In addition to being a Multiversity staffer and podcaster, Chris Thompson is the brand manager for Doctor Who’s publisher, Titan Comics.
For those in the know, one of the annual highlights of the “Doctor Who” calendar is the well-established Gallifrey One convention in Los Angeles. A lot of people are surprised to discover the premier celebration of Who is held in the U.S. – and not here in the U.K. – but after 28 years I think ‘Gally’ (as it is affectionately known) has more than earned its place.
As a fan, I’ve dreamed about going for a long time, so this year it was an absolute pleasure to attend as a guest in my role as “Doctor Who” brand manager for Titan Comics. Not only did the show invite us over to take part in their celebrations, but they had a star-studded line-up of our creators along for the ride – including a couple of other Gally newbies.
In total we had seven creators in attendance – Nick Abadzis, Rachael Stott, Paul Cornell, Christopher Jones, Richard Dinnick, Blair Shedd, and Tony Lee – and were given two Titan Comics panels, in addition to the extra ones I hosted. I really can’t say enough about Gallifrey One and this year’s show, but with the help of some of our creators I’m going to break from the usual format and try:
Whoniversity – What inspired the model for Year Three of The Eleventh Doctor? It’s like Rob is the show-runner and you’re all together in the writer’s room …
Rob Williams (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – That was the initial idea but it really evolved to a point where all of us, plus Si Spurrier and our editor, Andrew James, knocked ideas around. Eventually Alex and I really nailed down the core spine of the season. I’m writing the initial two-parter and the final two-parter. But the A plot of the series has bits of several of us in there.
Alex Paknadel (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – It was more collaborative than that, but it was essentially pitched to me as Rob Williams in the Moffat showrunner role, yeah. It’s a series of one and two-part, relatively self-contained stories building to an explosive climax penned by Le Williams himself. Great stuff. We all broke the story together with invaluable input from Si Spurrier, but in the main it all fell out of Rob’s head fully formed. He’s good like that.
George Mann (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – Yeah, Rob’s had a good deal of experience working within this sort of framework, developing ideas in a kind of ‘writer’s room’ way, and it really did feel as if we were all contributing elements to the discussion. We had a great, long email chain, rich in ideas, where we all pitched in, and then Rob and Alex pretty much gave shape to all of that, really. The idea this year is to have a series of self-contained adventures that nevertheless hang together with a season arc.
James Peaty (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – I think that’s right, but I’m not really sure I’m in a position to answer that properly as I joined the team quite late in the game. As I understand it, the desire – after the very cool, but hugely interconnected Year Two of the series – was to go in the other direction and do a more self contained season of stories, albeit one with strong connecting threads. Obviously I wasn’t part of the initial storyline sessions that the other guys – led by Rob – worked on, so when I was asked to write my issue, Andrew James (the Keeper of the Matrix!) made sure I had access to the issues/scripts that had already been delivered. So for me it was more of a case of just writing around what had been established and telling a one-off story.
Whoniversity – Is there something about Eleven that lends itself to this particular format?
Continued belowRob Williams (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – I think it’d fit any of the Doctors. The ‘writers room’ approach is something US TV does very well. I’ve been involved with it on a couple of comic projects now. For our 11th book, initially it was myself and Al Ewing on Season 1, then Si Spurrier and I on Season 2. Season 3 is adding a few more voices to the mix. But it’s our job to try and make the voice of The Doctor and the tone of the season’s stories fairly consistent. It was good to hear from Simon Fraser, when drawing Alex’s issue 3, that “It’s like one of your scripts.” Hopefully the readers will see a unified tone and theme. We’re all trying to be true to Matt Smith’s Doctor.
Alex Paknadel (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – No more than any other Doctor, I suspect. Capaldi’s arcs tend to be more long-running and cohesive, but in the main people come back to Who for alien-of-the-week stories. I do anyway …
George Mann (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – I think Doctor Who in general lends itself nicely to this format. All my favourite series of the show – particularly since it came back – do this really well, ducking in and out of the arc to tell standalone adventures that are all really building thematically upon the underlying arcs and the character motivations. So you’ve got that opportunity to catch the casual reader/viewer with a great Doctor Who story, but the constant consumer gets rewarded for paying closer attention.
James Peaty (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – You mean in terms of a longer arc? Well, I think all of the Doctors fit that, but the nature of the Eleventh Doctor means that you can dart around tonally a lot more. I also think – if you watch the Eleventh Doctor era on TV – he occupies a bigger canvas than some of the other Doctors. You can go from Vincent & The Doctor to The Lodger to The Pandorica Opens – which are all written by very different writers and yet are connected by the same arc – in the space of a fortnight week. So it feels like you can make bolder leaps of narrative and tone with this particular Doctor.
Whoniversity – How do you go about contributing a complete and self-contained story within this kind of framework? Do you find it restrictive or somewhat freeing in a way?
Rob Williams (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – It’s surprisingly straightforward. You know you have to pick these characters up at point A and drop them off at point B. In between you can do what you like. So there’s freedom within the structure. That’s writing. Structure makes the thing stand, you can decorate it to your own tastes.
Alex Paknadel (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – It’s definitely freeing. I know which beats I have to hit and where to leave the story in advance, which gives me several blanks to fill in with whatever I want. I’ve been given a very free hand with my stories by Rob, Titan editorial and the BBC, but knowing where I have to start and wind up gives me a comfortably loose framework to work with. I like to think I’m pretty strong conceptually, but having those beats laid out in advance means I can just go wherever my imagination takes me. Plus, the great thing about Doctor Who continuity is that there’s always an in-canon MacGuffin if you ever write yourself into a corner. It’s a real gift.
George Mann (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – The key is to know where you’re picking up from and where you have to leave off, really. Obviously when you’re writing the tentpole issues of the arc, you’re addressing the big picture, but otherwise it’s a case of focusing on telling the best self-contained Doctor Who story you can, and being mindful of the themes, the character’s journeys, their emotional situations. That’s the key thing, really – you avoid things that could seem counter to the bigger picture, but otherwise you find a way to plug in. For me it comes down to getting the characters right – you don’t want to have someone devastated emotionally in one issue and then beaming on the first page of the next – you’ve got to be sensitive to what came before, and conscious of what’s coming after.
Continued belowJames Peaty (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – The most restrictive thing is the page length! That’s always the biggest restriction. But no, I don’t find it restrictive as I’ve worked with much more restrictive briefs in the past. Once upon a time I was given an issue of Supergirl to write where I was asked to: 1) Thematically wind up the previous writers run, 2) Deliver a ‘classic’ Supergirl adventure that sets the stage for the next writer who was taking over and 3) Include an obscure character as a guest star who was already on the cover (which they’d already solicited for another issue, but were now going to use for mine!). Are you still following?!? Anyway, when you’ve worked like that this was a breeze! But seriously, it was very straightforward as I pitched it as a very clearly worked out done-in-one story and the format of this run supports that. The biggest change was that when I pitched the idea I didn’t know about the Sapling as a character, so we had to work him in. But actually his inclusion was good as it gave the story an extra element in the finale and also gave me the opportunity to chuck in a few more jokes. Which never hurts!
Whoniversity – Each Doctor has their own preoccupations and interests. What does Eleven represent for you, and how does that fit in with your own sensibility?
Rob Williams (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – I like his verbal and mental diarrhoea. I relate to that in a way. It leads to fun dialogue. It’s a handy defence mechanism for him, I think. He’s still dealing with the Time War experience. I like the fact that the Matt Smith incarnation looks so youthful but he really carries all this weight. And, for my money, I don’t think any Doctor did the ‘angry god’ moments quite like Smith. That sense of his being offended by evil intent. The 11th is by far my favourite of the new Who Doctors. It’s always been fun to write him.
Alex Paknadel (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – I really loved Smith’s ability to switch from rakish charm to senescent ennui in the blink of an eye. His Doctor’s an extremely old man in an extremely young body, and Smith put that all out there during his tenure. I suppose that fits in with my own sensibility inasmuch as I’m definitely staring down the barrel of middle age now, so many of the things I used to get extremely exercised about are sort of settling into ambient grumpiness as I slowly learn to accept them. I’m not a wise old owl just yet, but I hope to live long enough to become one.
George Mann (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – Eleven’s a really interesting incarnation. He’s weary, reaching the end of his life, burdened with the weight of a massive lifespan, but then he can turn on a die, becoming bouncy and full of enthusiasm, like a young, naive child. I love that central dichotomy in his character, and it makes him a joy to write for. I imagine he’d be difficult to live with, though!
James Peaty (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – For me the Eleventh Doctor is – fundamentally – a much less internalised version of the character than the other three (well, four if you include the War Doctor) new series incarnations. The other versions all share a similar thread, which is that they’re very aware of both the terrible things they’ve done and the losses they’ve suffered along the way. All of that weighs heavily on them and colours their approach. I think Eleven has elements of that – and towards the end of his time that aspect comes more into focus again – but during those first two seasons of his era, he’s a much freer and less introspective version of the Doctor than we’ve had since the classic series. The other thing that Eleven embodies is the idea of the Doctor as a character who actually lives inside a time machine, rather than someone who uses a time machine as a means to have adventures. To be honest, I think you can overdo that aspect and – hand on heart – I prefer spending as little time in the TARDIS as possible and just getting on with the adventure. But the time travel aspect is a distinctive part of the flavour of the Eleventh Doctor’s era and I think you have to lock onto those key elements to do the character justice.
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Whoniversity – Without spoiling anything, what personal flourishes and unique touches have you been able to bring to things? Can you tease us a little about what we can expect?
Rob Williams (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – Well, this season is partly about a form of parenthood, the responsibility of bringing a new life into the universe that has the potential for endless good or boundless evil. It’s also about memories, and how precious they are. How they make us. And we ‘ve got a killer new Who villain too in The Scream – the most forgettable of all The Silence, who has carved the word ‘Scream’ into his own head like Richey from the Manics’ 4 Real. He wants to be remembered. And that’s bad news for the universe.
Alex Paknadel (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – Well, as well as the usual colossally entertaining time-travelling hi-jinks I like to think I’m honouring the spirit of the show by drawing in a few debates we’re having right here in the real world, i.e. nationalism vs. globalism, unequal distribution of resources between generations, racism, etc. Never forget: The Tardis is the UK; bigger on the inside and all that. Well, post-Brexit can we still say that? That’s what interests me anyway. I like Who episodes with weight (e.g. the frankly remarkable ‘Heaven Sent’), so that’s what I’ve tried to capture with my issues.
George Mann (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – Well, thematically the arc this year is playing right into my personal interests as a writer – looking at themes of memory and identity – so I’ve tried to build on that, really, exploring the nature of memory and how it makes us who we are. Additionally, I’ve been able to bring back a monster I created for a Twelfth Doctor audio I wrote last year, so I’m having some fun revisiting them, too.
James Peaty (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – Well, despite what I said above, I think my story is pretty direct and visceral. One of the editors said to me in an email recently that I tended to do slightly darker and scarier stories, which probably reflects how you remember Doctor Who as a kid. My earliest memories of TV are basically being frightened and thrilled by both the monsters – and more importantly – the mood of late 70s/early 80s Doctor Who. So from the age of about three or four my mind was filled with images of Davros, the Jagaroth, The Master, Marshmen and bubbling Tereleptils! The other thing I’ve tried to do in my issue – which again probably reflects the fact I’m a child of the Baker/Davison changeover – is to try and connect the Eleventh Doctor to his more recent past. So, without spoiling anything, I think it’s fair to say that there’s a returning monster from the Tenth Doctor’s era in my issue…
Whoniversity – What else are you working on right now? We assume there must be a world beyond Doctor Who (or at least Titan), so what’s it like?
Rob Williams (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – I’m currently writing Suicide Squad for DC comics, we’re just finishing up our run with John Romita Jr and Eddy Barrows, I have a Trinity Annual on the way drawn by Guillem March. Unfollow comes to a close next month from Vertigo with #18. I have a new Judge Dredd story on the way, and I’m working a new series that I can’t talk about yet.
Alex Paknadel (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – There is nothing beyond Titan. Titan is lord. Please send canned goods and quilted toilet paper.
George Mann (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – I’m writing the ongoing Warhammer 40,000 comic, which is a real blast, and there’s some more Twelfth Doctor comics and Dark Souls on the way too. I’m also putting the finishing touches to a new novel, so definitely keeping busy!
James Peaty (writer on “The Eleventh Doctor”) – Well, at the moment – on the comics front – there is no life outside of Doctor Who! I’ve got an issue of the Twelfth Doctor title out soon and then a Tenth Doctor issue coming along pretty soon after that. There are also various other pitches and ideas floating around that hopefully we’ll get to in due course. I’ve loved doing the Who comics at Titan though. Most fun I’ve had working in comics in years! So I’m definitely hoping to do more of those, but I’m open to doing other stuff too. It just has to be the right thing. On the licensed front I’d love to have a crack at the Hammer stuff Titan are doing as those movies were a huge part of my youth. Ditto for Dan Dare. But I think I may have to join the queue! As for life outside of comics (is there such a thing?), well at the moment I’m mainly concentrating on filmmaking. A few years back I was shortlisted for Channel 4’s ‘Coming Up’ scheme and that sort of opened the door to some screenwriting/filmmaking opportunities. My most recent short, a thriller entitled ‘Appraisal’ recently won an audience award over in Canada, so I’ve been concentrating on trying to get that film into as many festivals as possible this year, while also prepping the next thing that I want to shoot. It keeps me off the streets!
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Finding Your Local Comic Shop.
How can you get your hands on comics by all these delightful people? Well, your friendly local comic shop can help. Most of them do mail order, and you can find your closest store with the Comic Shop Locator.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse behind the scenes of The Eleventh Doctor. Feel free to send us your own stories, pics, comments and feedback. We now have our very own feed for @TitanDoctorWho on Twitter, as well as Titan Comics’ Facebook.
