Text and Cover Designs by Tony Ward, Copyright 2024
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The Selection Process
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In the world of print and digital media, a magazine cover is more than just an introduction; it’s a bold statement. A cover serves as the magazine’s handshake to potential readers, a visual ambassador that communicates the essence of the issue. Choosing the right image is a critical decision that can determine whether a magazine gets picked up or passed over. This is true for online webzines like TW as well.
A magazine cover has less than five seconds to grab a reader’s attention. On social media or even the internet even less. In that fleeting moment, the image must convey a story, evoke emotion, and spark curiosity. It sets the tone for the content within and defines the publication’s identity. Whether it’s a striking portrait, an artistic still life, or a dynamic action shot, the image must resonate deeply with the target audience.
Equally important is the alignment of the image with the magazine’s theme. For example, a travel magazine may choose an expansive landscape to inspire wanderlust, while a fashion publication might highlight a model wearing bold, trend-setting attire to reflect the latest styles. The image must seamlessly integrate with the coverlines, typography, and overall design that’s been evolving over the years creating a cohesive visual narrative.
Beyond aesthetics, the image must also provoke an emotional response. I have discovered over the past 10 years of publishing homepage covers, they often feature elements of surprise, intimacy, or drama—elements that compel readers to take a closer look. A captivating gaze, a powerful moment frozen in time, something erotic or controversial can intrigue our viewership and encourage them to explore further.
Practical considerations also play a role. The image should be high-quality, with a resolution and composition that accommodate text overlays without losing impact. It must stand out on crowded google searches and in digital previews, where competition for attention is fierce.
Finally, cultural relevance and sensitivity are paramount. A cover image should reflect the sites left leaning societal values and avoid misrepresentation or controversy that alienates readers. Striking the right balance between boldness and respect ensures a positive and lasting impression.
Choosing the perfect magazine cover image is both an art and a science that I’ve practiced diligently over the years. When executed thoughtfully, it becomes a gateway to the stories within—a visual promise of inspiration, insight, and discovery. In the end, the right image doesn’t just catch the eye; it captures your memories and inspires you.
Text and Photography by Justine Bakker, Copyright 2023
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Alone
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My journey is coming to an end, one more week to go.
I spent almost my entire journey in silence
and spent time alone in nature.
Taking a deep dive in, I needed that.
And I have received.
And now, now enough is enough.
I feel physically alone.
I long for people I trust around me.
I need some fun and laughter
I’m craving for touch, hugs
I long for mirrors, others to show me who I am now.
I’m homesick and that’s more than just connection to myself.
It is also connection to the world around me.
Besides longing, I also feel fear
Afraid of the crowd,
the many stimulus, the “main” matters,
The western rush and the pursuit..
The grey sky and leafless trees…
My body blocks when I let myself go into those thoughts.
Panic; Can I handle that yet? How?
I know: fear is a bad advisor
Spring is coming, that’s for sure.
I’m busy with life and death a lot,
bonded inseparable.
My life our life life on earth with earth
Our human life that can be so short (or long).
Already predetermined.
Death that is no longer scary, sometimes even a wish,
a way out.
I read about near death experiences in which
death is described as homecoming.
Our soul ‘lives’ before and after earthly life,
The soul remains and so I feel Mats very close, with me.
This faith gets me through the lack,
keeps me going.
Existential questions guide my days here.
What do I have left to live for?
What do I have to give, to share…?
I identify as a survivor, a warrior.
I have the willingness to face the reality.
I want to live, learn and be useful, matter.
I don’t have full answers to my life path
One direction and that’s enough for now.
Answers will come when the time is right.
I plant some seeds that I take care of,
cherish and protect .
I’m reaping the fruits, no rush,
patience, open up, trust,
one step at a time
Those kinds of mantras…
I am deeply grateful for this journey alone.
I have to go through this, want to see everything, feel it
I have learned to connect with my nature,
with my wishes and limits.
And with the immense earthly beauty
and fertility of all around me.
Now I long for home, to connect with you.
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About The Author: Justine Bakker is an established fashion model, art director, set dresser and stylist based in the Netherlands. To access additional articles by Justine Bakker, click here: https://tonyward.com/justine-bakker-remembering-mats/
Yet, beyond surface of perception, you gotta’ use your brain
Not just a resident in Florida who is a white-knuckle liar
Not just a resident in Delaware who has that internal fire
Pair of political leaders in their 70’s
Yes, they are by date they were born
Not just Rep road
Not just Dem lane
But, their headspace is NOT the same
I’m going to let you in on the score
Trump is who he is
Biden is who he is
How will who these men are affect an elected term?
One relies on the Constitution as being dead words upon a scrap of paper, to be twisted, bastardized and prepped for the toilet’s flush
One sees that parchment as a document that breathes in expansion’s promise of word and action for hope
Two men, two leaders
Polar opposite is what they are
Vote like you give a fuck
Not just a perfunctory damnation of both sides of politics as being corrupt
Prez is the star on center stage
But, then again, in a book of an administration you’ve gotta’ look at each line upon the page
You know, the people he brings along to the table of ideas
Is it a nationalist’s coda?
Is it a sonnet of brotherhood?
Maybe if you’re on that side of fortune’s scale that hasn’t given a second thought about rights being granted, then just sit back and stay in your bubble of obliviousness
As for the rest of us we know the journey is not a stair-step of simplicity of just waking up in the morning and pounding our chest with an American chant of acknowledging legal protections
Just the same, are they?
Depends on who stands in the chorus behind the man in the spotlight
Can you honestly say the choice is equal between two visions with a straight face?
Especially when one has that scent upon him of Lucifer’s place
Nah, ya’ can’t shrug this choice away
So, if you don’t want to vote, just stay your ass home
But, don’t put up a false equivalency as a shiny object that roams
Choosing a candidate is only part of civic participation
Do a little research on whom and what they bring to the table
Policies matter, as well as history
Just the same, you say?
November’s coming, so your hesitation better get out of the way
Man in the spotlight is the one who leads the chorus
Chorus behind him should never be a Faustian surprise
Okay, so I’m voting and I’m excited to flex my franchise
I do it for myself, family, friends and even those I never met who have paid the price in the shadows and light
So, you may think the vote doesn’t count or matter at all
But, you can scribble a moniker of your dog, cat, or even the words ameba or zygote on your ballot if you think a reason to vote is too damned small
Yet, you should use sobriety in answering history’s call
I’m thinking it big!
I’m thinking it bold!
I’m thinking of those who were young and those who were old
These are a few threads of the quilt of America –
Emmett Till, Mose Wright, Rosa Parks, Claudette Colvin, Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King, Medgar Evers, John Lewis, C.T. Vivian, Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Alice Paul, Sarah Weddington, Harvey Milk, Larry Kramer, Bayard Rustin, Walter Reuther, Henry David Thoreau, Rachel Carson, Fred Korematsu, Russell Means, James T. Byrd, Matthew Shepard, Heather Heyer
And, if you can’t think of anyone or cause worthy of the reason for you to vote
Then sit your ass home, don’t bitch and don’t moan
Just remember that your choice to vote is always bigger than just about you
History didn’t begin the second a doctor spanked your newborn ass and you let out a wail
Since the moment of beginning, right now and onto future’s hence
Freedom is more than a bumper sticker of red, white, and blue
No time for false patriotism’s cue
Democracy needs to be held up and respected true
Roe’s gone and Brown can be gone, too
On the ballot are deniers of election, acting like their conspiratorial vision is the only selection
Infected by the dark tide of damning what they see as the other
Some are not seen as equal in the family of humanity
Identity bashed beneath waves of an ideological haze
Banning books and thoughts of progress is the conservative’s latest phase
Odd is it that they want to control what can be read
While those who are adults among them are mathematically inept
Not even knowing how many baby mamas you’ve screwed and left
Over and over the playbook is the same
Snarky they are, as their malarkey has taken them far
You call anyone not to the right of you a commie and lib
But, damn, don’t worry about what I am, cuz’ I can whip a few cold remarks ever so glib
No party holds the key to what loving this country is meant to be
Voting is cornerstone of this republic in which we live
Nobody can easily think democracy can be ripped away
Thus, we better vote like it might be our last
Fascistic winds across the land have not yet passed
Hucksters, opportunists and true believers are on the ballot this year
That which they have planned for America will be something many of us cannot bear
Yet, some say both sides are the same
Well, I know one thing to be beyond a transparent claim
If these ultra-maga conservatives win, our freedoms will go quickly down the drain
The move towards progress has never been easy
Nothing was given to any of us who have fought for it
What will you do?
Sit back on your crack with an apathetic smirk?
Or, send in your ballot or walk to the place of your poll with a focused goal?
November 8th is the date
Only if you vote, this land of America as we know it will remain great
