Target Cover Competition - Group 7

[Paul Clement]

[Paul Clement]

Generally, this is a bit of a poor round.

Web Planet's not bad, for a Pearson cover anyway, and the Zarbi look far better than they did in the story itself.
Seeds of Death has an Ice Warrior on it that looks like a toy. The background is very uninspired too.
Evil of the Daleks is a little bland, but it's nice to see the Emperor Dalek on it.
The Ark is just plain crap.

The best one of the bunch is Fury From the Deep, which, although it doesn't have much on the cover, is quite strikingly effective.

[Dirk Gently]

I've gone for The Web Planet as it's not quite as boring & dull as the others.

[Dave Tudor]

The Web Planet is good, but as someone said about another cover in the last round, I'd associate it more with the video cover. The Evil Of The Daleks is rather underwhelming for cover of the long-awaited novelisation of such a classic story, while The Ark looks like it hasn't even been finished.

Both Fury From The Deep and The Seeds Of Death, on the other hand, are excellent, and very atmospheric and minimalist at the same time. However, it's the moody Ice Warrior on the moon which wins out for me here.

[Wayne]

If you ask me Web Planet is by far the best of this dull bunch!

[Ralph]

These covers are dreadful - I don't think even one of them is worth voting for!

[Larry]

gone for Seeds of Death

[Dirk Gently]

These covers are dreadful - I don't think even one of them is worth voting for!

You wouldn't be saying that if there was a Pertwee cover up there!

[SiHart]

The Seeds of Death is really well painted, atmsopheric and moody. So I voted for it.

The Web Planet is a video cover. Fury from the Deep is ok, but it's not really very special, especially considering what an atmsopheric story it is. There are far more dyniamc images that could have been used. Evil is spangly but nothing very special, and The Ark is just bizarre!

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

As with many others, The Web Planet doesn't "do it" for me - not especially because it's the video cover, but it's just a bit dull. And, to my mind, the way the Zarbi are holding those dreadful fake-prop-rocks makes it look like the rocks will have some sinister significance in the story... It was OK for the video, but it's a shame to shackle down a budgetless, wider-canvas novelisation with the financial & technical restrictions of the TV show.

The Evil of the Daleks is painted nicely enough, but I don't like the choice of Troughton shot (he looks like he's about to burst into tears) and also (which is just a very prejudiced, personal thing) I don't like the Daleks with silver casings and just a black headpiece - I know it's probably a design choice, but it just doesn't look finished to me. Plus, again, not a very exciting cover is it?

Of the other three... The Seeds of Death is the first 'olde' story where I'd seen the story before reading the book, so I was never that fussed about the book itself. It's quite a nice cover, certainly beautifully-drawn; The Ark is quite nice, and I rather like the pink/red rendering of the Doc 'n' Dodo (but it's not a patch on the original cover); but I'm going for the rather mean 'n' moody atmospheric cover to Fury from the Deep.

[Dirk Gently]

I don't think the Zarbi are holding the rocks are they? They look like they're just sort of draped over them to my eye.

[Andrew Curnow]

Well, maybe not holding, but wrapping their feelers about them in a dramatic fashion. Ish.

[Dirk Gently]

Of course the only reason the rocks are there is to hide the actors legs...which is something that could have been 'artistically' removed & improved anyway.

[Ralph]

You wouldn't be saying that if there was a Pertwee cover up there!

You better believe it! No Pertwee cover can do any wrong! - they are the pinnacle of excellence!

[Ralph]

Decided on web in the end

[Stuart Wallis]

What Tim said.

[Pip Madeley]

You'd think I'd have voted for Fury, but not this time. It just looks like a weed in the middle of the North Sea, not very atmospheric at all. Seeds of Death is marginally better, but lacks something. Ark is interesting (nice to see Monoid feet), but Hartnell looks like he's been drinking & I don't like the red/cream colours. Evil of the Daleks is rather striking, despite a ropey Troughton, but the winner in this round for me is Web Planet - Hartnell looks fantastic, and the Zarbi are well-detailed. I like the touch of the space background in the Doctor's jacket, very nice.

[Jonno]

Seeds of Death for me - unlike Andrew, I did read this before I saw the story, as I didn't get the video until 1988. Ice Warriors always seem to be drawn well - the Achilleos one on the first story is one of my all time fave pieces of Who artwork, and his one on Curse is also very good.

[Lord President]

Evil of the Daleks for me, it is just a beautiful piece of artwork, and I was so excited that the novelisation had finally come out that I still have a sense of awe about finally being able to read one of the great missing stories of the Troughton era!

[Nathan]

Fury from the Deep for me. Always liked it, and it seemed very special and unique at the time (as well as the increased page count!)