Yesterday, we noted (thanks Mixed Media) the shocking similarities between Time's Howard Dean cover from four years ago and The New Republic's recent Barack Obama issue. This all comes on the heels of TNR editors accusing Time of stealing one of their cover ideas, adding much intrigue to the magazine publishing world.

But our sister blog, UnBeige, has a different take. Stephanie Murg thinks Time and TNR both paid homage to Esquire's famous 1967 Richard Hess-drawn LBJ non-cover. A last-minute decision put Jackie Kennedy on the front of the magazine, but Hess' drawing gained notoriety as it was shown at multiple exhibits.

This, folks, is why we have a design blog.