RIP Wizard Magazine

[palitoy]

Big Shiny Robot - Wizard Magazine to Cease Publication

Kind of been anticipating hearing this. A giant but not exactly a boon to comics journalism...

[samurainoir]

Wizard hasn't been too relevant given how quickly the internet reports on things, but I will miss Toyfare for the Twisted Toyfare (formerly Mego) Theater Fumetti strip that eventually spawned Robot Chicken... it was a guilty pleasure. I liked the costumizing features as well.

[torgospizza]

Wizard's been sucking for a decade, back when McCallum was editing. A buddy and I would make a game out of seeing how many mistakes (factual mistakes, wrong usage of words, or even articles just stopping mid paragraph and picking up nowhere else in the issue) we could find. I remember once in an article on Captain America, one journalist said it was so hot his face "literally" melted off. I send him an e-card wishing him a quick recovery.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I was just the right age when Wizard started. I liked their irreverent humor and their less scholarly approach at the time. Magazines like Comic Scene were too "fanzine" and Comics Journal was far too stuffy. That being said, as I got older, the less I cared for the scatter-shot approach to things. I did enjoy Toyfare a lot in the early days, although it sometimes seemed like Toy Biz was bankrolling them or something.

Chris

[toys2cool]

that's a shame

[LonnieFisher]

I'm surprised it lasted this long.

[MarkStalcup]

They were quite funny at times...

[jimsmegos]

They had a good run but like all printed products it was only a matter of time. Ironically enough I did stop at the magazine rack yesterday and thought about pick up an issue just for old times sake (I have bought a WIZARD or TOYFARE in years). I think for the heck of it I may very well do it now for the sake of remembering the good times that were had all those years ago.

Nah. I'll apply the five bucks to a new Re-Mego Martian Manhunter.

[boynightwing]

Huh...I don't think I've even bought a Wizard since that blackout in 2003 that lasted for 3 days. Although I was glad to have it at the time since I didn't have much else to do.

I used to really like Wizard and Toyfare. Then they changed the size format to magazine and I had nowhere to store them and also...I think I outgrew the humor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_Blackout_of_2003

[Blue Meanie]

In my best C3PO voice "Thank the maker!!!" Finally, that piece of crap hype machine is DONE!!!!

[The Toyroom]

I haven't read Wizard for quite a while now...in fact I thought they stopped publishing the magazine because all of the stories were already old news when the ink dried, compared to what's out on the web....

[Nostalgiabuff]

I picked it up regularly the first couple years but have not read it in over a decade

[WannabeMego]

In my best C3PO voice "Thank the maker!!!" Finally, that piece of crap hype machine is DONE!!!!

'Hype Machine' is probably the best interpretation I've heard when describing 'Wizard'.

I wonder if this means the end of Wizard World too...? ...are they related...?

[samurainoir]

I remember liking Hero Illustrated better back in the day. I think they had a slightly more diversity of material in their coverage.

[jwyblejr]

I always thought they were a bunch of hypocrites there. Telling people to read their comics while at the same time boasting about having your comics graded.