It's fantastic, Cat! I'm wondering what the real deal is regarding the trademarks of these mags? I got one at a place called the Power Plant in Baltimore back in the 80s. No doubt, the folks who ran that kiosk had some sort of agreement to be able to do these as a goof without getting nailed. I wonder if there is a place to contact to see about this.
I found the following interesting links while I was looking. One idea is to use a representation of the logo but change the title a little bit. Hot Rod might become Bad Rod or Rad Rod, but with the traditional square? I'm no lawyer, but a play one on TV, so... take it with a grain of salt. Here are some examples of that...
http://www.somethingawful.com/articles.php?a=2158
Here's a place that does the real thing... (actual mag names). Maybe worth a call or email to see what their deal is? If you go for the motorsports angle, it would probably not compete with them so they'd probably share some info...
http://www.dreamfotos.com/
Here's a message board where they discuss photo retouching, etc. They do discuss mag covers. Maybe someone on the board has discussed the legal aspect. Regardless, maybe you can pick up (or PROVIDE) some tips from/to the readers...
http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/showth ... eadid=6653
That's a start. I'm behind this deal all the way if we can clear the legal hurdles... bp