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New Doctor Who Chronicles celebrates the Daleks in TV Comic, Sky Ray lollies, and more!

By John Freeman on June 17, 2022

The fifth issue of Panini’s Doctor Who Chronicles is on sale now in newsagents and selected supermarkets, taking fans back to 1967, a time of change for the TV show as Patrick Troughton established himself as the “new” Doctor.

The bookazine includes articles on the Doctor Who Annuals, the strip in TV Comic, and the Walls’ Sky Ray lolly cards.

A 1967 cinema advert for Wall’s ‘new shape’ Sky Ray ice lollies and ‘Dr. Who and the Space Raiders’ trading cards. It was filmed at independent studio Rayant Television in March 1967 and directed by Anthony Lowes, starring Gerry Grant as the Doctor, with music by Jerry Johnston. Narrated by Tim Turner

A fun fact: Walls didn’t have the rights to use Patrick Troughton’s likeness, so artist Patrick Williams used an actor identified by Doctor Who archivist Richard Bignell as Gerry Grant as his model, for both the lolly cards and the strips he drew for the TV Comic annuals and specials.

*Actor Gerry Grant, who played the Doctor in the Sky Ray lollies ad. Via Richard Bignell*

For his article on TV Comic, Paul Scoones covers how, in 1967, publisher Polystyle tweaked the comic strip to adapt to a new Doctor, and acquired the rights to use not one but two of the most popular monsters from the television series – the Daleks and the Cybermen.

The 116-page bookazine from the makers of Doctor Who Magazine also contains a summary of the year’s most significant events in the Doctor Who universe, both on and off screen; how Doctor Who was covered in the popular press; and a feature on special effects and production techniques.

Look out, too, for overviews of The Highlanders, The Underwater Menace, The Moonbase, The Macra Terror, The Faceless Ones, The Evil of the Daleks, The Tomb of the Cybermen, The Abominable Snowmen and The Ice Warriors.

If you can’t find it in your newsagents, Doctor Who: Chronicles Issue 5: 1967 is also available direct from Panini UK.

*TV Comic No. 788, cover dated 21st January 1967 – Doctor Who and Daleks cover with first appearance of Patrick Troughton*

Paul Scoones is the author of the indispensable The Comic Strip Companion, a series of guide books charting the chronological history of Doctor Who in comics. He’s currently working on a second volume.

In addition to the Comic Strip Companion, Paul’s worked as a freelance contributor for BBC Worldwide, researching and writing production information text for the Doctor Who DVD range. He’s appeared as an interview subject on several DVDs, discussing Doctor Who comics, and is the former editor and publisher of Time Space Visualiser, an award-winning fan journal. He also helped discover and successfully arranged the return of a lost Doctor Who film print to the BBC.

• Buy Doctor Who Chronicles Issue 5: 1967 from Panini UK

• The Comic Strip Companion: The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Doctor Who in Comics: 1964 — 1979 is available here from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)

• Paul Scoones is online at paulscoones.blogspot.com

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.