ATLiens

OutKast's second album turned André 3000 and Big Boi into comic-book heroes. The cover shows the two of them braced for battle in a palette of deep blue, green and black, while dark forces reach towards them, an Afrofuturist superhero team from Atlanta.

The artwork was led by D.L. Warfield, then creative director at LaFace Records, who also oversaw a full comic booklet tucked inside the packaging. Its story was written by Big Rube, the Dungeon Family's spoken-word poet. Warfield's route to the job is part of the legend: after being passed over as too young, he reportedly mailed label boss L.A. Reid a fake bomb with a note reading "Hire D.L. Warfield or else," and got the job. Reid has said he has no recollection of it.

ATLiens was released on 27 August 1996 and confirmed OutKast as the most adventurous group in Southern rap. The comic-book cover has since inspired action figures, and it remains one of the defining images of the duo's space-age phase.