Ditching the Dog Whistle
A cover for The Economist
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/244c2b86ca06e02c6cc4fe3922b4cf8d/3653d648-b685-4dd9-9b49-e4c5ec46a2cd_rw_1920.jpg?h=503b41781f75d0989191602fcc9bfeae)
Here's a cover for the Economist, commissioned in the wake of Donald Trump's evident reluctance to condemn neo-nazi marchers in Charlottesville
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/244c2b86ca06e02c6cc4fe3922b4cf8d/128d1203-5538-4b4b-8660-e077ff14bb44_rw_1920.jpg?h=1151889c65417e5170dda419d5cc5df9)
This was an early concept sketch, but no sooner had I done it than I saw online that US illustrator Edel Rodriguez had already produced an almost identical image. Back to the drawing board...
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/244c2b86ca06e02c6cc4fe3922b4cf8d/acca8c0d-ddfc-402a-be50-20f056dad56f_rw_1920.jpg?h=3406a0ff4f46b9abb35471f50f777847)
Here were a couple of quick doodles based on the distinctive KKK hood. The megaphone sketch was a hit with cover designer Graeme James, and the editorial team.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/244c2b86ca06e02c6cc4fe3922b4cf8d/1c19b512-dd65-42a6-a476-ccc3373b5282_rw_1920.jpg?h=90adf9221e8c674f93271c2d70f0cdf7)
The final cover....