This cover, by the great cartoonist Chris Ware, captures the autumnal magic of Halloween while making wry cultural commentary. It uses light, and the lack thereof, to paint a loving but poignant picture of modern-day parenting. While the kids are on the porch, with their masked faces turned expectantly upward, their too-busy parents dutifully wait, faces turned down toward their BlackBerries and iPhones. They're so immersed in their own worlds of e-mails and schedules that they miss the memories in the making right in front off them. The metaphor is enhanced by the simple graphic style of the artwork; it evokes the golden age of magazines, when titles such as Fortune, Vanity Fair and TIME used illustration not photography to create memorable covers. The New Yorker is the last major holdout, and for the mag it's the ultimate form of branding.
Next The Advocate, June 7