Obverse Books are to publish a guide to the madcap publishing eccentricity the Doctor Who annual – The Annual Years.
With cover art and internal illustrations by Adam Bullock, and commentary on every single story from Paul Magrs, author of Doctor Who fiction for Big Finish, the BBC and AudioGo, this is the celebration that the annuals have long been overdue.
Down the years, the Doctor Who annual has offered an occasionally unique take on the world of Doctor Who, and the 1970s annuals are, perhaps, some of the craziest of them all, featuring distinctive pop art styled art that gave them a unique and memorable feel.
The Annual Years continues the publisher’s recent tradition of Doctor Who-related titles, “so long as they’re the sort of thing we at in the Obverse Bungalow would like to read,” say the publishers.
The book will offer a serious and detailed look at that most maligned form of Doctor Who storytelling, the World Distributors annuals.
From 1965 to 1986, from William Hartnell to Colin Baker, the annuals were weird and witty and wonderful, a big brother to TV Comic and second cousin to Doctor Who Discovers… – and all the more beloved by us because of that.
“”These extraordinary books are like weird, grotesque shadow-versions of the Show we recognise,” enthuses Paul Magrs. “They are mutations haunting the wilderness between the domed, protected cities of Canonicity. The world of the Annuals is odder, darker, madder, more psychedelic and surreal. These are adventures in a wilder, destabilized universe. The cosiness of what we recognise as Doctor Who has gone.”
• Obverse Books: http://obversebooks.co.uk

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.
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