Carole E. Barrowman, the sister of John Barrowman and the writer of the comic strip in Torchwood Magazine issue 14 recently kindly agreed to do an interview with the Tardis Base. Earlier this month we asked visitors of the site to send in questions for Carole, and the best were picked. You can read our interview with Carole below, where your question may be picked. Please note that the following interview is just for the Tardis Base and so it may not be reproduced in any way.

TB: Hello Carole, thanks for doing this interview.

Carole: It’s my pleasure. Thanks for asking.

TB: We know you have written the new Torchwood comic strip with John, what can you tell us about it?

Carole: The story we came up with is a retelling–a re-imagining–of an ancient Orcadian myth. I’d written a short story about the myth of the selkie and when John and I were brainstorming ideas for a Captain Jack comic, he remembered my story. So we adapted it to become what we’re calling “A Captain Jack Tale.” The story takes place on an island off the Orkney’s and, well, I’m afraid too say too much more and spoil your experience . . .

TB: Will the comic strip run through just one issue or many issues of Torchwood Magazine?

Carole: This is a stand-alone comic strip within Torchwood magazine.

TB: Does the comic feature Gwen and Ianto, or just Captain Jack?

Carole: This is a Captain Jack story and not really a Torchwood tale so Jack is all by himself on this adventure.

TB: Who is your favourite character in Torchwood excluding Captain Jack?

Carole: I have to say that I’m a big fan of the girls . . . of Gwen and Tosh. I think they balance each other’s strengths and weaknesses so well and yet both are complex and intelligent women.

TB: You have also written your brothers autobiography with him, how did you find writing that?

Carole: It was exhilarating, exhausting, intense, funny . . . one of the best parts about the process was that although John and I have always been close this afforded us an opportunity as adult siblings to really make our relationship even stronger. I’m very thankful for that.

TB: If you got the chance, would you write a Torchwood book or even an episode?

Carole: I’d love to tackle either one. Who knows what the future may bring . . .

TB: Has John told you anything regarding Children of Earth?

Carole: I was actually on the set for part of CofE last fall and I’ve also read the scripts . . . I’m afraid my lips are very sealed . . . but OMG!

TB: Do you watch Doctor Who regularly or do you just watch episodes with Captain Jack if at all?

Carole: I grew up in Scotland in the sixties and seventies. I’ve been a fan since the early doctors (Jon Pertwee was my favorite classic doc). When my family moved to the US in 1976, I watched them all over again when they ran over here. Without John’s connection to the series, I’d still be a big fan. My husband is too.

TB: Do you believe in aliens and the supernatural?

Carole: I believe there are lots of mysteries in this world that need creative explanations . . . I have an open mind and a very active imagination.

Here are the questions asked by the visitors of the Tardis Base:

Jamie asks: Did you find it hard to write the comic, and what was it like working with your brother John on it?

Carole: Jamie, working with John is always a delight . . . exhausting and hilarious but a delight nevertheless. Since I’m used to writing longer pieces, the challenge in writing a comic script was in the demand for verbal succinctness and the compression of the plot’s exposition. I read a lot of graphic novels so I think that really helped.

Graham asks: If you had the chance to be in Torchwood, would you like to appear as Captain Jack’s actual sister?

Carole: That may be a little too close to home, Graham, but I’d be okay with being the doctor’s smart sassy sister, especially if that meant I could be a Time Lord too. I also think it would be fun to play a brilliant scientist since that’s pretty far from my reality.

Ayrton asks: How do you feel about your brother being in Doctor Who and Torchwood?

Carole: Love it, Ayrton. I’ve been a ‘Doctor Who’ fan since I first saw the show in the late sixties, and to have my ‘wee’ brother step into that universe is very cool . . . particularly since it’s allowed me the chance to actually be inside the Tardis.

Andrew asks: Is there going to be a new alien creature in the comic? If so did you work closely with the artist to verify your idea of what the creature should look like?

Carole: Indeed, Andrew, there is a new alien creature in the comic . . . an amazing one even if I do say so myself. Tommy Lee Edwards and Trevor Goring more than exceeded my imagination in terms of what it would look like. Once the actual drawing phase of the project began, the three of us exchanged many emails and phone calls.

Carole is a Professor of English at Alverno College in Milwaukee, WI, where, among other things literary, she teaches a course titled, 'The Future in Film and Fiction.' She's a regular reviewer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Minneapolis Star and Tribune, and a regional NBC morning show.

Along with the interview we also got sent an exclusive piece of artwork from the upcoming comic strip as did several other sites.

Torchwood Magazine issue 14 goes on sale tomorrow at the RRP of £4.99 in all good newsagents and comic shops across the UK and Ireland, and it will go on sale on the 17th of March in the US. To read more information about the issue then click here. A new page is soon being added to the site for interviews, where there will be a new one added each month.