DWO caught up with co-writer of the Torchwood Comic Strip; 'Captain
Jack and the Selkie', Carole E. Barrowman.
Firstly, let's get things out in the
open, would you consider yourself a fan of Doctor Who, Torchwood - or
both?
Oh, my, don’t do this to me . . . actually, I have to
say . . . both. Truly. I’ve loved Doctor Who since the late sixties (Jon
Pertwee was my fave from that era), but I think even if my brother
wasn’t playing Captain Jack I’d love Torchwood. I’m a huge scifi fan. At
Alverno College, I teach a class called, “The Future in Film and
Fiction,” and I always find ways to bring in my own pop culture
interests.
What first got you into writing?
I’ve been writing since childhood. When I was about 7 or
8, I developed a blood disorder and was in a Glasgow hospital for a
while. All I could do was read and write, which I did voraciously. I
wrote lots of stories. I get a lot of pleasure from writing and reading.
I’m lucky that I have a career that allows me to do a lot of both.
How did the idea come about for your new Torchwood Comic in
Torchwood Magazine?
It was in 2007 and John and I were in a warehouse in
Cardiff. He was filming the Torchwood episode – I think it was actually
called “Meat”– and because there were so many shots that needed a green
screen, the shoot was getting long. John starts getting silly and his
antics eventually became this game we called, ”What Would Jack Do?” What
would Jack do to end this shoot right now? Anyway, John and I kept
playing in the car on the way home and when we started to invent some
decent ideas, John said, “We should write a real Captain Jack story.” So
we did.
You've worked with John on a number of projects including his
autobiography; Anything Goes. Do you feel you have a good working
relationship?
We have a great relationship . . . I have to say it’s
one of the great joys of working together as adults that we’ve been able
to become even closer as siblings.
Having now written a Torchwood Comic, would you ever consider writing an
episode for the Television Series?
I’d love to write an episode. John and I certainly have enough ideas
that I think fans would enjoy.
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