| Doctor Who | |
|---|---|
| Illustrator(s) | Neville Main, Bill Mevin, John Canning |
| Current status/schedule | Concluded |
| Launch date | 14 November 1964 |
| End date | 11 May 1979 |
| Publisher(s) | TV Comic (1964–1971) Countdown (1971–1973) TV Comic (1973–1979) |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction |
The Doctor Who Polystyle comic strip was the first comic strip devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and the first original spin-off media from the show. The strip was launched in TV Comic on 14 November 1964, less than a year after the television series began broadcasting. TV Comic was issued weekly, and one of a number of titles belonging to Polystyle Publications Ltd, the comic exclusively featuring strips based on television series.
In 1971, the Doctor Who strip moved to another Polystyle publication, Countdown comic, for its launch. Countdown soon began amalgamating other Polystyle comics and went through a number of renamings, before in turn being amalgamated into TV Comic in 1973 (itself then going through a number of name changes). The Doctor Who comic strip survived all the changes and ran for 15 years in nearly every issue mainly in episodic format, with the last instalment appearing on 11 May 1979.
During this time, the strip also featured in various Polystyle produced holiday specials, annuals, and giveaways. Accordingly, this period has become known as the 'Polystyle era'.[1]
- ^ "Scoones (2012), p. 11