File:If cover variations.jpg

Summary[edit]

A combination of twelve issue covers from the history of If, showing the main changes in cover design. Reading left to right, then down, we have:

1. March 1952; artist Martin Key. First issue. Subtitle "Worlds of Science Fiction".
2. October 1956; artist Mel Hunter. White background added to top third of page. This lasted until mid 1967, though an occasional issue did not use the white background.
3. December 1958; artist Ed Emshwiller, credited as Ed Emsh. "Worlds of" removed from the subtitle.
4. November 1961; artist Phil Berry. Font change; return of "Worlds of", now positioned so it appears the title is "Worlds of If" and the subtitle is "Science Fiction".
5. July 1962; artist Burns. Font change.
6. September 1963; artist Wenzel. "IF" now in upper case.
7. November 1967; artist Vaughn Bodé, credited as Bodé. "Combined with Worlds of Tomorrow" appears on the cover; this lasted till the May 1969 issue, and its disappearance then was probably connected with the planned reappearance of Worlds of Tomorrow the following year. By this time the white background for the title is no longer used.
8. February 1969 (not shown). "If" returns to lower case.
9. November 1969; artist Jack Gaughan, credited as Gaughan. "Science Fiction" moves to under the title logo.
10. June 1971; artist Jack Gaughan, credited as Gaughan. In mid-1971 the position of the subtitle "Science Fiction" varied a couple of times; here it has disappeared completely.
11. October 1971; artist Bruce Roggeri. Here the subtitle is on the left of the logo.
12. October 1972; artist Brian Boyle. Logo redesign and reintroduction of the white title background.
13. December 1974; artist Rick Sternbach. Last issue.

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