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Thursday, September 29, 2011

20 Favorite New Yorker Covers

Art by Ana Juan.

Art by Lorenzo Mattoti.

Fold-Out Art by Owen Smith.

Art by Sempe.

Art by Anita Kunz.

Art by Art Spiegleman.

Art by Ian Falconer.

Art by Chas. Addams.

Art by Edwin Drooker.

Art by Arthur Getz.

Art by Arthur Getz.

Art by Charles Saxon.

Art by Carter Goodrich.

Art by Charles E. Martin.

Art by Michael Sowa.

Art by Lou Romano.

Art by George Booth.

Art by Saul Steinberg.

Art by Sempe.

Art by Arthur Getz.

Of course this list is very fluid, liable to change at any moment. After all, I haven't seen EVERY cover ever published by The New Yorker and lots of them are not available to link online. (Though lately I've seen quite a few while doing research for this post.) And especially difficult to choose since I've loved most every cover done by the best topical artists over the years.

Lately I'm in a New York frame of mind especially after watching THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, and being reminded what a homey sort of place NYC can be.

And to top it off, Saturday I'll be posting the work of an artist whose vivid and lively paintings of NYC life have just about knocked me out. All that PLUS a new short story challenge. Stay tuned.

22 comments:

  1. I like these covers a lot. I must admit that I need a glossary to understand all of them, but they're good.

    I'm afraid that I used to have a Steinberg view of the world as a Manhanttanite, although it's improved a bit lately.

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  2. What a gorgeous collection, Yvette. Those are more than magazine covers, that's for sure. Don't you love the one with the Muslim lady, the nun and the girl in the bathing suit? LOL! The top one, the butterflies, is just breathtaking. Lovely post!

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  3. Gorgeous covers. A few of them I would love to blow up and hang on my walls.

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  4. Ryan: You can look online and buy the covers for a few dollars (used) then have them blown up to hang as posters. I don't think it would be too expensive to do one or two.

    The New Yorker sells the covers as prints and as original art but the cost is prohibitive. Unfortunately.

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  5. I have always thought that the New Yorker was one of our top Magazines. I think Getz is wonderful. Mattoti is wonderful, do Deco. This magazine has all the best Artist's.
    yvonne

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  6. During my childhood, my parents subscribed to The New Yorker and my oldest friend and I became friends in the 9th grade because we were, it seemed, the only two girls in our school who had ever read the magazine. My friend had even submitted a short story. In later years, when I discovered mail art, the covers were my favorite material for making envelopes...probably still my favorite. What a breakfast treat, to see these and think of so many others. (I may go browsing and find one to post on my blog, shameless copying, I admit it.)

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  7. Yvonne: Yes, I certainly agree. TNY has always hired the best art talent available. I love their covers - some more than others, but all are worth a good look and a good think.

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  8. Marylinn: Copy away - it's a compliment. :)

    The New Yorker means 'New York' to me - always makes me feel as if no matter where I'm living now, I'm still a New Yorker if I read TNY.

    Envelope art. Hmmmm...I'm going to look into that. Sounds fun.

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  9. You come up with the most interesting blog entries. Let's see: first and best to me is the Booth. I took a cell phone photo of Sadie recently in just that place, waiting for Tom to come home. Oh, dogs.
    I also really like the man in his robe with the coffee cup and snow outside. Really perfect. And those fellows playing music.

    I have a few covers that I tore off over the years and tacked up. One was the astrological signs in Mother Goose characters. One is the winter into spring - one tree in the changing weather. Another is a Gretchen Dow Simpson of an old farmhouse much like mine with day lilies. And one with several views of a mother and daughter cooking together over the years. Quite a sad one, that. Do you recall any of these? I should sometime go do a post like this. You are so creative, and you keep my mind well-exercised!

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  10. Nan: Thanks! You are so good for my ego. :)

    Far as I'm concerned, George Booth is a National Treasure. I know he's done several covers but couldn't find them online. This one is just about my favorite though.

    Sempe is the artist who did the musicians, another real favorite of mine. He is such a gentle soul.

    The man drinking coffee at the window on a snowy day is so wonderful. It says, NEW YORK. Charles Saxon was a treasure.

    Nan, I don't remember any of the covers you mention but I'm sure I've seen them over the years. If you can find the covers, you SHOULD do a post. :)

    Thanks again for the kind words.

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  11. Thanks! I will have to look into it, cause that would be lots of fun.

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  12. THE NEW YORKER set a trend with its artistic covers. I can't think of any other periodical or magazine doing something unique like this. I actually know someone who frames/laminates the covers. THE NEW YORKER cover art is matched only by the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC cover photographs. Both hold the reader spellbound.

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  13. Prashant: That's a good idea - laminating the covers. You can actually frame them same size if you don't want them as posters. So many of them are beautiful.

    The New Yorker has been unique since the beginning.

    National Geographic too.

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  14. The Steinberg cover (3rd from bottom) was a very popular poster back when I was in college. So many of my East Coast friends (I'm originally from Connecticut, BTW) had it hanging in their dorm rooms.

    I love the Addams cover with the computer issuing its love letter to the operator. Like a scene from that nightmarish sci-fi film Colossus: The Forbin Project if it were written by Norah Ephron.

    I also love that surreal image of walking out of the subway into a tropical jungle. I have many memories of summers in NYC that were just like that... minus all the trees and vines and plants, of course.

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  15. John: I love Steinberg's work. In fact, I have a book that features a great deal of his artwork. Maybe I ought to do a Forgotten Book deal on him. :)

    Yeah, that Addams cover is a bit atypical for him, but maybe not if you think about it.

    Drooker's cover of the viney subway stop is wonderful. He's done severaal covers for TNY. A terrific artist.

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  16. I've been a subscriber to the New Yorker for many years and I have to admit I havent't been as good reading them from cover to cover since I started blogging :(

    You picked out some wonderful covers!

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  17. I love the first cover! It's so beautiful. All of the covers are very interesting. Thanks for sharing! :-)

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  18. Pat: Blogging has taken over our lives. HA! I know what you mean. I let my subscription lapse....Sacrilege! Time to re-up.

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  19. wutheringwillow: You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. Yes, that first cover is spectacular. It won all sorts of prizes.

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  20. What an interesting post!! Thanks for drawing my attention to The New Yorker's covers. I live in Europe, so I don't get to see them often. I especially liked the ones you selected from Art Spiegelman. Thanks again!!

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