Magazine Covers
Newsstand art
Gaming magazine covers featured bold artwork that competed for attention on newsagents' shelves and now serve as nostalgic time capsules.
Overview
Before the internet, magazine covers sold issues. Gaming publications competed with striking artwork—Oliver Frey’s painted covers for Crash, Zzap!64’s bold designs, Nintendo Power’s character art. These covers served as marketing, editorial statement, and sometimes the only visual representation of games buyers would see before purchase. Today they’re nostalgia objects and collectibles.
Fast facts
- Purpose: attract buyers on newsagent shelves.
- Artists: Oliver Frey (Newsfield), Bob Wakelin (Ocean), many others.
- Style evolution: painted → photographic → digital.
- Modern status: collector’s items, nostalgic touchstones.
Notable artists
Cover art creators:
- Oliver Frey: Crash, Zzap!64 distinctive style.
- Bob Wakelin: Ocean Software game packaging.
- Various magazine staff: in-house art departments.
Cover conventions
What made gaming covers distinctive:
- Character focus: mascots and protagonists.
- Action scenes: gameplay moments dramatised.
- Review scores: prominently displayed ratings.
- Exclusive content: cover-mounted tapes and discs.