strips featuring the First Doctor}} | *{{dwrefguide|tvcomic1.htm|TV Comic strips featuring the First Doctor}} | ||
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[[Category:Comic stories by Doctor|001]] | [[Category:Comic stories by Doctor|001]] | ||
