Talking DOCTOR WHO comics with writer Jody Houser

By Ani Bundel

The solely main Doctor Who panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2023 forward of the present’s 60^th anniversary was comics primarily based. Unlike earlier years the place there have been a number of panelists, this 12 months was simply Eisner Award-nominated writer Jody Houser, who had an informal sit-down dialog with Titan Comics’ Andrew Sumner concerning the multi-platform 60^th anniversary story, Doctor Who: Doom’s Day, and her comedian collection that’s part of it, titled, A Doctor within the House Part One & Two. The transmedia venture will lengthen throughout all of the non-TV platforms Doctor Who occupies.

Houser began by overlaying her five-year journey doing Doctor Who comics, which began between the Twelfth and Thirteenth Doctors, doing comics concerning the adventures of Team TARDIS. She did a number of comedian runs between Thirteenth Doctor seasons, together with a couple of Missy tales, and Fugitive Doctor tales, filling out the potential of these characters that had been by no means explored on display.

Houser is a kind of Americans who began Doctor Who with the Eighth Doctor film, having had mates who watched it on PBS. She and Sumner discovered themselves in a dialog about Eighth Doctor Paul McGann, who’s greatest recognized for being the Doctor whose story performed out not on TV. (People exterior the Whoinverse know him higher for Withnail and I and Sharpe throughout that period.) However, she hasn’t actually executed lots with the Eighth Doctor besides in bigger group conditions; nor has she gotten to put in writing her favourite companion, Donna Noble. Instead, her main tasks have been a few Thirteenth/Tenth Doctor crossover tales.

Not that Houser had any concept of what was to return with the Thirteenth’s regeneration on the time, or the Fourteenth Doctor, it was only a enjoyable concept to have the 2 working collectively. Despite Eight being her first Doctor, Houser mentioned if she had been compelled to select, she would say she loves the Tenth Doctor most, as a result of, in her phrases, his problem-solving strategies replicate her writing course of. It set her up properly for the upcoming 60^th anniversary and the brand new comics runs.

For A Doctor within the House Part One & Two, Houser’s comics had been the kickoff of the story, permitting her story to operate as a stand-alone, which she mentioned was a blessing, as her collection wasn’t depending on what others had been doing. It’s why she acquired to carry Missy into it, who’s pretending to be the Doctor, and distracts the murderer Doom from her mission to search out the Doctor. As she put it, “It’s two snarky women in time and space.” What’s to not love?

The panel additionally featured a particular video message from famous person Marvel writer Dan Slott about his upcoming Doctor Who comics venture, Doctor Who: Once Upon A Time Lord, which incorporates Tenth Doctor and Martha adventures and Ninth Doctor tales with Rose Tyler. Slott referred to as it a dream to reside out all his fantasies of writing for his two favourite Doctors. His prerecorded video additionally together with a sneak peek of the all-new Doctor Who artwork coming with the comics after they arrive in October 2023.

Slott additionally mentioned he wrote it like it could be his solely shot at Doctor Who, and promised it has all the things he may probably need to do. (The artwork had glimpses of Classic Who villains and NuWho ones as nicely.) However, he additionally swore it could even be accessible to even the latest Whovian, and that it was even excellent for introducing new followers to the collection, “The way one should discover the Doctor, by an American!”

Doctor Who: Doom’s Day, A Doctor In the House Part 1 and a couple of are out now. Dan Slott’s upcoming Doctor Who: Once Upon A Time Lord will arrive in the direction of the tip of October 2023, forward of the BBC’s trio of 60^th Anniversary tales.

Miss any of our earlier SDCC ’23 protection? Find all of it right here!