Another of the golden generation of British comics writers and artists to have shaped Doctor Who, we were thrilled to have a chance to talk in detail with Steve Parkhouse about his early work in Doctor Who Magazine.

In this detailed chat from 2010 we covered Tides of Tim in detail, as well as Steve’s particular take on the Doctor as more of a catalyst, than an active ingredient in his stories.

"My ideas were rarely concerned with the character of the Doctor, or what a specific actor brought to the role. That was the province of TV, where an actor could do his thing and get kudos or not. In the comic strip, there was no actor involved to bring the character to life. The only voice was mine.

What transpired was a kind of multidimensional circus, with no single individual as ringmaster. Least of all the Doctor. The ringmaster was me. I shoved the actors aside and did my own thing. I wasn’t concerned about the character of the next Doctor, or the previous Doctor. In the comic strip they were all played by me.

My take on the Doctor was that he was some kind of catalyst in the cosmic brew. His presence was enough to initiate change, although he remained the same. A catalyst is central to a chemical reaction, but it’s not the principal ingredient. There is no principal ingredient.

The Doctor’s view of the universe echoes my own. The universe organises itself, and that includes us. If we try and buck the system we find ourselves staring into a hostile void. Into our own emptiness."

You can read the whole interview with Steve Parkhouse in VWORPVWORP! 1 & 2 collected Order your copy here.