To celebrate the 35th anniversary of Marlin, the editors of the international big-game fishing publication compiled a gallery of 35 covers spanning its rich history. Since starting as a quarterly publication in April 1982, launched by Bill McLellan and Lee Stevens, the magazine has built and maintained its standing as a prestigious voice within the global offshore fishing community.
Starting with the Winter 1983 edition, this gallery provides a look at the outstanding photography consistently on display with each issue. The magazine switched from a quarterly issue to a bi-monthly publication in the mid-1980s. In 2005, Marlin changed to the eight-issues-per-year format that continues today with editor in chief Andrew Cox. As the format changed, so did the photography style. The July 2003 issue was the first digital photo used on a Marlin cover.
The magazine has a tradition of celebrating landmark anniversaries, with the January 1992 issue acknowledging 10 years of Marlin. Soon after, World Publications bought the magazine from EBSCO Industries.
A copy of the inaugural April 1982 edition was not available in the Marlin archives. However, starting with the Winter 1983 issue and all the way to the 35th anniversary celebration for the October 2016 issue, we can see how Marlin has evolved for its loyal readers while continuing to provide the same high-quality content that offshore fishing enthusiasts have come to love.
Enjoy our look back through the past of Marlin with these 35 covers celebrating the last 35 years. All captions are as they were originally published in the “On the Cover” or “Cover Photo” section, located in each issue’s table of contents.
