James Joyce – Magazine cover stories
Cover versions
James’ particular artistic style, with its simple clean lines and bold colours, plus his ability to distil a complex subject down to its most essential visual form, makes him perfect for creating striking illustrated magazine covers. To illustrate that point, literally, we present a selection of some of his favourite magazine covers over the years, alongside his own commentary on how they came about.
We also asked the art and creative directors who commissioned the covers why they felt James was the right illustrator for the job.
FT WEEKEND MAGAZINE – 2022
The article you were illustrating was about feedback – how do you deal with feedback or criticism?
I’m good with feedback if it’s based on improving the quality of the work. If there’s a solid reason behind it and it makes the work better, then I have no problem with it.
Did you get any feedback on this image?
A fist bump emoji.
What’s the process for coming up with a cover image like this? Do you sketch a number of ideas and let the client choose their favourite before working something up. Or do you just present what you believe to be the best idea?
The magazine will send through the feature copy and I’ll usually read it a few times, pulling out what I think are the key messages. I’ll then start developing ideas around those specific points.
In this instance, as well as the cover, I did about five other images for the feature, some full page and some half page, so they needed to work as a series. I did lots of rough conceptual sketches and then chose a handful that I thought were working. I sent those to Brian and we discussed which directions felt strongest and whether anything needed developing before I took them to final.
How does the role of an art director cross over with what you do in creating a magazine cover like this one?
Having been an art director myself, I see it from both sides. Part of the art director’s creative role is choosing the right illustrator or photographer for a story in the first place. That creative choice is part of their vision for the magazine.
Most of the time I’m being commissioned because they want my conceptual response to the subject as well as my visual language. Often an art director deliberately won’t come to me with a preconceived idea because they want to see what angle I can bring to it. Other times they might already have the beginnings of an idea, which I’ll explore alongside other possibilities.
The art director wants the illustrator to bring something unexpected to the brief, but equally the illustrator has to be open to the art director’s input. You both have the same goal: to make a great cover.
‘In short, [we commissioned him] because James’ work is smart, direct, and has just the right amount of humour for the subject matter.’
Brian Saffer, Art Director, FT Weekend Magazine
LE MAGAZINE DU MONDE – 2016
What was the context of the time when this image appeared?
It was published right after Donald Trump won the 2016 US presidential election.
How did you get the commission?
I’d previously done some political imagery for The New York Times a few years earlier. Jean Baptiste, the art director at Le magazine du Monde, had those in mind and got in touch to see if I’d be interested in creating something along those lines for the cover.
When it comes to a subject as potentially divisive and contentious as this, are you careful to avoid letting your personal view become apparent in the image?
Not really. I think a magazine will often approach me because they already have a sense of where I’m coming from and know the kind of work I make. I wouldn’t take on a piece if I fundamentally disagreed with it politically. This cover was clearly anti Trump.
Perhaps linked to the previous question, when it comes to more politicised images, do you tailor them according to the editorial stance of the magazine or try to keep them impartial?
The story itself usually has a point of view, so I don’t think the image necessarily needs to be impartial. I just have to be comfortable putting my name to it.
You’ve previously chosen this piece as one of your own favourites. Why was that?
It was a pivotal moment in history, so it felt interesting to somehow be part of the dialogue around it. There were obviously a lot of Trump covers appearing at the time, so it was also good to create something that stood out and cut through the noise.
This was an award-winner. What awards did it win?
It won a D&AD Wood Pencil and an ADCE award.
‘This was an important cover for us, at a defining moment in history. We wanted a strong, simple image that could speak immediately while allowing for several layers of meaning. I loved James’s combination of graphic clarity, wit and his way of taking familiar objects and symbols apart to give them a new meaning. His deconstructed forms and accumulations of objects had stayed with me, particularly an image featuring flags. That sparked the idea of an American flag falling to pieces, a way to express the sense of uncertainty and fragmentation we felt at the time. James felt like the natural person to approach, both because his work had inspired the idea and because he could turn it into such a powerful image.’
Jean-Baptiste Talbourdet-Napoleone, Creative Director,
Le magazine du Monde
THE GUARDIAN REVIEW – 2018
How did you come by this commission?
I’d worked on a previous cover with Bruno at The Guardian and he felt that this topic needed something bold and conceptual. I also did a full page illustration inside.
Is the briefing process different depending on the magazine, or do they all work along similar lines?
It’s pretty similar. They send me the copy, I develop and send over some sketches, we discuss which direction to take and then I produce the final artwork.
How proscriptive would a brief be for something like this – does it sometimes tell you more or less exactly what they want the image to be, or are you fairly free to come up with your own thoughts?
Usually there’s no preconceived idea of what the image should be. Sometimes the art director might have the beginnings of an idea or suggest a direction, but generally I’m being commissioned to come up with my own visual interpretation of the subject.
Do the authors of the articles have any say on your work?
No. I work directly with the art director.
Do you always make a point of reading the article in question before starting on any illustrations?
Yes, I have to read the article to properly understand what it’s about and identify the key areas I can build a concept around. Once I’ve pulled out a few interesting points, I start using those as the basis for conceptual sketches.
Did the subject of Kit de Waal’s article – on the decline of opportunities for working class writers – strike any chords with you in your profession?
I come from a working class background myself, so the subject did resonate, although personally I never felt it was a barrier for me when I was starting out as a young graphic designer. I was fortunate to get some good opportunities early on and was able to build a career from there.
‘James is an artist with a wonderful eye for creating beautiful and striking images, but arguably most importantly for editorial illustration, he thrives at fully understanding and connecting with a story, giving him the ability to communicate its essence visually in ways that speak to its heart, and that are often surprising and always unique to him. I was very pleased when James said he’d like to collaborate on this cover (and inside image), and his ideas and finished product were fantastic.’
Bruno Haward, Art Director, The Guardian Review
THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE – 2013
Art Director – Gail Blicher
What was the inspiration behind the stark red and black of this cover?
The red alluded to the violence without making the image too graphic, and echoed the blood dripping from the seal’s head. The simplicity of the two colour image, with the functional capitalised type and the bright red against the black, made it a powerful cover.
How long do you usually get to work on something like this?
Often not very long. Most of the time it’s only a couple of days, particularly with a weekly publication like The New York Times Magazine. It can be intense, but actually I don’t mind it. It focuses you.
Do you remember whether you had any alternative treatments for this one?
Yes, there was an alternative that was more illustrative and without the large type treatment. In the end Gail went with this red version because of its directness.
Is there a process you use to reduce an idea down to its real essentials like this one?
I just try to think: how can I get this idea across in the simplest possible way, and then craft it in a way that’s aesthetically pleasing? How can I say a lot by showing very little? That’s really at the heart of how I approach most of my work.
