The New Yorker, September 11, 2006

From The New Yorker: For the five-year 9/11 anniversary cover, John Mavroudis concept was to stay away from the surfeit of images that recall the horror and remember the wonder of Philippe Petits 1974 tight-rope walk between the towers.  The result in Owen Smiths painting is magical: the walker, in the absence of towers and rope, remains suspended in the white space of a blank page. The two-part cover (a first for The New Yorker) is a memorial to the spirit of humanity and those who died there, and especially to the man who did a perfect dive as he plunged to his death.

Esquire, December 2006

From Esquire: For its Best & Brightest or Genius Issue, Esquire asked illustrator Marion Deuchars to draw the coverline, which is one complete sentence.  With George Clooney holding a pencil, the implication is that Clooney hand wrote those coverlines.  The cover garnered attention not only on the newsstand but from designers and artists everywhere.  It also is a twist on what has become known as the signature Esquire cover of crowding the cover with lines while keeping the message clear.

Vanity Fair, July 2007

From Vanity Fair: Editor Graydon Carter and Guest Editor Bono published Vanity Fairs special Africa Issue with an unprecedented 20 covers featuring Muhammad Ali, Maya Angelou, Warren Buffet, George W. Bush, Don Cheadle, George Clooney, Bill and Melinda Gates, Djimon Hounsou, Iman, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Madonna, Barack Obama, Brad Pitt, Queen Rania of Jordan, Condoleezza Rice, Chris Rock, Desmond Tutu, Oprah Winfrey, and Bono, all shot by Annie Leibovitz. 

Muhammad Ali and Barack Obama were both chosen to appear on the cover for their commitment to African affairs. 

Each visit [to Africa] has proven to be a rare opportunity to discover just how magnificent and culturally rich the African people are, said Ali, who has been a messenger for peace for the U.S. government and the United Nations. It is true, Africa has endured famine, drought, and the AIDS epidemic, but what is more important is that the people have enduredwith dignity and hope.  It is their home and mine that this rich and magnificent land will one day be restored to the majesty of its ancestors.

Obama, who believes in Africas promise, observed, I can still remember my first trip to Africa, two decades ago, when my sisters Volkswagen Beetle broke down.  While that first trip was about discovering my past, my recent trip was about Africas future.  And it filled me with hope.