Anti-Example

         So, it seems like I was mistaken in my previous blog entry; there ARE literary magazines that have cover lines. Case in point, The Walrus.

         Sellouts. Seriously, though, the cover images are very aesthetically pleasing, but there's something so cluttered about this type of design, it bothers me. There's too much going on; compared to most of the other designs I've seen it's abrasive to the eyes. It seems less personal than the design featuring just a masthead.





         I personally prefer a cleaner looking cover for a literary magazine, but I can completely  understand the motivation behind these layouts. Consider this The New Yorker cover:

by Bob Staake, May 2, 2016

         This cover was created as a tribute for pop singer Prince, who died last April. Its design is a nod to the artist's song "Purple Rain", and it's (in my opinion) a clever, tasteful acknowledgment to his death. However, it was this cover that made me realize the major issue (pun not intended) with The New Yorker's choice to exclude any cover lines. Removed from context, the reader gathers no information whatsoever from the cover alone. There's so little to take away visually, it's difficult to tell what it even is. True, covering the... well, cover, of a tribute issue with sensational cover lines would definitely be considered offensive, but this one in particular gives no indication to its contents.


Citations:
Mouly, Françoise, and Mina Kaneko. "Cover Story:." The New Yorker. The New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2016. Web. 18 Mar. 2017