by Chris Achilléos

Candy Jar Books, out now

A glorious celebration of a glorious Doctor Who career.

There’s a number of personal reminiscences in the back of this lavish tome from Candy Jar, many of which boil down to people’s eyes being drawn to the artwork on the early Target Doctor Who books. They were indeed eye-catching, from the initial Hartnell-era trio to the season 7 pair – and Achilléos continued to provide them for the range right through to The Ark in Space in May 1977. In those days I was lucky enough to be at school by Hammersmith Bridge, and people at WH Allen’s offices in King Street were kind enough to let me have advance “flats” of the covers – how I wish I still had them now! I can still remember seeing those last two that he did – Axos and Ark – and loving them.

Every front cover that Achilléos painted during that time is here (sadly the little pictures on the back from books such as The Tenth Planet aren’t), with comments from Achilléos regarding their genesis, or his opinion of them. (Some he’s far more critical of than they deserve.) The actual covers (usually first edition with the complementary colours for the logo) are reprinted at smaller size, along with foreign reprints, CD covers and associated photographs, as well as the back cover text. On the facing page is the artwork in all its glory, without logo or text.

The extra books Achilléos painted covers for – from The Making Of Of Doctor Who (sic) to the Typhoo Tea Amazing World and beyond – are also covered, as are the three new Targets from 2016 (with the full painting of Varos, complete with noose around Colin Baker’s neck), and multiple private commissions, most of which will be new to readers. What will be new to everyone are the paintings that Achilléos has done specifically for the book (The Invasion being my favourite of these). There’s also plenty of information regarding his process, and the high regard in which he’s held by fans and Doctor Who professionals alike.

Verdict: A well laid out, well presented tribute. 9/10

Paul Simpson

The paperback can be pre-ordered here from Amazon