Top 20 Christmas Magazine Covers of All Time

Esquire, 1974: This December 1974 Esquire cover features Rudolph (Nureyev) and Rudolph (Reindeer). The cover was a gatefold, and opened up to reveal that Rudolph (the Red-Nosed) was also floating in the air.

Popular Electronics, 1958: This one’s for the children. There is a long-tradition of science and science fiction magazines printing holiday covers. We have stacks of covers in our files of Santa giving presents to aliens. But this Popular Electronics cover from 1958 struck as a particularly brilliant, especially the little baby robot handing a present to its mommy.

TV Guide, late ’60s: In the 50s and 60s, TV Guide was known for its striking illustrated covers, utilizing a New Yorker-like collection of brilliant artists. This one, from the late 60s, features the work of British artist Ronald Searle.

Rolling Stone, 2006: Nothing says Christmas like Snoop Dogg smoking a blunt candy cane on the cover of Rolling Stone, from 2006. We love it!

Esquire, 1992: Another brilliant Esquire cover, this one from 1992. If you’re going to have religious iconography, why not have Madonna?

Vanity Fair, 1935: From the start of illustrated magazine covers, Santa imagery played a critical role at holiday time. This cover, from the December 1935 Vanity Fair, illustrated by Paulo Garretto, is typical of the fun and whimsy that could go into magazine cover making during that period. For a full collection of illustrated period magazine covers, we recommend the book Covering Christmas: Vintage American Magazine Covers, which was the source for several of the covers in our Top 20 list.

>>>NEXT: Bonus – the all-time worst Christmas cover.

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