Kamala Harris replaces Joe Biden in iconic Time Magazine cover design

Three weeks ago Time magazine ran a pretty brutal cover following Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump. Filled with red negative space, the cover depicted a tiny Biden appearing to wander listlessly into the distance. And now, with the announcement that Biden has dropped out of the presidential race, the magazine has issued a brilliant sequel. 

The new design features vice president Kamala Harris striding purposefully into the same cover, with Biden disappearing to the side. The current president has thrown his support for the Democratic nomination behind Harris. (Looking for design inspiration? Check out the best print ads of all time.)

Indeed, judging by how quickly it dropped (and how long Biden has faced pressure to drop out), one suspects Time had the cover design locked, loaded and ready to go.  "Oh they had this ready weeks ago. Lmaooo,” one Instagram user comments, while another adds, "TIME “had this one in the chamber ready to go.”

Elections have a habit of spawning curious magazine cover designs, ranging from the ingenious to the downright skin-crawling  we're still getting over New York Magazine's recent cover featuring a topless Biden and Trump. But Time Magazine has a reputation for stunning covers all year round, such as this planetary optical illusion.