1978 – 2025
Celebrating 47 years of FOCUS, with retro ads from the past as well as pictures, stories and past Page 3 Beauties!
The FOCUS Staff hopes you enjoy these retro images in each category below, which celebrates all the years of FOCUS we can cram in! You’ll also find in the “Cover Section” below, the very first FOCUS, which the late founder, John Tucker, no doubt toiled over in the nights prior to publication. Many thanks to our loyal clients & readers!
FOCUS Covers
Focus Cover – published 2.15.79
FOCUS cover published in 1.14.88
Page 3 Beauties
Page 3 beauty published September 24, 1992.
Page 3 Beauty from April 14, 2011.
Page 3 beauty published August 20, 1993.
Page 3 beauty published on January 21, 1993.
Page 3 beauty published January 14, 1994.
Columns / Stories
Fear & Loathing, published December 31, 1987
“The Underground Gourmets” Column by Burp & Slurp published May 8, 1980.
In Memory photos from late publisher John Tucker, Jr. as well as advertisement for Fandango’s published November 11, 2004.
Hunter S. Thompson (image below)
It can be assumed that few self-respecting publishers of alternative newspapers or magazines in the 1970s, 80s & 90s would decline to print Hunter S. Thompson, the great disrespecter of all things conventional in journalism and elsewhere.
John Tucker ran Thompson’s column and those of many other unconventional writers.
If you’re not familiar with Thompson, we’ll leave it to you to look him up online. His career started off with being fired from Time magazine for insubordination in 1959.
This piece of Thompson’s is rather tame, but completely typical of his unique talent.
Article by Hunter S. Thompson published December 29, 1988.
Advertisement for Cadillac’s Bar and article for Hickory Community Theatre published December 8, 1988.
Photos from Hickory’s 1st Annual Oktoberfest published October 16, 1986.
Published October 1, 1987.
FOCUS Masthead published on January 7, 1988.
Article published January 28, 1988.
Letter published January 7, 1998.
Racing article published in July 25, 1985 issue.
Article and cartoon published in October 4, 1979 issue of FOCUS.
Advertisements
Advertising published March 27, 1980
Advertising published October 20, 1983
Advertising published March 31, 1988
Advertising published October 17, 1996
Advertising published March 31, 1988
Advertising published December 14, 1995
Advertising published October 17, 1996
Advertising published March 31, 1988
Advertising published October 17, 1996
Snack Bar – published 12_03_20
Advertising published March 31, 1988
Bourbon Street Club – published 10.19.2000
Chester’s Gym – published 1.5.95
Page One – published 7.23.87
Perrier – published 12.6.79
Randolph’s – published 1.5.95
Wayneo’s – published 7.23.87
Advertisement published on 6.25.92
Advertisement published on 12.13.84
Advertisement published on 1.26.87
Advertisement published on 3.12.92
Advertisement published on 3.12.92
Advertisement published on 3.26.87
Advertisement published on 3.12.92
Advertisement published on 3.12.92
Advertisement published on 3.12.92
Advertisement published on 6.25.92
Advertisement published on 6.25.92
Advertisement published on 6.25.92
Colonial Lanes ad published in 6.25.92
Viking Lounge ad published in 4.5.79
Yesterday’s ad published in 4.5.79
Westinghouse ad published in 2.26.87
Outdoor Suppl Company ad published in 2.26.87
Far East ad published in 2.26.87
Zerdens ad published on 12.13.84
Carls TV ad published in 12.13.84.
Montana’s Steahouse ad published 9.13.90
Fast company ad published 9.13.90
Faces ad published in 9.13.90
Annabelles ad published in 9.13.90
Jokers ad published in 6.25.92
Advertisement for Cadillac’s published on June 27, 1991.
Advertisement for Crawdads published on March 27, 1997.
Advertisement for Hickory Drive-In and Carolina Theater published on March 22, 1979.
Advertisement for Larry Smith Toyota published on January 4, 1996.
Advertisement for American Muffler published on March 22, 1979.
Advertisement for Terrace 2 Theater published on December 28, 1978.
Advertisement for Ten Years After published on December 31, 1987.
Advertisement for Toughman Contest published on January 4, 1996.
Advertisement for Woodlands Barbeque & Pickin’ Parlor published on December 31, 1987.
This advertisement was published in the April 20, 1978 issue of FOCUS.
Yesterday’s advertisement from the January 7, 1988 issue of FOCUS
Advertisement for Paramount Motor Sales, Inc. published December 8, 1988.
Advertisement published October 4, 1979.
Advertisement published May 8, 1980.
Advertisement for The Palace published April 4, 1991.
Advertisement for Calvin Klein Jeans and The Twilight Zone published October 4, 1979.
Advertisement for The Video Gallery published July, 18, 1985.
Movie Advertisements published May 8, 1980.
Advertisements for Killian’s and Fairway Motor Sales along with Benchwarmer’s Sports Trivia.
Advertisement for Rooster Bush published April 4, 1991.
Advertisement for Wayneo’s Rolls Royce Disco (currently Wayneo’s Silver Bullet) published February 15, 1979.
Advertisement for Cadillac’s Bar published April 4, 1991.
Ad published December 29, 1988.
Advertisement for Cheers published January 7, 1988.
In Memory photos from late publisher John Tucker, Jr. as well as advertisement for Fandango’s published November 11, 2004.
Advertisement published October 4, 1979.
Best Western Ad published December 8, 1988.
Fat Boys Ad published May 8, 1980.
Yesterdays Ad published October 4, 1979.
Ad published July, 25, 1985.
Khaki’s ad published December 8, 1988.
Advertisement published July 18, 1985.
Advertisement for Rent A Spa & Pro Fitness published June 30, 1988.
Gas Light West Advertisement published July 18, 1985. Advertisement for Paige One published in July 18, 1985 issue.
City 2 City Ad in FOCUS issue published March 27, 2008.
Found Around Town Section
Photos published in the July 27, 1991 issue.
Published July 18, 1985.
Found Around Town published October 1, 1987
Published January 28, 1988.
published October 8, 1987
Published in FOCUS on October 9, 1986.
Found Around Town published on October 13, 1988.
Found Around Town published Febraury 23, 1995.
