As Puffin release the first four Doctor Who books in their Roger Hargreaves collection, Sci-Fi Bulletin speaks exclusively to series writer and artist Adam Hargreaves at the Cardiff launch event. He shares with Nick Joy why he initially wasn’t convinced it was a great idea, literally watching Doctor Who hiding behind the sofa and whether Wally the Worm travels between dimensions…

“What a lot of Mr Men there are,” chirped Arthur Lowe in the BBC TV series based on Roger Hargreaves’ phenomenally-successful 1970s children’s books. “I wonder which one we’ll meet today?” he’d posit before humming the catchy theme tune. “Mr Strong!” I’d scream repeatedly at the TV, hoping vainly that I could influence the outcome. But if the Dr. Men had been around at that time I would definitely have been shouting for Tom Baker’s Dr. Fourth instead of that square, red, egg-munching strongman.

We meet Adam at the launch event of this new venture, fittingly at Cardiff’s Doctor Who Experience, just across the road from where the show itself is made at BBC’s Roath Lock Studios. He has just walked through the interactive experience element of the attraction and is getting ready to sign pre-release copies of the books for a long queue of fans. We’re sat in a green room which ordinarily would appear appears to be a first aid, medical or… doctor’s room. How appropriate.

Hi Adam, there’s quite a crowd out there already, waiting for you, which must be very exciting. I would anticipate that a lot of the readers – or parents of the readers – will have dual interests here, being both first generation Mr. Men fans and Doctor Who fans. What was the genesis of this project?

The first inspiration was from Doctor Who fans themselves because there’s a website where they’ve drawn Mr. Men but with Doctor Who accoutrements on them.  So, they’d done their own mash-up themselves, and I think that gave the BBC and the Mr. Men rights’ owners the idea of a collaboration. They then came to me and asked if I would like to write the stories.

Why do you feel they fit so well into the wider World of Roger Hargreaves brand?

To be honest, when I was first asked whether or not I’d like to do the books I was quite sceptical because Doctor Who and the Mr. Men are aimed at two very different age groups and also live in quite different worlds. But it’s been a pleasant surprise to discover how easily they have melded together and how easy it has been to write the stories. This was a surprise, because you’re taking Doctor Who with its complex concepts and then writing it for pre-school children. It’s also vital to get the Mr. Men humour into the mix too and I’ve discovered that Doctor Who actually has that natural sort of similar humour to the books that my dad [Roger] wrote.

I think visually they also work really well, and I could see that straight out. It has been nice to see how the stories have evolved off the back of the illustrations, which were the start point of it all.

Who was the first Doctor that you drew, and your way in to the series?

I did the First Doctor first – William Hartnell was literally Dr. First. I wanted to avoid doing a cartoon face of the Doctor and then plonking that onto a Mr. Men body shape; I wanted it to look like one of the Mr. Men and also to be a recognisable version of the Doctor. It was important that it was a proper meld.

With the Mr. Men, their defining characteristic is there in their name – Happy, Silly, Strong; what did you use to get the hook for their individual identities of the Doctors?

For some of them it was much easier. With Tom Baker it was easier because he’s got the hat and the scarf, so you’ve got an instant, recognisable start point. A lot of them started with their noses because a lot of the Mr. Men in profile are a big nose with a little body underneath. Then obviously it’s the hair, shoes, hat and that sort of thing.

It’s difficult, because Mr Men don’t wear clothes, meaning that you’re left with the odd thing like shoes, a walking stick  or maybe a hat – there’s not a lot to use. A lot of the identifying factors for a Doctor is what they wear; it defines their character.

River Song appears in Dr. Eleventh in some high-heeled boots, which in a way makes her look naked.

Yes, it’s been a fun process and slightly bizarre! Surreal in many ways!

Doctor Who is a 53-year-old brand and the Mr. Men is 46. Was the fact that they are both long-established institutions a decider in agreeing to the crossover?

There’s definitely that, but also because Doctor Who and the Mr. Men have an obvious synergy in being big British brands. They were both also popular shows on the BBC and that was part of its start point. It has been lovely bringing the two brands together, although I have to say I was slightly nervous because I now have two sets of fans to accommodate… and hopefully impress. It will be really interesting to see how the stories go down.

I don’t know if Mr. Men fans are tough, but Doctor Who fans… we’re very focused! So, just to be clear, do the Dr. characters live with the Mr. Men in the same world?

It’s Doctor Who characters but in a Mr. Men style. That’s how I’d best describe it.

I spotted Wally the Worm in the Dr. books, and he’s also in the Mr. Men books. So does he travel… between dimensions?

The birds, the landscapes, the drawing style and the storytelling style are all in the Mr Men style.

I was reading Dr. Fourth in my head on the way here today and I heard it in Arthur Lowe’s voice.

I’m pleased that you said that because that means that I got it right. Thank you.

Did you grow up watching Doctor Who and would you consider yourself a fan?

I have to say I was a fan of the first generation – or however you term it – but for me [Jon] Pertwee and [Tom] Baker were the two that I grew up with and really enjoyed.

My first memory of the show was the clichéd hiding behind the sofa. I’d been round to see a friend who a couple of years older than me and who was really into Doctor Who. It was the first time I’d ever seen it and was terrified. I slunk behind the sofa, pretending I was playing, not wishing to look as scared as I really was. I’m not sure how old I was but it would have been black and white. There was a baddie that I haven’t really been able to work out who it was – a slug-like creature. My memories might be cheating me, but I was only half-watching it from behind the sofa, so that wouldn’t have helped!

Was your father a fan of Doctor Who and did you ever watch the show together?

I don’t actually remember my dad watching Doctor Who. At that time he was working in advertising so he used to get home from work very late.

For me, as a child, part of the fun of the Mr. Men was drawing them. I used to start from the feet up. What will those who watch your live demonstration today discover?

I tend to start form the top. If they have a hat then I’ll draw the hat first. It’s also about picking out what element is in front of the other bits; if there’s a hand in front then you have to draw that first. I also tend to find it easier to draw from right to left in terms of a curve, so I to turn the page around to keep a proper circle. That’s certainly the case for the Mr. Men, while the Doctors have a few more details.

What size do you draw your figures at?

A little larger than the front cover. Most of it is to the size in the book, unless its particularly detailed and would be a bit fiddly otherwise. I draw in felt tip, scan it in to a computer and then colour it in with Illustrator. So, it’s hand-drawn line but digitally coloured. When I started, I didn’t have that opportunity, I used to colour them all in by hand using magic markers but you don’t get that flat a colour. In a way, I think that’s a richer colour than you get with the computerised one, but the computer is somewhat quicker [chuckles].

I’m sure a lot of people imagine what they’d look like as one of the Mr Men. My own name – Mr Joy – feels like it could be one! Have you had any feedback yet from Tom Baker, Matt Smith or Peter Capaldi about their versions?

I haven’t had any feedback from the actors yet. Part of me doesn’t want to know what they think of my caricatures – they aren’t exactly flattering!

At this point we’re told by a PR assistant that Tom has indeed seen his version and absolutely loves it. 

Oh, that’s great to hear. I think he lives near me, as I often see him on the train when I’m going up to London. We don’t know each other but it’s easy for me to recognise him.

Well, you’ve got the perfect way in to a conversation now! I can’t imagine how anyone would be offended by your caricatures – the nature of it is that you’re exaggerating an aspect. I think it’s the highest compliment to be immortalised in this way.

Thank you. And with the Mr. Men design you’re trying to simplify it as much as you can, while still finding the most recognisable elements.

One consideration, I guess, is that you want the characters to be easy for children to copy?

I think that’s where my dad started in terms of the style of drawing he chose. He purposefully drew something that children could copy easily. My dad was much better an artist than the Mr. Men would lead you to believe.

As indeed yourself, you’re a professional artist. And after the ‘serious’ work, is it a nice palette cleanser to get the trusty black felt tips out again?

It is, absolutely. I still love drawing them. It’s 30 years next year that I’ve been drawing and writing them [his compares to the 17 years that Roger wrote and illustrated books].

One of the World of Hargreaves series I grew up with was Timbucto, where each of the characters was an animal named after the noise they made – Oink, Snap, Baa, etc. I’ve always wondered why they weren’t as successful as the Mr. Men.

Personally, I think it’s one of my dad’s best series. They are really lovely stories but unfortunately have been out of print for a long time

What do you hope to get most out of this day?

For me, the nicest thing about book signings or this sort of event is that I get to see kids’ reactions to what I’ve been doing. I spend most of my time stuck in my office, creating, so these are the opportunities I have to see how children enjoy them. My dad’s characters and my stories – that’s really fun. It gives you a kick to see that reaction… which is hopefully good!

A Mr. Men book feels like the ultimate package. The parent reads it to a child, the child learns to read it by themselves, and then they copy the pictures. It’s a great formula. Is that the enduring appeal?

I think it’s part of the appeal. The main thing that has made Mr. Men successful is that they are still the personification of a human characteristic or emotion, and that’s so easily identifiable for everybody. It also means that it works across a whole range of different age groups in different ways. You can identify a bit of yourself in each of the characters and that’s core to why the Mr. Men are still around more than 45 years after my dad created them.

We get the great reveal later today as to what the next four books are going to be.

Yes, and they’re already drawn and written. I’m still working on the last ones at the moment.

I guess you’re waiting with interest to see who is cast as Dr. Thirteenth? While the rest of us are checking their CV you’ll be checking out their nose and hair!

[Laughs] Yes, it’ll be a whole new caricature to draw. Exciting. I’m hoping he [or she?] is going to have a hat. Hats make things easier. [And as Dr Eleventh would tell you, ‘Hats are cool’!]

With thanks to Adam Hargreaves for finding time to talk to us on a hectic day, Rebecca Booth at Puffin and all at the Doctor Who Experience.

Dr First, Dr Fourth, Dr. Eleventh and Dr. Twelfth are out now. Dr. Second, Dr. Seventh, Dr. Eighth and Dr. Ninth follow on 29 August.

Read our review of the books here and Nick’s report from the event here