The Art Of Time Travel by Peter Mckinstry (book review).
Peter McKinstry is a commercial artist who achieved an ambition with his love of ‘Doctor Who’ by becoming one of its illustrators at Bad Wolf from 2001 to 2006, starting with seasons 2 and 3. What the illustrators do is study the script, decide what aliens, locations, spacecraft, weaponry and such are needed and then provide illustrations quickly, which, after approval, within two weeks become a physical property.
So, what you have with this book is seeing McKinstry’s designs and comments from Russell T Davies but very few photographs of the final product. Then again, you’ve got the series on DVD or Blu-ray and a good memory; combine them with this book and have a good time. After his tenure on season 2, Mckinstry found instead an end of contract; he found his attention put to ‘Torchwood’, where he also contributed to its second season. Although there isn’t that much of that here, McKinstry does show some of his work, including playing with the logo.
After season 2, McKinstry went away to work on a Harry Potter film and then was asked to come back and work on the first Matt Smith season, and we see some of his work here. Added to this mix are a selection of pieces he did for books at the time as well, so you get a well-rounded mix, together with various comments he has to make.
In many respects, all this early work McKinstry did, especially on the key alien races, is the basis for what we have today and a key mover in what we have. To see his artwork before being made into physical properties is an education in itself. For those of you who like building your own replicas and such, a book like this should be useful because you’re seeing the original designs that the model-makers worked from, so you’re using what they used.
What I would like to see is a follow-up book based on the final props used in ‘Doctor Who’ showing how they accomplished these designs. Even McKinstry thinks they are magicians accomplishing this, and we would surely like to compliment them in a similar way.
GF Willmetts
January 2026
(pub: BBC Books/Penguin, 2025. 323-page illustrated large squarish hardback. Price: varies. ISBN: 978-1-785-94969-2).
Check out the website: www.penguin.co.uk/books/470317/doctor-who-the-art-of-time-travel-by-mckinstry-peter/9781785949692
