Following the December 2008 episode in which an Iraqi journalist threw a shoe - an extreme insult - at U.S. President George W. Bush during a Baghdad press conference, artists suggested variations for the New Yorker cover, including Richard McGuire's shower of shoes onto the White House lawn (left), and Bob Staake's more pointed sketch of a military boot (complete with prosthetic leg).
Remnick was asked how far did he want artists to go? "I want the artist to go in their sketches too far enough," he replied. "I want them to push the boundary to see where the boundary can be from week to week."
"You'd rather pull them back than have to push them?" asked Mo Rocca.
"Or at least have them provoke the discussion of how far is too far, and what we should be thinking about," Remnick replied. "Otherwise, it gets boring. Gets bland."