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About Us

Alaska magazine has been sharing authentic Alaska since 1935. Today’s Alaska is a vibrant and multifaceted place, and we guide you on adventures large and small while you explore life on the Last Frontier through images and stories by award-winning photographers and writers.

Join us for tips on how to watch wildlife such as bears, moose, eagles, wolves, and whales; get expert planning advice for road trips and backcountry escapes; delve into Alaska’s unique Native cultures and meet people who live in environments both harsh and beautiful. Discover remote communities, try quintessential Alaskan activities—dog mushing, fatbiking, backpacking, hunting, fishing—across the seasons, travel to glaciers and mountains, and sample the 49th state’s unparalleled food and drink.

Alaska magazine is published 10 times annually. Each issue is packed with tales of adventure, details from history, in-depth features on people, industries, events, wilderness, places to see, and complex matters affecting Alaskans and those who love it.

Who We Are

Our staff members are knowledgeable professionals with a passion for bringing Alaska’s exciting stories to readers worldwide.

John Lunn: Group Publisher

When I became publisher of Alaska magazine and got to know the state, I quickly discovered it’s a fabulous place to experience, live, and visit. I’m thrilled that I can use my two decades of experience working with local, regional, and national media brands to drive marketing and advertising results for Alaska’s regional and statewide travel and tourism partners. Together we can share authentic Alaska with the world.

Michelle Theall: Executive Editor

Alaska “bit” me 18 years ago on my first visit, and I’ve been editing, writing, and shooting for the magazine for 11 years and counting. I keep my eye on all the wild things from our home’s perfect perch atop a cliff in Kodiak. And, as the owner of Wild Departures, I also run wildlife-viewing trips throughout the state, because bears (polar and grizzly) are kind of my thing, and I think everyone should see these stunning animals at least once in their lifetime. I’ve been to every national park in Alaska multiple times, with the exception of Kobuk Valley.

Steven Merritt: Art Director

I turned down a journalism job opportunity in Alaska right out of college, but it took my future wife, her family, and John McPhee’s Coming into the Country to straighten me out. My wife and I have three teen boys (yes, Costco is our friend) who usually don’t have to be asked twice if they want to go ski/ride/fish.

Tim Lydon: Assistant Editor

I came to Alaska to work a summer job as a naturalist at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center in Juneau. It was just a random thing to do before I buckled down to get a ‘real job’ back on my native east coast. Thirty years later, I’m still in Alaska and enthralled as ever by the wildlife, forests, glaciers, and ancient human ties to the land. I still enjoy working and playing on the state’s vast public lands, but perhaps the greatest adventure has been watching our young daughter grow up in Alaska, where the extraordinary is normal.

Bjorn Dihle: Gear Editor

I’m large, flatulent, and hairy. Outwardly, I fulfill every cliché of what an Alaskan man is supposed to look like. This has led to reality television producers constantly hounding me to be in shows from everything from finding monsters in the wilderness to me acting like a mountain man in the wilderness. They’re always taken aback when they find out that I’m basically just a small lost boy with serious mommy issues which manifests by my constant need to be held and be helped with basic tasks like going to the bathroom.

Photo by Chris Miller.

Nick Jans: Contributing Editor

I came to arctic Alaska in 1979 as a young guy hoping to find a new path. It was the best decision of my life.

Our History

In 1935, Emery Tobin and Ray Roady started The Alaska Sportsman from Ketchikan. The focus was on hunting, fishing, adventure, and politics.

In 1958, the same year that Congress approved statehood for Alaska (it officially became the 49th state on January 3, 1959), Anchorage publishers Robert A. Henning and Robert N. DeArmond purchased The Alaska Sportsman and expanded the content to include a wide variety of topics. They changed the name to Alaska magazine in September 1969. The issues produced during the ensuing decades continued to promote the fierce individualism and beauty of Alaska—a consistency that carries through today.

The title has weathered pivotal events such as The Great Depression, World War II, the second largest earthquake in the world, and the nation’s worst oil spill in Prince William Sound. The longevity of Alaska magazine remains a testament to the resilience and dogged tenacity of the state and its people—a rugged time capsule reflecting all that has changed, and those things we hope never will.

Affiliate Link Policy

Alaska magazine prides itself on authentically and independently representing the best of Alaska. Any product recommended by our editors or by individuals we interview is an honest endorsement of brands and products that work in The Last Frontier.

After that gear has been selected and we are preparing to publish, Alaska’s advertising and digital content team will inquire if the manufacturer or a sales outlet carrying that gear has an affiliate marketing program. If we find an affiliate program, we will use an affiliate link in the article.

Here’s what that means: When you click on a link in one of our gear articles, the URL will note that you viewed the gear after reading about it on alaskamagazine.com. If you choose to buy the gear within a certain time frame, Alaska magazine will earn a percent-based commission on that sale. Our priority remains directing readers to reputable and fairly priced retailers. You pay the same price for the product. The company gives us a portion of their proceeds.

Simply put, affiliate links do not factor into our editorial coverage. Marketing articles paid for by a company or intended to promote a product for the purpose of revenue is labeled as sponsored content.

Affiliate marketing is a common practice used by many notable publications, including Outside and Wired. Alaska magazine chose to adopt the practice as a way to help fund our team of writers and editors so that we can continue to share our beautiful state and the gear that helps us, and you, enjoy it.

Contributor Submissions

Alaska magazine accepts submissions year-round from freelance contributors. See our guidelines.

Alaska is published monthly except for combined July/August and December/January issues by MCC Magazines, LLC, a division of Morris Communications Company, LLC.