SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON 2013: THE DOCTOR IS IN THE HOUSE!

© SDCC

Amongst the constant ramblings of the latest Marvel movie, or the somewhat peculiar appearance from Metallica, it comes as no surprise that the Doctor Who panel still managed to wow audiences with its presence in anticipation of the programme’s 50^th anniversary.

To discuss the upcoming special, Matt Smith, Jenna Coleman and series show-runner Stephen Moffat made a very welcome appearance in front of over 6,000 onlookers. Once their favourite Time lord took his seat, fans were treated to a short teaser trailer, hinting at some of the episode’s content. Judging by the audience's reaction, this will definitely be worth the wait.

Matt Smith, the man behind the icon for the past three years, also spoke a little on his upcoming departure. He said “I’m proud and grateful to be a part of it…I just wanted to say, thank you, for all your support”.

Amongst the panel discussions and teaser videos, fans were celebrating Doctor Who just as much, if not more, than the actors themselves. With the area teeming with cosplay enthusiasts resembling various Whovian characters (and certain box-shaped time machines) a sense of genuine love for the programme ran throughout the building. This was allegedly too much fun for Matt Smith to just sit and watch, who instead opted to don a Bart Simpson mask to walk amongst his admirers!

As one of the major appearances on the final day of San Diego Comic-Con 2013, Doctor Who certainly made an impact, but more importantly, gets us even more excited for the end of the year when we can all see the 50^th anniversary special!

COMPANIONS

A brand new Doctor Who book is now available from Candy Jar Books for pre-order. Companions: Fifty Years of Doctor Who Assistants is an unofficial and frank guide of the Time Lord’s adventures in space and time. Drawing on plots from the TV series as well as other media, this book is fascinating reading for fans of both the classic and current series of Doctor Who.

To coincide with the launch of the book the publisher, Candy Jar, is asking fans to vote for their favourite Doctor Who companion. The results will be released when the book is published in June. To vote go to:

www.candy-jar.co.uk/companions/index.html

Companions: Fifty Years of Doctor Who Assistants provides readers with an in-depth account of each Doctor's fellow travellers.

Andy Frankham-Allen has been a Doctor Who fan since his childhood and has relished the opportunity to write this book in celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the series. Andy, who penned several Short Trip stories for Big Finish, feels the time is right for a more detailed look at the journey of the Doctor Who companion. He said: “It's been a long time since there's been an honest and frank look at the Doctor's journey and the lives he changes. This book will challenge the notion that he always takes the best.”

Gary Russell, former Doctor Who Magazine editor, Big Finish producer, BBC script editor and Doctor Who novelist, has provided the book’s foreword. Garysaid: “Of course there have been books about companions before – but few of them go into this amount of detail, display this amount of in-depth knowledge and above all, this amount of love. As a celebration of everything that makes the Doctor’s (and therefore our) best friends unique and special, this book is essential.”

Signed copies of the book are now available to pre-order from the Candy Jar Books website (www.candy-jar.co.uk/books/companions.html) for no additional charge.