Since the recession was made official, and even before, magazine covers brought out a host of recession-related imagery: downward-slanting arrows, roller coasters, and even (groan) the passé bear or bull.
Back in October, Vanessa Voltolina, writing for Folio magazine’s blog, asked BusinessWeek‘s art director Andrew Horton what makes a good or bad recession cover.
“There are a slew of recession clichés to choose from,” said Horton, but the best covers, in his opinion, are “simple and direct.”
From time.com He gave The Economist‘s “What Next?” cover (above left) low marks for being “confusing and a bit too muddy.”
But he liked Time‘s “The New Hard Times” cover (above right), because “I actually got sad looking at it — that’s how you know it’s good.”
What are your favorite recession cover picks for 2009? (See a few examples below.) And what clichés are you especially sick of by now?
May I suggest one of my own recessionary images:
Annika MengisenSubtle, yet pointed. Though maybe the nearby Tilt-A-Whirl would have been more appropriate.
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#2 – Tim H – after the election of Obama, I don’t think that anyone wants to go back to a Black and White world.
With all the stuff going down The Economist’s swirling toilet bowl, we’re going to need Joe the Plumber all the more!
Wheel of Fortune on bankruptcy! That pretty much sums up the risks game of Wall Street. I would also add one other game show. Deal or No Deal. It seems that people got greedy and did not know when to stop.
As for the Time cover. Artful but of a different time. I think a cover depicting a Mad Max type economy where people fight for gas and live in fortresses would be a more thought provoking depiction.
Annika, I think your Dow picture is upside down.
All of the above.
The problem that DOD should solve in DC however , is why the CIA is running rackets to run guerilla wars whenever it doesn’t want Congress to find out where its spending money.
Lotto anyone?
Regarding,
dePaul Consiglio
Maybe not my favorite picture – but more my favorite image of the recession came from an article I saw on bearonbusiness.com. There was a blog post (http://bearonbusiness.com/telecom-outlook-in-a-bleak-economy) that discussed what the a 2009 depression would look like. Good Stuff!
I’m loving the New Yorker cover.
Maybe anon. doesn’t live where the businesses hire walking sign posts to carry a piece of advertising and bounce around on the corner pointing to the pizza/ furniture/ electronics/ whatever store.
Here in Phoenix, there are EVERYWHERE these days.
Yeah, I’m feeling that cover pretty much nails it.
I hate the TIME cover. The Great Depression was unique to the late 20′s and 30′s. Our current situation was completely avoidable. I also find the idea that what did not work 80 years ago will work today.
The New Yorker has the cover trueist to our times.