Dec 31, 2017

Covers of The Stranger Art Directed by Tracie Louck

Tracie Louck is art director of The Stranger, which describes itself as “Seattle’s Only Newspaper.” Formerly published weekly, in late September The Stranger shifted to a biweekly schedule. Louck has been at The Stranger since June 2016; she previously was art director of another altweekly, Dallas Observer.

The Stranger has a long history of graphic brilliance, and has featured the work of countless cartoonists and illustrators, as well as a series of notable art directors, including Joe Newton, Dale Yarger, Aaron Huffman, Corianton HaleHank Trotter, and James Sturm, among others. Louck has continued the classic cover look of The Stranger, using a dynamic mix of original illustration, photography, pre-existing artwork, all mixed with a heavy dose of visual attitude and provocativeness.

You can see more of Tracie Louck’s art direction work here. And you can marvel at The Stranger cover archive (going back to 1999) here. Here is a baker’s dozen of our favorite covers of The Stranger, art directed by Louck.

(Above): July 27, 2016. Illustration by Tyler Spangler.

February 8, 2017. Illustration by Alethia Lunares.

June 7, 2017. Cover art by Alexis Mata.

November 2, 2016. Photograph by Nate Gowdy.

July 5, 2017. Cover art by Laurie Hogan.

January 11, 2017. Cover art by David Franklin.

May 17, 2017. Cover art by Blake Chamberlain.

November 9, 2016. Photographed on election night by Jonathan Vanderweit.

November 16, 2016.

June 21, 2017. Illustrations by Louisa Bertman.

November 22, 2017. Illustration by Curt Merlo.

July 26, 2017. Photograph by Ashley Armitage.

December 20, 2017. Illustration by Eugenia Loli.

Further reading:

Weekly Dig/Dig Boston Altweekly Covers

Altweekly Cover Shock Tactics

SF Weekly Covers by Andrew J. Nilsen