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| The reunion that never was—a final adventure that will always be. |
The Space Museum's Paul Hanley has at last completed a nine-page-long tribute comic to Nicholas Courtney, who sadly passed away earlier this year. He played the Brigadier for decades, and Hanley, along with collaborator Shawn Van Briesen, has artistically resurrected his most enduring role in Fade Away.
Okay, so... I'm not normally one to do "fan comics". Nothing against them, but they're hard to justify when I've got so many original projects languishing. However, a few weeks after the sad death of the great Nicholas Courtney, this story got stuck in my head and DEMANDED it see the light of day.
The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and for good reason. It's funny, heartbreaking, and serves as a wonderful tribute to a wonderful man. Here's Page One of nine.
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| Click for a legible image. |
Click on the following links to read Fade Away in its full glory. Look out for a couple dozen cameos and mentions from across the Whoniverse.
Van Briesen, responsible for the pencils and inks, shared his intimate experience with the Second Doctor.
I met Patrick Troughton when I was a young buck. I was part owner in a failing comic book store. We were sponsoring Doctor Who on the local PBS channel and Patrick came to the store and the mayor of Minneapolis ( or one of his lackey's more likely) gave Patrick the key to the city.
I gave him a picture I had drawn of him and Wendy Padbury. He pulled me aside later and said in his indomitable voice, "You know I get quite a lot of these but I must say you are very, very good. You should pursue art as a vocation."
After I picked my jaw up off of the floor I went on to become a professional commercial artist. After all, Who am I to ignore advice from The Doctor?
Make sure to read Hanley's and Van Briesen's commentary on the production and on their own personal Doctor Who experiences. Their words are just as sincere as the comic itself.
Thanks to Paul Hanley for passing this news along.
4 comments :
This is a wonderful idea, though I have to say I'm a bit confused on the events that seem to have a young Brig stretching into the middle part of this century. Am I meant to think the Brig got some sort of regeneration-like second wind on life?
I'd love a mystery where somehow the Brig's widow Doris gets in touch with the 11th Doctor to give him something packed away in her garage that the Brig left the Doctor in his will. I think there'd be wonderful opportunities in that for Matt to give closure to the Brig on screen.
Perhaps even bring back Wilf for one more one off who knew Allister when he was in the service. "You knew Colonel Stewart? Blimey it's a small world! And look at you Doctor, you got younger! That's not fair!"
But the comic might have to be the next best thing. If so it's a wonderful start.
It's a lovely tribute, I think. I was very pleased to read it, especially the Second Doctor's first meeting—which, by the way, was taken from a novelization from, I think, Terrance Dicks.
Oh I really do like it, it's just bitter that it never got to happen in the show, or at least an acknowledgment that they (Nicolas and Liz) are gone in the Whoniverse as the actors are in real life. I think attending the Brigs funeral say at graveside would be an interesting thing seen from the companions point of view, like going to a friend's friend's funeral, someone you never knew in life. The Doctor's sadness could be expressed in much the same way that Tom Baker did in his blog for Courtney. If I were Moffat I'd ask Baker if I could use that, give that sort of reminiscence to the Doctor having visited the Brig in hospice dying of cancer, telling the story to the companion(s).
Can't be done with Rory and Amy now next season say as they clearly seem to be leaving the TARDIS, might be especially poignant to do it with River given that the Doctor knows of River's demise. However now that we know that River is some part Time Lord and the Doctor couldn't feel that, surely he must be working out how to cheat her death further.
I'd really like that there's something in The Brig's garage under an old dusty tarp that sends the Doctor on one more adventure. I'd like to see him read letter from the Brig we never know the content of. A "No, that's just one I keep for me" moment.
The comic is great, but The Brig deserves an on-screen send off even if we don't have Courtney any longer to participate.
I'd like to see the Doctor's study on-screen at last where at the end he hangs a picture of young Allister on a wall full of pictures of all the other companions and friends. That would be a set worth building.
I think it's a beautiful tribute to the Brig. If they don't somehow work in his and Sarah Jane's death into Doctor Who I will be very disappointed.
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