The 1st issue of Doctor Who Weekly had a cover date of 17 October 1979 and came with free transfers. After noticing the popularity of Doctor Who-related content in the Marvel UK magazine Starburst, editor Dez Skinn created Doctor Who Weekly. This was released every Thursday.
When DWM 400 was released in October 2008, it included a poster featuring David Tennant's Tenth Doctor reading issue one. It also included an interview in which Tennant claimed to still have his transfers.
Contents
Articles
- The Monsters of Doctor Who: Day of the Daleks by B. Aldrich and G. Blows
Comic content
- Doctor Who and the Iron Legion - Part one
- Return of the Daleks - Part one
- Tales from the TARDIS: War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells - Part one
Fiction
- Journal Entry 2481/B-3: The Doctor's escape from the Vorgan Space Platform.
- Journal Entry 3512/A-7: The Doctor escape from Magnon 5.
Archives
- The Story of Doctor Who.
Interviews / Profiles
- William Hartnell (Photo-file Number 1)
Previews
- None
Reviews
- None
A4 pin-ups
- None
Additional features
- A Letter from the Doctor
- Crazy Caption Competition (£5 to be won)
Additional details
- The Doctor's first words in the main comic strip were: "I must stock up with provisions. I haven't had a thing to eat since I took off from Zaggar-Six!"
- The supporting comic strip presented under the heading 'Tales from the TARDIS' featured previously issued material with opening and closing boxes redrawn and tailored specifically for inclusion in the pages of Doctor Who Weekly.
- Unlike previous Doctor Who comic strips, the lead character was referred to as 'the Doctor' and not 'Doctor Who'.
- This Fantastic First Issue had free transfers sellotaped to the cover that could be used on Dave Gibbons' full-colour page panoramas on the inside cover (see above Fiction).
- The photo-file feature on William Hartnell carries a note that reads "to the memory of whom this first issue is respectfully dedicated."
- The cover uses a publicity shot taken for the new Fourth Doctor, with a Dalek from TV: Genesis of the Daleks.
- Published every Thursday, this issue had a cover price of 12p (UK).
- This issue was reprinted in December 2004 as a free gift with DWM 350.
