Covers
07.28.10
More "inspired" covers
We're taking a break from the Ready-Made controversy to present a couple more "inspired" cover designs, courtesy of Benjamen Purvis of Seattle Met magazine. On the left is Esquire, from December 2006. On the right, the August 2010 cover of Wizard magazine. After the jump, another pair of "inspired" covers.
We love both these covers! We figure it's just a case of great minds thinking alike. Left, Esquire, December 2006 (design director: David Curcurito). Right, Texas Monthly, May 2009 (design director: T.J. Tucker). Related stories:
I don't know why I remember this, but at the time that Esquire cover came out, there was a similar ("inspired or...") post on Gawker about it: http://gawker.com/220882/esquire-goes-pop
Part of this trend has to go back to Vince Frost's Zembla cover
featuring Tida Swinton. I think Marion Deuchars hand lettered both Esq and Z.
http://www.psfk.com/2004/08/trends_in_magazine_publishing.html
The really funny thing here is that we almost put Joel Osteen in a cape.
I should point out that I draw *plenty* of inspiration from Esquire and Texas Monthly.
Couldn't we even say the trend goes further back to 2003 with Jonathan Safran Foer's "Everything is Illuminated" cover? http://www.amazon.com/Everything-Illuminated-Jonathan-Safran-Foer/dp/0618173870
Or is that reaching?
BTW, TJ, Love TM's new "Get Away" cover!
inspired by Stephen Sagmeister's stuff, no?
http://www.sagmeister.com/work4.html
Template that Mr Black!
They're all great solutions, nobody owns handwriting.
dp
A big loud "Amen" to Dan Peterson because "no one owns handwriting", and a quick note that the Esquire cover, as Andrea brilliantly pointed out, is hardly precedent. While the Esquire execution may find success similar to Madonna pirating French beats in the early naughts, it isn't the originator; it's simply the popularizer. Of course, as with all Esquire work, it is well done, but to belabor the old Picasso quote: "Good Artists Copy; Great Artists Steal".
Of course, that leads into the drama over Ready-Made, right?
"They're all great solutions, nobody owns handwriting."
Damn! I JUST put a huge down payment on handwriting... Great corner lot too... bah! :)
Seriously though, it's so nice when it's done well.
http://www.sagmeister.com/work4.html
I did some very similar work whilst a student in 1994.
Does that count?!
Esquire one's most interesting. It feels like that inspired Juno.