MarkLives.com runs a regular slot featuring the best local and international magazine covers every week. We recognise well thought out, powerful and interesting (and hopefully all three in one) magazine covers and celebrate the mix of pragmatism, creativity and personal taste that created each of them. By media blogger MediaSlutZA.
INTERNATIONAL
The New Yorker, 21 May 2012
When President Obama voiced his support for gay marriages recently, it was sure to cause some controversy, support and attention. How could it not? I thought the cover interpretation of the news from The New Yorker creative and appropriate.
Newsweek, 21 May 2012
Newsweek also covered this story but with a very bold (and possibly misleading for some) headline – “The first gay President”. On gay forums and blogs, President Obama is definitely seen as a saviour for voicing his support in public, and the ‘gay-halo’ is very appropriate for the way the American gay society is viewing him at the moment. Here are some of the other cover options Newsweek considered and discarded.
LOCAL
Business Day Sports Monthly, June 2012
I don’t know much about sport (thus, I don’t really know too much about Eben Etzebeth who is currently on the latest cover), but I do know which sport stars have been covered on which covers, and I do know which covers will boost someone’s career even further (in media-exposure-terms). This is Etzebeth’s first cover, and it definitely puts him on the map, and makes a bold statement. I predict that Eben will be in Heat’s Hot 100 the next time around, will feature in the next Cosmopolitan Calendar, and a Sports Illustrated or SA Rugby cover is also on the cards. Business Day Sports Monthly retails for R29.95, but is for free in today’s copy of Business Day. (Friday 18 May)
GQ Style South Africa, Volume 1 2012
Say welcome to the 7th international GQ Style edition- GQ Style South Africa. It launched recently with a very ‘stylish’ cover which featured, I thought, some great typography and layout. The issue is relatively thin for the steep retail price of R69.95, but die-hard fans will definitely not let this put them off buying it! If anything the R150 Ben Sherman gift card with every magazine will help boost the sales. Great colour scheme and striking cover GQ-guys!
– The (for now anonymous) blogger behind MediaSlutZA knows way too much for his own good about media in South Africa. Magazines in particular. His mission is to show when South African magazines might fail, but most importantly, succeed. If you’re looking for a library about South African magazines and news, your one-stop pitstop is MediaSlutZA. #MagazinesForTheWin
– Find a cover we should know about? Tweet us @marklives and @mediaslutza
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