One response to all the hubbub about DC Comics' unfolding "New 52" re-launch of the DC Universe comics: a pile of independent cartoonists creating cover art for the book launches/relaunches they'd like to see, at DC Fifty-Two. Some of it is straight-faced, some of it is...less so. BIFF! The Justice League as a western! POW! The Geek vs. Hell's Nixons! BLAM! Classical art references!
posted by cortex on Sep 2, 2011 - 28 comments

Why does Futura work here but Slanted Futura doesn't? Enter FONTS IN USE: A breakdown, explanation and appreciation of type design out in the real world.
posted by The Whelk on Jan 3, 2011 - 17 comments

Get your hands off me, you damn, dirty macaco!
posted by grumblebee on Jun 15, 2010 - 6 comments

Chris Ware was commissioned by Fortune to illustrate their May cover. His "hilarious, beautiful, meticulous" submission, which included "Guantanamo Bay prisoners, Mexican factory workers, and a few potshots at business execs and money-grubbing politicians," was rejected. Hi-res Flickr version here. Previously (1, 2)
posted by infinitefloatingbrains on Apr 24, 2010 - 77 comments

Over 650 Philip K. Dick book covers [more inside]
posted by carter on Jan 30, 2010 - 39 comments

Westminster Gold reissued classical albums in the seventies. The covers could be racy [slightly NSFW], unusual, puzzling, irreverent, and employ national stereotypes, but my favourites are the literal puns like Pops Promenade and Allegri String Quartet.
posted by tellurian on Dec 15, 2009 - 16 comments

70 years of controversial magazine covers.
posted by Matthias Rascher on Sep 23, 2009 - 70 comments

Monster Magazine Covers! Quote: "Vintage pulp magazines will be offensive to many people today. They were issued before the current climate of political correctness overtook the country. Themes of many magazines (or at least the covers) are racially insensitive, show violence to women, unsafe and/or promiscuous sex, and negative stereotyping of gays, lesbians, Asians, and almost any group you can imagine."
posted by mischief on Jun 11, 2005 - 13 comments

"Man, I DO love a good album cover!" -- Dana Countryman
posted by breezeway on Mar 18, 2005 - 21 comments

And the Grammy Award for most unfortunate album cover art goes to... The Coup! (Thankfully this rap group has already announced that they will change the cover to this CD.)
posted by spilon on Sep 12, 2001 - 12 comments