Cover Snark: Best of 2020

NB: This week, we’re taking a look back at some of our favorite and our most popular pieces of writing this year. We’ve got a week of best-of posts to share, with reviews, cover snark, sales, and more. We hope you enjoy revisiting our archives, and most of all, we wish you and yours a wonderful holiday and a happy new year – with all the very best of reading.

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Say hello to the top five Cover Snark posts of 2020! Recently, Cover Snark changed to twice a month because it was such a bright spot on the site and we had plenty of covers to snark. These are the most-viewed Snarks of the year and don’t worry, Snark will continue as long as there are photoshop fails.

Let’s count them down!

 

5. Stomach Cramps But Make Them Sexy (January 27)

For these covers, everyone either looks like they’re in pain or they’ve undergone some bizarro skin modifications. Let’s also give a hand to Just Jill for coining one my favorite heroine nicknames.

Best reader comment is from Just Jill:

I am thrown off by the tan lines on the dude on the left of Countess Wrongpockets. Also, why can’t I figure out whose hand is on her neck?

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Nip City (February 24)

We love a cover that lets us make fart jokes and there’s certainly one in this quartet of covers. Lots of tanned, leathery men here and of course, any Snark would be remiss without some nip talk.

Best reader comment is from Escapeologist:

3 out of these 4 covers strongly remind me of smoked meats, possibly turkey drumsticks. New trend?

 

 

 

 

 

3. Nips Out for Jesus (April 13)

A lot of these covers produce more questions than answers, and I really enjoyed reading Chacha’s spiral into wtf-ery in the comments. We also have some cougar quandaries and there’s even a reference to Baby Yoda.

Best reader comment is from Chacha1:

Building on all the things you pointed out that are wrong with ‘Amazing Grace,’ plus that clunky headline font on the package-obscuring title … there are so many WTFs in that image. Why is he flexing out in the (completely barren) dirt yard, for one thing. If the house is behind him, what’s with the turquoise sheer blowing across the viewer’s field of vision; is he flexing at the window of another house? Is he flexing in the (completely barren) dirt yard of the next-door-neighbor? Does she (or he!) not mind that his pants are pasted on? If that’s his house behind him, why didn’t he bring over a flower or something instead of standing there like his nips will solve everything? If he doesn’t live in either of those houses, why is there not a shotgun pointing out the turquoise sheer-bedecked window he’s flexing in front of?

 

 

 

2. Pun Warning (April 6)

This is the first Dr. Nips to show up on our list, but hey, the number two spot isn’t bad to make an appearance. Lots of cheeks and buns in this collection and a cover that has us hallucinating trees as salads and tattoos with faces.

Best reader comment is from Heather M:

In the first one, intellectually I know it’s a Christmas tree in the upper corner, but I keep seeing a salad. (ed. note: “Oh salad tree! Oh salad tree! How lovely are your leafy greens!”)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. A New Kind of Cabbage Patch (January 13)

Speaking of salads and greens, this is our number one Cover Snark, which features a very healthy looking dress for all of your low calorie, high fiber needs. Oh, and let’s not forget about the cover model shitting out a sun or the Resident Evil inspired design choices of the other covers.

Best reader comment is from EC Spurlock:

Looked at the Songbird cover and all I could think was that a train was about to shoot out from between his legs. Sing it with me: “There’s a light at the end of the tunnel…”

 

 

 

And that’s our top five! What do you think? Did you have any Cover Snark favorites this year?