Garden & Gun Goes Full Ventral: Will Turtle Junk Score 2009 Cover of The Year?

As part of its year-end 'Top 10 Everything of 2008' package, Time Magazine's Arthur Hochstein recently compiled the Top 10 Magazine Covers of the year.

The New Yorker's austere post-Election cover featuring the Lincoln Memorial with a new 'O' moon was number one. Rolling Stone's wordless Barack Obama cover made the list at number 3, and Entertainment Weekly's attention-grabbing Barry Blitt/New Yorker parody cover featuring Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart was tapped at number four.

Somewhat controversially—since the image already won Best Magazine cover from ASME in October—number two, was New York's Barbara Kruger-designed image of disgraced former governor-turned-Slate columnist Eliot Spitzer.

That cover—which shows His Former Excellency standing at attention, an arrow pointing towards his 'BRAIN'—came immediately to mind when Media Mob saw the cover of the December 2008/January 2009 issue of Garden & Gun.

While the coverline touts "The Hidden Bahamas," the green turtle shown really has little to hide. Thankfully, inside the magazine, the turtle's pal offers him a little modesty. If he weren't already listed as an endangered species, Mr. Turtle—at least we think he's a Mister—would probably die of embarrassment.