The Art of... The Invasion

The Invasion was novelised by Ian Marter and first published in hardback in May 1985, with the paperback following that October. The artwork, depicting a lone Cyberman and the UNIT logo, was by Andrew Skilleter. He has used an airbrush to give the Cyberman its metallic look.

Derrick Sherwin had originally intended to novelise his own story. When this fell through, Marter stepped in as he had already covered a Cyberman story - Earthshock - despite his dislike of writing for the monsters.

He made a number of changes, some controversial. He altered the name of Vaughn's company to International Electromatix, and the Russian rocket base was given the name Nykortny, after Nicholas Courtney. The actors had become very good friends through the convention circuit, for which they wrote and performed a double act for the evening cabarets. 

The opening TARDIS sequence was consigned to a prologue.

He included some swearing from Packer, but most noticeably gave Rutlidge (renamed Routledge) a rather graphic death.

This is the first time that an Invasion-style Cyberman has actually accompanied the correct story on a Target novelisation, having previously featured on the covers of both Doctor Who and the Cybermen and Doctor Who and the Tomb of the Cybermen.

The book was reissued, with new cover art by Alister Pearson in September 1993, using a mirror image of a Cyberman from the St Paul's location shoot. The Troughton portrait derives from a publicity image from The Power of the Daleks, of the Doctor looking at his 500 Year Diary.

A collector offered the original painting for sale on Ebay for £3000 in 2017. It failed to get a buyer.

According to DWM issue 97, artist Mark Bentham was in talks to provide artwork for the Target range and came up with sample covers for The Invasion and for The Mind of Evil. His work had been spotted in the Peter Haining book Doctor Who - The Key to Time. Nothing would come of these discussions. Here he used a portrait shot of Kevin Stoney as Tobias Vaughn, and the iconic Cyberman portrait previously used by Chris Achilleos for Doctor Who and the Cybermen. The image above was reproduced in Telos Publishing's The Target Book.

With two of the eight episodes missing, the story was given a soundtrack release as part of the BBC Audio Collection in November 2004 with linking narration from Frazer Hines, who also supplied an interview.

It has the usual photomontage cover, featuring some explosive action and a lot of Cybermen. One looks like it's popping up from a manhole behind Isobel Watkins, whilst she photographs a bunch of its dead comrades.

The surviving six episodes were released on VHS in a double pack in June 1993. The missing instalments were covered in condensed fashion by Nicholas Courtney, narrating events to camera. The artwork is again by Andrew Skilleter, who once more concentrates on a single Cyberman image, backed with a fleet of Cyberships.

For its DVD release, the decision was made to animate the missing episodes - the work going to the Cosgrove Hall company. This was the first of the incomplete stories to be presented in this way. Perhaps disappointed at the lack of Cybermen in their episodes, the company produced a trailer which reproduced the famous St Paul's scene, but set against a rainy, overcast sky.

The DVD was released in the UK in November 2006. The cover is the work of Clayton Hickman, and features Vaughn and the Brigadier prominently along with Cybermen and St Paul's, but also includes an action shot of the Doctor from the final episode.

The Region 1 release came in March 2007 with its own photomontage cover - which isn't anywhere near as satisfying as the more dynamic Region 2 version. The Troughton portrait is the same one used by Skilleter for the VHS cover.

Marter's novelisation was released as an audiobook in April 2016, using the original Skilleter artwork. As you can see, the reader was David Troughton, whilst Nicholas Briggs provided the Cyberman vocals. The image is sharper than the version used on the book, and benefits more from the stark black background.

Finally, Don Harper's music for the story was released on CD in September 2019. It also includes Brian Hodgson's radiophonic contributions to the score. The label was Silva Screen Records.

Harper's master tape of his score was actually lost soon after production, but the composer had luckily retained a personal copy.

The Art of... The Mind Robber

Peter Ling novelised his own story for Target. It was published in hardback in November 1986, with the paperback following in April 1987. The cover art is by David McAllister.

A couple of years ago I ran two posts - my favourite Target artwork, and my least. This one featured on the latter list. My reasons were twofold: I wasn't too keen on the pink / yellow colour scheme (the spine was purple), and - more importantly - I didn't like the generic paintings of the characters. I always prefer to see representations which match the ones actually seen on screen wherever possible - even if these are stand-alone books which can be enjoyed in their own right. The characters chosen are also the least memorable / representative of the story, appearing only very briefly. As they don't really represent the story as a whole, I'd argue they could be said to be misleading for the casual buyer.

The Gorgon is the most striking image, but I prefer the blank-eyed statue version as seen on screen.

D'Artagnan, by the way, is actually his brother-in-arms Porthos, as played by Frank Finlay, from the 1974 movie The Four Musketeers. (Check out the StudioCanal Vintage Classics DVD cover).

The TARDIS is a generic 1980's image, also used on the novelisation of The Savages by the same artist.

The novel was re-released in August 1990, using the VHS artwork below.

That VHS release came in May 1990, with cover art by Alister Pearson. Against a pentagon design we have a central portrait of the Doctor, surrounded by some of the characters from the Land of Fiction - the unicorn, a Clockwork Soldier, Rapunzel, a White Robot and Medusa. Rather than leave it an entirely monochrome image, Pearson has elected to add some colouring to Rapunzel, who is positioned centre bottom. As the Gorgon, unicorn and White Robot are all colourless figures anyway, this makes artistic sense. Giving the soldier a bright red coat would have upset the balance.

The Australian version has a broad band along the bottom with the parental guidance details, cutting off the feet of the White Robot and Clockwork Soldier - and the red text regarding the star is over to the left, over the robot's legs.

The DVD was released in the UK in March 2005, with a photomontage by Clayton Hickman. This concentrates on the Clockwork Soldiers alone, though one would have expected the White Robots to be the more iconic figures (or another assembly of different characters). The Master and Doctor flank an image of the TARDIS breaking apart. Presumably the Soldiers determined the overall reddish colour scheme.

The mixed group is what the US Region 1 release went with. It uses the same pair of portraits of the Doctor and Master as the Region 2 cover, more prominent and this time flanking Jamie and Zoe, with some of the other miscellaneous characters taking up the top half.

This arrived on 6th September 2005, a period when the American discs often had different covers to the UK / Australian ones.

Finally, the novel was released as an audiobook in August 2009, using McAllister's artwork. The reader was Derek Jacobi - who, of course, had played an entirely different Master on screen in 2007.

The change of logo, and hence colour palette, does make the artwork just a little more bearable.

The Art of... The Dominators

The Dominators was novelised by Ian Marter, and first published in hardback in July 1984, with the paperback following a few months later. The artist is Andrew Skilleter. Whilst the image of Ronald Allen as Rago, and the Quark by the drilling machine come from publicity photographs, the main Quark image is entirely of the artist's own devising.

There had been a three year gap since the last Troughton story had been novelised - The Enemy of the World, also by Marter, who of course is best remembered for playing companion Harry Sullivan.

The writer elected to rename Cully as "Kully", and made the Quarks gold in colour - as their original design drawing by Martin Baugh. He also made them two metres tall, and gave the Dominators bright green eyes. The survey unit was described as a portable building and, rather than have it blown up, it simply falls down a ravine after being attacked.

Despite the TV story's poor reputation, its novelisation was voted third best release for the year by fans.

In 1989, the book was repackaged by Star Book alongside The Krotons, using Skilleter's artwork on its front cover.

The novel was reissued in 1991, this time with a cover by Alister Pearson. This new artwork was a tie-in with the recent VHS release of the story. As well as the Doctor we get both Rago and Toba, taken from a single publicity photo in which they face each other (see below), and between the Quarks we can see one of Barry Newbery's graphic designs which featured on the walls of the Dulcian survey unit.

The soundtrack was released in May 2007 with the usual colourful photomontage cover. The narrator was Wendy Padbury, who also provided an interview. A Quark head forms the backdrop to some familiar publicity images, though it's an unusual portrait of Troughton that is used, taken from a screen grab (unless someone knows otherwise?).

The VHS release came in September 1990. One of the photographs on the back cover was that one I mentioned, with Rago and Toba facing each other, showing exactly where Pearson got his inspiration. This was an edited version of the story, with certain scenes from episodes four and five censored - most notably the prolonged death of Balan.

The DVD release followed in July 2010 (January 2011 in the US), with a cover designed by Clayton Hickman. Once again we get that same side-on image of the Dominators flanking the Doctor. The spaceship model also features this time. 

The DVD release had the censored scenes reinstated.

Skilleter's artwork was used for the audiobook release, read by Michael Troughton. This was released in September 2018.

The Art of... The Wheel in Space

The Wheel in Space was novelised for Target by Terrance Dicks and first published in August 1988. The cover art is by Ian Burgess. The Cyberman image he has used as reference comes from Tomb of the Cybermen (see below), though he has adapted the helmet to match the Mark III version that was seen in this story.

The space station, however, appears to have come straight from the James Bond movie Moonraker...

This was not Burgess' original design for the cover, however. He came up with three drafts, as can be seen below - as reproduced in The Target Book (Telos Publishing). One attempt featured Troughton's Doctor as well as three Cybermen and the Servo Robot. Another had a trio of Cybermen along with Cybermats. The other image is less developed. Personally I prefer the top left image best, over what was finally used, though perhaps the number of Cybermen was the issue. (By this stage, artists were allowed to use the image of previous Doctors on the covers again, so that wasn't the issue).

This was the last book to have the neon tube logo on its cover. Thereafter the McCoy logo was employed.

The book was re-released as part of the first Essential Terrance Dicks collection in 2021.

Target never got round to commissioning a reprint with a new cover during their initial run, but in 2025 it was reissued, in slightly edited form. This was to tie in with the 2023 release of the novelisation of the repeat screening of The Evil of the Daleks, written by Frazer Hines, which follows on directly from this story's ending. The artist this time is Dan Liles, who has more accurate reference material to work from. This book was given away free with DWM 617. The Hines book had also been given away free by DWM previously.

The original soundtrack was released on CD as part of the BBC Radio Collection in May 2004. The linking narration was by Wendy Padbury, and it features the usual cluttered photo-montage cover, mainly of publicity stills but also using a telesnap of the Wheel as reference. This was re-released as part of a collection in August 2012.

The two orphan episodes were first released on video on the Cybermen: The Early Years VHS in 1992. This had on its cover the photograph which Burgess had used for reference for his novelisation artwork. One of the publicity images of the Cybermen with Zoe featured on the reverse.

Colin Baker presented, and was filmed at the MOMI Doctor Who exhibition on London's South Bank, sitting in front of a Cyberman mask display which featured a Mark III looking over his right shoulder as he delivered his links.

These two episodes, plus the Australian censor clip from the fourth episode, later appeared on the Lost in Time DVD set in 2004.

A large section of the opening episode was animated to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the "Missing, Believed Wiped" events, in December 2018. This got fans' hopes up that the full story might be released shortly in animation form, but so far nothing has come of it. You can find it as an extra on the DVD / Blu-ray of The Macra Terror. It is hoped that the work will be completed for the Season 5 Collection Blu-ray set when it eventually materialises, as all the other episodes from this season either exist in the archives or have already been animated.

A version of the story also exists on DVD which marries the soundtrack to the telesnap images, but this was only ever available on the Region 1 NTSC format. The image above is how it is advertised on Amazon, where it is currently unavailable.

The Target novelisation was released as an audiobook in August 2021. As you can see, it was read by David Troughton, with Nick Briggs providing the Cyberman dialogue. It uses Burgess' original artwork but we get to see a bit more of Hugo Drax's space station...

The soundtrack, with Wendy Padbury's narration, was released by Demon Records on "Bernalium Blue" vinyl in February 2026. The cover features a Cyberman and the Wheel, whilst Cybermats adorn the reverse of the sleeve.

Finally, the moviedb website uses another colourful photomontage to illustrate this story, in the absence of a genuine DVD cover. They have the Cyberman egg floating through space. Now if only the Cybermen had simply done this in the actual story it could have been a much tighter four-parter...

The Art of... Fury From The Deep

Victor Pemberton was quite insistent that he be the only one to novelise his story, and managed to convince Target to allow him to do so with an increased page count, usually only 127 or so pages. Range editor Nigel Robinson worked with Pemberton to try to reduce it but found this impossible, so it went out as a "Bumper Volume" with 189 pages - but at a higher price.

Pemberton gave some of the characters first names - such as Harris being Frank, Van Lutyens being Pieter and Price being David. Background motivation is added for Robson - his wife died in a car crash whilst he was at the wheel some 20 years beforehand. Blaming himself, he has thrown himself into his work to the point of obsession.

Interestingly, despite Pemberton's claims to have invented it, the sonic screwdriver does not appear in the opening beach scene with the pipeline inspection hatch.

The cover is a rather low-key affair by artist David McAllister, depicting a conventional drilling platform far out at sea, with tendrils of seaweed rising in the foreground. Perhaps more ominous weather conditions might have given the cover more atmosphere.

Paul Mark Tams had put forward an art concept following his commission to provide the cover for the novelisation of Doctor Who radio drama Slipback, but this was not taken up as it featured a Doctor other than the current one. (Tams, who was also involved in the music industry, had previously contributed artwork for the Doctor Who and Dalek annuals, and would go on to be one of those responsible for the single "Doctor In Distress". He later championed attempts to get K-9 back on screen, collaborating with Bob Baker).

The novel was published in 1986. A reprint was scheduled for June 1994, but the reprint range was discontinued before this could happen.

The soundtrack was first released as part of the BBC Audio Collection in cassette format, featuring a photomontage cover depicting images from the location filming of the opening episode - Troughton wearing his distinctive woolly hat.

The narrative was linked by Tom Baker, in character as the Fourth Doctor recalling this adventure.

This was released in October 1993.

February 2004 saw the soundtrack re-released on CD, this time with narration by Frazer Hines. The colourful cover montage once again relied on location images from Episode One, but also found room for Mr Quill from the recovered Australian censor clips, as well as an entirely made-up gas rig design.

Those censor clips had featured on the Lost In Time DVD set, released in 2004. This also included film trims from Episode 6 as well as some colour home movie footage of the climactic scenes.

The story was animated and released on DVD / Blu-ray in September 2020 on Region 2, though US fans had to wait until the following March for the Region 1 version. (Australia only had to wait two months).

As usual there was an expensive steelbook release to accompany the regular one. Its artwork opted to concentrate on the sequences added to the story depicting giant tentacles of seaweed threatening the helicopter - scenes which never appeared in the televised programme. We also see them grabbing the TARDIS, something which doesn't even appear in the animation.

The novelisation was released as an audiobook in July 2011, read by David Troughton, and using the McAllister artwork.

And finally, another photomontage piece of artwork used to illustrate the story on the moviedb website prior to the animation being released. This actually uses the correct sea fort locations used for the rigs as filmed by Hugh David.

The Art of... The Web of Fear

The Web of Fear was novelised by Terrance Dicks and was published in paperback in August 1976. Cover art was by Chris Achilleos, and it was another of his favourite pieces as he liked the way the web motif held the piece together. For the Troughton image he used a photograph from The Three Doctors, whilst the Yeti derives from a location shot of the original Mark I type, with the ribbon of skin added to the midriff. Staff Sergeant Arnold comes from a publicity image of the character, played by Jack Woolgar. 

The beams of light were pure imagination though their glowing eyes do feature in the text, and the artist did like adding effects to help pull the overall image together. 

A close up on just the Doctor with web behind provided the cover for DWM issue 114, which included an interview with Achilleos.

This was the last time that the Second Doctor appeared on a new release until 1993, due to the introduction of the "Current Doctor Only" rule.

The book was reissued in 1983, with artwork by Andrew Skilleter. He also elected to use the light beams from the eyes so probably looked to Achilleos' original art for inspiration. It's clearly another Mark I. A close-up of the TARDIS caught in web in the background was used as cover for the 1986 Doctor Who diary.

A third version followed in December 1993 and the artist this time was Alister Pearson. The Troughton image came from The Mind Robber, and the TARDIS covered in web is direct from a screen capture. The Yeti is a proper Mark II this time, taken from one of the publicity photographs depicting Jamie, Knight and Arnold surrounded the the creatures.

The soundtrack was released as part of the BBC Radio Collection in March 2000, with linking narration provided by Frazer Hines. Only the photo of Anne Travers comes from the story itself. The Yeti shows that the designer had access to other images from the story as it is a passable depiction of the web gun it is holding.

This was later repackaged with The Abominable Snowmen as the "Yeti Attack!" set in July 2003.

The orphan Episode 1 was released on VHS in November, with a photomontage cover. That photo of Arnold which Achilleos had used featured on the back cover. 

It was accompanied by the two surviving instalments of The Faceless Ones and formed part of a box set packaged with the incomplete The Reign of Terror. This release brought the VHS range to an end in the UK as stories were already beginning to be issued in DVD format.

Both tapes were released in the US as part of the 11 tape "End of the Universe" set, which also closed the video range there.

That Yeti is another Mark I type with glowing eyes photoshopped on, and the Troughton image is well known from The Ice Warriors publicity images.

Episode 1 was later released on the "Lost in Time" DVD set (November 2004).

When four of the missing episodes turned up in late 2013, the story was quickly released onto DVD the following February, with cover art by Lee Binding. The still missing Episode 3 was covered by soundtrack and telesnap images but it was otherwise a vanilla release, lacking even a commentary.

There was also a Region 2 limited edition sleeve by the same artist, which came with a free T-shirt.

As the earlier DVD release had been devoid of extras, a Special Edition was released in August 2021 with Lee Binding once again providing the artwork - one of his best single story covers. The missing episode was available in three formats - soundtrack / telesnap as before, colour animation or B&W animation. Of the three stick to the first as the animation is truly abysmal. Terrible likenesses and characters move around so much it can induce motion sickness. You have been warned...

A steelbook was also available, with a web-covered TARDIS oddly parked in a tunnel rather than on a station platform. Atmospheric at least.

The novelisation was released as an audiobook in August 2017, using the Chris Achilleos artwork and read by David Troughton.

And finally, Radio Times produced a movie-style poster to tie in with the rediscovery of the missing episodes in October 2013, designed by Stuart Manning.