Watch Me Run: A Preview Of Doctor Who Series 7 Part 2

He's lost her twice.

The past two times we saw Clara, the Doctor couldn't save her. However, she has reincarnated twice, which leads the last of the Time Lords to present-day London, hoping to save the world (and Clara) from a monstrous presence lurking within the WiFi network!

Once again, BBC1's "Doctor Who" is broadcasting new episodes for Series Seven.  Being fortunate enough to see the first episode, The Bells Of Saint John,  at WonderCon before tonight's official premiere, one can say it's full of the things that Doctor Who fans have come to enjoy during Matt Smith's tenure playing the Doctor: funny, surprising and very timey-wimey!

Smith continues to impress with his weirdly mad-cap performance of the Doctor, but Jenna Louise Coleman as Clara Oswin Oswald brings something back that has been missing from "Doctor Who" for some time -- the flirty relationship between the Doctor and his companion!  Clara's clearly intrigued by the Doctor and definitely wants to know more about him (and his bigger-on-the-inside Tardis), but she teases him at the same time.  It's going to be interesting to see her reaction to the news that the Doctor is married, especially since wife River Song (played by Alex Kingston) is scheduled to make an appearance before the series ends!

Showrunner Steven Moffat avoided season long story-arcs while handling the departure of former companions Amy and Rory, but with the new companion Clara firmly on board for the rest of this series, he has given us a clash between the Doctor and the Great Intelligence (the main villain from last year's Christmas special).  There have been complaints about Moffat's storylines.  Yet each episode are meant to be viewed as a standalone, but pushing foward a storyline that is wrapped up by the series end.  Hopefully long-time intense viewers will be rewarded by then!

Certainly the current high profile of "Doctor Who" in America has been a vindication for a long-time fan like me!  However, I'm not going to examine the show's balance between high and low art or how Americans are finally becoming more sophisticated in their television watching.  I'm just along for the ride, wherever it takes me! 

And I'll reveal one spoiler: the Doctor's motorbike is really cool!

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Two Riders Were Approaching

The Gigi and Barnaby characters mesh well together in Pretty Vacant - Gigi the blunt force and Barnaby the precision strike. Upon first look at Page Three in the upcoming Pretty Vacant: Made In China, you will notice that Gigi is fighting in a sea of security guards while Barnaby waits for his moment to attack. Both are equally effective!

I wasn’t planning on printing another Pretty Vacant story so quickly, but circumstances can take on a life of their own! If the publisher, friends and fellow creators would like to see it, I can certainly do another story if I like my plot, and I do like it.

A Chinese tycoon takes control of the Still Life Corporation, and not longer wanting knock-off merchandise of brand-name goods he wants authentic Gigi mannequins in his homeland. Trouble is that it means abducting the actual Gigi to utilize as a “body mold” in China!

To make it happen, I need collaborators. Knowing what my limitations are artisically, I like to work with others to make the best project possible. And despite knowing better, I should be careful what I wish for…

Ever had a friend who believes he can do better? Let me introduce you to Scripting Robert. He has many ideas for original stories and complained that he doesn’t have a format to present them. So I gave him the plot where he could flesh out the script. I’m guiding him from script to finished book that in the future he could create his own comics, but I’m also doing it in an attempt to shut him up!

Finding the artist, Henry, was a bit more difficult. I originally went through Craiglist in the SoCal area, only to find myself rebuffed by artists who thought the work was too hard or the fee too low. However, in true Moneyball fashion I was able to hire him through an ad on the deviantART forums. Very few people make a living off comic books, so one has to have a passion to complete them!

The current situation only has new Pretty Vacant stories released periodically, but fortunately one can see the hard work and enthusiasm behind the books. Where merchandise vies for your attention with flashy booths and expensive advertising, a low-priced quality product is a welcome change of pace!

Kudos if you spotted the song whose lyrics form this post’s title! With all due respect to Bob, I still prefer Jimi’s interpretation of the music.