Doctor Who Weekly #4

07 Nov 1979. Cover price 12p.
28 pages. B&W contents.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by Dez Skinn.

Photo cover (uncredited).

Free transfers.

Contents:

 2 A Letter from the Doctor text feature by Dez Skinn (uncredited).

 3 Doctor Who and the Iron Legion, part four, w: Pat Mills & John Wagner; a: Dave Gibbons.

 7 Crazy Caption 4 competition; photograph (uncredited).

 8 Starting Next Week in Issue Five of... Doctor Who Weekly preview of Throwback strip; a: Paul Neary.

 9 The Monsters of Doctor Who The Yeti - Robot Pawns Controlled from Space text feature by Gordon Blows (uncredited); photographs (uncredited).

12 Planet Puzzle Answer (quarter page) / Another S-F Winner from Marvel in-house advertisement for Star Wars Weekly.

13 Tales from the TARDIS War of the Worlds, part four, w: Chris Claremont, based on the novel by H.G. Wells; p: Yong Montano; i: Dino Castrillo, lettering by Pat Condoy.

r: Marvel Classic Comics (Marvel) #14 (1976).

18 The Dead Planet text feature compiled by Jeremy Bentham; photographs (uncredited).

22 Doctor Who Photo-File Tom Baker fact-file (uncredited); photograph (uncredited).

23 The Return of the Daleks, part four, w: Steve Moore; p: Paul Neary, i: David Lloyd.

27 Doctor Who and the Turgids advertisement for Doctor Who Radio from Shortman Trading Company Ltd. w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

28 UNTITLED Tom Baker pin-up; photograph (uncredited).

The Doctor's letter reminds readers not to play with fireworks, noting that they are still explosives despite their packaging and public perception. It is a message which can't be repeated enough, as even all these years later there are still horror stories of needless accidents being reported - such public safety notices have largely fallen out of favour, and these remnants from a time before social media are really evocative.

The Imperial Air-Galley enters the Temple of the Gods, an alien space-ship, and the Doctor convinces Morris to help his escape - which Morris is more than happy to do, given that he hasn't made an escape attempt for a couple of weeks. The Alien Guard, protectors of the temple, rush to prevent the escape of the prisoners. Managing to avoid recapture, the Doctor meets Vesuvius, the oldest robot in Rome. After performing minor repairs on Vesuvius, the Doctor asks where he can find the Gods - and realises that the Romans have been worshiping the Malevilus, most terrible of alien races.

Aliens who take the form of statues? Shades of the Weeping Angels raise this beyond any quibbles regarding the other-dimensional nature of the Romans. Morris is a great character, who really lightens the strip, as well as being oddly likable.

Although interesting, the Yeti aren't quite as memorable - or terrifying - as the Great Intelligence, who really should have formed the focus of the feature. As a history of the robots, however, it is a fine example of the recaps making the threats seem more credible than the episodes managed. The main drawback to the Yeti is their resemblance to Wombles, which is a complete drama-killer. How are the furry, rotund litter-pickers meant to scare when they are so damn cute?

I wouldn't say no to a pet Yeti.

I'll name him George. And I'll hug him, and pet him, and squeeze him...

War of the Worlds is one of the main foundation stones of alien invasions in popular culture, with some of the most dramatic scenes of devastation to focus on such an unlikely location. It should be told as the epic it is, and have at least one or two compelling, memorable images on every page. It should matter. While the adaptation is fine, it isn't exceptional. If there's one word which encapsulates the strip, that word would be "adequate".

The designs of the tripods owe much to the film adaptation, which overwhelms any positive artistic choices. Such a disappointment.

Continuing the recap of The Dead Planet, the same handful of images which always get published are, quelle surprise, dusted off and printed onece more. Are the choices of photographic record for the first doctor so limited that we never get new (or at least unpublished) material? Surely someone was a bit snap-happy on set, and there remains, somewhere, a few pieces we haven't seen dozens of times. Which isn't a complaint aimed at Doctor Who Weekly in specific, but all coverage of the first Doctor.

After 800 years, the Daleks have returned to the planet Anhaut, seeking revenge for their former defeat. Movie producer Glax and his star, Hok Nepo, have found the weapon chamber of the ancient General Nor-Din... Only to have its contents destroyed by the Dalek agent, Kuay, before they could learn its secret...

Prepared to kill everyone, and destroy everything, in their path, the Daleks approach the pyramid. Seemingly trapped, and destined to die in the pyramid, Kuay tells Glax that the Daleks' hold on her ended when she touched a crystal helmet - a device which rapidly ages the user. Hok takes the helmet from Kuay, though he cannot get it to work. Knowing her Dalek implants will enable use of the device, Kuay prepares to sacrifice herself to end the menace once and for all.

As endings go, Return of the Daleks pulls out all the stops.

While I'm going to miss Glax, his transformation from amoral exploitation producer to (albeit reluctant) hero has been a great way to expand the confines of the series. The history of the Daleks outside of strict continuity had already produced a few brilliant stories, and if they were to break free of the series, to invade television screens on their own, this strip would have to be considered as an inspiration.

#03

Doctor Who Weekly

#05

Eagle [Vol.21] #2

03 Apr 1982. Cover price 20p.
32 pages. Colour & B&W contents.
IPC Magazines Ltd.

Edited by David Hunt.

Photo cover by Gary Compton.

Free Golden Eagle badge.

Contents:

 2 Eagle Hotline The Eagle Has Really Landed! text introduction by David Hunt. / Your Free Gift / Get Ready For... Roar film preview / Eagle Book of Records reader feedback requested. / New This Week introduction to The Money Page and The Adventures of Fred. / Odd Spot photograph (uncredited). / Happy Birthday / Last Minute Department reader feedback requested.

 3 Doomlord UNTITLED [No Trace of the Spaceship], part two, w: Alan Grant; photography by Gary Compton.

 7 Wellie of the Week Terry Wogan photograph (uncredited). / Eagle Sweet Talk Scarey Sticks / Things that Go Chomp in the Night! / Rocky Horror! / Caught by the Camera Boeing 727 photograph by Hans Wendt. / Ernie UNTITLED [Being a Star Comes Naturally] w:/a: Dave Follows.

 8 Squadron Leaders advertisement for Humbrol 1/48 and 1/72 scale models.

 9 Eagle Data File Sea King Har 3 fact file; illustration (uncredited).

10 The Adventures of Fred UNTITLED [Read the Signs] w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); photographs (uncredited).

11 The Collector Assassin w: Brian Burrell; a: Pat Wright, photography by Sven Arnstein.

14 The Unexplained! Demon Guard (one third page) text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited). / The Symbol of Excellence (one sixth page) newsagent order form.

26 Daley's Diary It's Best by Boat! / Forgotten Losers / Lauda's Crown? / The Dutch Master / The Last National? text features by Daley Thompson.

16 Dan Dare Return of the Mekon, part two, w: John Wagner & Pat Mills; a: Gerry Embleton.

18 Sgt. Streetwise UNTITLED [The Thames Gang], part two, w: Gerry Finley-Day; photographs by Dave Watts.

21 The Tower King UNTITLED [Lord Spencer's Arrival], part two, w: Alan Hebden; a: Jose Ortiz.

24 Free with Battle in-house advertisement for Battle and Strike Force sticker album; a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

25 Eagle Interview Bob Champion (three fifths of page) interview by UNKNOWN (uncredited); photograph by UNKNOWN (uncredited). / Kids are Tough! Michael Goes on Parade (two fifths of page) text feature about Michael Webb by UNKNOWN (uncredited); photograph (uncredited).

26 The Money Page: Glamorous Teacher Miss Palmer, Magna Carta School, Staines; photograph (uncredited). / Big Mouth Belt Up, Jim! / School Uniform readers' mail. / Superdad! Nick and Matt Oakley photograph (uncredited). / Brothers & Sisters Get it Taped! / Super Sis readers' mail.

27 Thunderbolt and Smokey! UNTITLED [West Against North], part two, w: Tom Tully; photographs by John Powell.

31 Read Mike Read UNTITLED [The big mistake that I've always made with any sport I've participated in...] (half page) text feature by Mike Read; photographs (uncredited); illustration (uncredited). / Shopwatch It's Looking Good for Spring [Wrangler; Palitoy Pocketeers games] shopping feature (uncredited). / Next Week

 9 Personality Plus Clare Grogan pin-up and mini-bio (uncredited). / 10 'Happy Birthday' LP's Up for Grabs! competition.

Eagle says a special thank you to the following for their help this issue... The Magna Carta School, Staines. Epic Records.

There's still an educational element to Eagle's remit, with surprising success. One such fact is that penguins can catch colds, as the Antarctic is so cold it is germ free, thus penguins have no immunity to the sniffles. Non-fiction highlight of the issue, and I can't get the image of penguins sneezing out of my head - smiling each time I imagine them wiping their beaks on their wings, grumbling away. This is the Eagle of old shining through the new paint job. Barely visible, but still there.

At the offices of the Cranberry Argus, reporter Howard Harvey - the only witness to Doomlord's arrival on Earth - tried to convince his editor that his story was true.

If you are even minimally aware of series such as The Invaders you will know that attempting to convince superiors, or authorities, of alien activity is likely to end in failure. Worse, it might be seen as an eccentricity which points to instability, losing the character their safety nets of regular income and credibility. It is never a good sign when a character jumps straight to his "They're coming... They're coming..." act, rather than patiently investigating and collecting evidence.

Alan Grant is a great writer, but here panders to a degree of clichéd writing which doesn't feel real. In only two installments of the story, Harvey has lost all credibility as a reporter. Tailing the police officer, Harvey loses him at a train station, though sees a vaguely-familiar man get on the train - a closer look reveals that he is wearing the same distinctive alien ring. Arriving at King's Cross Station, he finally remembers the man's name, Sir Matthew Hodges, Cranbridge's member of Parliament.

While the photographic standards are, admittedly, better than average, there is still no discernible advantage to presenting Doomlord in such a manner. Artistic quibbles aside, it is to the strip's credit that the casual murder of bystanders isn't shied away from - with one such unfortunate shown to be disintegrated when the alien's disguise begins to falter.

The Adventures of Fred is a precursor to Mr. Bean, or Matt Lucas' Pompidou, perhaps. Utilising signs to tell its story, with the Inspector Clouseau-like character oblivious to their warnings, the single-page introduction is, however, merely adequate. Comedy is difficult, and when there is the added complication of creating scripts achievable through photography, it makes necessary exaggeration almost impossible. It is impossible to capture crazy antics in photo strips with the same anarchy present in drawn strips.

"Welcome. I see you have returned to sample another weird and bizarre tale from my museum of extraordinary exhibits.

The story behind this charm bracelet is unusual. A romance, perhaps? Alas, no, let me tell you about the person who used to wear this... Harvey Pell, the man who had no heart!

Rivalries in London's gangland sees numerous unlikely and odd "accidents" claim the lives of various people. Edward Rogan, a food connoisseur is poisoned at his own dinner table, the Gray brothers - driving enthusiasts - were involved in a fatal smash when their brakes failed, and Charley "Birdy" Burdett, fell from an office block while birdwatching. Accidents they are not, for they are the work of an assassin whose modus operandi has earned him the moniker "Heartless" Harvey Pell.

Pell's next hit is Tony Lombardo, a man who spends his free time on the shooting range. Deciding on an appropriate method with which to dispose of Lombardo, Pell breaks into the man's office and sets up a pistol to fire the next time someone speaks into the 'phone. Having seemingly set up the perfect murder, he is interrupted by an opportunistic thief who sees the office door open. Tied to the chair, in line with the pistol, Pell is forced to wait on Lombardo returning to his office to release him, hoping that nobody uses the 'phone...

A taut story, with a clever set-up, handled in a clunky manner through the photo strip format. The character of Pell would be revisited in Accident Man, proving that no good idea goes to waste, though here the conceit is badly squandered. With Lombardo's pistol so prominent in the photographs, it is likely he would move it back to its proper location before going anywhere near his 'phone.

The Unexplained!, a text feature which covers supernatural dogs, is suitably placed at the end of The Collector, though is far from an in-depth account of such beasts. Such a small feature was never going to be satisfying, or include the best (i.e. downright creepiest) stories, yet the complete absence of credible (and documented) reports make this a brief note that, yes, such things might exist. Maybe. Possibly. If you squint hard, and don't try to rationalise away such things. More gravity would have helped, but the main problem is with the length.

As the nature of the articles are not usually of interest, I normally give Daley's Diary a brief glance, note the contents, then move on. But this issue's contents has an intriguing comment regarding the fate of the Grand National.

I shall be very sorry, like all lovers of sport, if this year's Grand National is the last to be run. It's become part of the British way of life.

While various attempts, over the years, to have the race brought to an end due to animal welfare concerns, there has never really been a sense that such concerns might actually come to anything. What was different in the early eighties? I kinda want to know how close the race came to ending, but I'm not interested - or invested - enough to go looking. Context in the reporting of current events is appreciated, especially when texts are analysed at such a remove. Approaching the commentary now, without immediate access to material of the period covering the event in detail, makes for a frustrating and tantalising read.

The year was 2210, one mile above the Earth, in the parliament of the Terran Federation, delegates sit in emergency session. . . .

Dan Dare begins strong, with an armada of eight thousand ships approaching Earth. The president reveals that he is a robot, exploding with enough force to destroy the satellite upon which the parliament are aboard. Luna Base, HQ of the Terran Defence Fleet, launch a force to repel the invasion, though possibly not in time.

The Kármán line, sixty-two miles above Earth, is generally accepted as the point at which Earth's atmosphere gives way to outer space, which itself is far higher than the flying ship is portrayed as being. It is a curious statement to make - one hundred miles places the parliament in space, though far, far too low to be in a stable orbit. Comic-book science, however, cocks a snook at such details.

At only two pages it is difficult to imagine how this is going to play out without an increase in space for the strip, though the art more than makes up for such brevity. While robots masquerading as humans is an overplayed device, the final panel is a surprising reversal of conventional depictions of the security of Earth space.

An extremely stiffly posed shot in the first panel of Sgt. Streetwise is enough to turn me off reading the strip immediately, and I honestly don't care what happens. Already, two issues in, the photo strips have outstayed their welcome.

Lord Spencer's men arrive via train, and is told he will be ruler of the Tower of London within the hour. Mick Tempest, the Tower King, has other ideas, and charges into the battle, though must retreat due to overwhelming forces. At Tower Bridge a small group of Tempest's men prepare to hold off the invaders until the bridge can be raised.

Beautiful, engaging, and utterly compelling, The Tower King continues to impress.

The Money Page, for which read "readers' mail" (with additional quirks), poses two problems, the first of which is the more troublesome - Glamorous Teacher, which praises attractive teachers, and showers gifts upon them, is annoying. Summing up a person's career with a statement of how good they look? Not cool. It would have been more appropriate to reward teachers who provided real, solid life-changing classes. The kind of teachers who are remembered long after their pupils have left school. They may not be the most photogenic, but their value to society is incalculable.

The second issue with the letters page is the poor formatting, wasting much of the page. When readers have spent time writing to a publication their comments should be presented in a respectful manner, and with enough variation in content that the page isn't fragmented snippets. As a new title the number of suitable letters might have been low, though this is where thoughtful, and erudite, responses come into play. By padding the page with an ugly border, then boxing off each section, there's so little presented that the title might as well have not bothered including it.

01

Eagle [Vol.21]

#03

Doctor Who Weekly #3

31 Oct 1979. Cover price 12p.
28 pages. B&W contents.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by Dez Skinn.

Photo cover (uncredited).

Free transfers.

Contents:

 2 A Letter from the Doctor text feature by Dez Skinn (uncredited).

 3 Doctor Who and the Iron Legion, part three, w: Pat Mills & John Wagner; a: Dave Gibbons.

 7 Crazy Caption 3 competition; photograph (uncredited).

 8 The Monsters of Doctor Who The Ice Warriors text feature by Gordon Blows (uncredited); photographs (uncredited).

10 Monster Mix Answers (quarter page) / Another S-F Winner from Marvel in-house advertisement for Starburst.

11 Planet Puzzle illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

12 Tales from the TARDIS War of the Worlds, part three, w: Chris Claremont, based on the novel by H.G. Wells; p: Yong Montano; i: Dino Castrillo, lettering by Pat Condoy.

r: Marvel Classic Comics (Marvel) #14 (1976).

17 The Dead Planet text feature compiled by Jeremy Bentham; photographs (uncredited).

22 Doctor Who Photo-File Jon Pertwee fact-file (uncredited); photograph (uncredited).

23 The Return of the Daleks, part three, w: Steve Moore; p: Paul Neary, i: David Lloyd.

27 Doctor Who and the Turgids advertisement for Doctor Who Radio from Shortman Trading Company Ltd. w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

28 Have Fun With the Amazing Mr. Bellamy advertisement for liquorice novelties.

Albert and Elsie Olthwaite should be revived for the new series, just so this issue's letter from the Doctor can be regarded as canon. An exceptionaly strange manner in which to begin the issue, though the sense of whimsy evoked by such a communication from the Doctor is reminiscent of the Tom Baker era as a whole. Slighty mad, yes, but with insights which pierce through 'common sense' to deliver profound statements.

Which likely makes the show sound a bit pretentious.

The Doctor faces the Ectoslime, which stuns its victims with its odour before liquefying them and drinking them. Searching his memory to recall if he had ever faced one before, he recalls the fact they have a highly developed sense of humour to make up for their appearance - so tells it a joke:

Having saved himself from a gruesome death, he is dragged from the arena and placed as a slave in an Imperial Air Galley by General Ironicus. A fellow captive aboard the ship is surprised that the Doctor isn't afraid of him due to his appearance, though the Doctor explains that, compared to the Ectoslime, he is almost handsome. Catching a glimpse of Caesar's mother, the Doctor thinks he has discovered the secret of the Galactic Roman Empire...

Has anyone attempted to translate the joke? I'm hoping it is presented in a code, and not merely a jumble of symbols, as such small details add a certain something to the character - even if I'm too lazy to find a suitable solution. The design sensibilities of the Roman-inspired world are rich in detail, with a few exceptional panels. The image of Caesar's mother is one of the few times we get to really see the world as the Doctor does.

And there's almost that Bugs Bunny line, for those amused at such things.

Whatever amusement could be gained from the Crazy Caption images is rather muted by the poor choice of images for this purpose. Screen captures of actors in the middle of unlikely and improbable events, with appropriately weird expressions, are much more suited to captioning. Before anyone points out how difficult such images were to get in 1979, such systems were available.

The Ice Warrior is an odd choice for Doctor Who's "monster of the week" feature, as they never really felt like top-tier enemies until later development, though the article is very informative. Behind-the-scenes images of Bernard Bresslaw getting prepared for his role as Varga are wonderful glimpses into the process of bringing the character to the screen, and worth the cover price alone. The paper quality doesn't do the images justice, though any opportunity to get a peek at the workings of Doctor Who's special effects are welcome.

Recapping The Dead Planet, the entrance of Daleks to the series is captured well, yet its importance in solidifying the series' popularity isn't addressed. It should have at least had a few newspaper reviews, or even snippets of Radio Times publicity material, which would have really sold the time period in which the episode was broadcast to readers.

Jon Pertwee's mini-bio highlights the inadequacy of the short overviews - despite being in line with previous entries, there's much more to his career than is presented here. Neither pin-up nor biography, the photo-files are a weird hybrid which serves neither function. While later incarnations of the title would handle the balance better, I find myself frustrated with the self-imposed limitations the title has created for itself.

Return of the Daleks, remaining a beautiful isolated glimmer of gold in the Doctor's universe, finds Glax and Hok knocked from their steeds by a whirling sandstorm. Within the winds, which they struggle through, they find a pyramid which is topped with a strange light. A door opens as they approach it, granting them access to a recording revealing the secret to the Daleks' defeat. Before Glax can learn what they must do, Kuay blasts the device and summons her Dalek masters.

The strips and television series information continues to make this a title which is well worth seeking out, though its lightweight features are beginning to grate.

#02

Doctor Who Weekly

#04

Doctor Who Weekly #2

24 Oct 1979. Cover price 12p.
28 pages. Colour & B&W.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by Dez Skinn.

Photo cover (uncredited).

Free transfers.

Contents:

 2 SEACON '79 Photographs from the 1979 World Science Fiction convention; photographs by Joyce A. Agee.

 3 Doctor Who and the Iron Legion, part two, w: Pat Mills & John Wagner; a: Dave Gibbons.

 7 A Letter from the Doctor text feature by Dez Skinn (uncredited).

 8 The Cybermen text feature by Gordon Blows; photographs (uncredited).

11 Monster Mix wordsearch; illustration by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

12 Tales from the TARDIS War of the Worlds, part two, w: Chris Claremont, based on the novel by H.G. Wells; p: Yong Montano; i: Dino Castrillo, lettering by Pat Condoy.

r: Marvel Classic Comics (Marvel) #14 (1976).

17 An Unearthly Child text feature compiled by Jeremy Bentham.

21 Crazy Caption 2 competition; photograph (uncredited).

22 Doctor Who Photo-File Patrick Troughton fact-file (uncredited); photograph (uncredited).

23 The Return of the Daleks, part two, w: Steve Moore; p: Paul Neary, i: David Lloyd.

27 Doctor Who and the Turgids advertisement for Doctor Who Radio from Shortman Trading Company Ltd. w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

28 Have Fun With the Amazing Mr. Bellamy advertisement for liquorice novelties.

K-9, looking remarkably spiffy, shares a cover with Tom Baker, and there is no hint of any animosity which Baker felt for the useless tin can. Although designed with television in mind it is a photogenic prop, although red blinds over its eyes still makes little to no sense.

The Doctor has fallen foul of the Iron Legion - strange war robots, led by the sinister General Ironicus. He makes a dash for the TARDIS as one of the Legions tanks opens fire!

At the very second the shell explodes, the Doctor has thrown the TARDIS out of dimension!

Caught in a dimensional disturbance, the TARDIS isn't happy at being thrown around. He eventually manages to arrive at the Rome Hyp-Arena, where Maximus Bilious is commentating on events for viewers watching elsewhere. Seized by the Emperor's guards, the Doctor comes to the realisation that he is witnessing events from an alternate Earth where Rome never fell, instead developing a sophisticated technology with which to conquer the entire galaxy.

Alternate realities may be fine for the Marvel superheroes, but... The answer as to the origin of the robots is a bit of a cop-out. It fits perfectly with what we have seen, yet feels as if it hasn't been given enough consideration given the multitude of strange events already seen in the series - it doesn't stretch the parameters of the character to fit the medium, as much as it pastes conventions of comics to the format of the series. The end of this installment is, however, a perfect note to conclude on, though ending every single strip on a physical threat, rather than a puzzle or revelation, might get old if overused.

Not wanting to trust the pigeon post from Ganymede again, I'm sending this letter via Beam-a-Zeat. I did notice they were also sending a batch of smoked klim-bait (a local delicacy) in the same container, so sincerest apologies if this letter pongs a bit.

The Doctor was hanging out with Ace Rimmer back in 1979? This is news which could only be improved if we were to get the revelation he also borrowed Arthur Dent's towel to flick at a Dalek.

The Cybermen does a fairly good job of untangling the (at times confusing) continuity of the characters, though stops short of providing a background to their creation for the show. There have subsequently been a number of publications which have provided more comprehensive information, giving the episode's air-dates and cast, though I'm sure readers were glad to have their memories jogged by such a tight recap of essential details.

Although obviously aimed at younger readers, Monster Mix is a wordsearch which has me thinking - have writers, needing appropriately alien names, used the jumble of letters to form the basis of alien names, species, or worlds? I actually started looking for various names (Saxon isn't present, sadly), but I couldn't remember enough without a reference book handy.

London, November 1963. Under a blanket of thick, swirling fog a policeman pounds his solitary beat amid the high brick walls of the inner metropolis.
   Casting a pale yellow beam, the light of his torch falls upon the large wooden gates of a junkyard, bearing the words: "I.M. FOREMAN, 76 TOTTERS LANE".
   As the policeman walks into the darkness, he fails to notice one of the gates swing open.
   Had he noticed it, he would have been most puzzled by what was inside.
   For, among the debris of the scrapyard was the then-familiar blue shape of a London Police Public Call Box.
   Yet this police box was not what it seemed. For, unlike every other one in the city, this police box hid an awesome secret.
   Just audible to human hearing, it was emitting a humming sound along with a faint vibration coming from within...

The first four episodes of the series are covered by Jeremy Bentham, though there's nothing to indicate a separate pilot was shot prior to broadcast. While the brief recaps are very well written, the lack of detail about the shooting, or other circumstances surrounding the broadcast, leaves this feeling somehow incomplete as an account of the early days of the series. While we are informed that the shooting budget was a mere £2000 per episode, we get no indication of how this was allocated, nor if it was achieved without rewrites. A note on the series reception hints at the praise, though there's no reproduction of the reviews, which would have been a fantastic glimpse into the audience's immediate reactions.

Patrick Troughton remains an enigma, despite the Photo-File's admirable attempt to cover his career, admitting in a disclaimer that the man was so shy he never participated in the usual publicity rigmarole which has become part and parcel of the role. He rarely seems to be properly credited for increasing the scope of the series in a substantial manner, and numerous questions linger regarding his acceptance into the series.

Return of the Daleks opens with Hok Nepo, star of the hologram-movie escaping from the Daleks, who are under the impression that he is their enemy Nor-Din. As the Daleks begin attacking the studio, Glax and Hok manage to escape to a police station, where they inform the officers of events. The police are soon overwhelmed, and decide the situation is best left to the military. Glax, seeing his studio destroyed, decides to head to the Desert of Vash to learn how the Daleks were originally defeated, taking Hok along with him. Kuay, the Daleks' faithful servant, follows them...

You don't need any knowledge of Doctor Who, or the spin-off material, to enjoy the story, which is a great benefit to the story's entertainment value as it increases in scale - still a self-contained piece of storytelling, with no overt call-backs to the Dalek strips of old, there's real tension created by using characters and a setting which haven't been seen before. While we know London isn't going to get destroyed, this hitherto-unseen planet doesn't have the same protection hanging over it.

#01

Doctor Who Weekly

#03

Tornado #1

[24 Mar 1979]. Cover price 10p.
32 pages. Colour & B&W contents.
IPC Magazines Ltd.

Edited by Roy Preston.

Cover by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 Welcome to the World of Heroes! 2000 A.D. Productions Present - Tornado introduction by Tharg; photographs (uncredited). / Introduction by Big E. / Enjoy Your Turbo-Flyer Safely! Free gift instructions; illustration (uncredited).

 3 Victor Drago The Terror of Troll Island!, part one, w: Bill Henry [Chris Lowder]; a: Mike Dorey.

 9 The Mind of Wolfie Smith UNTITLED [Departure from Mason Street], part one, w: Tom Tully; a: Vanyo.

15 The Angry Planet UNTITLED [No Water for Markham], part one, w: Alan Hebden; a: Massimo Belardinelli.

21 Tornado's True Tales The Tale of Benkei, part one, w: Steve Moore; a: Xavier Musquera.

26 Wagner's Walk UNTITLED [A Child's Atlas], part one, w: R.E. Wright [Pat Mills]; a: Lozano.

31 Next Week - Your Chance to Join Team Tornado preview. / Indicia

32 Captain Klep UNTITLED [Strangest Visitor from Another World] w: Dave Angus & Nick Landau; a: Kevin O'Neill.

The launch of a title is an opportunity to show the readers something they haven't seen before. An opportunity to break free of tradition and stretch out into concepts and designs which haven't been attempted. Launch issues are, in short, the perfect place to show off. No matter the budgetary restraints, editorial constraints, or possible audience complaints, there is no reason to hold back on great ideas or artwork.

By 1979 IPC already had a solid run of successful launches (along with a few troublesome titles), so it would make sense that creative personnel had studied those achievements, taking away all the lessons available. It would have been natural to emulate massively popular characters, to grow under-appreciated ideas into thrilling strips, and show up the rest of IPC's output with top-notch strips. A newly-launched title ought to take every advantage available in order to succeed.

Which is why this issue is such an infuriating read.

The cover is, admittedly, not as bad as some contemporary launches, yet it doesn't scream quality. The mass of conflicting lettering is an eye strain, and dainty stars sprinkled over the left side of the cover bring to mind a style more commonly associated with girls comics - at least the space beneath the free gift hasn't been wasted, though it is still important space casually wasted. The most intriguing aspect of the launch straddles the bottom of the cover, where we are promised "the U.K.'s First Real Live Superhero!"

Many attempts at bringing superheroes to British comics had already been attempted, though this was something different. Unlike Marvelman or Captain Britain, Big E (who should have been dusted off in the nineties for the acid house crowd) was a real superhero, as seen in photographs throughout the title's run - though his credibility is diminished firstly by looking like a young Jim Belushi, and secondly by having an a ridiculously poor costume. It is, of course, Dave Gibbons in the ill-fitting superhero garb rather than a professional model, which shows how little thought had gone into the depiction.

It is surprising, looking back, that no touching up had been attempted on the photographs. Numerous talented airbrush artists were working in London during the late seventies, any one of whom could have taken rough photographs and transformed them into spectacular - and extremely life-like - depictions of a fantastic nature. Of course, that would have shown up the ugly Tharg mask for the piece of tat it was, and undermined the authority of the esteemed editor of 2000 A.D..

London - February, 1929!

A bitter wind sweeps over the chill waters of the river Thames, hurling a white fury of snowflakes before it in savage gusts!

On such a night as this, there's no honest profit to be made out of doors!

On the other hand - for those who seek a dishonest profit...

...Such a night has many advantages!

From out of the darkness steps a formidable figure, a pipe set firmly in his mouth - Vincent Drago.

A name that struck terror into the most hardened of evil-doers - from the slums of London's East End to the teeming waterfront of Shanghai, Drago was the private detective who never gave up a case - often succeeding where the toughest policemen failed!

His associate Spencer, and his dog Brutus, soon have the majority of the ne'er-do-wells under control, and Drago himself deals with the remaining two, before the authorities arrive to cart away their prey. Leaving the police to wrap things up, Drago heads home, finding his 'phone ringing upon arrival - Philip Moffat, of Troll Island (off the North Cornwall coast) requests assistance, but the call is cut off before he can relate more. Drago and Spencer race through the night in his car, the Silver Lady, hoping to arrive in time...

Opening with a relaunched version of a vintage character might have worked for 2000 A.D., but Sexton Blake (under an assumed name here) isn't Dan Dare, and - worse - the time period is preserved for this outing. Unlike the BBC series Sherlock, there's no sense of untapped possibilities being exposed and expanded. There's little point in bringing a character back to print if things aren't altered, and this is, sadly, simply too old-fashioned to capture an audience led into the title by Tharg's recommendation.

I'm not sure I've ever got to the end of a Sexton Blake novel, and I can't imagine the character's appeal was significantly greater during the time of this issue's launch.

Colossal brain-power is not exclusive to adults. Even as a child, Leonardo da Vinci... the legendary Italian scientist and painter... had a profound knowledge of mathematics...

At the tender age of 7, the Austrian composer, Mozart, went on a musical tour, playing minuets that he had written himself...

And by the time he was nine years old, Ernest Patrick Smith, of No.11, Mason Street, Humberton, could make a pepper-pot move, ust by thinking about it!

Able to remember facts by reading them only once, able to move objects with his mind, and possessing the ability to know the contents of a bag without opening it, "Wolfie" Smith checks his local library to see what is happening to him, and reading about psychic abilities, he learns he has E.S.P. - Extra Sensory Perception. When he arrives home, ready to tell his parents what he has learned, he finds Mr. Venner has accused him of cheating on a test, and that his class photograph has been ruined by what others consider a trick - which Wolfie knows is caused by his psychic aura.

Fearing that he will be turned into a human guinea pig, Wolfie goes on the run.

With his each of his name containing a first letter reading ESP (though jumbled), this maintains IPC's tradition of handing its characters meaningful names, and the set-up, while containing more than a few well-worn scenes, is visually arresting and well-paced. Not quite SF enough to justify Tharg's presence in the title, but an interesting take on some themes which were strongly represented in fiction during the late seventies.

Mars... the fourth planet of the solar system, with an average surface temperature that was colder than an Antarctic winter... An atmosphere of deadly carbon dioxide... and no surface water!

An unprotected man would be dead in seconds!

When the first manned missions discovered vast mineral deposits, the great multi-national companies of energy-starved Earth formed Mars Incorporated to mine it and ship it back home.

Then, in the first years of the 21st century, as Mars Inc. was drilling for oil in the desert-like Arcadian region...

The drills struck something... and it wasn't oil!

It was oxygen... PURE OXYGEN!

For the next 25 years the planet's surface was "oxygenated" so that by the middle of the century, Mars could support life.

When their contracts expired many of the Mars Inc. employees elected to stay on their adopted planet and settle it... or die in the attempt.

Many died... But more lived. In 2062 the first human child was born on Mars.

Narrow-boned, because of the weak gravity and large-lunged, because of the thin air, he was the first of a new generation that could never live on Earth... The first Martian.

Matthew Markham, the first Martian-born human, now with a family of his own to care for, awaits a water delivery, though discovers the price has increased for the third time in six months, doubling its cost in under a year. As Mars Inc. has a monopoly on the planet there is no choice but to pay up, though with decreasing payments for his farm's produce the prospects of continuing to exist as they are look bleak. Matthew learns neighbouring farmers are abandoning their homes in search of work elsewhere, and when he returns home finds Mars Inc. prospecting for copper deposits on his land.

Getting into a fight with the Earthmen on his property, Matthew chases them away - but when he checks his computer finds his water supply has been cut off.

If The Angry Planet was an attempt to channel Heinlein's vision of man's future, then it lacks a certain believability. Yes, corporations are inherently against individuals (the bottom line always comes first), though the degree to which the persecution of an individual is handled in a cartoonish and patently unbelievable manner. Stopping a person's water supply on a planet where such a resource is unavailable elsewhere is pretty much a death sentence, and something which ought to be handled through a robust legal system - which is entirely absent in the narrative.

There's much potential in telling the story of Martian colonisation, yet all of the interesting possibilities are brushed over in favour of a simplistic revenge story.

And now, welcome to our 'Triple T' spot, that's Tornado's True Tales... a series of sagas about unusual Heroes in amazing feats of Heroism that ACTUALLY HAPPENED! The first saga occurred a long time ago, in a world very different from our own. It tells...

The Tale of Benkei

Japan, 1179 A.D.: Few travellers crossed the Gojo bridge at night... and none crossed it sword in hand...

There's a warm place in my heart for this strip, but once more the title looks to the past rather than exploiting Tharg's presence in promoting the comic. Telling the story of the warrior monk Saitō Musashibō Benkei, and it is a fairly standard version which is repeated here. While it would have been more attractive without the border, the art is superb, and it performs its role as an educational element well.

Wagner's Walk is a post-WWII tale of Major Kurt Wagner, and his discovery of an atlas which gives him the notion to walk to freedom, out of Siberia. It isn't a story which I'm particularly fond of. Captain Klep is, likewise, a very difficult strip to like, being a parody of Superman, in particular, and superhero conventions in general. It isn't as funny or as biting as it could have been, and pales when compared to Marvel's own satires.

This is a comic without a clear personality. Or, rather, it is in possession of more than one distinct personality, preventing a quick and simple identification of what a Tornado strip ought to be. With Misty, Battle Picture Weekly, or 2000 A.D., the strips fit the title's personality perfectly, and it is possible to identify recurring elements linking those strips. Here... anything goes.

A very poor launch issue.

Tornado

#02

Strip #2

...The Comic Grows Up!

03 Mar 1990. Cover price 95p.
40 pages. Colour contents.
Marvel Comics, Ltd.

Edited by Dan Abnett.

Cover by Don Lawrence.

Free pull-out Marshal Law poster.
r: Cover from Strip #01

Contents:

 2 Marvel Graphic Novels in-house advertisement.

 3 Contents illustration by Don Lawrence. / Indicia

 4 Marshal Law Stars and Strippers part two, w: Pat Mills; a: Kevin O'Neill, lettering by Phil Felix.

18 The Chronicles of Genghis Grimtoad part two, w: Alan Grant & John Wagner; a: Ian Gibson, lettering by Bambos Georgiou.

20 Storm The Pirates of Pandarve title page; illustration by Don Lawrence. / Credits

21 Storm The Pirates of Pandarve w: Martin Lodewuk; a: Don Lawrence, lettering by Helen Stone.

29 Davros Says Don't Buy It. (half page) in-house advertisement for Doctor Who Magazine. / Subscribe! (half page)

30 Before Excalibur There Was... Captain Britain in-house advertisement for Captain Britain trade paperback.

31 The Man from Cancer, part two, w: Glenn Dakin; a: Phil Elliott, lettering by Phil Elliott, colouring by Euan Peters.

39 Next Issue illustrations by Gary Erskine & Kevin O'Neill.

40 Get Doctor Who Magazine Now in-house advertisement.

A hefty second issue, thanks to the large poster bound in its centre pages, and with a fabulous Don Lawrence cover, there is much to be excited about in this issue. While there isn't an introduction, this issue's contents page displays how to present the material properly - where other titles often merely list the strips with a page number, there is enough information about what is happening in the strips to inform readers of what to expect. It is only by going back and forth through the series looking for specific stories that this becomes noticeable, and it is a detail which is appreciated.

At the bottom of the page is a rather nice note regarding the fold-out poster contained in the middle of the issue. As if the poster could possibly be missed... Gloriously large, it is the perfect free gift with which to showcase the character, relishing in Marshal Law's madness.

In Marshal Law it is possible to see Pat Mills' thoughts about the medium's most persistent hybrid-genre given life. Augmented by Kevin O'Neill's art, which continues to resist any pigeon-holing. Battling a group of former superheroes, Marshal Law in overpowered, his weapon taken from him in the fight, and his hunt for the killer known as Sleepman seems no closer than before. There are more details filling in the history of the war, with some telling details sprinkled through extensive text boxes. While I'm not particularly fond of this method of storytelling, it is an effective use of space.

From the Panama Canal Zone to the Amazon Jungle, it was known simply as "The Zone."

The war, as described, certainly sounds as it it sprawled over an impressive area, and given the abilities of those involved must have been more brutal than any conflict up to that point. While immense battles featuring numerous superheroes had, by the early nineties, already developed something of a reputation, this is unlike many depictions from the other side of the Atlantic.

Far more chilling, and a counterpoint to generally-bloodless superhero romps from the Big Two, is an account of an earthquake:

The official explanation for The Big One - the megaquake that took out San Francisco - was the Jupiter effect - the tidal pull of the planets on the San Andreas fault.

60,000 buildings were destroyed and 8 square miles of the city. The quake measured 9 on the Richter Scale, hitting the city with a force 300,000 times that of the Hiroshima bomb.

The tidal wave that followed hurled ships inland, leaving the U.S. aircraft carrier John Paul Jones straddling the freeways, then came the fire... and the death cloud from Diablo Canyon nuclear plant...

You couldn't measure the human misery...

The Chronicles of Ghengis Grimtoad continues to pose storytelling problems by introducing yet more characters, while refusing to propel the narrative forward more than absolutely necessary.

And the door of the great hall did open and the ladies of the court did avert their eyes. For therein towered the awesome figure of Quanah-

He, of the painted tribes of Torbeck - savages, untamed men who lived and died by the blade!

And who, unfortunately, appears to be made of pink bubblegum.

While the character designs are impressive (Ian Gibson is on top form here), at two pages of story every two weeks, this isn't going anywhere fast. There's a difference between developing back-story and showing one's work, and this feels (rightly or wrongly) as if it is a discarded Dungeons & Dragons proposal, dusted off and changed just enough so that nobody is going to raise an objection. I want to like this, as there are minor glimmers of what could be a rattlingly good story, but it is so slight in this form as to discourage interest.

The universe is infinitely more vast than the human mind can ever comprehend. Merely writing the light-years that separate Earth from the planet Pandarve would take a lifetime... But no matter how vast the distance may be, it is not unbridgeable...

...and it is Marduk, the theocrat of Pandarve, who intends to span the distance between his planet and Earth...

Affixing the Egg of Pandarve in place, a beam is shot across the galaxy to the planet Earth, millions of years in the future.

The tissue of space and time is disturbed by the sudden glare from Pandarve's Egg as it finds its way through bare and lifeless solar systems...

It passes dark planets. Spreading fear and awe among the followers of mysterious religions. Priests predict death and calamity, witnessing the dreadful omen in the sky...

Until the fateful moment when the beam from Pandarve reaches its goal... The anomaly!

Hmm. A mysterious, powerful red orb capable of miraculous events? Did J.J. Abrams read this story at some point? The depictions of the beam hitting Storm, and Ember's attempt to rescue him, are wonderful, as is the pair's arrival at Pandarve. Or, I should state, above the planet. Realising that their situation is relatively safe for a while, the possibility of burning up with friction as they descend occurs to Storm. Encountering a flying whale, Storm and Ember are separated.

It is impossible to pay too many compliments to Storm.

Mr. Crust Acean is placed in a coffin, and Mr. C. Urchin investigates his death - despite him being very much alive, and trapped inside the casket. It's the kind of story which you either instantly fall in love with, or which remains tantalisingly out of reach. I doubt I'm ever going to understand the intricacies, or have a strong interest in the series.

Liking two out of four strips in an anthology is, surely, not enough reason to consider the title a success, though others might disagree as to the value of The Chronicles of Genghis Grimtoad and The Man from Cancer.

#01

Strip

#03

Doctor Who Weekly #1

17 Oct 1979. Cover price 12p.
28 pages. Colour & B&W.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by Dez Skinn.

Photo cover (uncredited).

Free transfers.

Contents:

 2 "Things looked bad for me after the TARDIS materialised on board a Vorgan space platform." Panorama; a: Dave Gibbons.

 3 Doctor Who and the Iron Legion, part one, w: Pat Mills & John Wagner; a: Dave Gibbons.

 8 A Letter from the Doctor text feature by Dez Skinn (uncredited).

 9 Day of the Daleks text feature by B. Aldrich [Dez Skinn] & G. Blows; photographs (uncredited).

12 Tales from the TARDIS War of the Worlds w: Chris Claremont, based on the novel by H.G. Wells; p: Yong Montano; i: Dino Castrillo, lettering by Pat Condoy.

r: Marvel Classic Comics (Marvel) #14 ().

16 Two More S-F Winners from Mighty Marvel (half page) in-house advertisement for Star Wars Weekly and Starburst.

17 "Hello again, all." text feature by Dez Skinn (uncredited).

18 The Story of Doctor Who text feature (uncredited).

20 Crazy Caption 1 competition; photograph (uncredited).

21 Chew the Gum (half page) advertisement for Bazooka Joe. / 111 Stamps (All Different) FREE (half page) advertisement for Bridgnorth Stamp Co. Ltd.

22 Doctor Who Photo-File William Hartnell fact-file (uncredited); photograph (uncredited).

23 The Return of the Daleks w: Steve Moore; p: Paul Neary, i: David Lloyd.

27 I'd only landed on Magnon 5 to stretch my legs, but a malfunction of the TARDIS caused it to disappear, leaving me stranded!" Panorama; a: Dave Gibbons.

28 Have Fun With the Amazing Mr. Bellamy advertisement for liquorice novelties.

There's a fair few conventions of cover design which, in principal, are entirely justifiable, but are nevertheless completely inexplicable. The free gift (here transfers) is almost always prioritised over the cover art (or, in this case, photograph), despite the likelihood that most copies will be deprived of their items soon after sale. What this means, in terms of aesthetics, is that first issues can tend to be rather unappealing. There is a large blank box upon which the transfers would be affixed, had they been present, though there's no real need to cover the photograph so.

Is the Dalek shy? Is it hiding a spot of rust? Is it trying to disguise itself as a piece of cheese?

The panoramas, on the inside covers, are interesting, though add nothing to the universe of the Doctor. Had they been tied in to stories appearing in the title, or acted as a bridge between television episodes and the comic, then there would be a real incentive to study them for details. On their own, and without any continuation of the narratives, they are simply pretty pictures with some justifying text.

They fought their way across a thousand planets - robot veterans of the eternal war - destroying, with ruthless discipline, all who stood in their way!

And now, the peaceful tranquility of the English countryside is rudely shattered as they appear - as if from nowhere - brutally dragging people out and razing their houses to the ground!

And yet... for all the robots' strangeness, there is something... grimly familiar about them!

The Doctor lands the TARDIS in a small village, immediately heading for the nearest store to stock up on provisions. The owner is distracted, however, and cryptically utters "They're coming!" before explaining himself - the town is surrounded, and he returned to the store as he didn't know what else to do. At that moment a robot smashes into the building and demands that the inhabitants remain where they are. Killing the man, it soon becomes confused at the Doctor's odd biology, which the Doctor uses to his advantage, learning the robot is First Cohort of the Ninth Legion.

Robots and Roman legionnaires. Two staples of British television brought to the printed page in glorious, mad, and rather brilliant fashion. There have been a multitude of stories placing the Doctor in small villages which are tormented by extraterrestrial dangers, and this follows most of the conventions save for the immediate death of what appears to be the sole surviving inhabitant. Without companions, and the man killed immediately, the opportunity for his prodigious running commentary on events, and asides, is limited, though with such speedy pacing this ought not to be a critical problem.

Getting through so much in such a brief page count does mean we have no sense of how long the robots have been prowling the streets. For a character so tied to time, the nebulous time-frame in which an organised invasion (however contained) could be mounted is a niggle which eats at enjoyment of what ought to be a riotous celebration of the character finally earning his own title.

The letter from the Doctor helpfully suggests that the reader look out for #879 ("It really was a beauty"), which suggests that, when it appears, it had better pull out all the stops. A double length issue with a plethora of free gifts, and a complete comic strip... If your copy of #879 isn't an epic tour de force, then you need to immediately return the issue to Panini with a strongly-worded letter of outrage, demanding they immediately send you the highlight of the series.

Now, where was I? Oh, yes.

Day of the Daleks, which recounts both the inspiration for the appearance of the race, and briefly recounts their first appearance, is the kind of light, breezy feature which doesn't push forward the history of the series to any great degree. There are plenty of facts present, though with only three pages to include the entire history of the Daleks it is understandable that the omissions outweigh inclusions.

No one would have believed in last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal as his own...

With infinite complacency, men went to and fro over this globe about their little affairs. Serene in their assurance of their empire over matter.

No one gave a thought to the older worlds of space as sources of human danger, or thought of them only to dismiss the idea of life upon them as impossible or improbable.

Though the adaptation only reaches the discovery of the cylinder on Horsell Common, the telling - both script and art - are slightly above average for the form. While it isn't visually daring, there are nice touches, such as the horse-drawn carriage on the first page. The appearance of the tripod isn't, it has to be said, the most exciting or logical solution to the book's description.

The Story of Dr Who is a puff-piece which isn't far removed from the kind of features seen in general SF magazines, suggesting caution hanging over the issue - not brave enough to really dig into intricacies of script development or continuity, though attempting to centre attention on the series regardless. A Photo-File of William Hartnell (to whom the first issue is dedicated) is so light on biographical information that it doesn't cover his life away from the screen at all, which is, in these days of round-the-clock reality television inanity, rather incomprehensible. He's someone who exuded charm and charisma, and really deserved more than this.

The Return of the Daleks centres on Anhaut, once the scene of a Dalek invasion.

Today, Anhaut is a thriving peaceful world... at least, it's thriving unless you listen to our friend here... His name's Glax... and he's the owner of Galactic Glax Picture Corporation...

Concerned about declining returns on his hologram-movie releases, Glax overhears a mother chide her child for bad behaviour, warning him a Dalek will get him if he doesn't behave. Pondering this as a possible plot, Glax wanders off deep in thought. Hunting in the archives for information, he finds a view-film from eight hundred years earlier. Describing how a Dalek scout landed one night, the footage shows how a band of 23 Daleks rampaged across the planet, slaughtering and destroying. Although the end of the story is tantalisingly vague, Glax is determined to commit the story to film. Unbeknown to Glax, the real Daleks are freed from their prison, and roaming the set.

A slight, though amusing, story of the real deal being mistaken for props, which is a slightly worn set-up, the story nevertheless holds enough charm to excuse its plot. These are characters who are deserving of more added to their story. Even if all we get is a cutaway scene of the Doctor watching one of the hologram-movies between bouts of running through corridors, there's something about the story which always appealed.

If this type of launch, with short comic strips and insignificant text features, had appeared as little as ten years later it would have been laughed off the shelves, but nobody had really exploited a live-action television series to this degree before. As a launch of its era it is very impressive. It isn't perfect, but it is very British.

Read it with a bag of jelly babies to hand, and enjoy the fleeting moments of genius.

Doctor Who Weekly

#02

Toxic! #1

28 Mar 1991. Cover price 99p.
36 pages. Full colour contents.
Apocalypse Ltd.

The Comic Throws Up!

Edited by

Cover by Kevin O'Neill.

Contents:

 2 Welcome to Our Dump! editorial by (uncredited); illustrations by Kevin O'Neill. / Indicia

 3 Marshal Law The Hateful Dead!, part one, Rise of the Zombies w: Pat Mills; a: Kevin O'Neill, lettering by Steve Potter.

12 Aliens - The Comic Magazine advertisement.

13 Accident Man UNTITLED [Money for a Bimota] w: Pat Mills & Tony Skinner; a: Martin Edmond.

21 Mutomaniac Space Cannibals w: Pat Mills; a: Mike McMahon.

27 Coming Soon... Sex Warrior preview; a: Will Simpson.

28 Once Upon a Time in the West w: Alan Grant; a: Simon Bisley.

35 Burning Rubber in Hell! The Driver pin-up; a: David Leach.

36 Do Your Friends Have Mad Comic Disease? pin-up; a: Kevin O'Neill.

Punning on Strip's boast with its line "The Comic Throws Up!" may be immature, but little regarding this title which could be considered mature. To compound matters, in opening the first issue with Strip's lead character, Marshal Law, there is a sense of Toxic! engaging in one-upmanship, while providing a counter-point to the much more staid and respectable title. Make no mistake though, this is a minor masterpiece of comic-book creation, ticking every box as it unfolds.

Kevin O'Neill's cover is a fantastic, powerfully dramatic image of Law, carrying the type of immense weapons which would dominate 90s superhero titles, and several imaginatively-designed 'capes' - one of which is modelled after a dinosaur. Mirrored in the line of dialogue is an echo of the exclamation mark from Toxic!'s logo, which adds to the title's interconnected imagery, and even the barcode is slanted at an angle. Details, seemingly insignificant, build into style.

There's no respite in the opening introduction, which is signed 'Doc. Tox' - an unseen Tharg-like figure who is ostensibly in charge of the title. Personally connecting to readers, in however manufactured a manner is essential in presenting possibly-difficult material - and as this title is a determined assault on the senses, every bit of assistance is required. A wonderful sense of anarchy is created through O'Neill's imagery, and the issue's preface adds in one further minor example of brilliance:

No cash prizes for the best bile!

Readers, pop in the bile box and trash any one or anything you hate.

Providing an outlet for readers to vent their frustrations is a masterstroke, guaranteeing that those who send in suggestions will hang around to see if their choice is published. While I have reservations about the use of the word 'hate' in such a prominent position, it is a notion which has previously provided a deal of entertainment in other forms.

It's the war of the future.

With Shocc Troopers - genetically altered warriors - fighting battles of such savagery as to resemble a Halloween night in Hell.

It's otherwise known as The Zone".

Now the conflict's over... And men with superpowers designed for war...

Have to find a peacetime use for their talents.

Peacetime uses are less noble than fighting in apocalyptic wars, with locales such as the "Foul Play" club having sprung up, where heroes fight each other for the entertainment of wild crowds. Other heroes have taken to working in stress relief parlours, where regular citizens pay for the pleasure of beating them up. It is in one of these establishments, the Cobweb Palace, that Marshal Law discovers the badly-mangled corpse of a man who had paid for the pleasure of beating on Razorhead, though after uncovering a Kalinga big game knife the case appears to be justifiable homicide.

While the story pauses on the revelation that Law was once just such a hero, leaving the murder unsolved, there is a solid introduction to the world, brimming with ridiculously attired characters possessing absurd powers. Far more interesting than the abilities of the characters is their status in a place which has changed drastically around them, leaving them behind as society has moved on.

He should be home soon.

A man shouldn't be late for his own death.

10 millimetre climbing rope. 1,100 lb breaking strain.

I'm the best. I only use the best.

When I'm going to hit someone, I always make it look like an "accident"...

...or a suicide.

Accident Man is a contract killer with a knack for disguising his hits, though the murder seen in the opening installment appears to be rather less than perfect. We get a fight sequence with random people, then are introduced to other hit-men, in a story which isn't quite as polished as the rest of the issue's contents, though has potential. Introducing so many characters in the first part of a story, and in rapid succession, makes it difficult to care about them, and the main character is quite unlikeable - even the slightly amusing incidental jokes don't play as well as those in Marshal Law.

Prisoner Edward Ross has been diagnosed as suffering from mutomania, a condition which makes him prone to an irresistible urge to disobey. Attempts have, of course, been attempted to cure him of this by Edutechs, though his condition is terminal - expelled from the penotech, he is to be expelled into space. The door, alas, doesn't work. Ordered to shoot Ross by the governor, a guard finds that his gun has jammed. Escaping, Ross is warned that he won't get far...

McMahon's art is, in its own way, gorgeous, and the story is packed with interesting concepts which cry out or development - of the material in the first issue, this is the strip which - at first blush - appears to hold the most promise. A penal colony in space, a man blessed with luck, and on the run. This is high concept storytelling with its tongue firmly in cheek, and delightfully mad.

Once Upon a Time in the West is notable for some wonderful Bisley art, though the case of mistaken identity here has, I'm afraid, been rather overdone. While not a top-tier story, it doesn't take up too much room in the telling.

With only two immediately engaging strips, this is a title which doesn't provide a wholly positive first impression, but a strong visual identity for the title, and the promise of forthcoming strips, gives hope that things will improve in future issues.

Toxic! (Apocalypse Ltd.)

#02

Crisis #1

17 Sep - 30 Sep 1988. Cover price 65p
32 pages. Full colour.
Fleetway Publications.

Edited by Steve MacManus.

Cover by Carlos Ezquerra, design by Rian Hughes.

Contents:

 2 Third World War UNTITLED credits / Chronology.

 3 Third World War Hamburger Lady w: Pat Mills; a: Carlos Ezquerra, lettering by Gordon Robson.

17 New Statesmen Book Reviews - All Men Are NOT Created Equal Chris Lawson. In-universe book review by John Smith, illustrated by Jim Baikie.

32 Crisis Talks Credits. / UK Tour: Handle It! Tour dates and locations. / Indicia

Eve Collins has just turned eighteen, and has been drafted into Freeaid, an organisation funded by multinationals to free the third world from poverty. Her hopes for deferment, as a student, are dashed when the youth selection board learns her subjects are art, English, and sociology, so in order to avoid her fate takes an overdose. After having her stomach pumped out, and being classed as psychologically disturbed, Eve is sent to a psychological warfare battalion nicknames "the Psychos"

Assigned to move the populace of a Central American village to a new "prosperity zone," the group Eve is with encounters resistance to the forced relocation. Garry, a volunteer, begins kicking in doors and threatening the inhabitants, while Eve and Trisha attempt to convince a woman that her quality of life will be better at the model village. Despite assurances that there is a clinic, with a school and shopping centre to come, Mrs. Garcia refuses to leave her home, and the situation rapidly escalates.

A strong opening, with lots of delicious moments, the story manages to surf over near-future predictions which never came to pass by dint of being so engaging. Hamburger Lady is much more accessible than it at first appears, though a few of the details seem awfully far-fetched. It is difficult to imagine multinationals expending money to operate in the third world, where there is little return for their investment. Anyway, companies such as Disney, or McDonalds, or the rest, are too busy plying their psychological warfare in the west to consider a new field of combat.

Pat Mills is a force to be reckoned with, and here - in full flow - he manages to deliver on the promise of intelligent, socially-aware, politically-minded comics, wielding ideas as if they were weapons. Ezquerra's art is perfectly suited to the script, lending the setting a grimy and slightly worn-out quality. With a cast of characters who have solid backgrounds and personalities, this doesn't operate with the same palette as most of Fleetway's strips, feeling more like an independent title which just happens to share a publisher with more commercially-minded fare.

It is an odd experience reading something so (relatively) recent, set in a future which has now passed. It would be churlish to delineate all the divergences, though one specific visual caught me by surprise - Ivan's portable television is, even by 1988 standards, remarkably large. It recalls the Sony Watchman, in elongated form, rather than sleek modern iterations of the technology.

The Optimen, a group of genetically-engineered superheroes manufactured by the US government, were rebranded as the Statesmen in order to appease public mistrust. An incident in South Africa has tarnished their legacy, and, as global televangelist turned miracle worker Phoenix launches a campaign for Presidency, the Halcyons - a black ops division of the Statesmen - are sequestered in preparation for a reunion. A protest led by Reverend-Colonel Leon Kastner has gathered outside a bathhouse, which is being covered by Larry Scanlan for Channel 9.

Meridian decides to go for a walk, despite the risk of media exposure, which Vegas uses as an excuse to leave in order to purchase alcohol. Burgess, the weight of his actions weighing heavily upon his conscience. As he tears apart his room, handlers assigned to watch over the Halcyon are reluctant to intervene. Dalton, at the bathhouse, is caught in an explosion...

The New Statesmen is incredibly rich in detail, with small and revealing glimpses into the world of the Optimen hidden in plain sight. Right from the faux book review, names, of people and groups, are dropped with abandon - Genizah Books? Very clever, though one wonders how many readers bothered to figure out the cryptic references. Even the almost-analogue for traditional superhero teams, the Halcyon, are aptly named - it is exceedingly rare for quasi-military intervention to make things better, and this group are anything but firmly on the side of angels.

Sometimes, as with the name of the bathhouse, subtlety gets kicked to one side in favour of blatant foreshadowing. Burgess (named for Guy Burgess?) is an enigma here, set aside from the others, and yet is the most interesting. Unfortunately, the overtly-complex nature of the plot doesn't suit itself to the printed page in such stark fashion, and, by absorbing storytelling techniques from disparate forms, the tone is wildly uneven.

In-universe texts (a Watchmen trick), television clips (from The Dark Knight Returns and RoboCop), a near split-screen, flashbacks, inventive panel and text box placement... Everything is piled atop a plot which requires clarification and solid foundations, leaving some elements isolated, and others too obscured to be of immediate benefit to a casual reader. Vast complexity is something to be built up to, and dropping so much - and so rapidly - in the first issue is, perhaps, asking too much.

Rian Hughes' design elements for Crisis help, in some small way, to unify the disparate stories, yet the two halves of this issue are so vastly different that it is difficult to see who the title is aimed at. An impressive, if slightly unfulfilling and overwhelming, start.

Dice Man #1

Mar 1986. £1.45.
68 pages. B&W contents.
IPC Magazines Ltd.

Fantasy Game Special

Edited by Simon Geller.

Painted cover by Glenn Fabry.

Contents:

 2 There are worlds beyond our own... text introduction by Steve Geller; illustrated by Kevin O'Neill.

 4 You Are Judge Dredd House of Death w: T.B. Grover, game design by Pat Mills; a: Bryan Talbot, lettering by Tom Frame.

25 Play in two new world-beating Play-by-Mail games from Mitregames. advertisement.

26 You Are Nemesis the Warlock Torture Tube w:/game design by Pat Mills; a: Kevin O'Neill, lettering by Steve Potter.

45 From the legendary co-creator of THE DUNGEONS & DRAGONS GAME (half page) advertisement for Sagard the Barbarian Gamebook / Alchemy Metal-Wear (half page) advertisement.

46 You Are Slaine Cauldron of Blood w:/game design by Pat Mills; a: David Lloyd, lettering by Gordon Robson.

65 Odyssey (half page) advertisement. / Grenadier Models UK Ltd. (quarter page) advertisement. / Axle says: WHY NOT VISIT THE GUARDROOM (quarter page) advertisement.

66 Rolling Soon next issue information.

67 Forbidden Planet advertisement.

68 Know Then, O Prince.... advertisement.

Fabry's deliciously odd cover, a fantasy melange entirely disconnected from the actual contents, is the perfect way to introduce the concept of a game-based comic title - the yellow background really stands out, especially in this large format. While there is probably a good argument to be made for featuring bankable 2000 A.D. characters for the launch, this speaks to a slightly different audience - one, hopefully, familiar with titles such as Imagine or the Game Master module-magazine-thingamajig.

There are worlds beyond our own... The worlds of if...

If Judge Dredd had been a second slower drawing and firing his gun...
If Slaine had failed to prise open the doorway to doom...
If Nemesis the Warlock had taken that turning too fast in his Blitzspear...

Their worlds - their lives - would have been different. There is only one key to those alternative realities. YOU hold the key... THE DICE. For they control the worlds of IF... the savage, phantom worlds of Dice Man.

Dredd (or the reader/player) drives down Dock Street to Croglin Mansion, parking his Lawmaster to survey the building. A scream from within urges him on to investigate... There are choices to pick from, and here is where the title has an edge over similar choose your adventure publications - unlike the Masters of the Universe book (taking a well known example) this is completely told in comic strip format. It may be a small step, moving from a full-page illustration and a block of text to comic panels, but this provides an important shift in tone. There's more immediacy in the journey.

The point-of-view illustrations are extremely effective, and one has to wonder if the imagery herein played any part in the development of visually similar computer games. There's even a panel (37) which will cause anyone familiar with the Doom franchise to smile, so familiar is it, alongside callbacks to 2000 A.D. strips ("Gaze into the face of fear!" makes an appearance). This is groundbreaking work which has been largely ignored in the intervening years, and it is well worth revisiting.

There is no let-up in pace with Nemesis the Warlock, as Torquemada has captured Purity Brown and is enacting his Edgar Allan Poe fantasies with her. Well, the PG-rated ones, at any rate. With Torquemada threatening to kill Purity at the stroke of midnight, there is an urgency to the story which feels more essential than in Dredd's adventure - this isn't merely a job to be undertaken, but a mission to save a character we like. O'Neill gives this strip everything he's got, and the level of detail worked into the main characters is astonishing.

This strip, unfortunately, encourages players to mark their speed on the images, so... Yeah. There's an unholy amount of blue and black ink in my copy, along with (for some reason) three highlighter colours.

Thank you, Mr. Mills.

The view from inside the Blitzspear is phenomenally cool, and makes me hunger for a racing game based on this story, especially if we are treated to scenes like panel 42, which may be the ickiest thing O'Neill has ever drawn. What the hell is that coming out of Nemesis' eye? Actually, scratch that. I probably don't want to know.

I'm not sure what, exactly, I was expecting from Sláine's story, but Cauldron of Blood is far, far better than anything I could have imagined.

You are the legendary Warped Warrior - a Celtic Berserker who fights with the strength of ten men. YOU are about to begin a new and dangerous quest...

To steal the mystic CAULDRON OF BLOOD from the Tower of Glass.

The evil Drune Lord SLOUGH GRUNSGUL rules the Tower, which is guarded by hideous monsters like the MAGACH - the Beast with a Hundred Heads.

The cauldron is the source of Grunsgul's power.

There's plenty of humour, horror, and genuine drama in the journey through the tower, with certain panels (16, in particular - a photograph) instantly familiar despite not having looked at the issue in nearly twenty years.

Quality paperstock make this infinitely better looking than the parent publication, though the contents were, perhaps, a tad ahead of their time. Worth seeking out for the artwork alone, yet by investing a little time in the games you will appreciate how good the contributors are. Brilliant and a little bit mad.

One of the best comic launches of the 80s.

On This Day: 01 Nov

Doctor Who: It's Bigger on the Inside (Marvel Comics Ltd.; 1988).

The Best of the Oldie Cartoons edited by Alexander Chancellor. (Oldie Publications Ltd.; 2015) ISBN-13: 978-1901170245

The International Book of Comics by Denis Gifford. (Hamlyn; 1984).
Marshal Law: Fear Asylum by Pat Mills & Kevin O'Neill. (Titan Books; 2003).
Judge Dredd: Kingdom of the Blind by David Bishop. (Black Flame; Nov 2004) ISBN-10: 1844161331.

Judge Dredd - War Planet by Dave Stone. (Big Finish Productions; 2003).
Judge Dredd - Pre-Emptive Revenge by Jonathan Clements. (Big Finish Productions; 2004).
Judge Dredd - Grud is Dead by James Swallow. (Big Finish Productions; 2004).
Send for a Superhero! by Michael Rosen. (Walker Books Ltd.; 2014) ISBN-13: 9781406327090.

Births:

J.F. (James Francis) Horrabin (1884); Sir Robert Leicester Harmsworth, 1st Baronet (1870); Terence Tenison Cuneo (1907); Graham Coton (1926); Alberto Salinas (1932); Michael Fleisher (1942)

Character Births:

Wilson, the Wonder Athlete (1795)

Notable Events:

Leo Baxendale left IPC – and comics – on discovering his work was being reprinted (without payment) on this day in 1975.
The Revolver Hallowe'en Tour descended on Forbidden Planet, 36 Dawson Street, Dublin, in 1990. Garth Ennis, John McCrea and Will Simpson joined the other creators.
Michael Bennett, editor of the Frontier line of comics, officially left Marvel Comics in 1993.
Mark Millar and John McCrea visited Blue Peter in 2011, where they revealed the first page of a Blue Peter-themed comic strip.
The Daily Mirror included a free promotional copy of The Beano, containing original material, in 2014.
The Leeds Comic Art Festival began in 2016, running until 06 Nov.
The Grandville: Force Majeure exhibition (of Bryan Talbot art) began at Orbital Comics, London, in 2017.

Misty #1

04 Feb 1978; Cover price 8p.
32 pages. Colour & B&W.
IPC Magazines Ltd.

Cover by Maria Barrera.

Free Lucky Charm bracelet.

Contents:

.2 Ah, there you are! text introduction; illustrated by Shirley Bellwood.

.3 The Cult of the Cat, part one, w: UNKNOWN; a: Honiera Romeu (uncredited).

.8 The Sentinels, part one, w: Malcolm Shaw (uncredited); a: Mario Capaldi (uncredited).

12 Paint it Black, part one, w: Alan Davidson (uncredited); a: Brian Delany (uncredited).

16 Moodstone w: UNKNOWN; a: Ken Houghton (uncredited).

18 Nightmare! Roots w: Pat Mills (uncredited); a: Maria Barrera (uncredited).

22 A Ghost Could Help You Win £25 text feature (half page).

23 Moonchild, part one, w: Pat Mills (uncredited); a: John Armstrong (uncredited).

27 UNTITLED [A blue fish will bring you great happiness] (half page) w: UNKNOWN. a: UNKNOWN / Miss T UNTITLED (quarter page) w:/a: Joe Collins (uncredited).

28 Beasts Red Knee - White Terror! w: Pat Mills (uncredited); a: John Richardson (uncredited).

32 Moodstone cont.

The text introduction to the title from Misty herself is a nice touch, amplified by Shirley Bellwood's atmospheric artwork. Barrera's cover isn't quite up to Bellwood's standard, and is an odd choice - not quite scary enough to signify that Misty is a full-blown horror title, nor bland enough to fit in with other girls titles. An indecisive cover aside, there's no doubt that a horror angle was foremost in the minds of creators.

The Cult of the Cat opens with an incredibly detailed full-page illustration solidly setting it in Egypt. A remarkably courageous way to open a new title, with such a far-flung setting, greatly removed from the lives of most readers. A connection to England is not far away, for young Charmian must bring the chosen girl - a young swimmer - to Egypt in order to fulfill a prophecy... The chosen one must be dressed in the cloak of night, then a ring placed upon her finger. To accomplish her mission Charmian turns into a cat and sets off.

Nothing much actually happens, which is rather unfortunate. On the upside there is some great artwork, which makes up for a moribund pace. It is far too early in the story to tell much of what is happening, but the prophecy angle is unfortunate. Much can be done with them, but often - as here - the result is so po-faced and serious that it is hard to refrain from mockery. So overused is the trope that as soon as a prophecy is given I start looking for loopholes. There is always a loophole. "No man born of woman," and all that...

There's something particularly dark about The Sentinels, even before the twist kicks in. Jan's family is made homeless, though her father tells her not to worry - they can move into a vacant flat in one of the Sentinels, two massive blocks of high-rise flats. Given buildings' reputation she is less than delighted at this news. So they begin searching for a suitable place within the tower, and they discover vandalism throughout lower levels. Higher up there is an apartment which is suitable, and they move in.

Tiger (their pet cat) decides to make a break for freedom at the first opportunity, rushing upstairs to higher levels. While searching for Tiger, Jan encounters her father roaming around with a torch. An effective enough jump scare. When Jan returns to the flat her mother informs her that her father hadn't left the room in all the time she had been gone. Cue spooky music. There is enough tension in the script, and enough hanging threads of mystery waiting to be pulled, that it doesn't feel as slight an opening as it is.

Stories about economic strife will always be contemporary, and even though much of the landscape has changed significantly since this was written, the elements of the story prior to the tower sequence hold up remarkably well to scrutiny.

Paint it Black isn't given a full-page introduction, but evocative artwork and casual dialogue make the characters immediately likable - with the rise of urban exploration and ghost-hunting, I'm sure that there are more people exploring abandoned buildings now that ever before. Delany's depiction of the dilapidated, vandalized, and generally unfit-for-habitation interiors are well-balanced. It isn't so awful that it looks like a Scooby-Doo cartoon, yet there is enough detail to see why the girls find it so spooky.

Maggie finds a box with her initials - M.G. - and decides to take it home. Inside are brushes and paints, Despite not being an artist, she manages to paint a (rather haunting) image of a young woman, and her father suggests there might be money to be made with her talent. This isn't, at first glance, a particularly inspiring story, and the artwork pulls most of the weight in selling the creepy factor.

The colour centre-pages are (appropriately) given over to Moodstone, which is the first of the complete stories. Cathy Salmon purchases a moodstone for 50p from an old woman who is down on her luck, even though she knows it is worth more. Being told that the moodstone is special is no incentive to increase her offer, and she happily wears it to school the next day. Of course, it won't display the colours she wants, but such a quirk is passed off as having to do with body heat or other logical explanations.

This is a horror comic, so you can bet that any explanation isn't so simple.

Helen, a classmate, manages to get the ring to turn a pretty pink colour when she tries it on, enraging Cathy. After the weekend, and another colour emerging from the moodstone, Cathy gets ready for a school party, putting on a dazzling multicolour dress. She runs into Helen again, and slaps her for spilling coke on her dress - the moodstone takes revenge on Cathy for being so mean, and drains all of the colours from her life.

Blatant moralising doesn't necessarily make for good stories, but there's enough incidental elements to help smooth over some rough edges. The final panel, in black and white, is a nice (albeit obvious) trick, and the whole story is wrapped up in three pages, so it doesn't outstay its welcome.

There is a shift of tone with Roots, which prefigures Ramsey Campbell's short story In The Trees eight years later. Dark forests play an important part in myth and folklore, so seeing trees playing a part in the horror fabric of Misty so soon is unsurprising. Jill Trotter's parents are off on tour with a magic act, and she has to stay with her grandfather over the course of the summer. The name of the village? Evergreen.

Jill is surprised that her grandfather can carry her suitcases with ease, and is further shocked at the longevity and vitality of the residents. That night she wakes, seeing someone standing in the field beyond the garden. Passing it off as a scarecrow, she goes back to bed. Investigating the church, she learns that nobody has died in over fifty years, but is distracted from her investigating by a village fete.

The next night she wakes again, and sees the entire village standing outside in the rain. When she confronts her grandfather about the strangeness... Well, the final half-page is one of the highlights of the issue, and is just as surprising in how accomplished and shocking the visual is. If there was any doubt that Misty could hold its own against any number of competing titles, then they ought to be dispelled by such a great resolution.

A heavy Stephen King influence is at play in Moonchild, with Rosemary Black being the stand-in for Carrie White. It doesn't begin with quite as traumatic an event as the opening of Carrie, but Rosemary's mother is just as ultra-religious as Carrie's. The situation is more extreme than King's novel in other ways - there is no electricity in her home, and neighbourhood children scrawl graffiti about her. She does have a friend, who convinces Rosemary to get her hair done in a more modern style.

Things seem to be going well for her until she is the subject of a prank, which is quickly followed by a bookshelf falling on the perpetrator. The one inclusion to the story is the inclusion of a crescent scar on Rosemary's forehead, though her scar doesn't get much play in this issue.

Red Knee - White Terror!, the final story, has less to do with the supernatural and more to do with deep-rooted fears. Andrea Gray buys some bananas at a market stall for her dessert. You know that there's trouble in store when the radio broadcasts a warning about spider bites, but unfortunately Andrea isn't paying much attention to the radio. Deciding to have a bath before dinner, she takes the radio with her to listen to.

Seeing the spider, Andrea panics. Until it turns out to be a cruel joke played on her by her brother. Relaxing in her bath, the real spider makes a move towards her hand. If you are afraid of spiders this will be a terrifying strip, though for others... not so much. That we don't actually see any evidence of the terrible injuries inflicted by the spider lessens the threat level, and it is never stated outright that the spider we see is that which is so desperately warned against.

Misty didn't explode onto the shelves with immediately-horrifying elements, preferring a slow-burn intended to get under the skin of readers. Intriguing characters, mysterious events, and some clever little moments packed into a fairly quick read, this isn't the best issue of the series by far, but as an introduction it works for the most part. The Cult of the Cat doesn't work for me, but it is a question of taste - and, of course, I'm hardly the target audience.