Doctor Who Magazine (special issues)

"Special issues" of Doctor Who Magazine were those published by Marvel UK which did not have a number. Instead, they were identified by a season of the year or a special event. For this reason, they are someimes called "seasonal issues" or "holiday specials". It is clear, however, that they were a part of the regular run of DWM, rather than a standalone publication. In addition to evidence gleaned from the indicias, the issues were at least originally incentives used to grow the subscriber base of DWM. Although available for separate purchase on newsstands, the original intent of the specials was that they were free with home delivery of DWM.
== Naming conventions ==
Until the Tenth Anniversary Special, the official, indicia name of these issues were usually in the format:
:Doctor Who <season/occasion> Special <year>. Thus: Doctor Who Summer Special 1985.
However, after the 10th Anniversary, the word "Magazine", which had always been on the cover, suddenly began appearing in the indicia. At the same time, the year tended to go missing from the indicia.
:Doctor Who Magazine <season/occasion> Special, Hence: Doctor Who Magazine Summer Special was the official name of the 1991-1995 Summer Specials.
This variation over time made it difficult for fans and scholars to have a uniform approach when speaking of or citing the issues.
== Overview of the Specials ==
The very earliest specials consisted mostly of reprinted comic material from the regular magazine. Most issues, however, offered all-new material. At least one comic strip was started in a numbered issue of DWM only to be concluded in a seasonal issue. Indeed, some of the new comic material is particularly noteworthy. A number of televised companions got their comic debuts in the pages of a DWM seasonal.
Over time, their format changed somewhat. Though the majority of these issues do look like ordinary issues of DWM, some later specials tended towards particular themes, with exhaustive research done, largely by Andrew Pixley of both production history and fictional "facts".
The 1985 Summer Special was exceptional in that while being presented as a Doctor Who Special, to all intents and purposes it qualifies as a graphic novel.
Anniversary Specials to celebrate anniversaries of Doctor Who or Doctor Who Magazine have sometimes appeared.
DWMS Summer 1980.jpg|Summer 1980
DWMS Summer 1981.jpg|Summer 1981
DWMS Winter Special 1981.jpg|Winter 1981
DWMS Summer 1982.jpg|Summer 1982
DWMS Winter 1982.jpg|Winter 1982
DWMS Summer 1983.jpg|Summer 1983
DWMS Winter 1983-84.jpg|Winter 1983
DWMS Summer 1984.jpg|Summer 1984
DWMS Winter 1984.jpg|Winter 1984
DWMS Summer 1985.jpg|Summer 1985
DWMS Winter 1985.jpg|Winter 1985
DWMS Summer 1986.jpg|Summer 1986
DWMS Winter 1986.jpg|Winter 1986
DWMS Autumn 1987.jpg|Autumn 1987
DWMS 25th Anniversary Special.jpg|25th Anniversary 1988
DWMS Tenth Anniversary Special.jpg|1979-1989 10th Anniversary
15 DWM SS 1991.jpg|Summer 1991
DWMS Winter 1991.jpg|Winter 1991
17 DWM HS 1992.jpg|Summer 1992
18 DWM WS 1992.jpg|Winter 1992
DWMS Summer 1993.jpg|Summer 1993
DWMS Winter 1993-30th-Front.jpg|30th Anniversary 1993
DWMS Winter 1993-30th-Full.jpg|30 Anniversary 1993 Full cover
DWMS Summer 1994-Front.jpg|Summer 1994Front cover
DWMS Summer 1994-Back.jpg|Summer 1994Back cover
27 DWM CC SEa.jpg|The Dalek Chronicles(front 1 of 2)
27 DWM CC SEb.jpg|The Dalek Chronicles (back 2 of 2)
DWMS Winter 1994.jpg|Winter 1994
DWMS Summer 1995.jpg|Summer 1995
DWMS Spring 1996.jpg|Spring 1996
The Doctor Who Movie Special.jpg|Movie Special
== Supplemental issues ==
These issues were published as supplements alongside main issues of Doctor Who Magazine.
TBA.jpg|The Doctor Who Magazine Index (with DWM 218 and 219)
DWM 001.jpg|DWM 1 reprint (with DWM 350)
The daleks are back cover.jpg|The Daleks Are Back! (with DWM 467)
500 DWM issues cover.jpg|500 DWM Issues (with DWM 500)
Sub Zero (graphic novel).jpg|*Sub Zero (with DWM 508)
TBA.jpg|The Making of Series 11(with DWM 539)
DWM The Index.jpg|Doctor Who Magazine: The Index (with DWM 544)
Past masters classic comic strips cover.jpg|Past Masters, Classic Comic Strips (with DWM 547)
TBA.jpg|Doctor Who Poster Magazine(with DWM 550)
Monstrous beauty supplement cover.jpg|Monstrous Beauty (with DWM 556)
TBA.jpg|The Making of Series 12 (with DWM 570)
Doctor Who A BBC Production.jpg|Doctor Who: A BBC Production (with DWM 583)
Four Hours of Doom's Day (comic anthology).jpg|Four Hours of Doom's Day(with DWM 592)
Doctor Who and the Star Beast - DWM 598.png|Doctor Who and the Star Beast(with DWM 598)
Category:Doctor Who Magazine
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Category:DWM by year