No, Voyager: Doctor Who Magazine stiffs John Ridgway on his royalty cheque

Back in the 80s, the Doctor Who comic strip was just about the best thing the series had going for it. 

Names of the caliber of Morrison, Moore, Gibbons, Hitch, Ridgway and McMahon were writing or penciling stories that, long before the New Adventures came along, were too broad and too deep for the small screen.

Of course, back then DWM was being done on a bit of a wing and a prayer, at a time when Doctor Who was hardly the multi-million pound franchise powerhouse it is today.  But the creativity of the guys working on the strip, under the auspices or Marvel, belied the relative poverty of the mag.

These days, of course, everything's different and in recent years those classic strips have been collected and reprinted in graphic novel form, complete with additional interviews and behind the scenes material.

So the news that John Ridgway, who in Voyager and The World Shapers was responsible for drawing perhaps the best DWM strips of all time, isn't getting a penny in royalties for those reprints is somewhat surprising.

The always-readable Angry Who Fan blog, which first flagged this up, described their behaviour as 'shitty'.  We'll go further on the Thumbcast.  It's a fucking disgrace,

Ridgway revealed that the royalty agreements were basically sorted with a nod and a handshake between himself and former DWM editor John Freeman during the 80s, and that they stopped once Freeman stepped down.

His replacement was Gary Russell - currently a script editor on Who and the Sarah Jane Adventures, and formerly the editorial side of audio producers Big Finish.  He was replaced by Gary Gillatt, then by Alan Barnes.

Clayton Hickman took over as editor in 2002, to be succeeded in 2007 by Tom Spilsbury.

Voyager was reprinted in 2007.  World Shapers last year.  On, respectively, Hickman and Spillsbury's watch.  Each of those men needs to take a long, cold, hard look at themselves in the mirror.  Because while legally they might be under no obligation to compensate Ridgway, they're reaping the financial rewards of cashing in on his work while Doctor Who's a hot property again.

Show you've got at least a semblance of the soul we always thought Who fandom had and sort this mess out.

Incidentally, Barnes had his own strips for DWM reprinted in 2006.   Does he get royalties from those books?  I think we should be told.

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Kick-Ass: The Trailer

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Well, it looks more faithful to the comic than Wanted was.  Though to be fair, ANYTHING would be more faithful than Wanted.

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Say you want a revolution

So.  Just what was Grant Morrison pitching earlier in the week, in his phat purple suit?

Could it be The Invisibles TV series that BBC Scotland have been coveting for 15 years?

Gangster No. 1 director Paul McGuigan let the cat out of the bag at the weekend that he was collaborating with Morrison on a new project, describing it as 'very interesting'

Then on Tuesday he revealed

Pitching meeting today. Grant Morrison out-dressed me with his purple suit. I need to up my game.Pitching meeting today. Grant Morrison out-dressed me with his purple suit. I need to up my game.

Then Rich Johnston threw Stephen Fry's name into the mix, claiming it was a project for BBC Scotland, and hinting at a sci-fi series.

It's no secret that PQ's been envious of BBC Wales getting all the plumb drama series and serials, while it gets lumbered with factual and LE shit.  

Phoo Action was seen in some quarters as being their chance to produce something unique and quirky to rival Torchwood, at least - until the farce that followed, with the show being abandoned in strange circumstances just days before filming started, with cast and crew gathered in Glasgow ready to start filming at the River City studios in Dumbarton... and at a cost of a cool half mil.

A BBC Scotland adaptation of the Invisibles has been mooted for … well, most of the comic's life.  Flick back through your old copies of SFX magazine, back when it was called SEX and made some horrific cover image choices.  Back in issue one, with Lori Petty and a lurid pink spine, you'll find a reference to it then.  So we're talking at least 15 years of the idea kicking about.

Of course, they could be pitching something else entirely.  Fry on the Invisibles seems an odd choice, if Johnston is correct (and, Dr Who stories aside, he usually is).  Grant was linked with BBC Scotland's arse-numbingly shit Invasion: Earth a decade ago, before Jed Mercurio landed the short straw.  So perhaps they fancy doing a new SF series.

Or perhaps they were just at The Hub having a coffee.

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Filed under  //  comics   grant morrison   rich johnston   tv  
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Law and Order: Gotham City

 

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VIDEO FIND: The truth behind THAT Watchmen ending...

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