Great TV Comic cover

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stevezodiac
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Great TV Comic cover

Post by stevezodiac »

While going through my TV Comics to look up the answer to the Tich and Quackers post I came across this marvellous cover which is unusually dramatic for TV Comic. I only have this one from 1967 but assume it was typical for the period? Challenging TV 21?

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Digifiend
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Re: Great TV Comic cover

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When Doctor Who arrives? That's not his name! :wink:

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Digifiend
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Re: Great TV Comic cover

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This is the following week's cover. It does seem like that was the normal style at the time. Doesn't seem to have lasted long though, by 1968, the Diddymen had taken over the cover.
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http://www.comicbookdb.com/title.php?ID=592

Raven
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Re: Great TV Comic cover

Post by Raven »

These are nice. I've seen some very nice Diddymen covers from the Sixties, too!

That website says the publisher was TV Publications, but wasn't it published by Beaverbrook Newspapers (at least in my earliest issue from 1960) and later by Polystyle Publications (through all the years I bought it).

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Digifiend
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Re: Great TV Comic cover

Post by Digifiend »

Turns out those Doctor Who covers only lasted a few months.
Issue 788 (21/01/67) 1st Dr Who cover (drawn by John Canning. This was a six-month period of Dr Who and the Daleks covers which are perhaps some of the most collectable issues).

Issue 810 (24/06/67) 1st Ken Dodd's Diddymen (drawn by Bill Titcombe) cover.
http://www.oxforddiecast.co.uk/CC014%20Muffin2.htm

Lew Stringer
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Re: Great TV Comic cover

Post by Lew Stringer »

Digifiend wrote:When Doctor Who arrives? That's not his name! :wink:
...although one could be forgiven for thinking otherwise in the 1960s, when The Doctor introduced himself as "I am Doctor Who" in the first Dalek movie and was referred to as "Doctor Who" in the William Hartnell serial The War Machines.

The backstory of The Doctor developed over time, and back when TV Comic was featuring the character there was no reason not to think his name (or at least his alias) wasn't "Doctor Who".

Regarding those covers, acquiring the use of the Daleks was quite a coup for TV Comic as prior to that they'd had use of Doctor Who but the Daleks had been exclusive to TV21. Therefore they made a big thing of it when TV21's license to use them ended and TV Comic gained the rights.

Curiously the strip continued to be called "Dr.Who and the Daleks" for a while even if they didn't appear in it, just because the Daleks had become synonymous with the Doctor in the public's perception.
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Classic Comics
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Re: Great TV Comic cover

Post by Classic Comics »

Adding to what Lew said on the tricky question of the Doctor's name... from 1963-1980 and in 2005, the character was credited as Dr Who/Doctor Who in the end titles, although apart from the story Lew mentioned, The War Machines and later in The War Games (giving his name as Doktor Von Wer), on TV the character has always been named the Doctor. The Target :bullseye: books, on the other hand, did occasionally lapse and I think (haven't read it in years) that in Doctor Who And The Zarbi, the character is referenced as Doctor Who all the way through. I'm pretty sure the name Doctor Who appeared in loads of annual stories as well as comic strips because I used to throw hissy-fits about it when I was a lad. Although I had a little cackle of glee in 2005 when I saw that Christopher Eccleston was credited as Doctor Who.
I will now take off my Doctor Who-writer head and put my Beano-writer head back on again. :D

Lew Stringer
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Re: Great TV Comic cover

Post by Lew Stringer »

Just imagine if, after all these years, his name really was "Who". Dave Who perhaps. Yes, I think that'd go down really well with Dr.Who fandom. :lol:

(BTW abbreviating it to "Dr.Who" annoys them just as much as calling him "Doctor Who", despite "Dr.Who" being on practically all the Doctor Who merchandise of the 1960s. :wink: )

(Takes off Doctor Who-fan head and puts Beano-artist head back on to draw page supplied by above Beano writer. :-))
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philcom55
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Re: Great TV Comic cover

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On the other hand I love the scene in "the Girl in the Fireplace" where Madame de Pompadour starts reading his mind and says "Doctor... Doctor Who...?"

- Phil Rushton

Classic Comics
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Re: Great TV Comic cover

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Lew Stringer wrote:Just imagine if, after all these years, his name really was "Who". Dave Who perhaps. Yes, I think that'd go down really well with Dr.Who fandom. :lol:

(BTW abbreviating it to "Dr.Who" annoys them just as much as calling him "Doctor Who", despite "Dr.Who" being on practically all the Doctor Who merchandise of the 1960s. :wink: )

(Takes off Doctor Who-fan head and puts Beano-artist head back on to draw page supplied by above Beano writer. :-))
I've got a complete collection of the Target paperbacks - I think I've got every edition of every one of them (even some foreign language editions). Some are fantastic, some are not so brilliant... but the only thing that really, REALLY bugs me about any of them is seeing DR WHO AND THE MUTANTS on the shelf there - it's the only Target that abbreviated 'Doctor' to 'Dr' on the spine - I still glower at it sometimes when I pass. And yet I'm not bothered a jot when the same offence is committed on the 1960s paperback of 'Dr Who In An Exciting Adventure With The Daleks'.

And I really like the idea of Dave Who... though suddenly in my head he's become a time-travelling plumber. "Orright, Dave?"; "Yeah, orright, mate. Got a blocked toilet to clear in 1847." Hmm... maybe I need coffee... brain not working properly yet this week...
philcom55 wrote:On the other hand I love the scene in "the Girl in the Fireplace" where Madame de Pompadour starts reading his mind and says "Doctor... Doctor Who...?"

- Phil Rushton
That line is almost a rite of passage for a production team, isn't it? It appears from time to time but my favourite use of it was definitely in 'The Girl In The Fireplace' - one of many things to adore about that episode.

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stevezodiac
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Re: Great TV Comic cover

Post by stevezodiac »

We know Terry Nation created the Daleks but do we have a name for the Doctor Who creator? (Forgive my ignoramity if it's common knowledge). Maybe he was a fan of Sherlock Holmes and thought "Doctor Wat....son?? Doctor What? Doctor Who? Perhaps the writers could come up with some adversaries called Doctor When and Doctor Where? Sort of parallel world versions? Think of the fun in choosing who could play them and their costumes. (maybe I'm heading towards the realms of Batman TV series here - sorry).

One other thing there was an outcry over those new pastel coloured Daleks a few weeks back. Some said they looked too cuddly and Telly Tubbyish (esque?). Maybe that's the cue for a Dalek war? The old Daleks verses the (not nearly so threatening looking) new ones?

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Re: Great TV Comic cover

Post by Classic Comics »

stevezodiac wrote:We know Terry Nation created the Daleks but do we have a name for the Doctor Who creator? (Forgive my ignoramity if it's common knowledge). Maybe he was a fan of Sherlock Holmes and thought "Doctor Wat....son?? Doctor What? Doctor Who? Perhaps the writers could come up with some adversaries called Doctor When and Doctor Where? Sort of parallel world versions? Think of the fun in choosing who could play them and their costumes. (maybe I'm heading towards the realms of Batman TV series here - sorry).
The show was created by Sydney Newman (who also created The Avengers) and Donald Wilson. CE (Bunny) Webber, Anthony Coburn, David Whitaker and the incredibly fab Verity Lambert all played major roles in shaping the basic concept into the show we thankfully still have today.

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philcom55
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Re: Great TV Comic cover

Post by philcom55 »

I sometimes think David Whitaker fails to get the credit he deserves for his contribution to the Doctor Who mythos, especially when it comes to the Daleks as I seem to remember that his comic strips introduced many elements that are still being used today - for example the Emperor Dalek and the distinctive flying saucers.

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NP
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Re: Great TV Comic cover

Post by NP »

stevezodiac wrote:We know Terry Nation created the Daleks
Well, now you've gone and done it.
The 'creation' of the Daleks really belongs to three people:
1. Terry Nation, the writer
2. (Can't remember his name - 'Classics Comics' will be along in a few minutes to tell us who it is) The designer who created the look
3. wait for it- Tony Hancock, who in 1962 told his pal and then-writing partner Terry Nation that the funniest thing he could do would be a science fiction story where the monsters were evil big pepper pots with a sink plunger on the forehead!

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Digifiend
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