is a of the
Sixth and
Seventh Doctor s. The
Canonicity of the comic strips, like other ''Doctor Who''
Spin-off media, is unclear.
Frobisher is a , one of a shape-changing
Extraterrestrial race. What is assumed to be his natural form, as seen in his first comic strip appearance, is
Humanoid , pale yellow in color, three to four feet in height, with a round, featureless head, and wearing spectacles. However, he preferred to spend his free time in the form of a
Penguin .
When he first appeared in ''The Shape Shifter'' (DWM #88-#89) (written by
Steve Parkhouse , with art by
John Ridgway ), Frobisher was a
Private Investigator calling himself "Avan Tarklu" (a play on the phrase "Haven't a clue"). He came across
The Doctor when an enemy, Dogbolter, had placed a bounty on the Doctor. After infiltrating the
TARDIS , instead of turning the Doctor in for the money, Tarklu decided that he liked the
Time Lord and helped him against Dogbolter. He then joined the Doctor on his journeys. He assumed the name of Frobisher because he felt that it sounded British and thought that the Doctor would like that.
Frobisher was once married to Francine, another Whifferdill, who left him because she was a better detective than he was. Apparently, he was very fond of her in penguin form, and so adopted it to remind himself of her. It is not a static form, however, as Frobisher has been seen emulating different types of penguins.
Frobisher travelled with the Doctor for quite a long time, occasionally parting company only for their paths to cross once again. He left the Doctor permanently during the latter's seventh incarnation in ''A Cold Day in Hell'' (DWM #130-#133) and reunited with Francine. Subsequently, he was seen to have set up a bar called "Bish's" and remarried to Francine, who had taken the alias Caralla.
The '' by
David A. McIntee and two
Big Finish Productions audio plays, ''
The Holy Terror '' and ''
The Maltese Penguin '', both written by
Rob Shearman and featuring
Robert Jezek as Frobisher. ''Maltese Penguin'' also featured Dogbolter (
Toby Longworth ) and Francine (
Jane Goddard ).
In the novel ''The Scarlet Empress'',
Iris Wildthyme claimed that a shape-changer who assumed the shape of a penguin was once her companion. This could refer to Frobisher, Francine, or someone else entirely. However, like much of everything associated with Wildthyme, this claim may or may not have anything to do with actual events.
