The golden age of VHS art… Many of us movie nerds remember it fondly. Some even try to recreate it. Sure, it may tickle the necessary areas of nostalgia, but it can’t recreate the reality of what these covers were and what they meant. Take this glorious cover for Body Shop. It’s not quite right, is it? The face is out of proportion. Those fingers aren’t quite long enough. So why does it look so good? In all our attempts to recreate the graphic aesthetic of this time, we strive too greatly for perfection. This was not the trashy VHS way. A large part of what made these covers work were the concessions to quality timelines and budgetary constraints instilled. There were obviously great artists working on many of the covers from this period, but quite often, the artists were merely varying levels of competent. It created an art unto itself and all I can do is tip my hat to it and celebrate everything it stood for.

Body Shop

Movie: Body Shop
Director: J.G. Patterson Jr
Country of movie: USA
Year of movie: 1973
Country of VHS: USA