Tuesday, January 10, 2017

COUNTDOWN classic strips free with DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE

There's a new issue of Doctor Who Magazine out this Thursday and it contains something that should please fans of classic UK comics. The mag comes bagged with a free reprint of the 1970s Doctor Who comic strip serial Sub-Zero that was published in Countdown back in 1972.
The serial, which features the Daleks, originally ran in Countdown Nos.47 to 54, and was illustrated by Gerry Haylock. 

 As you can see from the image below, the DWM team have recreated the design of the comic for the cover to the free gift. 
This issue of DWM is a 1970s theme special, and as "a celebration of Doctor Who's grooviest decade" it does of course include an interview with the actress who played Doctor's grooviest companion, Katy Manning. 
The mag also contains the regular ongoing 12th Doctor comic strip (currently set in the 1970s) and many other features. Sadly my Daft Dimension strip was squeezed out of this issue due to shortage of space but it'll be back next month.

Doctor Who Magazine No.508, on sale Thursday 12th January, £5.99.
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22 comments:

  1. AnonymousTuesday, 10 January 2017 at 20:01:00 GMT

    Shortage of space, eh? Too bad the magazine isn't bigger on the inside. Still, I might buy it for once in that case (and I've always been partial to comics of my era).

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  2. JOHN EDWARDS NOTTINGHAMTuesday, 10 January 2017 at 20:12:00 GMT

    DR.WHO??? If the "official" magazine makes a boo-boo like that maybe someone else should be publishing it.

    It is, and always has been, DOCTOR WHO.

    NO abbreviation!!

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  3. Lew StringerTuesday, 10 January 2017 at 21:15:00 GMT

    No it hasn't. The show (and character) was often referred to in merchandise (and in the media) as 'Dr.Who' in the sixties and seventies. The strips they're reprinting had 'Dr.Who' as a logo and the cover of the free comic reflect that.

    Panini do a great job with the mag. I don't know of any publisher who would improve it, judging by other TV related magazines I've seen.

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  4. Robert CarnegieWednesday, 11 January 2017 at 00:29:00 GMT

    Do subscribers get a reprint of "those" pictures of Katy Manning?? :-)

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  5. Robert CarnegieWednesday, 11 January 2017 at 00:42:00 GMT

    Issue 61 - perhaps rings a bell - "Peter Davidson IS The Doctor!" Oops. (BBC very cross.)

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  6. GarethWednesday, 11 January 2017 at 02:05:00 GMT

    They could have least have got you to draw a funny on the back of the Countdown comic like the old ones had.

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  7. AnonymousWednesday, 11 January 2017 at 11:06:00 GMT

    'More next week'? Does that mean the following month's issue will contain another reprint of a third Doctor comic strip serial?

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  8. SimonWednesday, 11 January 2017 at 14:01:00 GMT

    Are those the issues where Countdown made the transition to TV Action? Can we expect a volume of "classic" reprints?

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  9. Lew StringerWednesday, 11 January 2017 at 14:08:00 GMT

    Sean, that's a photo I took of my Countdown comics. I haven't seen the reprint yet.

    Simon, they're from a few issues before it became TV Action. I don't know if they will publish a book of classic strips but it has been thought about.

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  10. John HoodThursday, 12 January 2017 at 11:15:00 GMT

    Looking forward to receiving my subscription copy and congratulations on an excellent blog! :)

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  11. Lew StringerThursday, 12 January 2017 at 11:19:00 GMT

    Thanks, John!

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  12. @MLPasteriskThursday, 12 January 2017 at 13:32:00 GMT

    I still have all of the Classic Comics reprints tucked away somewhere but I'd still welcome a graphic novel collecting the Countdown / TV Action strips.

    The Classic Comics versions were colourised so it would be good to have a more faithful reproduction.

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  13. Richard GoldingFriday, 13 January 2017 at 10:28:00 GMT

    It's really spiteful of anonymous to say he will buy a copy this time because your strip isn't in it!

    The Daft Dimension was sorely missed!

    I hope it will be back next time?

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  14. Lew StringerFriday, 13 January 2017 at 12:11:00 GMT

    I'm not sure anon meant it that way, did he?
    Thanks for the kind words though, Richard. Yes, it'll be back next issue.

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  15. AnonymousFriday, 13 January 2017 at 12:52:00 GMT

    I did, but I am merely expressing my opinion. We're not all sychophants of your cartoons.

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  16. Lew StringerFriday, 13 January 2017 at 13:42:00 GMT

    You're quite entitled to not like my work, "anonymous", but that doesn't give you the entitlement to presume those who do are sychophants.

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  17. AnonymousFriday, 13 January 2017 at 19:22:00 GMT

    If that's the case then I humbly suggest that you can't have the entitlement to presume your supporters are NOT sychophants. Works both ways.

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  18. QamarFriday, 13 January 2017 at 20:47:00 GMT

    "sychophants" lol

    Keep up the good work Lew. Its much appreciated.

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  19. Lew StringerFriday, 13 January 2017 at 21:16:00 GMT

    Thanks Quamar.

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  20. Richard WilliamsSaturday, 14 January 2017 at 20:08:00 GMT

    This is one of the main reasons I love this blog! Many thanks Lew for bringing this to our attention as I now have my copy of the Countdown reprint in my grubby hands!
    I only read a few Countdowns back in the day but I can't remember much about any of the strips apart from seeing Dr Who on a lot of the covers. This reprint is great and I hope, the 1st of many more. Maybe they've taken a leaf out of the Megazine's method.

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  21. Lew StringerSaturday, 14 January 2017 at 23:40:00 GMT

    I don't think it'll be a regular thing but it'll be interesting to see how readers respond. It'd be good to see graphic novel reprints of the Countdown/TV Action material and this is a good way to test audience reaction.

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  22. Lew StringerSaturday, 14 January 2017 at 23:40:00 GMT

    Basically, let 'em know if you'd like to see more.

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