In 1974 Allison Maher Stern posed horizontally on stools & pretended to swim for a cover of this book
The Final Jeopardy clue for Monday, June 16, 2025, took viewers back to the 1970s with a memorable prompt from the category Book Covers. The clue read: “In 1974 Allison Maher Stern posed horizontally on stools & pretended to swim for a cover of this book.”
What is Jaws?
This question stood out for its blend of pop culture and publishing history. While most recognize Jaws for its chilling narrative or Steven Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster film adaptation, few realize the iconic paperback release also featured a rather unorthodox photo shoot for its cover design. The imagery and the process behind it reveal a lesser-known side of how a bestseller was marketed before the film’s success cemented its place in American pop culture.
A Human Touch Behind a Terrifying Tale
When Jaws by Peter Benchley was first published in 1974, the book was quickly picked up by readers for its gripping story of a monstrous shark terrorizing a beach town. But the original paperback version needed a strong visual hook to attract more attention on bookstore shelves. Enter Allison Maher Stern, then a young model, who was photographed for the cover art to give readers a sense of the shark’s prey—vulnerable and in motion.
Stern was asked to lie across two stools and pose as if she were swimming, with a fan blowing her hair back to simulate movement underwater. The image would later be composited with a menacing illustration of a great white shark rising toward her from below. The result was striking: a woman in silhouette and a massive predator below, creating a moment of suspense frozen in time. This particular paperback cover was widely circulated and became a key part of the book’s visual identity before the film version solidified its more familiar imagery.
How a Promotional Photo Became Iconic
The now-famous cover was designed by Roger Kastel, a celebrated illustrator known for his dramatic work in commercial art. While the hardcover featured more minimalist artwork, it was the paperback edition—with Stern’s photo incorporated into Kastel’s design—that captured a broader audience. At the time, this approach was unusual. Using a model to mimic swimming for a suspense novel added a sense of realism and human vulnerability, which aligned well with the book’s central theme: humans at the mercy of nature’s most primal predator.
Though Allison Maher Stern was not credited prominently in connection with the artwork at the time, her participation is now a notable piece of trivia among fans of book design and film history. The image remains one of the most recognized book covers of the 20th century, especially given how it foreshadowed the imagery that would later be used for the Jaws film poster.
From Bestseller to Blockbuster
Jaws was already a commercial success in book form before Spielberg’s adaptation hit theaters in 1975, but the film catapulted the story into a new cultural stratosphere. The movie’s promotional art—also created by Roger Kastel—took inspiration from the paperback cover, reinforcing the stark contrast between the swimmer and the enormous shark. This visual continuity helped brand Jaws as not just a novel or a film, but a full-fledged cultural phenomenon.
The timing of the paperback release and its visual impact cannot be overstated. It came at a moment when thrillers were booming in popularity, and publishers were looking for bold, marketable designs. The strategic use of a staged photo shoot blended with artistic illustration gave Jaws a unique and haunting look, helping it stand out in a crowded marketplace.
A Memorable Jeopardy Moment
The June 16, 2025 Final Jeopardy clue challenged contestants to think beyond the story and focus on the marketing that helped launch Jaws into the public imagination. It highlighted a specific moment in book publishing history that combined art, photography, and clever design to create one of the most compelling book covers of its time.
This clue served as a reminder that the visual elements tied to a story—especially a suspenseful one like Jaws—can be just as impactful as the narrative itself. For fans of literature, design, and trivia alike, it was a fitting and thoughtful challenge.