'Prisoners of Time' will feature every incarnation of the Doctor, as well as a long list of villains, including the Zarbi from the TV story best known as The Web Planet.
downthetubes caught up with comics artist and writer Simon Fraser - best known for his work on Nikolai Dante, a series he created with writer Robbie Morrison in 2000AD - to ask him about his work on the first issue...
downthetubes: How did you gain the commission to draw the first issue of 'Prisoners of Time'?
Simon Fraser: I share a studio with Tim Hamilton who has worked for editor Denton Tipton at IDW on Doctor Who previously. Tim wasn't available this time , so he passed the job on to me. One of the advantages of sharing a studio with other comics types.
downthetubes: Are you a fan of Doctor Who and if so, which Doctor?
Simon: I was recently clearing my old stuff out of my parents house. I seem to have had six large posters of Tom Baker on my bedroom wall when I was 16. That might answer both questions. The other two posters were Star Wars related and there was an airbrushed poster of a Porsche (it was the 80s).
downthetubes: A project like this inevitably attracts comments over likenesses, do you find that limiting given the freedom you have on projects like Nikolai Dante for 2000AD?
Simon: It's all about learning the characters faces and mannerisms until they feel like your own characters. Rather than slavishly copying production stills or framegrabs, because that always looks wooden and stilted.
The older characters are usually easy. Hartnell especially was a joy to draw. It's one of the oddly wonderful things about a career in comics that I can now draw a decent portrait of Sir Thomas Huxley from memory.
I'm not sure I'm as strong on Ian and Barbara frankly, but I've spent a lot of time looking at them now and I've got a great deal better appreciation of just how good William Russell and Jaqueline Hill were in the roles.
downthetubes: Will you be doing more Doctor Who projects after this one?
Simon: I've got no plans to right now. I'm trying to keep off licensed properties for a while and do more creator owned work. When the chance to draw William Hartnell's Doctor came along though, I was powerless to resist.
downthetubes: 50 years of Doctor Who - what do you think is the key ingredient that's given it such longevity?
Simon: It's a very clever format. The TARDIS is a brilliant way of moving characters into interesting situations, while at the same time being almost ludicrously simple to execute within the restrictions of network television. Then you have all these great writers and actors being given free reign to use their imaginations and enjoy themselves, back when British television was all rather po-faced. Something so imaginative and odd was bound to engender a strong fanbase, strong enough to carry the show through some pretty rough times and ultimately ensure its rebirth.
If I had to pin down just one thing I'd have to say, Imagination.
downthetubes: You've just completed 'Nikolai Dante' for 2000AD. What's your next project?
Beyond that I'm involved with a series of pitches for original projects. One of which is a very ambitious series of books about the origins of the Arab Spring, specifically Syria. So I'm very interested in the news right now.
downthetubes: Above anything else, what one piece of advice would you offer aspiring comic artists?
Simon: To be brutally honest here, if there is anything else that you think you might be able make your life doing , try that first. Drawings comics is alongside being a musician, an actor or a poet in terms of career prospects. There's not much work, it's mostly poorly paid and frequently frustrating.
So, given that you are absolutely committed to your own eternal damnation; learn the craft and keep learning it. Draw from life as much as humanly possible, then do some more. The way to get and keep a career in the creative arts is to have a unique point of view and a unique way of expressing it and the way that you get to that is by starting at first principles and working up.
As soon as you are half competent, then start putting your stories on-line and get people to comment. You won't get as much serious criticism as you will need. The good stuff is supposed to sting, don't be afraid of that. With any luck you are your own harshest critic . You're supposed to be vaguely dissatisfied with your abilities, that's what motivates you to get better.
Have I put you off yet? No? Well if you were interested in taking good advice then you probably would be doing something much more sensible than comics in the first place.
Hmm, that's more than one piece of advice!
• Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time #1 written by Scott and David Tipton with art by Simon Fraser is on sale from 30th January from IDW Publishing.
• More about IDW's Doctor Who range on the official web site
• Simon Fraser's Official Blog: http://simonfraser.posterous.com/blog
• Read an interview with David and Scott Tipton about the maxi series on Comic Book Resources
Thanks to Denton Tipton for his help with updates to this story
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