Phil-Comics offers first issues galore in latest auction, and first TV Comic featuring Daleks, too!

By John Freeman on June 22, 2020

The latest Phil-Comics auction running now on eBay offers some terrific British and US comics gems, including an often much sought after edition of Polystyle’s TV Comic featuring the Daleks.

*TV Comic* Number 788, featuring the Daleks

TV Comic Number 788, cover dated 21st January 1967, the Daleks appeared in the title’s “Doctor Who” strip exactly one week after “The Daleks” strip ended in rival title TV Century 21, in a story today known as “The Trodos Ambush”, written by Roger Noel Cook and drawn by John Canning.

The arrival of the Daleks in TV Comic – appropriately dispatching the Trods, the monsters originally created for the title because the publisher couldn’t use the Daleks while they ran in TV Century 21 – was something of a coup at the time, their arrival achieved in near record time.

Paul Scoones, author of the invaluable Doctor Who book The Comic Strip Companion, notes that City Magazines, the publishers of TV Century 21, advised the BBC that they wouldn’t be continuing “The Daleks” strip on on 2nd November 1966 – and that therefore the publishing rights would become available in January 1967.

“The TV Comic deal was signed 22nd December,” Paul recounts. “The final instalment of the TV Century 21 strip appeared in #104, cover-dated 14th January 1967, and the Daleks made their TV Comic debut in #788, cover dated 21st January.

Polystyle must have begun work on the strip before the deal was signed, confident in the knowledge an agreement would be secured.

“It is an unusually tight timeframe,” he noted in discussion on the Doctor Who Comics and Art Facebook group. “I’m sure they were given an early heads-up. TV Comic probably wanted to have a Dalek cover on the shelves the first week after the end of the TV Century 21 strip to capture some of that title’s readership.”

“The Trodos Ambush” was the first battle between the Second Doctor and the Daleks, but it was not the last. Although the Daleks were soon superseded by the Cybermen as a TV series-sourced enemy in TV Comic, he and comic strip companions John and Gillian crossed paths again immediately in “The Doctor Strikes Back”.

Later that year, the Daleks returned in “The Exterminator”, but the pepperpot perils would then not make an appearance in a British weekly comic until their arrival in “Sub Zero”, in Countdown for TV Action in 1972, although they did appear in The Daleks annuals and stories in Doctor Who annuals.

Also among the 360 listings in the Phil-Comics auction, which ends this weekend, are a near pristine Beano No. 452 (1951) with the first “Dennis the Menace”, Detective Comics #359 (first Batgirl), plenty of first issues (some with gifts), TV-themed comics and annuals – plus a set of comedian Ken Dodd‘s teeth!

Run by Phil Shrimpton, Phil Comics specialises in vintage comics and related items such as annuals, holiday specials, free gifts and original artwork.

Holding monthly eBay auctions, often with 500+ listings, they aim to bring a diverse array of items – and are always on the lookout for vintage comic collections, either to buy or auction on commission.

• Check out the latest auction items at ebay.co.uk/str/philcomics

Here’s a selection of lots on offer…

• Check out the latest auction items at ebay.co.uk/str/philcomics

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• Paul Scoones The Comic Strip Companion is available here on AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)

WEB LINKS

• Check our Paul’s online checklist of Doctor Who comics here

• Lew Stringer celebrates the first issue of TV Century 21 and arrival of “The Daleks” here on his Blimey! Blog

With thanks to Paul Scoones and Lew Stringer on the Doctor Who Comics and Art Facebook group

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.