KKLAK!: The Doctor Who Art Of Chris Achilleos (book review).
I stumbled upon ‘KKLAK!: The Doctor Who Art Of Chris Achilléos’ entirely by accident, and the mere sight of Achilléos’ name (1947-2021) was enough to capture my interest. Any ‘Doctor Who’ fan is likely familiar with the Target cover books he illustrated and painted. Achilléos designed 27 covers for the original series, as well as additional covers for specials about the series, and even created four new covers specifically for this book. In the early days, there was little photo-reference available for these covers. Considering the scarcity of photos or magazines on the subject back then, the occasional error, such as left-handed Daleks or the wrong Cyberman design, which Achilléos himself acknowledges, is not surprising. The title ‘KKLAK!’ comes from the sound effect used on the cover of ‘Doctor Who And The Dinosaur Invasion.’
Each cover is displayed art-only, with small pictures including logos not only from Target but also from foreign editions and audiobooks. Achilléos provides notes on each double-page spread about art techniques, challenges, or aspects he would approach differently today. Of all the Doctors, only actor Jon Pertwee expressed dissatisfaction with his portrayal, criticizing Achilléos for not getting his nose right. Interestingly, if you examine Achilléos’ artwork collectively, even Tom Baker’s nose varies. From my perspective as an artist, capturing the eyes accurately is key, as people don’t usually notice minute differences – this is why we can recognize caricatures. Achilléos’ fine dot pointillism technique began accidentally when he used a repidograph pen with the wrong-sized tip, leading him to later use bigger dots.
Objectively examining the art and Achilléos’ transition from black and white to color, he eventually combined both. Black and white often works better for faces, adding depth. In comparison, the color versions of the Doctor are less recognizable due to missing facial lines. It’s also important to consider the progress in art and printing technology since then, especially in achieving subtle colors on covers. Towards the end of the book, Achilléos notes that young faces lack sufficient lines, which can be particularly challenging with female faces.
For ‘Doctor Who’ fans, this book is probably already in your collection. If you’ve missed it until now, be sure to get a copy. It allows you to relive your past without having to pull all your Target ‘Doctor Who’ books off the shelf just to admire the covers.
GF Willmetts
December 2023
(pub: Candy Jar Books, 2023. 122 page illustrated large softcover. Price: varies (UK). ISBN: 978-1-912535-79-8)
check out website: www.candyjarbooks.co.uk and www.chrisachilleos.co.uk
