Decades after Tim Quinn and Dicky Howett‘s “Doctor Who?” strip ended its 15-year-run in Doctor Who Magazine, the errant pair have created a number of new episodes, featured in their recently-released new book, Who’s 60 – and some of them are being used in a guerrilla marketing campaign to continue promotion for the title.
For over thirteen years, Tim and Dicky supplied a monthly strip to Doctor Who Magazine, titled “Doctor Who?” The strip, which started its run in Issue 64, through to 225, with additional strips for the 350th and 500th issues, was very much a parody series, with some occasional crossovers into Quinn and Howett’s “Earth-33⅓” Marvel-focused strip. It cast a humorous look behind the scenes and in front of the cameras at the world’s longest running science fiction TV series.
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who, Quinn and Howett with have, thanks to Viking Press Comics, returned to the strip in Who’s 60, to deride – sorry, honour – the new Doctors since the strip’s cancellation (replaced by “Off Target”), alongside their personal pick of their very best strips.
Top up your fluid links and strap on your celery sticks as we head across the galaxies from Skaro to Cardiff…
Not content with lampooning Cybermen, Daleks and Time Lords, older downthetubes readers will recall “wacky writing and drawing team” Quinn and Howett spared none of Marvel‘s superheroes and villains from their acerbic wit during their long relationship with Marvel UK.
So you’ll be pleased to hear that just last month, Viking Press Comics have also released a collection of The Fantastic 400: The Worlds Largest Super Hero Team, collecting those well-aimed barbs, too.
“Where to begin the story of the Fantastic 400?” says Tim. “They are truly the stuff of legends. They have been killed off and returned to life more times than any other super hero team. They have appeared on more underpants and socks than any other comic book characters. You’ve seen the movies, the TV series and the musicals. You’ve probably even brushed your teeth with ‘Fantastic 400’ toothpaste.
“But where did it all start? That’s a good question and the answer lies inside this book, so step inside and prepare to meet Aqua-Lung, Tall Man, Captain Chelmsford, Cyborg Cyd, The Green Thingy, Asparagus Jones, Jet Lagg, Yak Man, Blue Herbert, Super Ape, Frost Bite, Captain Carb and hundreds more in the wackiest super-hero adventures of all time…”
Viking Press Comics is a new imprint of New Haven Publishing, set up by author and freelance music journalist Teddie Dahlin in 2012. Across its entire range, incorporating Phoenix Press for crime fiction and its US arm, New Haven Publishing, they publish the work of around 70 authors and publish books and deluxe magazines, mainly in the music and entertainment genre.
Their titles also include the graphic novel, Only Death Can Save Us by Russ Leach and Rik Hoskin, and a number of children’s books, including The Shark Who Was Scared of the Dark, illusrated by Simon Thompson, and more.
• Who’s 60 is available now, published by Viking Press Comics (AmazonUK Affiliate Link) | ISBN: 978-1912587865 |
• The Fantastic 400: The Worlds Largest Super Hero Team is also available now, published by Viking Press Comics (AmazonUK Affiliate Link) | ISBN: 978-1912587889
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, Comics, Doctor Who, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Other Worlds, Television, US Comics
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