Next week marks the publication of Françoise Mouly’s “Blown Covers,” a book whose subtitle says it all: “New Yorker covers you were never meant to see.” Mouly, who is the art editor at the magazine, describes how iconic New Yorker covers came to be, and also, how some covers never came to be. Here, she shares a selection of those new classics plus the cover ideas that were either too naughty, too crazy, or simply too ahead of their time. (Click on the images to expand.)





1 / 12 Chevron Chevron Sometimes it looks like an artist is poking fun at the more sedate New Yorker covers, though the artist here, M. Scott Miller, claims that the inspiration for this “jeté” is an experience common to anyone who follows classical ballet.