Virgin New Adventures Console Room

[warmcanofcoke]

Virgin New Adventures Console Room

Doctor Who Magazine 173 Pg 9
15 May 1991
Art by Lee Sullivan


Doctor Who Magazine 174
12 June 1991
The Chameleon Factor

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Editor: John Freeman
Writer: Paul Cornell
Artist: Lee Sullivan


Doctor Who Magazine 175
10 July 1991
Timewyrm Prequel
Artist: Paul Vyse



Doctor Who Magazine 187
10 June 1992
The Grief

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Dan Abnett
Artists: Vincent Danks, Adolfo Buylla, Robin Riggs



Doctor Who Magazine 192
28 October 1992
Cat Litter

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Marc Platt
Artist: John Ridgway



Doctor Who Yearbook 1993
September 1992
Metamorphosis

Publisher: Marvel Comics UK
Editor: John Freeman
Writer: Paul Cornell
Artist: Lee Sullivan
Colour: Louise Cassell
Letterer: Annie Halfacree



Doctor Who Magazine 202
4 August 1993
Emperor of the Daleks!


Publisher: Marvel Comics UK
Editor: John Freeman
Writer: Paul Cornell
Artist: Lee Sullivan
Letterer: Annie Halfacree



Doctor Who Magazine 305
27 June 2001
The Last Word

Writer:Gareth Roberts
Artist:Lee Sullivan

Lee Sullivan's original art:
http://www.leesullivanart.co.uk/www.leesullivan.co.uk/DoctorWho/Pages/Doctor_Who_DWM.html

Detail:

Doctor Who Magazine no. 532 Winter 2018/2019

https://pocketmags.com/doctor-who-magazine/532/articles/472420/tardis-revolution


Illustration by Gavin Rymill

[galacticprobe]

I think this would have made a far better Season 27 console room than the one they showed during that special! The walls look far better. The console is the same shape, but the control panels have been upgraded (almost looks like Rob's version in some places). So if Season 27 was given the green light, then this is what they should have done with the console room.

Dino.

[handofomega]

I like the fact that this comic console uses the hartnell central column.

[Angelus Lupus]

There seems to be some (entirely understandable) minor variation in how it's drawn - what size are the column ridges, do they have top/bottom collars, what pattern is the ceiling, what exactly is in the time-rotor, and what shape is the main screen? - But overall, I like it, particularly the hexagonal screens on the console. Very apt for the period of Who it would fit in to, even if later designers would probably add a few surrounding elements/set dressing

[Vale]

Always been a fan of this design, and it's great to see some pics of it that I haven't seen before! Thanks!

[galacticprobe]

There seems to be some (entirely understandable) minor variation in how it's drawn

Yeah. Comic artists do have some constraints placed on them. Is it a tight shot (better detail)? Is it a long shot (less detail - a pen can only make a line so thin - but more of the "set" to show)?

Let me see if I can help with the other questions (and others, please chime in with your ideas as well)...

what size are the column ridges

Well, since you've already mentioned the variances in their appearance, it's difficult to call this one. Given that in some of the above frames they look "squared" as from "The Five Doctors" on, and in others they look rounded (pre-"Five Doctors"), I would suggest that for column ridge size, we go with either of those two (if we know each one, and if they're different). Then people can choose their favorite version: pre- or post-"Five Doctors" columns.

do they have top/bottom collars

Again, variances aside, the second frame shown in the first post (with Ace taking that "THUD!" on the floor) shows the columns to have collars on the top and bottom. That said, it's the only frame showing those collars. (The "Five Doctors" on columns didn't have collars, but their ridges didn't go all the way to the ceiling or the floor; on the bottom they stopped roughly 1/4th of a roundel above the floor, while at the top they stopped at the angled part of the fascia. The Season 14 to pre-"Five Doctors" had collars at their tops, but not on the bottoms; the ridges went all the way to the floor, and I've read this was because they used the ridges to hold the wall panels in place, and the curved nature of the columns allowed the angles of the walls to be altered if needed to adjust the size of the console room set.) So again, it's up to the individual to decide which they like better: collars, no collars, collars on top only, on bottom only, or columns with no collars, but ridges that stop before the ceiling and floor.

what pattern is the ceiling

Another tricky one (again because of the constraint on the room the artist has to draw in). The first frame above shows what looks like a curved ceiling edge, but with 6 concentric hexagons across it (like the Series 5-7a console room, but with hexagons above the console rather than circles). The next frame shows the ceiling to have straight edges, with what looks like the 2013 on console room's floor vent-like thingies in the ceiling (again, 6 rows; could be vents or lights), with a larger empty space in the center. And once again it would be up to individuals to choose which they like best.

what exactly is in the time-rotor

In that one really nice close-up of it (3rd image down with the Doctor and Ace at the console) we can clearly see what looks like the original Brachacki (Hartnell) innards inside the column cover. The less detailed images in the other frames show shapes that also hint at the Brachacki column innards, so that would be my guess. (I also remember during the Davison years, Doctor Who Magazine's comics had the 5th Doctor flying around in the TARDIS using the Brachacki console, so having the Brachacki column in this console isn't beyond the realm of plausibility.)

and what shape is the main screen?

Looking at all of the frames posted above, it almost seems like this console room has several "main screens" in its walls. One is square with round corners (a la Seasons 15-26) on a wall panel with no roundels at all; one trapezoidal shape (with a roundel on each side); and lastly one hexagonal screen with a corner at the top and bottom, with three roundels on each side if it.

So either this was just a total discontinuity between artists working on the same story, or one side of this console room has its walls set up almost like NASA's mission control: multiple screens. Again, we're right back to individual preference and choosing which one you (as in each member) like best.

But overall, I like it, particularly the hexagonal screens on the console. Very apt for the period of Who it would fit in to, even if later designers would probably add a few surrounding elements/set dressing

You really should check out rob49152's console thread (http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=2040.0, especially here, http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=2040.15msg36206#msg36206) if you haven't already. Some of his early images of his console have panels like that; there are links to such images in the Page 2 link, and they do look amazing!

I hope some of this babbling was helpful.

Dino.

[Vale]

There seems to be some (entirely understandable) minor variation in how it's drawn - what size are the column ridges, do they have top/bottom collars, what pattern is the ceiling, what exactly is in the time-rotor, and what shape is the main screen?

That'll be the architectural reconfiguration circuit on the blink again

[Angelus Lupus]

...I hope some of this babbling was helpful.

Dino.

Is it babbling? Or is it simply a light-hearted and slightly geeky discussion? Either way I'm having fun 
I have seen the design you linked to (another good one) and it seems this 'angled base to tapering walls' is something many different artists/fans have come up with as a pleasing console room look.

[galacticprobe]

Is it babbling? Or is it simply a light-hearted and slightly geeky discussion? Either way I'm having fun  

I'd like to think it's all of the above, Angelus! I just hope that some of what I'd said was helpful to you. (It sounded like you had a model build starting to form in your head - whether virtual or actual - and I wanted to point out as many of the observations I made in the frames of the comic, though I'm sure I couldn't catch every detail which is why I asked others to chime in with their observations.)

Dino.

[Angelus Lupus]

Oh, I wish I had the skill to try modelling a room like this! Even if I did, I doubt I'd ever be finished/happy with it - I'm likely to change my mind and opinion on how the console room should be more often than The Doctor has! 

[warmcanofcoke]

Still you could attempt something "inspired by..."
Maybe you'd like it. 

[handofomega]

So I had forgotten my love of this console and after reading this thread over and over for a few days I decided to take a stab at a Sketch Up model of this console and console room.  Have a look:






Still a long ways from being done but it is a start

[warmcanofcoke]

I want to see this develop.

[handofomega]

warmcanofcoke I do plan on finishing it.    It shouldn't take too long.   I need to do some fiddly stuff with the controls and the support columns in the corners of the room.   I tried to make the old school roundels but couldn't quite pull it off.   So luckily I made a close approximation of them, close enough for Sketch Up.   I want to transfer it to a rendering program at some point  too.   Hopefully see how it looks fully rendered.

[handofomega]

Also...   Luckily I had a Hartnell central column based on the measurements from here and a pair of Hartnell console room doors based on measurements from here too.   Made putting things together go a bit quicker