Best Covers

1:Informal
2:Formal
3:Formal
9:Formal
13:Formal
15:Formal
18:Formal
19:Formal
21:Environmental
22:Formal
23:Informal
24:Formal
26:Informal
27:Formal
28:Environmental
29(both)Formal(1971)Environmental(2001)
31:Formal
32:Formal
35:Formal
36:Formal
37(All except for sept. '97):Formal(All)

#21 LIFE (November 26, 1965)
“The Blunt Reality of War in Vietnam” appears on the November 26, 1965 cover of LIFE. Paul Schutzer’s photograph of a Vietcong prisoner with his eyes and mouth taped shut captured the tumultuous war. Schutzer was one of LIFE’s best photographers, but was killed on assignment while covering the Six-Day War in 1967.

Favorite: #21
I like #21 b/c this is a photo that is as real as it gets. It was very brutal take on the reality that was Vietnam. Immediately upon looking at this picture, it creates an impulse of disturbance in the comforts of the safe-zones of our homes. We realize the terrible things that are happening beyond the borders of our country. Obviously, this is an environmental photo, b/c chances are likely that this man is unaware of the fact that his picture is being taken, not to mention the foliage and grass around him. Also, a solider can be seen standing behind him. The lighting seems soft, as if the sun was bright, but diluted by thick clouds.

Cover History

As far back as magazine covers go, they began as very simplistic and straightforward pictures of whatever the magazine was supposed to portray, it was commonly used as a decoration technique. Words were at a minimal and only refrained to the title or subject in the magazine. Then magazine covers evolved into the the poster cover, in which the cover of a magazine contained simply a picture of the subject of that particular issue. Then came Pictures Married to Type. In this case, the cover of the magazine contained both a picture of it's subject and a title pertaining to its picture, in which case, the topic of that volume could be identified interchangeably through picture or headline. Finally we have The Forest of Words. The Forest of Words contains series of Headlines, sub-headlines, and as well the cover portrait or picture. This gives a detailed overlook of what you will be expected to find within the magazine.