Wanted to be a priest, became punk rocker, editor, father

Will Swaim is now both associate publisher and editor of the OC Weekly Village Voice Media CEO David Schneiderman announced recently.

“Since the birth of the OC Weekly, nobody has contributed more to the paper’s extraordinary success than Will,” Schneiderman says. “He has been the spiritual and intellectual leader of the most successful start-up ever of an alternative newspaper.”

Swaim grew up in Mission Viejo, Calif., graduated summa cum laude in 1982 from USC’s schools of journalism and religion and wanted to become a priest.

“Instead, he joined a punk band, went to graduate school at UC Irvine (MA History, 1985) and fathered many, many children,” Swaim tells AAN News.

He was editor of several business magazines before being handed his dream job in 1995: editing OC Weekly.

“Winner of countless awards for journalistic excellence and home to skillful writers and intrepid reporters,” according to Swaim, the Weekly is part of New York City-based Village Voice Media group.