cover of time
When I was fifteen years old I was a regular reader of Time magazine. This should immediately clue you in to what a huge dork I was am. To be fair, it wasn’t my subscription. I would just read it whenever my grandfather was done with that week’s copy. I eventually lost interest in Time, though I’m not sure why. Videogames probably had something to do with it, or maybe this was around the time when I actually started to get a life.
Regardless, I always liked the covers. They were creative without being sensational (well, except for that O. J. Simpson one). The cover for this week’s issue, one of their election previews, is practically a work of avant-garde art, daringly sparse and unusually arranged. Check it out.
Though I would agree the recent George W. cover is quite appealing, I must point out that the simplistic (and seemingly artistic) layout was purely accidental. Inside sources have revealed that Bush simply could not stay centred in the shot. Apparently, one of the lighting directors for the cover shoot was fidgeting with a red laser pointer on a digital light meter. Unfortunately, like a kitten to a loose shoe string dragged across the floor, the President was immediately drawn to the red laser point as it flashed across the set. After 3 hours of attempted shots and 38 rolls of film, the lead photographer convinced editorial staff that pictures of a distracted Bush walking off camera would allow more room for text, an opportunity to further highlight the President’s flaws. (Source: Completely unreliable and very likely fabricated by a postgrad student… so probably, Reuters).
Some of my favourite TIME covers (for one reason or another). It sometimes surprises me who or what makes the cover.
That little blue pill
http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19980504,00.html
Father of Psychoanalysis
http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19390626,00.html
Totally Raquel Welch Barbie
http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19691128,00.html
The Governator
http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,20030818,00.html
Sex in the ‘80s
http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19840409,00.html
Rampant hormones
http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19760405,00.html
Chinpokomon give you a happy feeling
http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19991122,00.html