Wizard (magazine)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wizard is a magazine about comic books, published monthly in the United States by Wizard Entertainment. It includes a price guide to current and valuable comics, as well as comic book, movie, anime, and collector news, interviews, and previews. It is known for its "fanboy" sense of humour, which is shared by all the magazines published by Wizard Entertainment.
Wizard was founded in 1991 by college student Gareb Shamus as a newsletter for his parents' comic book store, estimating the values of "hot" comic books, comics with high demand in the back-issue market. Shamus' interest in the comics market stems from his friendship with comic artist Todd McFarlane and from working in his parents' store.
In issue #7, Wizard became closer to the magazine it is today, with glossy paper and color printing. Unlike other comics publications such as Hero Illustrated or The Comics Journal, Wizard has historically focused on superheroes and the economic side of comic collecting. Wizard strongly supported new publishers Valiant Comics and Image Comics, heavily promoting their new releases. A regular feature of the magazine is a "Top 10 Writers and Artists" list, charting the most popular creators of the month in each category.
Wizard exploited the speculator boom of the early 1990s, quickly rising to the leading position among comic magazines.
For many, Wizard is the most visible face of the American comics industry, and it encounters a fair amount of controversy. Critics charge that Wizard discusses mainstream American superhero comics to the exclusion of other kinds of comics; however, such comics are the dominant genre among the majority of American comics buyers.
Comic creator Frank Miller had a well-publicized feud with Wizard, initiated by his keynote speech at the 2001 Harvey Awards, during which he ripped a copy of the magazine apart and threw it in a trash can, calling it a "bible written by Satan", a "monthly vulgarity", and a "tree killer (which) regularly cheapens and poisons our field." The two parties have seemingly repaired their relationship (notably, after Miller's successful Sin City film), and Miller was a "Guest of Honor" at Wizard World Chicago 2005.
Wizard Magazine's old website, www.wizardworld.com, was home to a lively internet forum community in the late 1990's. It is generally considered to have been one of the largest and most influential in the small community of internet forums dedicated towards comic books.
The magazine has also spawned several ongoing magazines dedicated to similar interests such as Toyfare for toys and action figures, Inquest Gamer for collectible game cards, Anime Insider for anime and manga, and Toy Wishes for mainstream toy enthusiasts, particularly children and parents. In 2006, the magazine was revamped with a bigger look and more pages, switching from the "perfect bound" or staple free look, to that of a more traditional magazine.
In November 2006, Wizard Editor-in-Chief and co-founder Pat McCallum was fired, after more than a decade with the company. Wizard has declined to say why he was removed.[1] On February 21, 2007, Scott Gramling was announced as the new Editor-in-Chief.[2]
[edit] Awards
The magazine received the Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award for Favorite Publication About Comics for 1992.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official site
- Frank Miller's Harvey Awards speech criticizing Wizard
- Where Superheroes Go for Industry News - New York Times article on Wizard
- Wicked Wizard by Paul O'Brien - reflections on current opinions of Wizard in the comics world
