Jesse Marinoff Reyes:
the GREATEST NO DEPRESSION COVERS OF ALL TIME. But who am I to judge? Perhaps because I’d been looking over Alden’s shoulder for the entirety of No Depression’s 75-issue run (plus three “bookazines”) and providing commentary and advice along the way; designed the book covers for two compilations of the magazine’s best writing; and crafted a fistful of editorial illustrations for the magazine over the years—I think I might have some idea of what went into the creation of this remarkable, short-lived (but a good 13+ year run), and much-missed magazine.
No Depression was iconoclastic. Although a newsstand magazine, Alden did not confine himself to the standard prerequisites of that category. He was interested in exploring the possibilities of that limitation, treating No Depression more like a large format publication—and more often than not, experimenting with how design could challenge preconceptions of what a newsstand magazine should look like.
The covers I thought stood out the most were fully design-driven, or art or photograph-dominant designs married to unique type-treatments. Some were outstanding by virtue of their simplicity, others for simply being counter-intuitive. You can’t do that! Yes, yes you can!
JMR Design
No Depression No. 42, Nov-Dec, 2002 issue
Design: Grant Alden
Photograph: Charles Peterson
Art Director: Grant Alden
Peterson, perhaps the signature photographer for the “look” of grunge, and an old hand at The Rocket, contributes his talents to this intimate portrait of the artist at work. Here, Alden consciously echoes the American Recordings-look of the series of albums Cash completed at the end of his life.
JMR Design
No Depression No. 52, May-June, 2003 issue
Design: Grant Alden
Archival Photograph: Maurice of Chicago/courtesy the family of Mildred Jorman
Art Director: Grant Alden
An excellent example of working with an archival image. Much more in keeping with a book cover jacket than a magazine cover, Alden’s facility with archaic typographic styles makes for a greater sense of time, place, and character.
JMR Design
No Depression No. 52, July-August, 2004 issue
Design: Grant Alden
Photograph: Marina Chavez
Art Director: Grant Alden
Like the light touch of the Kasey Chambers cover, this sculptural, expressionist sitting (same photographer, Marina Chavez) mirrors the same approach—balanced and uncluttered, so the outstanding portrait and signature type treatment hold your attention.
COMMENTS
