Editor's Note: Funny How Time Slips Away

On the cover: Richard Gwizdak photographed Tom Park’s Baltimore oriole.

We celebrate anniversaries because they give us a chance to step back and see how far we’ve come. Wildfowl Carving Magazine has come a long way. It was a full quarter-century ago that carvers received the first issue of this magazine, then titled Wildfowl Carving and Collecting. Twenty-five years! When that first issue landed in mailboxes, Ronald Reagan was president and the Soviet Union still existed. Dynasty, Dallas, and The Cosby Show ruled the airwaves. A thing called the Internet was taking its first baby steps. People still used big floppy discs in their home computers—if they even had a home computer. In November of 1985, months after this magazine made its debut, a software company called Microsoft released the first version of something called Windows.

So, things have changed a little bit since 1985. We’re all a little older and perhaps even a little wiser. But I think we can say the magazine has remained fairly consistent. We still show people how to carve wooden birds, and we showcase some of the best examples of the finished products. And that’s what we plan to keep on doing.

We spent a long time wondering how we should commemorate the anniversary. After wracking our brains, we decided it would be pretty cool if we presented all 100 of the magazine’s first covers, so that’s what we did. You can use the special anniversary section as a checklist to fill any gaps in your collection. It would also look really nice on your workshop wall—right there in that space between the pegboards. No, higher. Perfect. If you’d prefer to not tear the section out of the magazine, you can buy additional copies through this website, www.wildfowl-carving.com. Maybe you should pick up some back issues while you’re there.

We’re not the only ones celebrating an anniversary this spring. The Ward World Championship is turning 40. Just thinking about the wealth of amazing carvings that have passed through their doors over those four
decades makes me dizzy. You’ll find just a tiny sample starting on page 58. I guess time does fly when you’re having fun, even if the bird carvings don’t. It goes without saying—but I’m going to say it anyway—that we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the support of our readers and of the people and companies who advertise with us. So thank you, one and all, and we hope to see you when we celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2035. We’re planning a special hologram issue.

This article is from the Spring 2010 issue. For more information on our issues, check out our issues page.