Target Cover Competition - Group 10

[Paul Clement]

Larger Version of unused cover artwork

[Paul Clement]

Explanations later, but for now, suffice to say Web of Fear gets my vote.

[SiHart]

I don't like many of these.

The reprint Web is ok, but it's got the 70's TARDIS on it and isn't as atmsopheric as the original. Planet of Evil is quite dreary, but well painted. Enemy of the World is exciting, but an oddity. I can see why they didn't use it.
Androids of Tara is ok, but the Tom is a bit off.

So by default really Alister's Celestial Toymaker wins.

Si xx

[Larry]

I
So by default really Alister's Celestial Toymaker wins.

Si xx

I find that cover some what bland - certainly non of them are that eye catching but I've gone for Web Of Fear.

[Andrew Curnow]

What a motley crew. The Tara one is nicely painted (and was, I believe, the first cover to feature K9 on it) but both Tom and May look like androids themselves (maybe it was deliberately done, by somebody who had no idea what the story was actually about?). The bland likenesses makes it probably my least favourite KTT cover.

The Celestial Toymaker is painted very nicely, but lacks any excitement. A clown or two, or Cyril, or the King & Queen, or anything else would have added so much to it. Even the Toymaker seems bored, since he's looking away. Pearson should have definitely reversed that Toymaker image so he's facing the Doctor. So points added for good painting, points deducted for poor composition.

The Enemy of the World cover is much better than the one we got, although both of them share a common fault - namely they lack any Doctor Who elements on them. In 1981 when the book came out I certainly had no idea who the people on the cover were supposed to be; the unused cover would have at least been more exciting.

That leaves Planet and Web, both of which are OK, so I'm going for the Web!

[Jonno]

As most of you have stated, this does seem a bit of an odd bunch and a weak group. I only actually own two of these (Evil and Tara) and am not overly keen on either - ISTR the fact that K9 was on the cover made a news item in Gallifrey Guardian!

I think I'll go for Web, although I don't recall the Yeti shooting beams out of their eyes! And I wouldn't know which TARDIS is which, frankly!

[Stuart Wallis]

A pretty average group, Planet of Evil is the least worst.

[Paul Clement]

Right, explanation time:

Celestial Toymaker has good physical representations of Michael Gough and William Hartnell, but the picture is extremely dull. I agree with Andrew when he suggests that the cover needs a Cyril or King and Queen of Hearts on it. As it is, there seems to be too much empty space on the cover.

Planet of Evil looks very similar to Mike Little's original cover, implying that Skilleter felt that wasn't much that needed improving. I'd have to agree, there's not much that could be done to improve on the cover, but that's because there isn't much in the story that would be worth adding to the cover. Generally it's bland and a little dull, just like the story itself.

The Enemy of the World cover is an improvement on the one that we ended up with, but it's still a little bit dull, and again, as Andrew mentioned, it needs a Doctor Who reference on it somewhere.

Androids of Tara is a nice bit of artwork, but it's let down by the poor likenesses of the Doctor and Romana. It's the second best cover in the group but still not all that great.

Web of Fear may have lights shining from the Yeti's eyes which doesn't fit with the story, but it still looks very good. I especially like the TARDIS hanging in the web in space.

[Dirk Gently]

Planet of Evil is quite messy, Enemy of the World is too off to be worthy, Androids of Tara has a really poor Tom even if it does contain K9's head.

Which leaves The Celestial Toymaker & The Web of Fear, both have empty space but Web lies about the abilities of the Yeti & C.T has the Doctor in a star jacket which looks great & gets my vote.

[Pip Madeley]

Enemy of the World works for me.

[Dave Tudor]

A poor group, and, in 'The Androids Of Tara', in my opinion one of the worst covers ever.

'The Web Of Fear' isn't as good as the original, but it's fairly atmospheric and it gets my vote here.

[Jonno]

By the way the voting's going, it will be ironic if Web version 2 does what the rather iconic version 1 doesn't do and go through - Si will be fuming!

Also, it looks like it will be ta-ra to Tara!

[Paul Clement]

I still think Web version 2, despite being inaccurate, is the best cover the novelisation had. I generally like most of Skilleter's artwork, even Tara has it's redeeming features, the likenesses aren't one of them however.

[Lord President]

Much as I love the Celestial Toymaker cover, the Web of Fear cover just brings back so many memories for me. I loved the book and loved the cober, so Web steals my vote!!!!!!

PS - WTF is going on with Tom's nose on the Tara cover?

[Wayne]

I agree with Stuart in that Planet of Evil is the best of an uninspiring bunch.

[Ralph]

I just feel this lot's too dull to vote on and there isn't even a Pertwee option

[Wayne]

I just feel this lot's too dull to vote on and there isn't even a Pertwee option