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.

After what looks like being on the losing side of a convention-planning battle over New York, Wizard Entertainment continues to move into the smaller markets by expanding their stable of shows in three new cities: Nashville, Tennessee; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Cleveland, Ohio.

The Nashville Comic and Horror Festival, the Cincinnati Comic and Anime Show, and The North Coast Comic Con will now respectively be retitled the Nashville, Cincinnati, and Cleveland Comic Cons — giving Wizard a total of 12 events, with at least eight happening in 2010.

Similar to their actions in Atlanta [READ: Wizard World Atlanta Take Two], all three of these shows existed previously before being purchased by Wizard Entertainment. They’ll also retain their original promoters, which is significant given the company’s track record for handling convention guests (noted excellently by former Wizard Magazine staffer Chris Ward).