The most fascinating thing about that cover is just sitting around thinking about it. What...AM I looking at? What made the artist think this made sense?
The great big TG16 logo in the middle of it really f*cks it up though.
But seriously, what is going on in this thing?
DON'T LUST FOR THE LITERAL: As you correctly pointed out, good art forces the viewer off his couch (or out of his desk chair) of passivity and encourages an active dialogue (sometimes an existential "WTF?" is all it takes to start this dialogue). The meaning to any masterpiece like MotoRoader, of course, lies beyond a merely literal description.
THE LITERAL: It's actually quite obvious what this is...a driver in a futuristic racing world is wearing a mirrored helmet. We see only his eyes--the rest of his helmet is a reflection of his immediate environment (dashboard gauges, road ahead, etc). I could go on with the details, but you get the gist.
L'INTERPRETATION: On the deserted, desiccated, barren wasteland of Life, we choose certain paths to move forward. Sometimes we may be running away from pain; at other times we are desperate for help and support. Sadly, the barren desert offers no assistance. You will never have anyone who can truly help you. You are alone. A menacing city looms in the horizon and you, with your stone hands frozen in fear, grip the steering wheel like an octogenarian in a dragster: "Please, please let me sip the sweet nectar of life tomorrow. Just one more day!" you plead with a distant, uninterested Fate. But wait, what's this! It appears to be a Honda Civic, circa 1987, with a wicked sweet after-market spoiler! Surely, this is Salvation! Surely, this is that kind soul, that mentor, that friend, that confidant that can help you traverse the Brutal (paved) Road of Life! Surely, at the very least, they can show you The Way.
No. You are mistaken. The other driver doesn't offer assistance, but rather, Pain. Pure, Unadulterated Pain (or PUP, as I like to call it). The other driver--THOUGH HE MAY BE YOUR BROTHER, SISTER, LOVER, FATHER, MOTHER, FRIEND--that other driver is your HINDRANCE, your obstacle, your albatross, your doom.
MotoRoader. 5-players. Ayn Rand Approved.