The Marks left from Whovians

    Have you ever stepped inside a phone box? Particularly, either red or blue ones found scattered across the United Kingdom. If you have, you'd find yourself awfully cramped while inside. Yet, drifting like a jetsam in space, is one particular police box known for having an interior that's infinitely 

Blue police phone box in Glascow, Scotland (6).

expansive. In the universe of Doctor Who, an individual with a multitude of lives and their companion travel through time and space, all while in a simple blue box. Over the last several decades during the show's runtime, many individuals have become infatuated with its artwork, concepts, and more. These individuals have banded together into the fandom known as Whovians. Becoming a Whovian doesn't require you to scan for context or hidden meaning in conversations, but maybe just have a favorite character or episode. Love for the show can be witnessed through the myriad of activities that Whovians either produce or take part in. Activities in the fandom span from artwork and cosplays to conventions and fan wars. Let's take a stroll through time and examine what Whovians have accomplished. 

  Artwork

    Whovians have flooded sites like DeviantArt, Pinterest, and Reddit with submissions of art stuffed full of color and character. With a plethora of artwork, where does the fanbase pull their ideas from? Doctor Who benefits from being an original concept given its old age in media. Yet with any original idea, many try to put a personal twist on it. Many posts can be found across the aforementioned sites that show either cartoonish, realistic, or plain humorous styles. In specific, many posts can be found on DeviantArt from Doctor-Whovians. Doctor-Whovians was created in 2011 for the purpose of those who "can't get their fix" of the universe (2). This group has had hundreds if not thousands of contributions, with almost a quarter of a million views. Even then, Doctor-Whovians is like a single pea in a pod, with dozen's more groups present on numerous sites. Overall, an unthinkable amount of people has contributed their own pieces of art over the last several decades.

Conventions

Image of cosplays of 10th Doctor (right), 11th Doctor(left), and
their companions at a Russian convention (4).

    Since the show's reboot in early 2000s, and the rising popularity of Comic-Con and other conventions, many have flocked to these gatherings. Comic-Con is a convention first started in the early 70s but didn't rise in popularity till mid 90s (7). This convention was, as the name suggests, for comics and for people to display their love for them. Since then, it's grown incredibly, and houses many genres of fiction under its roof. Fun fact, Doctor Who has had its own convention since 2000, called Chicago TARDIS! There, they have actors and crew from the earlier running of the show from the 60s. Now going back to Comic-Con, Doctor who fits snug into such genres. Many Whovians go to Comic-Con for several reasons. First, many of the cast and crew can be found at panels. This allows for some one-on-one interaction between the actor and an individual. Whoever has the mic can ask for questions, advice, opinions, or even some nasty secrets about other crewmembers while on set. Second, it gives Whovians a chance to display their artistic talents, sometimes through artwork, but especially through cosplay. In short, people will dress up either as previous villains, companions, or even the Doctor. Once they're all suited up, they traverse across the center floor, acting in character and reenact iconic scenes from the show. Lastly, Whovians can interact face to face, instead of just online or over calls. Conversations about themes or best episodes occur. Yet, one common debate will always sprout, who is the best Doctor or companion?

Fan Wars

Artwork depicting the 10th Doctor (left), 11th 
Doctor(right), and their companions (1).

    Fan wars and debates have continued for years, often about the best doctor in the franchise. For clarification, a specific Doctor refers to what version or reincarnation the main character, The Doctor, is on. Many arguments have been had between the 10th and 11th Doctors, played by David Tennant and Matt smith respectively. What are these debates about? Often, they're about one's characteristics, such as charisma or attitude, their development as characters through story, or sometimes how the season played out (5). For example, some make the comment that the 10th Doctor is better because of their range of emotions. While some argue the 11th Doctor is better because of cinematography during his showtime. Although, through the thick and thin of the argument, one agreement can be found between all Whovians. Neither Doctor is particularly better or worse, they're simply different in their approach to the character.

Cover for the 15th publication
 of Whovian Times (3).

From Humble Beginnings

    While Doctor who picked up popularity when it rebooted in the 2000s, the term Whovians was coined much earlier. From the early 80s to the early 90s, a fan magazine under the name Whovian Times was published by the Doctor Who Fan Club of America. In this magazine, they'd discuss who is the doctor, their companions, and more. Over time, they would have about 20 publications of the magazine. Decades of effort from Whovians have left their love and admiration for the show prevalent in the activities that they participate in. This has allowed them to etch their own mark in current times.

Reference List

(1) charco. (2010, January 22). Children of time. DeviantArt. https://www.deviantart.com/charco/art/Children-of-Time-151344079

(2) IrvingBraxiatel. (N.D.). Doctor-whovians. DeviantArt. https://www.deviantart.com/doctor-whovians/aboutus/

(3) Tardis, C. to. (N.D.). Whovian Times. https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Whovian_Times

(4) valeravlerevna. (2016, May 16). Doctor who cosplay project 2016 -1 . DeviantArt. https://www.deviantart.com/valeravalerevna/art/Doctor-Who-cosplay-project-2016-1-609463087

(5) N.D. (2012, July 13). I know this is awful of me to do... Matt Smith vs. David Tennant. (give reasons). Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/doctorwho/comments/whjze/i_know_this_is_awful_of_me_to_do_matt_smith_vs/

(6) N.D. (2023, March 31). Genealogy tours of Scotland: Getting a head start in 2023: Scotland Tours, Glasgow Police, police box. Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/769763761332941407/

(7) N.D. (2023, November 19). San Diego comic-con. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego_Comic-Con