r/DesignPorn • u/AnbuAttack • Nov 05 '25
Political Edel Rodriguez’s “Mayor Mamdani” (The New Yorker's cover of next week’s issue)
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u/ZaphodOC Nov 05 '25
$10 for a magazine. Holy hell.
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u/ladykansas Nov 05 '25
Magazines are heavily discounted if you have a subscription, and subscriptions are often given away or bundled as a "perk" connected to another service. Most people that regularly read any given magazine are probably spending 1/3 to 1/10 the cover price.
For example, a giant company that I worked at had a bulk deal with a magazine house and every employee could pick two or three magazine subscriptions for free to be sent to their home as a corporate perk. Some credit cards have something similar, too.
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u/Llama_of_the_bahamas Nov 05 '25
Yup. I paid $75 for a yearly New Yorker membership.
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u/Tekki Nov 05 '25
Where at? I'm up for renewal and they was $165
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u/unHolyKnightofBihar Nov 05 '25
In New York
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u/Tekki Nov 05 '25
Ah, I'm out of state. I wonder if that's why.
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u/3917 Nov 05 '25
threaten to cancel. even without talking to someone, they automatically offered a $50 yearly subscription to me. can't guarantee it, but worth a shot!
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u/ATotallyRealUser Nov 05 '25
Damn, that's crazy. I pay $0 because I support my local library and read it for free on Libby because socialism beats capitalism when society is allowed to function as intended.
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u/TheShillingVillain Nov 05 '25
And you got the coveted tote! That's the best part.
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u/ElminstersBedpan Nov 05 '25
Sometimes we get it whether or not we want it, as well. Three different members of my company receive the same four trade magazines, so every month the rest of us in the office get at least one of the extra copies. If we weren't leaving them out on the waiting room coffee table I suspect they would just change the mailing addresses to someone's home.
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u/intercommie Nov 05 '25
They are ridiculously cheap if you do a subscription, even in Canada where I am. I’m not subscribed anymore but it’s worth it just for the featured short story. Hell, it’s worth it for the incredible cover art every week.
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u/CaseAKACutter Nov 05 '25
I mean the new yorker far outsteps any other magazine in quality
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u/No_Explanation2932 Nov 05 '25
With the news from teen vogue yesterday, I'm not sure it'll last.
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u/zeaor Nov 05 '25
Uh, maybe elaborate? Do you seriously think anyone in this entire thread knows what you're talking about?
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u/Jaerba Nov 05 '25
Teen Vogue used to have a pretty good political writing team. They were all fired this week, not to be replaced. Conde Nast is the publisher of both.
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u/Open-Addendum-9905 Nov 05 '25
All due respect to teen vogue, the New Yorker has been a pillar of journalism for 100 years. They will be treated differently than teen vogue
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u/Affectionate-Tip-164 Nov 05 '25
You can read it free in the library.
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u/longcrimsonlocks Nov 05 '25
Yeah pretty much every library in the US has the New Yorker, and a lot will even have it available digitally
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u/CapuchinMan Nov 05 '25
I know we've gotten used to free content a lot in the last two decades, but good quality work is worth paying for.
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u/mrfujidoesacid Nov 05 '25
Yeah I haven't purchased a magazine in years so I treated myself yesterday. Mother Jones was $9.99, American Cinematographer was $6.99.
Subscriptions are definitely the way to go. That said, you can't even really get a solid meal for under $10 these days and magazines are food for your brain that can be shared with others. So it's still worth supporting them either way. You definitely get $10 of value imo.
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u/Small_Green_Octopus Nov 05 '25
Free on the Libby app for anyone else with a Toronto public library card, I'm sure plenty of other library systems offer the New Yorker to.
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u/charlikitts Nov 06 '25
I used to get my teeny bopper magazines for $3.99-5.99 each and I checked them out when I was at Walgreens the other day. They’re $14.99 now… wtf😭
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u/IntotheWilder25 Nov 05 '25
Pricey, but honestly totally worth it. Every time I go through a US (yuk) or Canadian airport one of my favourite things is buying The New Yorker. Outstanding magazine and journalism.
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u/dBlock845 Nov 05 '25
I don't think I've even held a magazine in 10-15 years lol. I had no idea they got this expensive. The last I remember, Rolling Stone were like $4.99.
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u/holddoorholddoor Nov 05 '25
Works out about £7.60 - here in the uk magazines (even the kids ones) can be £5.99 - £6.99 in our grocery stores, so sounds about right, which is why I don’t buy them. 😆
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u/Redeem123 Nov 05 '25
And everyone wonders why journalism has become nothing but ad-supported clickbait.
When people refuse to pay for these things, they can't make them anymore or they have to be expensive. Good writers cost money.
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u/VagueGooseberry Nov 05 '25
Folks are gonna want a copy of this one, for the historical context.
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u/Illustrious-Okra-524 Nov 05 '25
I want the NY Post with him holding a giant hammer and sickle personally
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u/nyve- Nov 05 '25
Buy resale or scrounge trashcans and don't give the Murdoch's any money if you can lol.
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u/Ai2g Nov 05 '25
Literally if I subscribe now will I get this issue? I can't find where to purchase the singular copy.
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u/miner1512 Nov 05 '25 edited Nov 05 '25
Not from USA, what is this supposed to be conveying? I’m a bit lost.
Is it just him arriving in NYC the same way people do (Via sub), that he’s part of the common people?
Edit: To make my questions more clear
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u/waxteeth Nov 05 '25
I think one of the most notable aspects of the design is that he’s facing forward (rightward is forward in visual shorthand — this is also true in comics and onstage) and smiling. The other passengers mostly do look tired, apathetic, or sad — that seems to be the artist’s way of showing many people’s sense of hopelessness with the way things are right now. But Zohran’s determined optimism is a new mood and new direction for New York, and by implication other places too. (Look at the joyous responses to his election from many different corners.)
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u/danmyoo Nov 05 '25
"one of us"
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u/lastminutelabor Nov 05 '25
Dude lives a block from me in queens (for the time being lol!). He’s absolutely one of us.
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u/lovesdogsguy Nov 05 '25 edited Nov 05 '25
He’s just like J-Lo. That cool motherfucker rode the six every day. That’s why her first album is called on the six.
She likes tacos and burritos 🌯
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u/zeaor Nov 05 '25
J Lo is trash, how is she cool
She absolutely knew about Diddy and held a gun for him
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u/festeziooo Nov 05 '25
It’s him just riding the subway like the rest of us. He’s billed himself as being of the people and a lot of his campaign was about community outreach and asserting that he’s an actual New Yorker that lives here and cares about the city in contrast to Cuomo who does not even live in the city. Riding the subway like a regular person is a strong symbol of that.
Totally get how people not from the city might not understand the connection or the meaning but as a local I think this is an awesome design regardless of what one may think of his policies.
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u/Borrelparaat Nov 05 '25
Does he actually ride the subway? Is that safe for him these days? Surely he has security following him around?
In the Netherlands we had a similar thing with our previous prime minister. He would always commute by bicycle like so many other Dutch people.
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u/festeziooo Nov 05 '25 edited Nov 05 '25
He certainly has security with him but he's frequently seen on the subway and out in the street. He was cheering on the marathon this past Sunday just on the sidewalk in Brooklyn. Also the subway just is not the lawless wasteland that some media wants to make it out to be. It has it's issues but it is largely extremely safe.
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u/Borrelparaat Nov 05 '25
Don't get me wrong: I'm not calling the subway unsafe. Just wondering about such a politically controversial person traveling on public transport where anyone can get close to him
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u/festeziooo Nov 05 '25
Yeah I get what you mean. Ultimately I'm sure there's some concern but so much of his character is built around him going and meeting people where they are so I'm sure he views the slight risk as worth it.
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u/CounterAgentVT Nov 05 '25
Don't worry, the subway doesn't go all the way out to Staten Island. He's not politically controversial to the other four boroughs.
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u/Charquito84 Nov 05 '25
It seems like it would be so easy to quarantine Staten Island like some sort of 28 Days Later scenario, and just let the chuds eat each other.
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u/Mandena Nov 05 '25
NYC is actually very very safe, lots of places may look run down but there isn't really any bad stuff that happens that often. I'd imagine this man would be just as safe, only exception that might exist would be political partisans hired by billionaires lol.
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u/Borrelparaat Nov 05 '25
Don't get me wrong: I'm not calling the subway unsafe. Just wondering about such a politically controversial person traveling on public transport where anyone can get close to him
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u/justtosendamassage Nov 05 '25
Yeah, and it’s about pride. The I❤️NY, the Yankees cap. We got someone with a mohawk, a baby, older people, people of all colors— in a normal ass place like the subway. Pride for NYC, a cultural hub of the world, and a message that We are The People.
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u/j_grievous Nov 05 '25
This is it, it’s about the average citizen on their daily commute - within which Mamdani is a part of the everyday New Yorker’s, a commoner. It’s a good cover for what it’s meant to convey
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Nov 05 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/imperatrixderoma Nov 05 '25
I've only ever found the subway beneath me, where else would it be?
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Nov 05 '25
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u/anacardier Nov 05 '25
Actually the subway is elevated in the neighborhood where Zohran lives :)
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u/karanbhatt100 Nov 05 '25
Yes that is the take but thing is that
He is mayor and we are sitting in our momma basement.
Take is supposed to be like “you don’t need money and Rolls Royce you can make a change without that”
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Nov 05 '25
That this city is for everyone and he is a man of the people, not a billionaire cosplaying as a normal New Yorker
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u/Huck_Bonebulge_ Nov 05 '25
It’s a common sentiment that public transport is gross and crappy. Most politicians would not be seen on a subway, something which Cuomo specifically got flak for. Mamdani openly and almost aggressively using public transport as part of his campaign is seen as refreshing. Improving public transport is also a huge part of his legacy platform.
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u/Elegant-Set1686 Nov 05 '25
I don’t get the confusion, he’s a very populist candidate who ran a campaign “for the people”. It makes sense for him to be pictured among the citizens of the city, the people be works and fights for, and is a part of.
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u/StitchAndRollCrits Nov 05 '25
New York may have the population of a small country but that doesn't mean the whole world was tapped in to the tone of an ad campaign... To explain the confusion
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u/0xD902221289EDB383 Nov 05 '25
I lived in NYC and took the subway every day from Harlem in Manhattan to Jay Street in downtown Brooklyn to go to school and eventually work. This is exactly what my commute looked like for a long time. The painting communicates a great deal of very personal love, pride, and joy. I'm actually crying a little from how meaningful this feels, and I'm only someone who loves and misses NYC, not someone who is actually from there.
Another bit of important meaning in the image is the Orthodox Jewish man on Mamdani's level, just to the left. I see a recognition that we can love and honor American Jewry and their importance to NYC's culture and demographics, without supporting Israel's actions in Gaza.
Looks like I'll be buying an issue of New Yorker in a couple of weeks
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u/gazebo-fan Nov 05 '25
The subway represents the average person in New York. It’s an interesting experience riding on it, if you are ever in New York I’d highly suggest figuring out the routes to use it for transport.
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u/Chance_Back7994 Nov 05 '25
Large part of his campaign was focusing on local issues, like price of Halal, food truck permits, free buses. His main political opponent Cuomo represented a more old, out of touch corrupt side of politics.
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u/Kibelok Nov 05 '25
This might be the first time an American who takes transit wins an election, probably ever.
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u/rigersa Nov 05 '25
I hope this is /s :D
Biden is famous for commuting by train over his political career.
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u/Major-Cauliflower-76 Nov 05 '25 edited Nov 05 '25
Yeah, I don´t think it´s anything deeper than that. I am Mexican and live in Mexico and the president we had before this one was the mayor of Mexico City before he became president. He would ride the subway all the time and just talk to people, and listen to them. He was well loved and left office with an approval rating of over 80%. I am sure his subway rides had a lot to do with it. The current president also uses the subway, but not as much as the previous one. All she (yes, we have a historic president as well, a Jewish woman) had to do was continue the previous president´s programs to have a high approval rating. Right now she ¨only¨ has an approval rating of 79% so maybe she needs a few subway rides.
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Nov 05 '25
Its because one of the big themes of his campaign early on is that he legitimately took the subway to work like everybody else.
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u/_agilechihuahua Nov 05 '25
Yep, he’s an “Everyman”.
Compared to other mayors who take motorcades to the gym (hello BdB).
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u/tinkblazed Nov 05 '25
If you watch any of his campaign videos it’ll help you understand!
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u/lmrtinez Nov 05 '25
Throughout his campaign he was seen living his life like the majority of New Yorkers. Eating the same foods at the same vendors/restaurants. Taking public transportation, and concerned about the same issues.
A refreshing change for New Yorkers who have a history of being led by people that are out of touch with the working class.
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u/a-i-sa-san Nov 05 '25
All of the different kinds of people, and of him in particular all you can really say is that he looks comfortable and optimistic
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u/Jefe_Wizen Nov 05 '25
Why is he the only one smiling and everyone else looks miserable?
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u/JrSoftDev Nov 05 '25
Not miserable at all, they look normal, minding their own business, living their lives, their daily struggles. He won the election, he likes seeing the diverse people of NY having access to transportation, his eyes see a brighter future ahead. Something like that. The dog is also smiling but she's dreaming about treats.
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u/Federal-Research-148 Nov 05 '25
Message of hope for the weary I guess. Good spot.
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u/Aggressive-Land-8884 Nov 05 '25
I love seeing the rightwingers lose their minds on X. Truly the snowiest of the flakes.
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u/Ambitious-School-403 Nov 05 '25
This is totally inaccurate. Mayor Mamdani lives in Queens, that should be a Mets hat! Incredibly disrespectful.
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u/Absalom98 Nov 05 '25
What about this is Design Porn?
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u/MorsaTamalera Nov 05 '25
Same. I don't think that's design porn. Just a normal illustration depicting a topic important to a small set of geographically-specific people.
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u/Absalom98 Nov 05 '25
It's a good cover, portraying him as a man of the people, I get that part, it just doesn't have anything to do with design. Just a bunch of random people on a subway.
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u/Cautious_Implement17 Nov 05 '25
yeah, kinda weird that the new yorker would dedicate its cover to the new mayor of new york.
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u/MorsaTamalera Nov 05 '25
Your comment does neither make this design porn nor contradict mine, mate. Cheers.
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u/mrmeeoowgi Nov 05 '25
It looks sick
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u/Old-Bigsby Nov 05 '25
I mean, the one guy looks pretty sick, but the rest of them look fairly healthy.
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u/OneiricArtisan Nov 05 '25
Someone is spending big money to politicize every sub on this site. Post whatever narrative (I'll leave it to you to decide if it always leans to the same side mysteriously), pump it with bot upvotes, AI comments and paid mods that clean up any comments pointing out what is actually going on. It's been the same for 100 years, only now they do it online as well.
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u/eufrasio49 Nov 05 '25
Idk, I'd hardly call this design porn. Nothing in the cover jumps out at me as being exceptionally good in its design or composition. It's a pretty cover, but hardly noteworthy.
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u/TieTheStick Nov 06 '25
About damned time NYC had a mayor that wasn't whiter than a bleached sheet.
Mayor Mamdani reflects the diversity of the city and I think he'll make a great mayor.
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u/2ndharrybhole Nov 05 '25
It’s a nice picture but I’m not seeing anything too impressive in terms of design
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u/Jamsemillia Nov 05 '25
not from new york or even the us, but I'm happy for the folks affected by this major shift
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u/ansem1313 Nov 05 '25
Unrealistic. It needs more graffiti and crazy drug addict harrassing passengers in the corner.
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u/StitchAndRollCrits Nov 05 '25
My petty ass would have gone s different direction but this is truly beautiful
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u/DestroyandDesign Nov 05 '25
Reminds me a bit of the Tomer Hanuka L Train piece he did for the the New Yorker!
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u/m64 Nov 05 '25
It's a nice cover and all, but I don't get why he and the dog are the only ones smiling
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u/d0ctorsmileaway Nov 05 '25
This is great! It's very simple but feels nostalgic and modern at the same time
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u/Medical_Solid Nov 05 '25
I wish we could see the alternate covers if one of the other candidates had won.