Hidden in Time Lord: JJ Adams’ Secret Easter Eggs

JJ Adams has long made a habit of tucking little surprises into his paintings — tiny objects, sly references, and private jokes that only reveal themselves when you stop scrolling and really look. His 2025 piece Time Lord, released as a special 10-year anniversary edition in his Spring collection, is one of the best examples yet of this playful, puzzle-like approach.

At first glance it’s immediately recognisable as a love letter to two of the most beloved time-travel stories ever told: Back to the Future and Doctor Who. The iconic silver DeLorean sits centre stage, but the title “Time Lord” and several clever details pull the TARDIS firmly into the frame. What looks like a straightforward mash-up quickly becomes something richer — a piece that invites you to linger and hunt.

Here’s the full list of the hidden elements and subtle details that collectors have spotted so far:

• Police Box design worked into the DeLorean’s front grille
  The classic TARDIS blue Police Box pattern is subtly incorporated into the grille slats — a quiet visual merger of the two machines.
• Blue flashing roof light reference
  A gentle nod to the TARDIS’s famous pulsing beacon, suggesting the DeLorean is materialising and dematerialising just like the Doctor’s ship.
• Cyberman sitting in the driver’s seat
  One of Doctor Who’s most chilling villains placed behind the wheel of Marty McFly’s car — a deliciously dark twist on wholesome 80s nostalgia.
• Graffiti tags containing hidden words, symbols or recurring motifs
  Scattered across the DeLorean in JJ’s signature style, these often include tiny messages, logos or echoes of his other sci-fi works (Star Wars, Disney and beyond).
• Multiple call-backs to the 2015 Gone Fishing TARDIS artwork
  Small woven-in references that connect directly to his earlier Police Box painting — especially rewarding for owners of the original 2015 limited edition.
• Fusion of flux capacitor and time vortex symbolism
  The grille and roof details symbolically blend the two different time-travel mechanics into one hybrid vehicle.
• Cheeky crossover title application
  “Time Lord” — the official term for the Doctor’s people — applied to a Back to the Future car, turning the piece into a piece of playful fan-fiction.

Beyond these individual Easter eggs, the work carries a deeper meaning in its very existence. It marks ten years since JJ first introduced his DeLorean series with Time Traveller in 2015. In that sense, Time Lord becomes a kind of artistic time capsule: a celebration of his own journey, a nod to the collectors who’ve followed along, and a reminder that the best art keeps revealing itself long after you first see it.

In an age when most images are glanced at for a second or two, Time Lord is built for slow looking. The longer you spend with it — zooming in, squinting at the tags, spotting yet another tiny reference — the more it gives back. That’s exactly how JJ Adams wants you to experience it: not as a quick scroll, but as a small, rewarding adventure.

And maybe that’s the quietest secret of all: in a world that rushes past everything, the most satisfying discoveries still come to those who are willing to pause, look properly, and let the details find them.

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View the Artwork

Original painting:
Time Lord – Original Painting

Limited edition print (Spring 2025):
Time Lord – Limited Edition Print