August 21st
Alas! Today is another day in Doctor Who history where no new episodes of the main show or any spin-off has received their debut broadcast. So, let's pay a very brief tribute to the wonderful Doctor Who Magazine. Why? Why the heck not!
Well, no, actually I'll tell you why, issue #320 was cover dated August 21st 2002 (which admittedly is clutching at straws and a bit for a loose connection to the day) and I just so happen to have the cover of this issue on a t-shirt...
Doctor Who Magazine (often abbreviated as DWM) was launched in 1979 as Doctor Who Weekly, becoming a monthly publication the following year. I still have that first issue, sadly without the free transfers of Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor attached (no doubt added to a school book or such back in the day).
As well as behind the scenes articles on the TV show and other media, DWM includes its own world famous comic strip. The first being The Iron Legion which went on to be produced, with surprising effectiveness, by Big Finish.
That audio release came about in 2019, in honour of DWM celebrating its fortieth anniversary. A milestone also recognised by the Guinness World Records, listing DWM as the longest running TV tie-in magazine, celebrating 40 years of continuous publication on 11 October 2019. Yes, when the Doctor Who went off the air in 1989, DWM continued on, becoming a much needed source of Who news and new adventures (in comic strip form), keeping the light burning strongly throughout those wilderness years.
So, what delights did issue #320 offer? Among its contents were the 2001 DWM Awards, part 2 of the comic strip Uroboros, a look back at The Green Death, an interview with TV Movie co-star Yee Jee Tso, reviews of the recent DVD release of Carnival of Monsters, and the Big Finish adventure Spare Parts.
Even today in this online world with news about the show's production often becoming public instantly, DWM remains an essential purchase. The close connection between the magazine's editorial team and Doctor Who's production team means just about every issue is guaranteed to provide you with at least one factoid of information you were unaware of. Combined with the interviews, comic-strip and other regular features, I still find DWM to be a little source of delight when it drops through my letterbox every 4 weeks.
Take a look at what this month's issue of Doctor Who Magazine has to offer here.
Join us again tomorrow when I promise we actually have Doctor Who episodes to round-up for you.
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