Posted in: Comics, san diego comic con | Tagged: Comics, doctor who, entertainment, paul cornell, Titan comics

SDCC '15: Live! From Titan's Doctor Who Comics Panel – The Four Doctors And More!

Published Sat, 11 Jul 2015 17:42:54 -0500

Last updated Sat, 11 Jul 2015 18:16:58 -0500

Heading into the Doctor Who Comics Panel hosted by Titan, the panelists were graced by Stan Lee walking by in quite stately fashion like a glimpse of inspiration. Paul Cornell, Alice X. Zhang, Blair Shedd, Cavan Scott, George Mann, Steve White, and Andrew James, were on panel moderated by Andrew Sumner, one of the directors of Titan Merchandise.

On the biggest day of Comic-Con, fans were ready to talk about Doctor Who and Titan's "awesome, award-winning Doctor Who comics", as Sumner said. He opened with a pop quiz about the Doctors to gauge reaction of fan-favorites. The 9th got applause, 10th and 11th about the same, the War Doctor got a few claps, and the 12th should have, of course, had the most, but in truth, the 10th and 11th beat him out. Many of the panelists, when their work was introduced, turned out to have worked on Doctor Who novels or audio works, bringing their own fans with them to the comics no doubt.

People often ask Sumner what the "engine room" is like behind Titan Comics, he said, and he introduced Steve White as that engine, then handing the panel over to White to lead the room in singing Happy Birthday to George Mann.

The Four Doctors event is coming, starting on August 15th and spanning 5 weeks, and the audience were shown a trailer for the event. The Saturday launch date is also Doctor Who Comics Day internationally. 2000 stores and libraries are already involved, James said.

Paul Cornell explained the premise of the event as Clara Oswald trying to prevent "some kind of multi-Doctor event" and "thankfully she fails", he said. 10 and 12 "really don't see eye to eye", he explained. This happens "before 10 and 11 have met up in the 50th Anniversary" and the question is how they don't remember themselves later. The insults being hurled sounded pretty funny in preview since 12 is deemed an "abomination" who shouldn't exist. It's "all about a photograph which means the end of the universe" and trying not to get the "photo taken".

The Ninth Doctor series, Cavan Scott said, is inspired by the 10th Anniversary of the 9th Doctor. They want to do things that "we" the viewers, didn't see the Doctor do on the show, such as exploring the cosmos. He's "very raw" as a man "remembering how to be the Doctor", Scott said. The "flirting between Captain Jack and the Doctor, as well as Rose". It's the "ultimate triangle", James said. It's "early in their relationship", Scott said, as they address conflicting factions in the universe. The Doctor has to come "face to face with people who say "we are the new champions of time". Some of Blair Shedd's artwork and linework was shown to the audience, including very rough pencils. Shedd says he works in preserved separate layers that make changes to the work more possible. He puts a "sheen" over the tops of the page that give a "freeze frame animation" effect, as James described it.

Rachael Slott will be joining the team on Year Two as the regular artist, they announced.

There will be a Twelfth Doctor Holiday Special by George Mann and Cavan Scott, a "dark" story, they teased.

Asked who her favorite Doctor was, Zhang said the 11th Doctor, who was the first Doctor she met, in one of the Weeping Angels episodes, "Time of the Angels".

Year Two, following the Four Doctors Event, will feature cover art by Alex Ronald, Nick Abadzis will write the 10th Doctor with Elena Casagrande and Eleonora

On the 11th Doctor, Si Spurrier will be writing, and he sent a special video message to SDCC where he drank out of a TARDIS mug Mr. Bean like. He's "very excited" to be "jumping aboard Titan Comics' epic juggernaut" of a series. The difference is that the "A plot" will be in the foreground, and the Doctor will be accused of something and he won't be able to remember if he's guilty or not. With two new team members, he goes on the run.They'll rely on friends and even enemies to stay on the move. The truth of the matter lies deep inside the "galactic spasm" that was the Time War. This series will feature the 11th Doctor but also the War Doctor as a recurring figure. They are going to channel the "anarchic" and "unfilmable insanity" of some of original old Doctor Who Strips by the like of Alan Moore.

Regarding the 12th Doctor, Robbie Morrison returns as writer and Alex Ronald will be the new regular cover artist on the series. Interiors are by Daniel Indro and Slamet Mujino.

The new Mini-series in October will be "the Doctor but probably not the one your were expecting" Paul McGann! Cover art by Zhang was shown. Completing the team will be Emma Vieceli with George Mann writing.

The exclusive comic for SDCC, by the way, is available at Titan's Booth #5537, and that comic features the 12th Doctor and Clara on a comic-con set adventure in which baddies appear when people take selfies on the con floor–because what could be more modern and comic-con related than that! Check it out–it comes highly recommended. There are many cameos and Easter Eggs, including the three creators, including Scott, Mann, and the artist. If anyone comes up at the con and shows Scott where they all are in the comic, he'll "do a special Adipose dance", he said.

The Q &A sessions was fully of praise for Zhang and questions about how many more Doctors might appear in series or mini-series form, and James said that there are plenty more to consider but Titan will keep in mind not to overstretch fans' wallets or retailers in terms of releasing too many series at once.

One of the final discussion points among the panelists which caused hilarity was the difficulty of drawing the interiors of the different TARDIS incarnations and what photos and toy sets they use to try to get it right.

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