History Main / PackagedAsOtherMedium

* ADV's English release of the ''Anime/KekkoKamen'' [=OVAs=] has a cover based on your typical EC Comics ''Vault of Horror'' cover.

[[folder:Audioplays]]

* The covers of ''[[http://graphicpolicy.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/the-fearless-defenders-2.jpg Fearless Defenders #2]]'', ''[[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100408141711/marvel_dc/images/5/53/Batman_Gotham_Adventures_Vol_1_3.jpg Batman: Gotham Adventures #3]]'', and ''Series/{{Angel}}'' [[http://littlestuffedbull.com/images/2012/ten/angel26.jpg #26]] are all designed after action figure cards. The ''Fearless Defenders'' cover is the most dedicated to the illusion, as artist Mark Brooks wanted to make it look as real as possible.

** The 1958 British reissue of Music/TomLehrer's ''SongsByTomLehrer''.

* The cover of Music/CaptainBeefheart's ''Music/StrictlyPersonal'' looks like a letter.
* Music/BobMarley's ''Music/CatchAFire'' is designed to look like a lighter.
* The original LP cover of ''Music/StickyFingers'' by Music/TheRollingStones looks like a pair of pants, complete with a real zipper. Their cover for ''Music/EmotionalRescue'' looks like a series of X-Ray images.
* Similarly, the banana on the original cover of Music/VelvetUnderground's [[Music/TheVelvetUndergroundAndNico breakthrough album]] can actually be peeled.

* Album covers that look like art objects, paintings that mimick a particular famous style, galleries,...

* Album covers that look like comic strip covers:
** The album cover of ''Music/CheapThrills'' by Big Brother & The Holding Company looks like a comic book image. It was designed by Creator/RobertCrumb.

* Album covers made to look as if they were a different musical genre or different musical artist.

* Album covers that look like vinyl singles or, in the case of a CD, look like a vinyl LP.

* The primary cover of ''ComicBook/TheMultiversity: The Just'' #1 looks like the cover of a supermarket celebrity magazine.

* FUNimation's release of ''Anime/ArmitageIII'' has a sci-fi pulp inspired case, including blurbs for stories inside.

** Music/FrankZappa's ''Music/CruisingWithRubenAndTheJets'' has cartoon versions of Zappa and his band, complete with text balloons. ''Music/ShipArrivingTooLateToSaveADrowningWitch'' is a droodle. ''Music/ThePerfectStranger'', ''Music/ThemOrUs'' and ''Music/FrancescoZappa'', all designed by Donald Roller Wilson, all resemble a baroque painting.
** Music/SchoollyD's ''[[Music/SchoollyDAlbum Schoolly D]] looks like a series of doodles.

* Some of Blackmore's Night's albums are made to look like books instead of CD cases.
* Music/JoyElectric's ''The White Songbook''. Externally, it looks like a standard CD jewel case, but the liner notes were designed like an actual book--complete with a book-style page of copyright and printing information, and a table of contents.
* Music/{{Starflyer 59}}'s album ''Gold'' (specifically the original edition). The pages of the liner notes had fake vinyl labels for every song on the album, as if they were all 45rpm singles released by a variety of fictitious record labels.
* Mini LP [=CDs=] are CD reissues that exactly replicate the original vinyl LP packaging, shrunken down to CD size. A lot of them are made for the Japanese market.
* Diablo Swing Orchestra's ''Pandora's Pinata'' was sold in a CD digipak which was meant to look like a vinyl album. Every panel of the package had fake ring wear, and the inner panels resembled paper sleeves with fake vinyl labels visible through center holes.
* Some ''really'' esoteric examples can be seen [[http://www.kmuw.org/post/10-great-album-art-fake-outs here]]. Of particular note are the packages that look like a ''concertina'' and a ''full size boom box''.
* The cover art of Music/TheBeeGees album ''[[GreatestHitsAlbum Their Greatest Hits]]: The Record'' looks [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9b/Bee_Gees-Their_Greatest_Hits-The_Record.jpg like an LP.]] The same theme continues on [[http://www.tomamusica.com/caratulas/B/Bee-Gees-Their-Greatest-Hits-The-Record-Disc-One-CD.jpg the actual CD discs themselves.]]
* Music/{{Spiritualized}}'s ''Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space'' was designed to resemble medicine. The packaging has a minimalist design of blue text against a white background. The liner notes list the musicians under the heading "Active Ingredients" and includes information about the intended dosage and possible side effects. Some of the [[LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition Special Editions]] go a step further: the album is divided into 12 [=mini-CDs=] (one for each song) and each is in a medicine-style blister pack.
* Music/ElvisCostello and Music/TheRoots' collaborative album ''Wise Up Ghost'' has cover art modeled after the cover of ''Howl & Other Poems'' by Allen Ginsberg, the fourth book in the City Lights Pocket Poets Series. And the Special Edition of ''Wise Up Ghost'' actually is a small paperback book, with the CD tucked into the back cover.

* ''ComicBook/{{Gen13}}'' vol. #1 shipped with 13 different covers; of these, five fit this trope. Two were based on magazine covers (one ''Rolling Stone'', the other ''Heavy Metal''), one on a movie poster (that of ''Film/PulpFiction'', complete with a real live model), one on an ad for a TV show (namely ''Series/TheBradyBunch''), and the last one on a Victoria's Secret catalogue. Whew!

* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'' third season DVD is presented like an {{Atari 2600}} game box. This extends to the DVD menus, which feature Atari graphics.

* Every issue of ''The Intimates'' (except #6 and #12) has a cover made to look like that of a magazine for teen superheroes, with headlines either to that effect, or about characters or events in the comic.

* Some of Blackmores Night albums are made to look like books instead of CD cases.

* ''VideoGame/FreedomForce'' is an homage game to the golden age of superhero comics. This is plainly apparent from the comicbookesque cover, storytelling (complete with comic book boxes and narrative style) as well as the loading screens which portray the 'issue' of the next level, often in the misleading way of comic book cover gimmicks to boost sales.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'' third season DVD is presented like an Atari 2600 game box. This extends to the DVD menus, which feature Atari graphics.

* Yet again with Adult Swim is ''Minoriteam'''s (Australia-exclusive) DVD release. It's only natural that a show with such a comic-inspired art style would get a comic-style DVD case, complete with a parody of the Comics Code approval stamp.

* The English version of the manga ''Manga/STONe'' has covers that present it as a movie poster, "presented in Mangascope", with the writer/artist getting a production credit and the characters listed as actors at the bottom.

* ''{{Gen13}}'' vol. #1 shipped with 13 different covers; of these, five fit this trope. Two were based on magazine covers (one Rolling Stone, the other Heavy Metal), one on a movie poster (that of ''PulpFiction'', complete with a real live model), one on an ad for a TV show (namely ''Series/TheBradyBunch''), and the last one on a Victoria's Secret catalogue. Whew!

* The short-lived ''ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}'' revamp that ran from #76-#81 featured covers styled after men's magazines like Stuff, FHM, and Maxim. For [[http://x.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/mg/6/90/4bb71d82f3494/detail.jpg instance]].

* The packaging for ''Film/{{Borat}}'' made it look like a cheap, foreign bootleg rather than a polished official DVD release. The disc itself looks like a blank disc that was recorded over, with the movie's title written on it in marker. [[http://vimeo.com/79225413 The DVD menus also look like they have been whipped up in five minutes with no budget.]] It serves to highlight the films' {{Mockumentary}} status.
* The poster for ''Film/PulpFiction'', and by extension the cover for its DVD and VHS releases, is designed to look like a worn pulp fiction book (including the 10c price).

* Fantasy Games Unlimited's (FGU) game Daredevils. The covers of the game and its supplements were designed to look like old pulp adventure magazines. There were even fake price markers reading "NOT 10 Cents". Also, some supplements had wording like "Vol. 2 #3" as if they were magazines.

* The DVD case of ''WesternAnimation/TitanMaximum'' is [[http://www.thehumorblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/titan-maximum-ddvd.jpg based on a comic book cover]], including top left corner inlet. It seems specifically inspired by 1980s Marvel toy/TV cartoon tie-in comics.

* Yet again with Adult Swim is ''Minoriteam'''s (Australia-exclusive) DVD release. It's only natural that a show with such a comic-inspired art style would get a comic style DVD case, complete with a parody of the Comics Code approval stamp.

* The packaging for ''Film/{{Borat}}'' made it look like a cheap, foreign bootleg rather than a polished official DVD release. The disc itself looks like a blank disc that was recorded over, with the movie's title written on it in marker. It serves to highlight the films' {{Mockumentary}} status.

* ''VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead: Overkill'' has a cover meant to look like a movie poster. The whole game is presented as a movie, with each level having its own poster (complete with credits) and a "missing reel" in the final boss fight.

A physical release or copy of something is designed to look like it's from another medium; for instance, a DVD case that looks like a comic book cover. Comic book covers and movie posters are especially popular subjects for this trope.

* The covers of ''[[http://graphicpolicy.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/the-fearless-defenders-2.jpg Fearless Defenders #2]]'', ''[[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100408141711/marvel_dc/images/5/53/Batman_Gotham_Adventures_Vol_1_3.jpg Batman: Gotham Adventures #3]]'', and ''Series/{{Angel}}'' [[http://littlestuffedbull.com/images/2012/ten/angel26.jpg #26]] are all designed after action figure cards.

* FUNimation's release of ''Anime/ArmitageIII'' has a sci-fi pulp inspired case, including blurbs for stories inside

* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'' third season DVD is presented like an Atari 2600 game box, including Atari graphics in the menus.

[[quoteright:337:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/packaged_as_other_medium_6250.jpg]]

A physical release or copy of something is designed to look like it's from another medium; for instance, a DVD case that looks like a comic book cover. Comic book covers and movie posters are especially popular subjects for this trope.

[[foldercontrol]]

* The English version of the manga ''[=STONe=]'' has covers that present it as a movie poster, "presented in Mangascope", with the writer/artist getting a production credit and the characters listed as actors at the bottom.
* FUNimation's release of ''{{Armitage III}}'' has a sci-fi pulp inspired case, including blurbs for stories inside
* The covers of collected volumes of ''Manga/{{BTOOOM}}'' are based on XBox360 game cases.
* ADV's English release of the ''Kekko Kamen'' [=OVAs=] has a cover based on your typical EC Comics ''Vault of Horror'' cover

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''{{Gen13}}'' vol. #1 shipped with 13 different covers; of these, five fit this trope. Two were based on magazine covers (one Rolling Stone, the other Heavy Metal), one on a movie poster (that of ''PulpFiction'', complete with a real live model), one on an ad for a TV show (namely ''TheBradyBunch''), and the last one on a Victoria's Secret catalogue. Whew!
* Every issue of ''The Intimates'' (except #6 and #12) has a cover made to look like that of a magazine for teen superheroes, with headlines either to that effect, or about characters or events in the comic.
* Similarly, the short-lived ''ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}'' revamp that ran from #76-#81 featured covers styled after men's magazines like Stuff, FHM, and Maxim. For [[http://x.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/mg/6/90/4bb71d82f3494/detail.jpg instance]].
* The cover of ''X-Men Legacy'' #10 looks like a pharmaceutical print ad or pamphlet promoting a mutant cure, [[http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130214143959/marveldatabase/images/a/aa/X-Men_Legacy_Vol_2_10_Textless.jpg as you can see]].
* The covers of ''[[http://graphicpolicy.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/the-fearless-defenders-2.jpg Fearless Defenders #2]]'', ''[[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100408141711/marvel_dc/images/5/53/Batman_Gotham_Adventures_Vol_1_3.jpg Batman: Gotham Adventures #3]]'', and ''Series/{{Angel}}'' [[http://littlestuffedbull.com/images/2012/ten/angel26.jpg #26]] are all designed after action figure cards.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]
* The packaging for ''{{Borat}}'' made it look like a cheap, foreign bootleg rather than a polished official DVD release. The disc itself looks like a blank disc that was recorded over, with the movie's title written on it in marker. It serves to highlight the films' Mockumentary status
* The poster for ''PulpFiction'', and by extension the cover for its DVD and VHS releases, is designed to look like a worn pulp fiction book (including the 10c price).
* The packaging for the Criterion DVD edition of ''{{Videodrome}}'' is designed to look like (and be the exact same size as) a VHS tape, as a MythologyGag.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* Some of Blackmores Night albums are made to look like books instead of CD cases.
* Music/JoyElectric's ''The White Songbook''. Externally, it looks like a standard CD jewel case, but the liner notes were designed like an actual book--complete with a book-style page of copyright and printing information, and a table of contents.
* Music/{{Starflyer 59}}'s album ''Gold'' (specifically the original edition). The pages of the liner notes had fake vinyl labels for every song on the album, as if they were all 45rpm singles released by a variety of fictitious record labels.
* Mini LP [=CDs=] are CD reissues that exactly replicate the original vinyl LP packaging, shrunken down to CD size. A lot of them are made for the Japanese market.
* Diablo Swing Orchestra's ''Pandora's Pinata'' was sold in a CD digipak which was meant to look like a vinyl album. Every panel of the package had fake ring wear, and the inner panels resembled paper sleeves with fake vinyl labels visible through center holes.
* Some ''really'' esoteric examples can be seen [[http://www.kmuw.org/post/10-great-album-art-fake-outs here]]. Of particular note are the packages that look like a ''concertina'' and a ''full size boom box''.
* The cover art of Music/TheBeeGees album ''[[GreatestHitsAlbum Their Greatest Hits]]: The Record'' looks [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9b/Bee_Gees-Their_Greatest_Hits-The_Record.jpg like an LP.]] The same theme continues on [[http://www.tomamusica.com/caratulas/B/Bee-Gees-Their-Greatest-Hits-The-Record-Disc-One-CD.jpg the actual CD discs themselves.]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* The ''HaloReach'' Legendary Edition box is designed to emulate a metal UNSC crate.
* ''VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead: Overkill'' has a cover meant to look like a movie poster. The whole game is presented as a movie, with each level having its own poster (complete with credits) and a "missing reel" in the final boss fight.
* ''FreedomForce'' is an homage game to the golden age of superhero comics. This is plainly apparent from the comicbookesque cover, storytelling (complete with comic book boxes and narrative style) as well as the loading screens which portray the 'issue' of the next level, often in the misleading way of comic book cover gimmicks to boost sales.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* The DVD case of ''TitanMaximum'' is [[http://www.thehumorblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/titan-maximum-ddvd.jpg based on a comic book cover]], including top left corner inlet. It seems specifically inspired by 1980s Marvel toy/TV cartoon tie-in comics.
* The second ''{{Sealab 2021}}'' DVD's case is also styled after a comic cover, in this case one in particular, ''Uncanny X-Men #100''
* ''TheVentureBros'' third season DVD is presented like an Atari 2600 game box, including Atari graphics in the menus.
* The ''RobotChicken'' DCComics special DVD has a cover in the style of a 1960s DC comic, complete with the checkered bar on top.
* What is it with AdultSwim and this trope? The DVD cases for ''HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw'' are all made to look like legal texts.
* ''{{Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1}}'' doesn't do the "credits at the bottom" thing, but its DVD cover is non-specifically a movie poster. [[http://www.atomicbooks.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/a/u/aups1dvd.jpg See?]]
* Yet again with Adult Swim is ''Minoriteam'''s (Australia-exclusive) DVD release. It's only natural that a show with such a comic-inspired art style would get a comic style DVD case, complete with a parody of the Comics Code approval stamp.

Examples:

[[/folder]]

Sometimes it's a specific homage to something or other, but it's this trope if the image has the trappings of a typical cover for that other medium, such as credits at the bottom of a 'movie poster' cover for a game.

* ADV's English release of the ''Kekko Kamen'' [=OVAs=] has a cover based on your typical EC Comics ''Vault of Horror'' cover

* The covers of ''[[http://graphicpolicy.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/the-fearless-defenders-2.jpg Fearless Defenders #2]]'', ''[[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100408141711/marvel_dc/images/5/53/Batman_Gotham_Adventures_Vol_1_3.jpg Batman: Gotham Adventures #3]]'', and ''Series/{{Angel}}'' [[http://littlestuffedbull.com/images/2012/ten/angel26.jpg #26]] are all designed after action figure cards.

* The packaging for the Criterion DVD edition of ''{{Videodrome}}'' is designed to look like (and be the exact same size as) a VHS tape, as a MythologyGag.

* Music/{{Spiritualized}}'s ''Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space'' was designed to resemble medicine. The packaging has a minimalist design of blue text against a white background. The liner notes list the musicians under the heading "Active Ingredients" and includes information about the intended dosage and possible side effects. Some of the [[LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition Special Editions]] go a step further: the album is divided into 12 [=mini-CDs=] (one for each song) and each is in a medicine-style blister pack.

* Fantasy Games Unlimited's (FGU) game Daredevils. The covers of the game and its supplements were designed to look like old pulp adventure magazines. There were even fake price markers reading "NOT 10 Cents". Also, some supplements had wording like "Vol. 2 #3" as if they were magazines.

* ''FreedomForce'' is an homage game to the golden age of superhero comics. This is plainly apparent from the comicbookesque cover, storytelling (complete with comic book boxes and narrative style) as well as the loading screens which portray the 'issue' of the next level, often in the misleading way of comic book cover gimmicks to boost sales.

* Yet again with Adult Swim is ''Minoriteam'''s (Australia-exclusive) DVD release. It's only natural that a show with such a comic-inspired art style would get a comic style DVD case, complete with a parody of the Comics Code approval stamp.

Examples:

[[AC:Anime & Manga]]

[[AC:Comic Books]]

[[AC:Film]]

[[AC:Music]]

[[AC:Tabletop Games]]

[[AC:Video Games]]

[[AC:Western Animation]]