Big Finish will release Doctor Who – The Art of the Audio Adventures, a glossy hardback book collecting together 100 Doctor Who audio drama cover artworks, with commentary by a number of people including the cover artists.
The 208-page book will be released in November 2023, as part of the audio company’s celebrations of 60 years of Doctor Who.
The Art of the Audio Adventures features contributions from Ryan Aplin, Lee Binding, Anthony Dry, Claudia Gironi, Clayton Hickman, Simon Holub, Lee Johnson, Anthony Lamb, Sean Longmore, Alex Mallinson, Christopher Naylor, Mark Plastow, Jim Sangster, Caroline Tankersley, Chris Thompson, Rafe Wallbank, and Tom Webster, plus commentary by the artists – as well as actors Colin Baker, Paul McGann, Jon Culshaw, and Tim Treloar.
Big Finish founder and chairman, Jason Haigh-Ellery said:
“Over the past 25 years I have often been asked by fans of the Doctor Who audio dramas whether we would ever do a book featuring some of our best covers.
“I am always amazed at the works of art that are created by the cover artists that work with Big Finish. Whether they are depicting a dystopian future, providing a glimpse of the past or strange and wonderful new worlds, they capture a moment contained within the audio drama and provide it as an invitation to come and join the Doctor and his companions on their adventures. This book pays tribute to these artists and to the productions they are depicting.”
Big Finish creative director and executive producer, Nicholas Briggs, added:
“The cover artwork is the first encounter our listeners have with our stories, before they’ve even started listening to them. So, the artists who create them must capture the essence of what each particular story is, or, more importantly, the essence of it that we want to convey.
“The covers must engage the imagination of the audience, and to do that they must also first engage the imagination of the producers. I’ve had some of my most interesting creative discussions at Big Finish with cover artists. We’ve been blessed with many brilliant artists who have the gift of bringing the essence of Doctor Who to life.
“Recently, I’ve particularly enjoyed commissioning far simpler, but arguably even more evocative pieces which instantly sum up an era of Doctor Who. It’s where the audio inspires the visual, creating a gallery of imagination.”
Doctor Who – The Art of the Audio Adventures is now available to pre-order for £39.99 (plus postage and packing) exclusively from Big Finish.