Doctor Who Classics Volume 1: Doctor Who And The Star Beast
I love the humor in the closing moments of this frame from Doctor Who Classics Volume 1.
So friends, I'm reading and goofing on the expanded universe of Doctor Who via the comic book medium. I picked up Doctor Who Classics Volume 1, which reprints comics that appeared in some of the original Doctor Who Magazines and were later picked up and printed in Marvel U.K. as Doctor Who Weekly [Issues #1-26]. The story that drew my attention in particular was written by John Mills and Pat Wagner. Artwork is skillfully and lovingly handled by Dave Gibbons. They just don't make comics like this anymore folks or so it seems. The story screamed to me, blog entry!
It's always interesting to see what they do with some of our favorite established television or film characters in the comic book universe. Star Wars, Space:1999, Star Trek and Doctor Who all come to mind. I'm sure you have some of your own favorites. Any suggestions?
So this first volume of Doctor Who Classics features the following story compilations: Doctor Who And The Iron Legion, City Of The Damned, Timeslip, and Doctor Who And The Star Beast. It was the latter feature that captured my curiosity most. It's fairly silly, but it was the concept that really rang familiar to me. You see, the set up is as follows, you have an intergalactic alien creature, blue in color, called a Meep. The Meep is adorably cute, but very, very dangerous and on the run from an intergalactic alien tracking squad. 
They are attempting to recapture the dangerous Meep and bring it to justice. Does it sound even remotely familiar to you? If it does have a ring, maybe Disney's Lilo & Stitch [2002] comes to mind. Little blue alien Stitch was also on the run from an intergalactic alien bunch and while adorably cute, Stitch too, was extremely dangerous. So there you go. The question is, did some artist or creator behind the Disney film read this story along the way and adapt it accordingly? It wouldn't necessarily be the first time. 
The Lion King has often been accused of echoing the Japanese anime series Kimba The White Lion [1965] later a Japanese animated feature film called Jungle Emperor Leo [1966] [a lovely film by the way]. To a lesser extent, there's even the Japanese series Nadia, The Secret Of Blue Water [1990], a Gainax production, some felt influenced the creative minds behind Walt Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire [2001]. Could this be a similiar scenario or just another crazy coincidence?
Well, as I read the Doctor Who comic I couldn't help, but immediately consider the parallels to Lilo & Stitch. Perhaps it's an old idea, an old concept. I'm not sure. Maybe some other films or series out there sport a similiar theme or idea you could point me to, but chronologically this Doctor Who adventure tale arrived years before Disney just like the aforementioned anime productions prior to both Disney's The Lion King and Atlantis: The Lost Empire. That little blue Meep isn't that far off from Stitch. I'm just sayin' is all. Am I reading into this too much? Perhaps, but there does seem to be a bit of a trend here. And, it's fun to wonder.
Please don't get me wrong I love Disney and I love their films, but I do find moments like these can give you pause regarding the industry. This may be the first mention of the relationship anywhere on the planet. Does it make it right or wrong? Look at Stitch and then look at the Meep, the similiarities are striking don't you think?
I love the humor in the closing moments of this frame from Doctor Who Classics Volume 1.
So friends, I'm reading and goofing on the expanded universe of Doctor Who via the comic book medium. I picked up Doctor Who Classics Volume 1, which reprints comics that appeared in some of the original Doctor Who Magazines and were later picked up and printed in Marvel U.K. as Doctor Who Weekly [Issues #1-26]. The story that drew my attention in particular was written by John Mills and Pat Wagner. Artwork is skillfully and lovingly handled by Dave Gibbons. They just don't make comics like this anymore folks or so it seems. The story screamed to me, blog entry!
It's always interesting to see what they do with some of our favorite established television or film characters in the comic book universe. Star Wars, Space:1999, Star Trek and Doctor Who all come to mind. I'm sure you have some of your own favorites. Any suggestions?
So this first volume of Doctor Who Classics features the following story compilations: Doctor Who And The Iron Legion, City Of The Damned, Timeslip, and Doctor Who And The Star Beast. It was the latter feature that captured my curiosity most. It's fairly silly, but it was the concept that really rang familiar to me. You see, the set up is as follows, you have an intergalactic alien creature, blue in color, called a Meep. The Meep is adorably cute, but very, very dangerous and on the run from an intergalactic alien tracking squad. 
They are attempting to recapture the dangerous Meep and bring it to justice. Does it sound even remotely familiar to you? If it does have a ring, maybe Disney's Lilo & Stitch [2002] comes to mind. Little blue alien Stitch was also on the run from an intergalactic alien bunch and while adorably cute, Stitch too, was extremely dangerous. So there you go. The question is, did some artist or creator behind the Disney film read this story along the way and adapt it accordingly? It wouldn't necessarily be the first time. 
The Lion King has often been accused of echoing the Japanese anime series Kimba The White Lion [1965] later a Japanese animated feature film called Jungle Emperor Leo [1966] [a lovely film by the way]. To a lesser extent, there's even the Japanese series Nadia, The Secret Of Blue Water [1990], a Gainax production, some felt influenced the creative minds behind Walt Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire [2001]. Could this be a similiar scenario or just another crazy coincidence?
Well, as I read the Doctor Who comic I couldn't help, but immediately consider the parallels to Lilo & Stitch. Perhaps it's an old idea, an old concept. I'm not sure. Maybe some other films or series out there sport a similiar theme or idea you could point me to, but chronologically this Doctor Who adventure tale arrived years before Disney just like the aforementioned anime productions prior to both Disney's The Lion King and Atlantis: The Lost Empire. That little blue Meep isn't that far off from Stitch. I'm just sayin' is all. Am I reading into this too much? Perhaps, but there does seem to be a bit of a trend here. And, it's fun to wonder.
Please don't get me wrong I love Disney and I love their films, but I do find moments like these can give you pause regarding the industry. This may be the first mention of the relationship anywhere on the planet. Does it make it right or wrong? Look at Stitch and then look at the Meep, the similiarities are striking don't you think?
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