Slam magazine covers (1997–2019)
February 1997 ft. Impact, FF Blur, and Franklin Gothic. Bryant’s #8 jersey would be a mainstay until 2006 when he switched to #24.
Slam magazine was started in 1994 by Publisher Dennis Page and Creative Director Don Morris at the now-defunct Harris Publications. Morris designed the current logo in 1996, based on Neville Brody’s FF Harlem. Cory Johnson (who later went to Vibe) was founding Editor-In-Chief.
The magazine looked to show a hip hop spin on basketball. When it came to design, everything from the distorted grunge era to stretched PC type to early 00s pixel/techno to Obama-era clarity has been covered in truckloads. The magazine is a great representation of the last 25 years of type trends (see all the covers at Fandom). Standouts include an odd version of House Industries’s House Gothic 23 (maybe a very early version) and the timely Timmons NY/BWord combo (both by Pentagram’s Matt Willey).
Kobe Bryant was on the cover of Slam upwards of twenty times (Slam has collected all of them). Key career moments are highlighted, right on to Kobe’s mentorship of his daughter Gianna’s basketball team at Mamba Sports Academy.
February 2003, ft. Chalet Comprimé 1970 in use shortly after its release.
January 2000, ft. House Gothic 23, sometimes with the alternate straight-legged R and bearded G, plus Vineta for “KB8”.
March 1998 with more House Gothic 23 and Garage Gothic caps.
December 2008, with Champion Gothic, in all caps from several weights. “Special” fetaures Bello. Design by Stephen Goggi.
March 2019, with Timmons NY and BWord, both designed by Matt Willey.
April 2010, ft. United Sans in various weights and widths. The quote is set in all-caps Miller Display Italic. In supporting roles, more Vineta (stars) and Bello (URL). Design by Melissa Medvedich with photography by Martin Schoeller.
2 Comments on “Slam magazine covers (1997–2019)”
Most of these covers were designed by Melissa Medvedich
www.melissamedvedich.com/
That’s great to know, thanks, Stephen! I’ve added her name. So: the logo in FF Harlem is by Don Morris, some covers were designed by you, and most others by Melissa Medvedich – correct?