The Doctor Who Illustrated A-Z (1985)

This dictionary goes up to the sixth doctor. The entries are short and include 'see' and 'see also' entries. The cover gives a good idea of the kind of illustrations to be found here. From the shading, I suspect that Mr. Standring made all of them in color, but most have been published in black and white. I wish that more of the entries had illustrations and that the illustrations were labeled. As it is, the illustrations are good reminders if the reader has seen the episode. There are a lot of episodes I haven't seen, though, so I'm having to guess which of the illustrations on a page go with which entry. For example, page 5 is the first page with entries on it. There are three illustrations to the right, in an overlapping column. The entries are 'Adrasta,' 'Adric', and 'Aggedor'. I guessed the top illustration is the Aggedor. The Tardis Wiki comfirmed my guess. I knew the bottom illustration was Adric because I've seen him before. The middle illustration shows a big bald head with one huge eye, a gathered neckline (?) falling in what may be a long robe with slits for two arms. Adric's head partially blocks the view of one of the arms. The other one ends in something like a lobster's claw. I thought this person or creature must be Adrasta, but her photo at the Tardis Wiki shows she's human. So who or what is that middle illustration?

Page 6 has the same problem: there are two men illustrated, one a full-figure shot, the other from the middle of the chest up. I have no idea who either man is, but I suppose they belong to some entry or entries on pages 6 and 7.

Still, collectors should enjoy it. If nothing else, the book may be used during a power or internet outage, or if a fan of the first six doctors is being dragged to an unelectrified cabin in the woods by his or her unsympathetic family. ( )