Doctor Who – Terror from the Deep: Episode 45

By John Freeman on September 9, 2023 • ( 1 )

Doctor Who – Terror from the Deep is a not-for-profit Doctor Who strip featuring the Seventh Doctor and Ace, written by John Freeman, featuring art by Danny Cushion.

The Daleks think their destructive scheme for universal domination is fool proof, but the Doctor sheds some doubts…

Doctor Who – Terror from the Deep: Episode 45 by John Freeman and Danny Cushion

Click the image for larger size

New episodes will initially appear weekly, on Saturdays at 5.16pm, featuring the Seventh Doctor and Ace in an exciting adventure with the Daleks.

This project began as a pitch project to the Daily Express for a newspaper strip, way back in 1989, but the end of the show’s “classic era” on TV meant it did not progress.

Story Notes: Much of this week’s episodes take takes place in cells in the Daleks secret base, so I wanted the look to echo those seen in Dalek cities in the past, in “The Dead Planet”. I noted to Danny that, ideally, these cells should have the door entry points on the side of door Dalek plungers can easily reach! (Andrew Orton, among others, has previously noted all the door controls are on the wrong side for Daleks!)

In the first Dalek story, known as "The Daleks", the door gadget that Ian waves his hand in front of to enter the Dalek city in "The Dead Planet" is on the left when you’d expect it on the right for Daleks! — In the first Dalek story, known as “The Daleks”, the door gadget that Ian waves his hand in front of to enter the Dalek city in “The Dead Planet” is on the left when you’d expect it on the right for Daleks – and surely not that high up… (With thanks to Andrew Orton)

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Our thanks to Paul Hanley, artists Mike Collins and Lee Sullivan, and the late Gerry Dolan

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.