I’m delighted to announce we’ll soon begin publication here of a new, not-for-profit Doctor Who strip on downthetubes – Doctor Who – Terror from the Deep, written by me, John Freeman, featuring art by Danny Cushion.
New episodes will appear weekly, on Saturdays at 5.16pm, featuring the Seventh Doctor and Ace in an exciting adventure with the Daleks. (Surely the only time fans should be watching new Who, right?)
As I’ve previously related here on downthetubes, this project began back in my time as editor of Doctor Who Magazine, a pitch project to the Daily Express for a newspaper strip – and Danny and I are maintaining that format.
My thanks to a number of people who have helped see this project finally get under way, particularly Danny Cushion, who has had to put up with my crazy script and squiggly storyboards; Paul Hanley, for permission to use his TARDIS interior design (please do check out his brilliant non-Who comic project, Miss Medusa’s Monstrous Menagerie, on Kickstarter); artists Mike Collins and Lee Sullivan, who were there at the start, back when brainstorming the strip was one of the most enjoyable Doctor Who panels I’ve ever done at a convention, at Carousel in Cardiff in 1989 (and thank you to the convention team that invited me!).
Finally, a fond, heartfelt tip of the hat to the late Gerry Dolan, who drew two weeks worth of Terror from the Deep for me, published in Doctor Who Magazine. (Wherever you are now, I hope we’ve done you proud).
Let’s go, Ace!
• Read the background to creating Terror from the Deep here
• On Facebook? Join the Doctor Who Comics and Art: A Voyage group
• A tribute to Gerry Dolan on downthetubes, who died in 2015
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.
Categories: British Comics, British Comics - Newspaper Strips, Comics, Creating Comics, Doctor Who, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Features, Other Worlds, Science Fiction, Television