Wizard Magazine, pop culture bastion for some, ad-filled sell-out to others has officially closed up shop. Not much is known about the closure other than the staff was let go today, according to Bleeding Cool. Love it or hate there’s still something sad about the thought of not seeing it on the rack beside the comic books in the local shop.
Wizard plans to launch Wizard World in February 2011 as an all-new digital magazine that will “provide coverage of the world of comic books, toys and superheroes, and the personalities behind them,” according to a press release via Newsarama.
When the magazine launched in 1991 it was a must for fans of indie comics looking for reviews and information about their favorite titles and creators. In the 2000s, the magazine was retooled to be more mainstream friendly. Gone were the heavy fanboy articles and reviews in favor of more wide audience friendly news and previews. Many hardcore fans of the magazine will tell you that this was the era in which the magazine died.
In the last few years there have been many staff upheavals and in 2009 the company laid off 10 percent of its staff. Recently Wizard tried to make a move back to where it started with more focus back on comics, but the price of the magazine, the reputation it built with fans, and the internet all seem to have been more than the magazine could withstand.
Newsarama also confirms that Wizard sister publication ToyFare will also end publication.
R.I.P. Wizard Magazine, we’ll remember the good times.
July 1991 – January 2011
[Source: Bleeding Cool]
Damn. I didn’t see this coming, but given that print is dying, I’m not surprised.
I was an avid Wizard reader from issue 5 until about 25 or 30. I stumbled upon Wizard at a Tops Grocery store one day when my father crossed the border from Canada to buy cheap American groceries. It was like someone created a rag just for me and all my geek OCD tendencies. Gareb Shamus and crew were my idols for not only bringing cool comics to my attention, but also helping me practice my love for comic art.
The changes described above are exactly why I stopped buying the rag and merely thumbed through the odd issue I found at the news stand. The net didn’t help things either.
RIP Wizard. I’ll always remember the free trading cards, mail away 1/2 issues and pull out posters. For the record, Gareb Shamus still rocks, wherever he is nowadays.
Comment by Devon — January 24, 2011 @ 11:24 pm
Sad news :( I used to get the magazine in the late nineties because they featured little ‘how to draw’ articles. At least they had nice cover art!
And another one bites the dust.
Comment by David — January 24, 2011 @ 11:25 pm
Damn that sucks. I remember when it first came out I could not wait for every issue.
Print stuff going under is rough on me because I HATE reading more that a paragraph on the computer. Old habits die hard for me.
Comment by Frank — January 25, 2011 @ 12:23 am