no no song book covers

Jesse Marinoff Reyes:

I present my list of 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. 24, Nov-Dec, 1999 issue
Design: Grant Alden
Illustration/construction: Tim Shawl (photographed by Robert Pierce)
Art Director: Grant Alden

The most versatile illustrator on the magazine’s roster, Shawl crafted the cover collage in his workshop out of found wood, pull tabs, a pencil eraser, painted beans, comb “teeth,” string, a clothespin, a wig, sequins, and spray paint.

JMR Design

No Depression No. 28, July-August, 2000 issue
Design: Grant Alden
Illustration: Shocko Graphix (Alden)
Art Director: Grant Alden

This cover captures Alden’s Renaissance Man attributes most clearly. This cover required a more creative approach due to deadline pressure and a lack of usable new material. Alden opted for this pop art/post-punk graphic treatment using vintage publicity of the featured performer (Loretta Lynn). Every aspect of this approach, from type placement and emphasis, to execution of the graphic treatment and color breakdown, to his self-deprecating tinkering with the tagline—The Alternative Country (Whatever That Is) Bimonthly Coloring Book—and even placement of the barcode, rings true. One of my favorite covers.