Anyone who’s worked in the world of magazines will be all too aware of the long-heralded ‘death of print’. In 2024, however, there’s a growing sense that the print magazine has morphed into a luxury item, whether you look at the constant drip-feed of new indie titles, the recent resurrection of i-D and Vice’s print offerings, and even brands such as Feeld and Ikea investing in the print format.

It’s been exciting to see a new wave of creative talent reinvigorating the industry this year. Take Shira Inbar, for instance, who works at the intersection of editorial design, motion graphics and illustration, and is helping shape innovative magazine concepts for the likes of A24 and Mschf. There’s been a changing of the guard elsewhere too; after four decades as New York Times Magazine’s director of photography, Kathy Ryan spoke to CR in June about stepping down from the role (although we learned that she’s far from ready to retire altogether).

And if anyone needed a reminder of the enduring influence of the magazine cover, Edward Enninful’s final issue as editor-in-chief of British Vogue was a masterclass in orchestration. It featured not one but 40 stars who dropped everything in order to make the cover shoot, including Serena Williams, Oprah Winfrey and Victoria Beckham to name just a few. On that note, here are CR’s top ten magazine covers of 2024.

El Salto, Palestine in a Fist

As the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continued to dominate news headlines for much of this year, Spanish newspaper El Salto’s quarterly print magazine addressed the crisis head on with a cover that packed a powerful visual punch. Brought to life by art director Byron Maher, it shows a visceral image of a human heart wrapped in a traditional keffiyeh scarf, which has become a defining symbol of Gaza ceasefire protests around the world.

Interview, Issue 554

In her many years in the spotlight, Rihanna has been no stranger to a visual reinvention. As her former stylist, Interview editor-in-chief Mel Ottenberg’s cover shoot with the singer-turned-business-mogul marked an apt opportunity to explore a less expected side of one of the world’s biggest celebs. Shot by the supremely talented Nadia Lee Cohen, the cover shows the star decked out in her finest nun habit. It’s accompanied by an interview fittingly headlined Rihanna Is Ready to Confess, in which she discusses everything from the ups and downs of motherhood to her relationship with her body.

Rubbish Famzine, Issue 12

The arrival of Singapore-based Rubbish Famzine has become something of an annual ritual among the family-run publication’s loyal readership. This time around, they were treated to an issue comprising nine individual booklets (and 700 pages) that took them on a journey with Ramen Rider, a pastiche alter-ego of Japanese superhero Kamen Rider. Housed inside a carefully aged cardboard box, the contents include a packet of instant noodles, a pair of chopsticks, a napkin and the series of small zines, which when seen together form a patchwork ‘front cover’ for the issue.

Luncheon, Issue 17

An independent cultural magazine that blends art, fashion and food, each issue of Luncheon is constructed as if it’s a restaurant menu. For its most recent issue, photographer Tim Gutt and production designer Shona Heath teamed up on a still-life shoot with a deliciously surreal twist. Having already explored the world of cinema with her Oscar-winning work on Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things last year, Heath also shot short film The Still Life of a Peach to go with the issue, which was screened during Frieze London in October.

New York magazine, Is My Cat a Prisoner?

Whether you put it down to society’s loneliness epidemic or younger generations opting out of having children, pet ownership has seen a huge rise in recent years. In the wake of this phenomenon, New York’s editorial team set out to answer the thorny ethical questions around pet ownership, speaking to veterinarians, animal experts and, of course, people with pets. Shot in Charlie Engman’s trademark offbeat style, the resulting cover resembles a prosthetics-fuelled fever dream that is equal parts amusing and disturbing.

Buffalo Zine, No.20

Since launching in 2011, Buffalo Zine has continually challenged the traditional magazine model by reinventing itself for every issue. Past editions have seen it quite literally embody the identities of other fashion mags and grapple with the paradox of the colour pink. For its 20th issue, the team behind the publication embraced the garish aesthetic of tabloid newspapers in order to address questions such as, does fulfilling our dreams always land us where we want it to? And at what cost do we fake it till we make it?

Pencil Magazine, Issue Zero

Launched earlier this year, Pencil is a new title produced entirely in and dedicated to the “most humble and universal” of tools. Inside its pages, everything from the cover art to images, texts and even page numbers were originally handwritten or drawn using graphite and reproduced on pages that hark back to the days of scrawled-on schoolbooks. The debut issue includes poetry, comics, essays, drawings and sketches from 20 contributors in total, with the cover artwork by Renée Gertler also doubling up as a foldout poster.

 

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Vogue, December Issue

Rounding off a wildly successful year for Marc Jacobs, which saw him cement his position as a Gen Z icon, the designer was also asked to be the first-ever guest editor of Vogue’s December issue. When Anna Wintour politely declined his offer to be on the cover, he turned to model and actress Kaia Gerber (the daughter of Vogue royalty Cindy Crawford). The final series of covers range from a playfully stylised shoot by photographer Steven Meisel to a painted portrait by artist Anna Weyant.

Viscose, Issue N° 7 Scent

The seventh issue of Viscose Journal (or rather, Viscose N° 7) continues its tradition of fashion criticism, this time turning its attention to one of the beauty industry’s most enduring, commercially driven fascinations: scent. A series of editorial features examine scent’s history through the lens of branding, manufacturing, exploitation and objecthood, as well as how the industry has created a new language for the atmospheric and abstract. Once you’re done reading, you can transform the flatpack cover into your own personal N° 7 box as a keepsake.

New York Times Sunday Opinion, November 24

Since launching her eponymous creative agency Cotton, designer-coder Talia Cotton has explored the intersection of design and technology for high-profile clients including Google Arts & Culture and the Gates Foundation. Tasked with visualising an article for the New York Times’ Sunday Opinion section on an American public health system in crisis, she whipped up a stress-inducing generative cover image that uses code to spawn exponentially.