Alabama Alumni Magazine is the primary magazine for The University of Alabama alumni and campus community, and is produced by The University of Alabama National Alumni Association. In the Summer 2020 issue, “The Helpers,” we focused on compelling stories about alumni who were making a difference in their communities during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to do this through our storytelling, but also through our illustrations, which were done by illustrator Hylton Warburton, while working closely with our editor on art direction. The photography that was included on the cover illustration (of the facemask) was done by our staff.
From the Judges
We felt that the hand-illustrated cover and internal pieces of this alumni magazine piece nicely capture the challenges that COVID-19 has imposed upon university communities. The scenes within the pieces are positive and uplifting in tone, not depressed or weathered by the impact of the virus. It is especially impressive given the style of the illustrations themselves, which is simplistic and loose, but also consistent and nicely detailed. Notably, the repositioning of the hand-drawn elements from the cover piece to the internal full-page piece is very well done.
