Six 1956–1959 JCK Covers That Missed the Mark

The last time I rounded up JCK covers from the 1950s, I struggled to find five that missed the mark.

I had no such trouble as I combed through the 1956–59 archives. I could have easily put 10–15 more covers on this list, but the human eyes can take only so much pain and suffering.

Here the six I thought were the worst offenders to magazine design:

July 1956

This cover would have been right at home in the 1980s. That is not a compliment.

August 1956

That is not a typo. This is the cover of the August issue.

July 1957

Very much like a bad penny, this guy showed up on a couple of covers during this era. Nothing says economics and finance like a poorly drawn gremlin banker.

August 1957

I asked JCK editorial assistant Stephanie Schaeffer what she thought about this cover. Her response: “Frightening.” That about sums it up.

January 1959

Putting a phone on the cover of the magazine might have been a running joke in the art department at that time. At least I hope so.

February 1959

Because when you think of Easter jewelry, you think of baby poop–colored religious geometric shapes.

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