Peter Davison Doctor Who Comic Art for sale: The Moderator

By John Freeman on May 6, 2011

I’m reluctantly selling, via eBay, an original page from Episode Three of the Peter Davison story ‘The Moderator’, published in Doctor Who Magazine Issue 87, cover dated April 1984, drawn by Steve Dillon.

The story, written by Steve Parkhouse, sees the Doctor and his new friend Gus arrive on Celeste. a world populated by intelligent soldiers. But all is not what it seems. The soldiers are under the control of the sinister Moderator who is using the gift of Celeste to create a link to Earth. Can The Doctor stop him inhabiting another planet?

The page offered shows the amphibious Josiah Dogbolter trying to cut a deal with the Doctor for his TARDIS, which gets short shrift.

The final frame of the page is a classic of the DWM comics, in my opinion.

The The Tides of Time graphic album. The story also inspired events in The Incomplete Death’s Head series, which also involved The Doctor.

The art is in good condition with no speech bubbles missing, although they have coloured with age.

Hopefully this is a page that will appeal to both Davison and Dillon fans.

• View the item on eBay

• More about ‘The Moderator’ on the TARDIS Index File

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.