This is a great inside view from the fab designers of New York Times Magazine about last weeks cover:

Design director Arem Duplessis:
"Then we tried filling the entire cover in blood, but that seemed, well, too bloody."

Here the complete story by Arem Duplessis on their 6th Floor blog "
Here the final cover, artwork by Sara Cwynar

Editor: Hugo Lindgren
Design director: Arem Duplessis
Art director: Gail Bichler