BBC Worldwide and Sanrio strike deal for new character mash-up.
Doctor Who is about to be seen like never before, with BBC Worldwide teaming with Sanrio to give the brand a Roger Hargreaves-style makeover.
Doctor Who x The World of Hargreaves brings to life the characters in the distinctive story-telling and illustrative style of Roger Hargreaves.
Penguin Young Readers Group – a division of Penguin Random House – will launch four books in spring 2017, with more to follow.
The first titles will be Dr First, Dr Fourth, Dr Eleventh and Dr Twelfth.
The storybook mash-ups, written and illustrated by Adam Hargreaves, combine the iconic storytelling of Doctor Who with the whimsical humor and design made famous by his father, Roger Hargreaves.
By charting the various iterations of Doctor Who through the ages, the collaboration has huge potential to inspire a wave of licensed merchandise that will resonate with seasoned and news fans alike.
Additional product categories are in development for release alongside publishing.
Alastair McHarrie, licensing director at Sanrio Global, said: “There is a wealth of unofficial fan-created content online. We wanted to give something back to these supporters so we’ve created the first official Hargreaves mash-up.
“Who better to partner with than another classic British property, Doctor Who? We couldn’t be more excited.”
Jan Paterson, head of book and audio publishing at BBC Worldwide UK, added: ‘We are thrilled to be teaming up with Sanrio on this fantastic project and think that fans will love these creative incarnations of the Doctor reimagined in the ‘Hargreaves’ style.
“We’re always looking for innovative ways to engage our fans so this is the perfect partnership for us.”
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