Doctor Who fandom raises thousands to battle gun violence

The Doctor Who fan and podcast community joined forces this week to launch #WhoAgainstGuns, a campaign to raise money to combat gun violence.

Doctor Who fans around the world are coming together for an amazing cause and attempting to use the power of their online fandom to bring about important change in the wake of the tragic school at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

As a result of the nationwide conversation about gun control, the Doctor Who fan and podcast communities decided to take action. A group of prominent podcasters, creatives, fans and even a handful of Who writers joined forces to launch an initiative to raise money to combat gun violence.

Called Who Against Guns ( or #WhoAgainstGuns on Twitter), the effort is making no bones about its intention to embrace the Doctor’s message of kindness, care and justice – as well as her general opposition to gun violence.

Podcasters from popular Doctor Who shows Reality Bomb, Verity!, This Week in Time Travel, Gallifrey Public Radio and more signed on to participate in the fundraiser. The event will culminate in a eleven-episode podcast of Classic Doctor Who episode “The War Games,” with over 40 participants in total.

“The War Games” is a ten-episode Second Doctor tale. It features the first appearance of the Time Lords, as well as our first look at Gallifrey itself. It’s also Patrick Troughton’s regeneration story, though we don’t see the complete transition to incoming Third Doctor Jon Pertwee. (Casting issues. It happens.)

Anyone who donates at least $10 to March for Our Lives, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence or Moms Demand Action can receive a link to download the commentary. You can find more information on this – as well as options for international fans who want to contribute – on the Reality Bomb website. While you’re there, you can download social media graphics to show your support. You can also find voter information and educational resources on the topic of gun violence.

The Who Against Guns campaign kicked off a few days ago, but has already raised over $3,000. How big can this fundraiser get? As big as the universe, we can all hope.

Thanks to this enthusiastic initial response, Reality Bomb announced a special stretch goal. If the campaign reaches $7,000, former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat will guest star on a bonus commentary of “The War Games” final episode.

What an amazing opportunity to hear something really special and support a great cause at the same time. What can’t fandom do?

Next: Oakland and other cities to get Black Panther-inspired STEM centers

Visit the Reality Bomb podcast website for more details on how you can take part. They might also have also have special giveaways and commentary updates as the campaign goes on. So stay tuned. Who knows what might happen next?