Above: Two of Spy magazine’s infamous “spoof” covers – Hillary Clinton as a dominatrix (from 1993) and George Bush Sr. with “cutout hair” (from 1989).
Spy magazine was a publication known for the manipulated images which often graced the covers, and the satirical wit which always occupied the inside pages. Spy ran monthly from October 1986 to May 1993, and now founder Kurt Andersen has put all 71 covers online for your viewing pleasure. (The only drawback is the small images can’t be enlarged.)
Anderson says of Spy’s manipulated covers…
Realistic digital manipulation of existing pictures was newly possible back then, but difficult and incredibly expensive — the first primitive Photoshop software didn’t appear until 1990 — and probably the best of our giant-computer-generated covers were Ted Kennedy being splashed with water (November 1987), Jerry Lewis & Dean Martin brawling for “Feuds” (November 1988), the pregnant naked Bruce Willis (July 1991), Hillary Clinton as a dominatrix (January 1993) and Bill Clinton as Pinocchio (May 1993).
[view the gallery of SPY covers]
Oh Spy, how I miss thee…
