"30 Years of Orange Coast Magazine
Surviving the feathered haircuts, shoulder pads, and all the fads and scandals that made a mark on Orange County
Flipping through Orange Coast Magazine over the years is like sitting with a dear, longtime friend. Together, you wax nostalgia. Remember those days of kinky polyester, feathered hairdos, and disco? How about J.R., the Carringtons, and the fairy-tale wedding of Prince Charles and Diana? The dot-com bubble and designer bottled water? What Y2K bug? And how will the tea leaves read the first decade of the millennium? Orange Coast, with time on its side, will tell all. From user guides to in-depth reports, from stylish fads to mainstays, from scandals to charitable deeds, Orange Coast reads like a personal memoir of the county’s most intimate history chronicled over 30 years. Each of the magazine’s issues—published continuously since 1974—faithfully details the major and minor milestones of the county, from its emergence as farmland to a wealthy, cultural metropolis. Some moments are grand, some simply pretty, some outrageous, and others are downright scandalous. As the longest publishing magazine in the region, Orange Coast has plugged in to the pulse of Orange County and grown with its surge and synergy. Today, the magazine—led by publisher, owner, and longtime employee Ruth Ko—is a stylish, glossy publication known for its trademark celebrity cover stories that get up close and personal. So peruse through the years and wax nostalgia with us. It’ll start to feel like you’re reminiscing with a friend who goes way back. Soon you’ll realize why no other regional publication has managed to outlast Orange Coast in its breadth, depth, and years."
