Welcome
Whatever else 2022 may have in store for us – both in terms of Doctor Who and our ongoing battle to regain some real-world normality – we begin the new year with the sad knowledge that more of the programme’s greatest contributors have left us. In this issue we look forward to the seemingly endless possibilities that digital technology offers the series, but we also reflect on the legacies of writer Bob Baker and artist Chris Achilléos. I grew up with their work, and in later life I was lucky enough to collaborate with Chris on several occasions.
I first met Chris in 2007, when we filmed a lengthy interview for On Target, a series of documentaries included as special features on Doctor Who DVDs. Chris was self-effacing yet fiercely protective of his legacy and insistent that arguably his most eccentric design – the ‘KKLAK!’ illustration for the cover of Doctor Who and the Dinosaur Invasion – had been the right thing to do. That cover has been part of our lives for so long, it’s difficult to empathise with the horrified editor who first clapped eyes on it. Fortunately for us, Chris stood his ground. He was similarly assertive when, shortly afterwards, the unauthorised use of his artwork led to a dispute that brought his original run of Target illustrations to an end. By that time I expect he’d acquired a reputation as something of an awkward customer, but it’s so often the way that the very best people need some of the most careful nurturing.