Shortlist: Cover of the Year
One of the most competitive categories at the Stack Awards, Cover of the Year received over 65 entries this year. Steven Heller, co-chair of SVA’s MFA Design and Jaap Biemans, founder of coverjunkie.com will be joining forces to take on this difficult category, and we’re very much looking forward to hearing their verdict. Until then, here’s a quick look at each of the shortlisted covers…
AM22 | Stuttgart
An exploration in editorial design, AM22 is a student magazine published out of the Academy of Art and Design in Stuttgart. At first glance, this cover of their ‘Repetition’ issue seems like it might have been cut-and-pasted, but on closer examination, all the kids have very different expressions on their faces.
Anxy | Berkeley
Exploring our inner worlds, Anxy is a mental health magazine that focused on ‘Anger’ for its first issue. This hedgehog suit seems to perfectly denote the emotional defences we put up when we’re angry…
Cartography | Milan
Far from thigh-gap shots, the photography in Cartography presents a sincere document of each place they visit. The travel magazine also comes with itineraries, so you can know what to do in, say, the Peruvian Amazon for 12 days.
Der Greif | Augsburg
Have you seen a less genuine smile? The tenth anniversary of the German photography magazine is a great exercise in deconstructing, then reconstructing images.
Dog | London
This magazine about dogs definitely has a talent for capturing our restless four-legged friends in all their furry glory — just take this Shiba Inu cover star with its eyes full of emotion…
Drift | New York
There are plenty of travel magazines out there but few take an approach as defined as Drift. Through the lens of coffee culture, they visit a new city each issue to track down some of the most original, human and thirst-inducing stories.
Eye | London
Design journal Eye magazine did something spectacular for their current issue. Over 8000 unique covers were created, so each copy had its own special graphic on the front. See our Q&A with editor John L. Walters to find out more.
Fare | Glasgow
On an overcast morning, a local in Istanbul walks across the Galata Bridge, hands in pockets and balancing a plate of baked goods on his head. The iconic bridge, where fishermen have come to fish for a decade, serves as a great entry point to the magazine about food, travel, and society.
Fare Magazine on location in Istanbul. Thanks for the shot @ceminers ! pic.twitter.com/XG8jSI1MKH
— Fare Magazine (@FareMagazine) June 13, 2017
Frieze masters | London
Frieze Masters looks at art from the past through the lens of the present. This issue features a die-cut cover exposing part of an artwork on the next page, which is cut-out exactly following the shape of the cabbage still life.
Good Trouble | Brooklyn
Crafted like a newspaper, Good Trouble is a protest newsprint that wants readers to resist. We love the organised chaos on this cover, filled with information for those who sit down to decipher it…
Howler | Tampa
Howler is a magazine about football, and this cover is actually a cut paper, illustrated monster (called Fifanator) that plays on the idea of FIFA as a monster that devours soccer balls. The magazine has been called “A testimony to the beauty of print” by The New Yorker, and “A work of sport-fan art” by the Paris Review. No big deal.
Pan & The Dream | New York
“It is not nudity in and of itself that is interesting, but rather the context and the message which the image carries.” The first issue of Pan & The Dream asked artists to respond to the concept of nudity in art, as well as its suppression.
Phile | Toronto
Phile is an anthropological magazine about sexual subcultures around the world. They rejected the glossy photographic cover, opting instead with a bold graphic illustration that pays homage to academic journals.
Posterzine | London
This crazy neon cover illustration by Killer Acid depicts the pressure of always working late to get ahead in today’s culture. Posterzine collaborated with the illustrator for the current issue of their A1 fold-out title.
Printed Pages | London
Published by It’s Nice That, Printed Pages is a biannual roundup of the very best in contemporary design. In an interview in this issue, graphic designer John Morgan iterated the importance of his family, and his sons Rudy and Francis were photographed by Jack Davison to create this beautiful, ominous cover.
Racquet | New York
Aiming to establish themselves as “dabblers in fine art”, the editors of Raqcuet, a tennis magazine, commissioned graphic artist Rodrigo Corral to create a standalone piece of art, which included neon ink and gold foil that cannot be digitally reproduced.
Special Request | London
For those that are familiar with the 90s TV show Baywatch, this bright red life buoy on red lycra would no doubt send an shot of nostalgia and recognition through you. And that’s the editor’s intention — to create an instant connection with readers to their issue themed around television.
Water Journal | London
Water Journal explores the beauty and complexities of water, and this cover image, captured by Troy Moth in the frozen winter (-35°C) of Northern Quebec, subtly points to the current environmental and political climate of the world.
Volume 2° now available for pre-order (starts shipping in January): https://t.co/CrUwLDzHUh
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Cover photography: Troy Moth pic.twitter.com/OEhbiQXoTB— Water Journal (@water_journal) December 11, 2016
Weapons of Reason | London
A small but impactful magazine, Weapons of Reason wants to motivate readers to affect change. Their ‘Power’ issue explored the duality of global power as an agent of both unity and division.
Want to find out how we made the #Power issue? Course you do. Have a look at the case study here: https://t.co/jTrPYLHk1e pic.twitter.com/kPFn1BjWHR
— Weapons of Reason (@weaponsofreason) July 31, 2017
Yes & No | London
This first cover of Yes & No magazine sees Sam Taylor-Johnson in a passionate kiss with husband Aaron — a spontaneous moment that’s also a significant cultural movement. Not only is it rare for two high-profile individuals to be seen together on the cover of a magazine, this informal context signifies an attitude of togetherness and passionate love.
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