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10. (June 2003) You know you're in for a treat when you need a saw to cut through your cake. EIC’s note: There is just something so painful about this cover. A framed, oversized copy used to hang in the hallway of our old office on Fite Circle. I took it down and hid it.

10. (June 2003) You know you’re in for a treat when you need a saw to cut through your cake. EIC’s note: There is just something so painful about this cover. A framed, oversized copy used to hang in the hallway of our old office on Fite Circle. I took it down and hid it.

9. (Aug. 1996) Don’t judge. We all dabbled in deification a bit in high school. EIC’s note: Three not-so wise men — They invested millions into a desalination technology that turned out to be totally bogus. Good thing they could swim.

9. (Aug. 1996) Don’t judge. We all dabbled in deification a bit in high school.

EIC’s note: Three not-so wise men — They invested millions into a desalination technology that turned out to be totally bogus. Good thing they could swim.

8. (Nov. 1997) Actual size of a computer tower in 1997.

8. (Nov. 1997) Actual size of a computer tower in 1997.

7. (Sept. 2003) I have never been more terrified of science in my life.

7. (Sept. 2003) I have never been more terrified of science in my life.

6. (Jan. 1993) A lovely shot of Tower Bridge – before we stole it from Mars.

6. (Jan. 1993) A lovely shot of Tower Bridge – before we stole it from Mars.

5. (Dec. 2000) BROMANCE.

5. (Dec. 2000) BROMANCE.

4. (Aug. 1989) May we interest you in some “stylish furniture” – such as this reclining boulder, perhaps?

4. (Aug. 1989) May we interest you in some “stylish furniture” – such as this reclining boulder, perhaps?

3. (Oct. 2001) Nothing says “premier monthly business publication of California’s Capital Region” like an intimate photo of two men and their toy bird. EIC’s note: I wrote this story as a freelancer. Talk about photoshop gone wrong. The whole point of the article was to address the concerns of the wild Swainson Hawk. When I saw it in print at the Corti Brothers checkout stand, I turned it around so the back-cover ad was showing.

3. (Oct. 2001) Nothing says “premier monthly business publication of California’s Capital Region” like an intimate photo of two men and their toy bird.

EIC’s note: I wrote this story as a freelancer. Talk about photoshop gone wrong. The whole point of the article was to address the concerns of the wild Swainson Hawk. When I saw it in print at the Corti Brothers checkout stand, I turned it around so the back-cover ad was showing.

2. (Nov. 2000) This feels a lot less “going up” and a lot more “hanging by a thread.” And the winner by a landslide…

2. (Nov. 2000) This feels a lot less “going up” and a lot more “hanging by a thread.”

And the winner by a landslide…

1. (July 2002) “The service was great, but the nachos tasted like feet.” EIC’s note: Holy s#!%. A friend of mine took on this assignment at the last minute. When we saw it at Corti Brothers (we’re always at Corti Brothers), he bought all 10 copies and threw them in the garbage can out front.

1. (July 2002) “The service was great, but the nachos tasted like feet.”

EIC’s note: Holy s#!%. A friend of mine took on this assignment at the last minute. When we saw it at Corti Brothers (we’re always at Corti Brothers), he bought all 10 copies and threw them in the garbage can out front.

Oh No We Didn’t …

Our top 10 worst covers

Back Photo gallery Jun 5, 2014 By Allison Joy

Look, we all make mistakes. Some mistakes are larger than others, and every once in a while they come in the form of, say, a bite-sized human on the cover of what is otherwise a legitimate business publication.

In 25 years, we’ve made a few missteps. So in honor of our 25th anniversary, we invite you to have a good laugh at our expense. Check out our top ten worst covers, and vote at the bottom for who deserves an apology. 

Laugh all you want, but we’re not the only ones with design dings on our record. We are proud to say that, unlike Time, we have never featured a cat on a cover, nor has one of our covers ever prompted such an outcry that we were forced to issue a 7-illustration explanation in defense of its absurdity.

You are welcome.