The New Yorker never uses photography for its covers. The publication has always relied on illustration and it always works. This upcoming issue, courtesy of MagCulture, continues that trend. At first glance, the Halloween-themed images (darkness, shadows, leaf-less trees, orange border) suggest a typical scene. Yet, as the magazine usually does, subtleties contradict the entire cover to make a societal critique. The cell phone lights shining on the parents' faces show they are not at all engaged with their children's big event. So, it seems the editors are telling the elitist parents (who are their target audience) to wise up, start paying more attention to their kids and enjoy the ghoulish festivities, instead of checking their inboxes.
Because you can infer this much from one aspect of the cover shows how much we can convey with our feature spreads. Choosing the right image and placing it in the right context will make our projects much more effective.
