Here is a page of artwork from TV Comic (apologies for the poor quality, it’s under glass).
TV Comic was a mainstay of ‘wet playtime’ when I was at school. I used to hope it would rain ( I was a fat, stay-inside kind of kid) so I could reread the teacher’s stash of comics – there were hundreds of them, a veritable treasure trove.
This page is from a story called The Magician, drawn by Gerry Haylock, and appeared in issues 1117 – 1183 in 1974 starring Jon Pertwee. In the latter ’70s, to save money ( I assume that they knew the licence was going to Marvel for the imminent Doctor Who Weekly? ), strips were reprinted, and so Pertwee was overpainted with Tom Baker. This was done here by John Canning, and saw print in issues 1397 – 1403.
Here’s a couple of close-ups to show the changes.
I know what I like.... 
January 21, 2014 at 2:44 pm
I remember these TV Comic re-paints very well, a cheap way of recycling old material, always wondered what Gerry Haylock made of them though John Canning was an equally competent artist of course. Well worth a re-visit !
January 21, 2014 at 2:50 pm
Yes, and how many pages of these repaints would have to be done to make it pay for the artist?
January 22, 2014 at 3:24 pm
I guess there’d have to be a reprint fee for the original artist and obviously a payment for the updates by the new guy; can’t have amounted to much as it was cheaper than coughing up for a brand new strip. In the time before we were spoilt by lots of merchandise the Polystyle strips filled quite a gap – I especially loved the early 70s Pertwee strips in Countdown and TV Action!
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January 24, 2014 at 1:39 pm
This isn’t actually The Magician – it’s The Amateur – a good story that ran over Christmas time originally with the third Doctor’s version and includes a visit to the first World War on Christmas Day
January 24, 2014 at 1:41 pm
Thank you for that information. My research was obviously a bit too rushed and slap-dash. Note to self; must try harder.
January 24, 2014 at 2:13 pm
It is fascinating to see that page of artwork.
In the mid 1970s TV Comic was still publishing an original weekly Doctor Who strip. It wasn’t until late in the decade that it replaced this with one overlaying Pertwee (and in one case Troughton) with Tom Baker’s likeness.
As noted above the featured page is from ‘The Amateur’, specifically the second page of the third episode, from #1392, 18 August 1978.
In May 1978, a few months before the publication of this strip, TV Comic had advised BBC Enterprises of their intention to quit their licence (paving the way for the arrival of Marvel’s Doctor Who Weekly later the following year). TV Comic seems to have been obligated to serve out one year’s notice from the time of , hence the abrupt switch to considerably cheaper reprinted weekly strips in 1978-79.
best wishes,
Paul Scoones
Author of The Comic Strip Companion – The Guide to Doctor Who in Comics 1964-1979.
January 24, 2014 at 2:25 pm
Thank you. I am ashamed to admit I have your excellent book on Doctor Who comics and DIDN’T consult it. (shuffles off, hanging head in shame)