“We deal with the odd, the unexplained, anything on earth, or even beyond…”

Chinbeard Books, in partnership with Oak Tree Books, are thrilled to announce ‘The Smell of Death’; a brand new, full-length, graphic novel starring Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart — a.k.a. The Brigadier.

Fully licensed by the Haisman / Lincoln estates (courtesy of writer Andy Frankham-Allen), this all-new adventure, starring one of the most prominent and beloved Doctor Who characters, has been launched via the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo with the project expected to be delivered in September 2024 — 35 years since the last appearance of the character in the main series, in a Seventh Doctor/Sylvester McCoy story called ‘Battlefield’.

‘The Smell of Death’ sees The Brigadier going undercover on the set of a new horror film; one that’s being created and distributed by aliens to take over the world. To stop them, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart enlists the help of leading man actor Jon Pertwee to help him save the day. This unique premise forms the basis for this out-of-this-world adventure, penned by award-winning writer (and Doctor Who Magazine contributor) Barnaby Eaton-Jones and illustrator Miguel Guzman.

The Indiegogo campaign for ‘The Smell of Death’ graphic novel has several perks for fans who choose to support this exciting new project: An Investor’s Brochure; designed as if produced in the 1970s featuring all of the statistics, blurb, pictures, over-the-top marketing hype you would expect from an alien film company desperate for your money. Fans can also own their very own Security Pass, which allows for top-secret UNIT access to the film set and features your photo. The final perk gets your face drawn into ‘The Smell of Death’ story and given a speaking role in the graphic novel.

The character of The Brigadier first appeared in 1968 and has been a mainstay throughout the history of Doctor Who, appearing in 23 stories as well as the 2008 BBC spin-off series ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures’ before actor Nicholas Courtney passed away in 2011. A popular character, the legacy of The Brigadier has continued throughout the ‘New Who’ era with the character’s daughter Kate Stewart (portrayed by Jemma Redgrave) appearing in stories to this day.

‘The Smell of Death’ also features lettering and colouring by award-winning graphic designer Robert Hammond, whose work has appeared as part of the BBC’s Doctor Who DVD releases, and a cover by Adrian Salmon; an artist whose work will be familiar to many Doctor Who fans

Chinbeard Books and Oak Tree Books have, between them, published several cult classic releases in recent years including two volumes of ‘The Tomorrow People: The Complete Look-In Comics’, the award-winning ‘Robin of Sherwood: The Complete Look-In Comics’, and three volumes of ‘Perfect’ (an original undercover spy character, who also appears in ‘The Smell of Death’).

The campaign for ‘The Smell of Death’ is now live. Click here for details: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-smell-of-death-brigadier-lethbridge-stewart–2