Candy Jar is set to release an updated paperback version of Kklak: The Doctor Who Art of Chris Achilléos. Featuring an unpublished Peter Capaldi illustration by Chris, this edition also has contributions from Chris’ daughters, Esther and Anna; his nephew Thomas; and his wife, Natasha.
Chris’ covers for the official Target novelisations, which began in the early ‘70s, defined a generation’s image of the Doctor and his adventures.
To celebrate these, Kklak was originally published in 2021 by the award-winning independent publisher, Candy Jar Books. For the first time, it collected the entirety of Achilléos’ Doctor Who artwork in chronological order, along with commentary from Achilléos himself (as well as some fans) – the definitive guide to his seminal work. The book also included a small contribution from Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi and a foreword from Achilléos’ long-time friend and collaborator, the late Terrance Dicks.
This new edition also features Chris’ rendition of Capaldi’s Doctor. Natasha says:
“Chris painted the image of Capaldi in time for the LFCC when he was invited to be a guest at the Heavy Metal stand as he knew Peter was attending. Capaldi was one of my favourite doctors and we both liked his gruffness and welcomed a return to an older representation of the Doctor. Chris remarked how much he enjoyed painting his characteristics – the eyes being particularly a feature as Capaldi’s look is quite striking. Chris liked to draw interesting, older faces as ‘they were a more interesting subject’ to paint.”
In 2021, Achilléos explained his motivations for compiling the book:
“I go to a lot of conventions, and the enduring affection of the fans for those Target novelisations is such a compliment. As an artist you’re always wary of being pigeonholed – you want all your work to receive the same amount of attention! But Doctor Who is such a phenomenon, and the commitment of the fans so pure, you have to be grateful. I hope they enjoy this special book.”
Since publishing Kklak, Candy Jar has also published The Invisible Artist and The Art of Silver Sun by Jeff Cummins and Timeslides: The Doctor Who Art of Colin Howard. Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar, felt the time was right to return to Chris’ ground-breaking artwork.
Shaun says:
“Before Chris sadly passed away, we had been discussing doing something else, but this never came to pass. Since then, knowing that we had one more piece of artwork, I wanted to showcase this. We are now releasing this version of the book to celebrate his life.”
Featuring every one of Achilléos’ Doctor Who designs, as well as never before seen material giving insight into his creative process, Kklak: The Doctor Who Art of Chris Achilléos is out now from Candy Jar Books.
