{"id":36178,"date":"2023-08-26T09:00:39","date_gmt":"2023-08-26T07:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1876363"},"modified":"2023-08-26T12:47:53","modified_gmt":"2023-08-26T10:47:53","slug":"revisit-rare-radio-times-illustrations-from-doctor-whos-20th-anniversary","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/revisit-rare-radio-times-illustrations-from-doctor-whos-20th-anniversary\/","title":{"rendered":"Revisit rare Radio Times illustrations from Doctor Who\u2019s 20th anniversary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Artist Mark Thomas recalls his special commission 40 years ago. <\/p>

By Patrick Mulkern\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Saturday, 26 August 2023 at 07:00 AM<\/p>

\n\n

All year we\u2019ve been sifting through the Radio Times Archive<\/strong> for treasures to celebrate Doctor Who\u2019s 60th anniversary, and this time we turn the clocks back to the Time Lord\u2019s 20th birthday in 1983.<\/p>\n

Radio Times marked the occasion with the \u201cDoctor Who 20th Anniversary Special\u201d, a glossy 64-page magazine overseen by our art editor at that time, Brian Thomas.<\/p>\n

One of the highlights special was \u201ca chilling, new, illustrated adventure\u201d, a short story written by Doctor Who\u2019s then script editor Eric Saward.<\/p>\n

\"Tegan,\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Tegan, the Doctor and Turlough, painted by Mark Thomas. From the Radio Times Doctor Who 20th Anniversary Special.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Called \u201cBirth of a Renegade\u201d, it pitted Peter Davison\u2019s Doctor and his companions Tegan (Janet Fielding) and Turlough (Mark Strickson) against the Master (Anthony Ainley) and the Cybermen.<\/p>\n

Saward also attempted to shed some light on the origins of the Doctor\u2019s granddaughter Susan (Carole Ann Ford).<\/p>\n

\"The\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
The Master and the Cybermen, painted by Mark Thomas. From the Radio Times Doctor Who 20th Anniversary Special.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The tale was beautifully illustrated by artist Mark Thomas, whose pictures were reproducing now. And 40 years later, Mark speaks to RadioTimes.com<\/a> about his memories of the assignment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d been doing regular work for Radio Times since 1976, after leaving art school, and had already done a cover. Then, in 1983, I got a call from Brian Thomas (no relation or nepotism, I\u2019ll have you know!) to go up to RT headquarters in Marylebone High Street, for a meeting about a very special Doctor Who job.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was of the generation that was brought up on it, from the first disquieting episode, so was very keen.<\/p>\n

\"The\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
The Master, Susan and the original Doctor, painted by Mark Thomas. From the Radio Times Doctor Who 20th Anniversary Special, 1983.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

\u201cInitially, Brian was thinking that I might illustrate it like a comic book, i.e. panels and speech bubbles etc. At that point, I\u2019m not sure if Eric Saward\u2019s story had been fully realised.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter discussing the pros and cons over the next few days, I persuaded Brian to opt for three full-page and two half-page drawings, as I think we\u2019d have filled the whole issue trying to do justice to all the text. And I remember it was a tight deadline.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy big influence on the make-up and look of the illustrations was one of my illustrator heroes, Frank Bellamy. He\u2019d already done quite a few Who illustrations for Radio Times, including a wonderful Dalek cover [Day of the Daleks, 1972]. I\u2019m pretty sure he would\u2019ve been asked to work on this but he\u2019d sadly died at his drawing board in 1976.<\/p>\n

\"Susan,\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Susan, the Doctor, Turlough and the Master, painted by Mark Thomas. From the Radio Times Doctor Who 20th Anniversary Special, 1983.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

\u201cAnyway, they were fun to do and I think they went down well and maybe people appreciated my nod to Bellamy\u2019s genius. I\u2019ve been asked for the availability of the originals over the years and I do know Paul Smith, a former RT art director and Who fan, has a few.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the coming decades, Mark Thomas has continued to contribute to Radio Times, with further Doctor Who-related commissions. For BBC2\u2019s Doctor Who Night in November 1999, he painted a collection of the Time Lord\u2019s greatest enemies.<\/p>\n

\"Doctor\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Doctor Who monsters painted by Mark Thomas in 1999.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

In 2003, he supplied the cover for the Radio Times Doctor Who 40th Anniversary Special supplement.<\/p>\n

In 2005, at the height of Doctor Who\u2019s resurgent popularity, RT commissioned him to paint the cover for the Christmas double issue.<\/p>\n

And in 2006, we asked Mark to illustrate a radio drama, Blood of the Daleks, featuring Paul McGann as the Doctor.<\/p>\n

\"Mark\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Mark Thomas\u2019s illustrations for Radio Times, 2003, 2005 and 2007.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Our thanks to Mark Thomas for his help with this article. More of his work can be enjoyed on markthomasillustration.co.uk<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n