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 MediaSlut.
INTERNATIONAL
ShortList
This cover actually struck a cord with me. For some reason, all (my) bullies at (my) school were the type of guys that would scratch their mark/territory on wooden the school desks, or would use tip-ex all over their school bags. ShortList takes a closer look at the male fascination with guns (The boys’ toys). You can read the complete article here.
FORTUNE, April 2013
We’ve heard a lot about (frucking) Fracking in South Africa, and seen the creative wording on the posters and headlines (“Frack Off”, as an example). It seems like China is going to go through the same thing (Fracking, that is, and not necessarily the clever play on words, beware the censors & secret police), and Fortune is approaching this subject with this creative and strong cover (with the star from the Chinese Flag). You can read the article here.
Época, April 2013
We’ve featured quite a few Época covers in this column in the past. The Steve Jobs cover (11 October 2011 issue) after his passing comes to mind, and also the 27 January 2013 cover remembering the 238 students that died in the Club fire in Santa Maria. This time they’re once again touching on a big topic and news item; the Boston Marathon Bombing.As I understand it this cover (above) is the one that was actually published, and the covers below were considered and rejected. I personally prefer the image below – the above one just seems to ‘fake’ and ‘dramatic’.
INDIE, Spring 2013
Nice and unique cover concept, that fits 100% into the essence and theme of this title. You can page through the magazine by clicking here.
LOCAL
Go!, May 2013
In this issue of Go! (and Weg!), with a striking 2-tone-cover (Sunset-orange and Black-silhouette), they’re linking up their “Bumper Photo Edition” perfectly with the cover image of a photographer (make that 2 photographers if you look closely) trying to take the ultimate picture. It’s almost like a cover with a 360 degree message… And of course they also give loads of tips to also get the perfect shot (even with just your cellphone).
– The (for now anonymous) blogger behind MediaSlut 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 MediaSlut. #MagazinesForTheWin
– Find a cover we should know about? Tweet us @marklives and @mediaslut
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