Drum was a South African weekly magazine founded in 1951. Initially called The African Drum, in the 1950s and 60s it was an important chronicler of black political and social life, and Drum‘s reporters covered many of the major anti-apartheid protests and events. They later branched out to publish East and West African editions. The […]
The Crisis was founded in 1910 by W.E.B. DuBois as the official publication of the NAACP. Within nine years it reached a circulation of 100,000. It was an important venue in its early days for African American authors, including Jean Toomer, Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Jessie Fauset. It also included powerful graphic covers by […]
Aaron Douglas was an artist and muralist who came to fame during the years of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s-30s. Although he’s most known today for his paintings, he did a lot of illustration work back in the day for various book covers and magazines, especially The Crisis and Opportunity, as well as the […]
Ebony Jr! was founded in 1973 by the publishers of Ebony and Jet as a magazine for African-American kids. The executive art director was Herbert Temple; art directors were Cecil L. Ferguson and Norman L. Hunter. Many of the covers featured striking illustrations; later editions featured celebrities, including O.J. Simpson, Gary Coleman, and Bill Cosby. […]
The Black Panther was a weekly newspaper published by the Black Panther Party from 1967-80. Art directed by Revolutionary Artist and Minister of Culture Emory Douglas, The Black Panther covers were a combination of Douglas’s own powerful illustration, collage, high-contrast photographs, and poster-like graphics. Bold and provocative, each cover was an incendiary call to action […]
Jet magazine was founded in 1951 by John Johnson of the Johnson Publishing Company. Published in Chicago, its original tagline was “The Weekly Negro News Magazine.” It printed in a small, digest-sized format with covers that featured black and white photographs and a single spot color. Art director Herbert Temple made the most of the […]
Jet magazine was founded in 1951 by John Johnson of the Johnson Publishing Company. Published in Chicago, its tagline was “The Weekly Negro News Magazine.” It printed in a small, digest-sized format with covers that featured black and white photographs and a single spot color. Art director Herbert Temple made the most of the limited […]
Paul Wearing is a UK-based illustrator who creates brilliant, graphic imagery with a mid-century vintage flavor. His work is bright, bold, smart and very stylish. Working with art director Dennis McLeod and design director David Armario, Wearing created a series of memorable illustrations for the Fall 2016 issue of Stanford Medicine magazine. Here’s a selection […]
Polly Becker is a Boston-based illustrator and artist who is known for her smart, elegant, and very imaginative assemblages. Her editorial illustrations have appeared in countless magazines and newspapers. In addition to her assemblages, Becker also works in a black and white, pen and ink style, with a strong vintage feel. She says to up-and-coming […]
Over the past year, creative director Andrew Horton has been directing the visual rebirth of The Village Voice, New York City’s dynamic (and legendary) altweekly newspaper. In addition to giving the insides a complete makeover, Horton brought in a brilliant and eclectic batch of illustrators who continued and expanded the paper’s graphic legacy. Under Horton’s […]
