What's up with Wizard?

[DonEMC]

I just read the latest issue of Wizard The Comics Magazine (which is now "The Magazines of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture") and I have to say the magazine is not what it used to be.
I've been reading Wizard since the first issue and I have to say that I'm truly disappointed in the content. The articles are no more than just hype, fanboy interviews and overextended Top 10 lists (this month it's the Top 50 Super-Hero movies ... haven't we read this one before ... over and over again?).
And being a magazine writer and editor, I notice all the spelling errors and grammatical errors that are popping up in the magazine ...
Does anyone else see how far Wizard has fallen? It used to be THE premier magazine for comics news, reviews and interviews, but now it's almost a joke.
I really hate to see it at this stage, because I always thought it was a valuable resources for us comic fans (I love to read about comics and comics-related things and Wizard used to be the source for all that news and so much more).
I don't even put much faith in the price guide anymore.
I'd like to read what everyone else thinks of Wizard.

[IMJ]

The printed magazine has lost the abilitty to actually break news or maintain relevance when it comes to new material. Wizard has been languishing for years now, which is really ridiculous when you consider that if they repositioned themselves by only a few degrees, they could find new relevance again in this market.

If you can't break news or compete with the internet in print, then change your model to reach a more core following in your magazine type by finding a niche market again. CBG has done this pretty well. Wizard claimed they did it by putting staples back in the magazine rather than using a glue binding. And they dont make it easy to get them your ideas for publication either, so really their model isn't the greatest, IMO.

[Ideal.]

Wizard is terrible on every possible level.


I'd take TCJ's heavily prejudiced view on comics over it any day.

[TVsGrady]

I stopped reading Wizard about 5 1/2 years ago, and it seems they've gotten even worse since then.

[DonEMC]

I read nearly every comic magazine and fanzine I can get my hands on and I've watched Wizard go downhill for the past year or so...
When the magazine first started, it was brilliant, giving fans news and interviews and a price guide that you could at least put some faith in...
Now, it's all hype about movies and video games and the latest crossovers from Marvel and DC and previews of comics from Dynamite (but none lately from Marvel and DC). I really used to enjoy Wizard and, like I said before, I've bought it since issue No. 1.
I do think Comic Buyer's Guide has really evolved into a better magazine than Wizard (but I still liked their weekly format better than the new monthly) by using columns and reviews moreso than just being a hype machine.
I was talking with my comics retailer recently and she said to me "What's the deal with Wizard?" She explained that the magazine really seems to have lost its focus and isn't as enjoyable a read as it has been in the past.
I'm really dismayed at all the errors I find in the book. Don't they have a copy editor anymore? Doesn't anyone look over this stuff before it hits the presses?
I think the magazine really lost its focus when it tried to be Maxim for the comics crowd. Including games and toys and tech and movies and such is alright, but I want to read about comics. I want true journalism, where the reporters actually interview the writers and artists and editors and it's not just some fanboy interviewer going "Oooooo, I love everything you do!"
I hate that the Wizard Top 10 has gone back to including variants and special editions (they ran an editorial many years ago during the Valiant craze where they said they would no longer be including gold editions and variants in the Top 10, but, I guess they forgot about that ...). Many people don't have the ability to get those hard-to-find variants and a Top 10 should be made up of things accessible to us all.
The interviews are no more than two or three pages of some writer, artist or editor telling how great their latest storyline is going to be and how it's going to rock the comics world.
I love magazines like Back Issue, Alter Ego and Comics Buyer's Guide, which actually give us something to read, rather than just overextended press releases with comments generated by the media machines of the big comic companies.
There for awhile, Wizard was doing an article an issue about old comics like the article that ran about the Suicide Squad a couple years ago. It was informative and interesting, but, after that one ran, those kinds of articles were few and far between.
They also stopped giving grades to their reviews. I was told by a retailer that it was because the big companies got upset with getting bad grades and was giving the magazine heat over it.
Hey, I like the idea that Comic Buyer's Guide gives grades, even though I don't always agree with them. At least it gives us food for thought.
Wizard just reviews trade paperbacks and tells us their favorite of the month.
I really wish someone at Wizard would get back to the way things used to be. If not, I'm going to stop buying the magazine I've bought since it started many years ago.

[Chemical King]

I've been reading Wizard for a long time now, and I can second your feelings. There are some issues which actually don't give you much to read anymore. It's all about the new Hulk/Iron Man/Batman movie, totally overexaggerating how great it is, and it's full of wordplay that for me as a non-native speaker have gone way beyond the possibility to understand.

Some years ago, there used to be articles which actually demanded some journalistic finesse to write. Nowadays, they are just pushing Marvel and junk like Secret Invasion focussing on the coolness factor alone.

Some years ago, they actually spotlighted some books I did not know yet, made me curious and broadened my comic book horizon. Nowadays, their pick of the month is the new Batman or Superman book, or something boring like that.

So Comic Buyers Guide is different? Maybe I'll give it a try. There must be a better way to spend my 6 $...

[DonEMC]

I've been reading Wizard for a long time now, and I can second your feelings. There are some issues which actually don't give you much to read anymore. It's all about the new Hulk/Iron Man/Batman movie, totally overexaggerating how great it is, and it's full of wordplay that for me as a non-native speaker have gone way beyond the possibility to understand.

Some years ago, there used to be articles which actually demanded some journalistic finesse to write. Nowadays, they are just pushing Marvel and junk like Secret Invasion focussing on the coolness factor alone.

Some years ago, they actually spotlighted some books I did not know yet, made me curious and broadened my comic book horizon. Nowadays, their pick of the month is the new Batman or Superman book, or something boring like that.

So Comic Buyers Guide is different? Maybe I'll give it a try. There must be a better way to spend my 6 $...

When Comics Buyer's Guide FIRST started its monthly magazine format, I thought it was trying too hard to be like Wizard. Now, though, it's full of reviews and columns, stuff you don't get on the web the instant it's released.
Wizard is nothing by HYPE nowadays and there is no journalism. None of the articles have to be researched and it shows when there are factual inaccuracies and errors.
I'm probably going to pass on next month's Wizard and the next until someone tells me they have changed their policies and made good, solid journalism the top priority again. I've held out for several months, buying each issue, but the latest is the breaking point. I read everything in under half an hour and none of it was very interesting.
The month's issue, No. 207 "Gold" is 110 pages (counting back and front covers -- inside and out). There are lots of big pictures and illustrations to fill up pages where there should be more copy, stories are no more than news briefs; there are five pages near the front of the magazine devoted to movies; then two on toys; then two on video games; then we get to the James Robinson interview, which is just Robinson talking about his favorite JLA issues; then we get another article on the upcoming Iron Man 2 movie; then 25 pages of the Best of 2008; six pages about the Dynamite series "The Death-Defying Devil"; three pages about DC's upcoming Faces of Evil series; then eight pages of the Top 50 Super-Hero Movies; then we get to the trade reviews, which take up four pages; and, finally, the price guide starts (including the CGC stuff). The last eight pages are made up of ads (no problem with those, because they've got to generate revenue to keep the magazine going) and a calendar of events (no problem there, because we do need to know where conventions are being held) and a stupid Wizard staff fumetti-type page.
All this for $6!
I always thought the long-gone and lamented Comic Book Marketplace really had a good thing going with its Marketplace Reports. Wizard does two sidebars in its price guide that are sort of like the Marketplace Reports, but I wish it had more of that and less of the other crap. I want to know what's selling and what's hot in other parts of the country. I want to know what retailers are selling the most of (Golden, Silver, Bronze, Copper or Modern Age comics) and the prices they're getting for each issue...
I also want to read more indepth interviews, rather than just letting a fanboy gush about how great a writer or artist is.
I don't like the smarmy insider jokes Wizard is always putting into its letter column. Treat us like adults and don't insult our intelligence with this crap.
In the Hot Top 10 comics sidebar, there are seven variant covers, and only one of which I saw for sale at any of the two comic shops I frequent.
The Wizard Hot 10 writers and artists are filled with creators that are currently working, but to say that Kevin Smith is a hot writer when Batman Cacophony has only been out for two weeks (we'll wait and see how long it takes to get No. 2 out) and to say Kurt Busiek is a hot writer when Marvels: Eye of the Camera HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED YET is a joke.
I really want more of the "Shop Buzz" type stuff they run as sidebars. Give me five pages of that or five pages of Marketplace Reports. Wizard used to run a column each month about comic book art, but that faded with no explanation of why it died. I want to read about comic book art sales and discoveries. Let me know more about a hobby that might interest me.
Instead, we get more and more pages on movies (because NOT ALL OF THE MOVIES THEY HYPE ARE COMIC-RELATED) and video games.

[Leocomix]

Wizard has always been a crappy magazine. What I believe happened is that you matured and now see Wizard with new eyes (it also lost its writers)

[Ideal.]

Wizard has always been a crappy magazine. What I believe happened is that you matured and now see Wizard with new eyes (it also lost its writers)
Agreed.


It's generally always maintained a standard of tripe. I'd got into a rant but there's no use, the CJ covered it:

Just read the section on Wizard (http://www.tcj.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=72&Itemid=70). It articulates my feelings better than myself.

[Beria]

Wizard has always been a crappy magazine. What I believe happened is that you matured and now see Wizard with new eyes (it also lost its writers)

I agree. Wizard has never been a good comics magazine. In fact, its focus has never been on comics, but rather on superheroes, preferably superhero movies.

[DonEMC]

No, for many years, Wizard was a GOOD (often times GREAT) comics magazine. It was informative and had good interviews and good reviews and a decent price guide. It was well designed and easy to read. It had a good letter column that actually answered people's questions. It involved readers through it's envelope art and fan art (because everyone wanted to get their art published in Wizard, which sometimes led to jobs with the Big Two). It let people know what was coming up and gave insights into the storylines.
What has been so bad about the magazine in the past that several of you tell me IT'S ALWAYS BEEN BAD? Can you point out to me what was so bad in Wizard's early years that made it a bad magazine?
I have read this magazine since the first issue and have had subscriptions to it in years past. I enjoyed the magazine over the years. When it changed to a Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture magazine, that's when it started going downhill.
In previous messages on this thread, I pointed out the good things Wizard used to do. There was a lot of good articles and good reading in Wizard. But, I'm afraid to say the current issue is the worst issue I've read since the beginning.
I'm close to 40 and have been reading comics all my life. I've also been reading fanzines and comics magazines back to the early days of the Buyer's Guide to Comic Fandom, Comics Feature, Comics Scene, Amazing Heroes, The Comics Journal, Comic Book Marketplace, Overstreet's Fan Magazine and many, many others and, throughout the years, Wizard has been as good a comics magazine as any of those others.
Over the last six or seven years, Wizard has fallen in quality, but not so fast as it has in the last year.
Wizard USED to have great interviews with writers, artists and editors. The magazine used to have a section on drawing comics. It used to have reviews that were real reviews, instead of press release statements churned out by the companies publishing the comics under review. It used to have a large price guide that kept people up to date on what was hot and what was not, in between each annual edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide.
At one point, Wizard was THE comics magazine if you were a publishing company or a retailer, because it was a quality comics magazine.
After its first few years, even, it was a quality magazine.
It's breaking news kept us in the KNOW and there were even times when news items were broken in Wizard before they were in CBG, which, at that time, was still weekly.
It's not because my tastes haven't matured so much that I realize how bad Wizard is. I'm smart enough to know when something is good and starts to go bad.
Whether you like Wizard or not nowadays, it has been a great magazine at times and a good magazine most of the time. I hope it can get back to what made it great for the first few years of its existence.
This month's issue has only three staff writers listed and three contributors listed. Wizard doesn't have a stable of writers anymore. There are THREE on staff. Count them down with me: One, two, three. Kevin Mahadeo, Rachel Molino and Steve Sunu. The contributors are Kiel Phegley, Jake Rossen and Josh Wigler.
Where did all the other writers go?
I've read online that many writers have been let go and replaced with people willing to work for free. I don't know if that's true, but it certainly would be a reason for the errors I see popping up so frequently.

[devildinosaur]

Wizard is terrible on every possible level.


I'd take TCJ's heavily prejudiced view on comics over it any day.

Or dig up my back issues of Comic Scene. Or even Alter Ego. There's a few choices out there that make Wizard look downright ridiculous.

[Black Vespa]

wizard helped maintained the crappy speculation angle that helped kill the industry in the early/mid 90's. back then, the consumer seemed to be less of a reader and more of a "collector".

[DonEMC]

Or dig up my back issues of Comic Scene. Or even Alter Ego. There's a few choices out there that make Wizard look downright ridiculous.

Nowadays, I totally agree. But, back when Wizard was first getting started, you couldn't beat it. It was informative and easy to read and the journalism was good.
Back Issue and Alter Ego, though, are magazines geared toward a certain type of reader (Back Issue is for 1970s and 1980s collectors and comics fans, while Alter Ego handles the Bronze, Silver and Golden Ages). Wizard is supposed to appeal to every comic book reader and used to have something for everyone in each issue. But, it now seems geared toward the 13-year-olds whose parents won't let them buy Maxim.
And, before it gets started, a lot of you Wizard haters will say that it's always been geared toward the younger readers and I'll be the first to agree ... however, it always had something for us older readers, too.
I don't want to give up on Wizard, because it's given me many hours of reading enjoyment over the years ... but, right now, it's just not worth my $6 an issue and with it polybagged so we can't see what's inside, I may not waste my cash on the gamble that there MIGHT be something good inside ...

[DonEMC]

wizard helped maintained the crappy speculation angle that helped kill the industry in the early/mid 90's. back then, the consumer seemed to be less of a reader and more of a "collector".

While Wizard can take some of the blame for the speculators market that nearly killed the industry in the mid-1990s, the comic companies themselves were the ones dumping crap on the market and expecting people to buy it all and then there were the card collectors who jumped into comics because they saw that as the next gold mine ...
And then you had the variant covers and those who collected those Gold, Silver and Platinun covers, the embossed covers, the bullet-hole covers, the diecut covers, the chromium covers, the 3-D covers, the hologram covers and so on ...
Instead of focusing on the comics and making them better qualitywise, companies figured that COLLECTORS would buy anything. For awhile, they were right ... and that hurt the industry moreso than Wizard reporting on the trends of the day.

[MichikoS]

Hey DonEMC, I understand your feelings about Wizard. You used to like it, you used to think it had something to offer readers, and you used to believe it had some credibility. Perhaps so.

Is it possible that you have changed as well? Perhaps your standards have gotten higher, you expect more from your $6 as a consumer, and you don't have as much patience with hype, filler, and goofy, sophomoric humor.

Perhaps you've outgrown Wizard. Or Wizard has failed to keep pace with your growth. Either way, it's time to bid a fond farewell, stop supporting suck, and look for other sources of news and commentary about funny books.

We're lucky to live in a time when there are literally hundreds of comics-related blogs, sites and forums. Wizard's not going to change, except for the worse. Say goodbye, man, say goodbye. But I do understand your feelings of betrayal and regret.

Michi

[DeadLast Johnny]

Personally, Wizard is the only comic magazine I read. Long story short, it's all I know. (well, besides an occasional Previews mag) But I have to agree with the sentiment already stated. I spend more time in the guide area, then anywhere else. My girlfriend calls it my "rain-man" mentality; I'm always just scouring the guide. Rest of the mag I tend to when I'm taking care of business in the bathroom. :biggrin:

Seriously tho, I wish the book was almost double the size it is... or at least 1/2 larger. There's GOT to be more info out there, and true info/interviews, not the usual fluff we see.


And I want an honest to god letters section. the thwack is so lame. I guess I just like reading other peoples thought/stories, and to have it downgraded to this, well... blows.

I subscribe to Wizard, probably will still do so. But because of the talk in this thread, i've put in a subscription to CBG. Thanks! :cool:

[MichikoS]

Oh, I do want to remind folks that many public libraries subscribe to WIZARD, usually in their Young Adult or Teen section. Whenever I need a Wizard fix (not often) I just go to my local public library and check out a year's worth of back issues. They are, as DeadLast Johnny has noted, excellent bathroom reading. And they cost nothing at the library.

I've been urging one of our larger public library systems to subscribe to some of the TwoMorrow titles like Alter Ego and Back Issue, as well as to CBG or CJ. So far, no luck. You'd think it'd be a no-brainer: Comics Journal, or the newest Oprah spinoff mag? We're still pretty mainstream in the library world, alas.

Michi

[Rev. Calibos]

Wizard was brilliant up until around issue #100, about the time I stopped reading it regularly.

Now, meh, it's not very good which is why I continue to pass it up.

But I am curious as to where the backlash is coming from regarding past issues.

From 1-100 you couldn't find a funnier, more spot on publication that perfectly captured the comics medium, not only the comics themselves but the subculture that all of us are a part of.

Was it as thought provoking as Alter Ego? Was it as thorough as Comics Journal?

No on both counts, but what it WAS was fun, plain and simple. It didn't have to be cerebral, it was a pre-internet fan-boy's dream come true as one could flip through a new issue of Wizard and catch the newest happenings from comics, toys, video games.

The humor was often times bizzare and childish but it was always good for a laugh.

Wizard captured everything that was awesome about collecting comics in the 90's and while its a shadow of it's former self I can only look back at the first hundred issues or so with fond memories.

[DonEMC]

Wizard was brilliant up until around issue #100, about the time I stopped reading it regularly.

Now, meh, it's not very good which is why I continue to pass it up.

But I am curious as to where the backlash is coming from regarding past issues.

From 1-100 you couldn't find a funnier, more spot on publication that perfectly captured the comics medium, not only the comics themselves but the subculture that all of us are a part of.

Was it as thought provoking as Alter Ego? Was it as thorough as Comics Journal?

No on both counts, but what it WAS was fun, plain and simple. It didn't have to be cerebral, it was a pre-internet fan-boy's dream come true as one could flip through a new issue of Wizard and catch the newest happenings from comics, toys, video games.

The humor was often times bizzare and childish but it was always good for a laugh.

Wizard captured everything that was awesome about collecting comics in the 90's and while it's a shadow of it's former self I can only look back at the first hundred issues or so with fond memories.

Thank you very much. It was a great magazine for those first 100 issues and I loved every one of them (even all those specials they put out about the hot topics of the day ... like Death of Superman, the Wizard Top 100 Comics, the Image special, the Valiant special ... so much good stuff). The 1/2 issues were great and where did those go?
But, when Wizard tried to be Maxim for us comic geeks, it started its downward spiral.
I hate to pass up the next issue, because I would like to have faith that it's all going to change, but I'm sure it won't.
I wish someone from Wizard looked at this thread and saw that we have complaints and would love to see the magazine return to the greatness it knew (for at least 100 issues).
I wouldn't put it up against TCJ or Alter Ego or Back Issue, but it still served its purpose and that was to connect me with the comics and their creators and it gave me good, informative articles that didn't insult my intelligence or simply plug some upcoming project.
The price guide wasn't in question back then, either. My local retailer questions a lot of their hot picks and the books they list as gaining in price. I wish the editorial crew there would get a backbone and start giving the reviews a grade again.
It gives them more credibility.

[Paradox]

Rev. Calibos has memories:

Wizard was brilliant up until around issue #100, about the time I stopped reading it regularly.

Now, meh, it's not very good which is why I continue to pass it up.

But I am curious as to where the backlash is coming from regarding past issues.

From 1-100 you couldn't find a funnier, more spot on publication that perfectly captured the comics medium, not only the comics themselves but the subculture that all of us are a part of.

Was it as thought provoking as Alter Ego? Was it as thorough as Comics Journal?

No on both counts, but what it WAS was fun, plain and simple. It didn't have to be cerebral, it was a pre-internet fan-boy's dream come true as one could flip through a new issue of Wizard and catch the newest happenings from comics, toys, video games.

The humor was often times bizzare and childish but it was always good for a laugh.

Wizard captured everything that was awesome about collecting comics in the 90's and while its a shadow of it's former self I can only look back at the first hundred issues or so with fond memories.

Frankly, I never found them to be anything but childish and superficial. But then, I had great magazines from the '80s like Amazing Heroes, TCJ, CBG, etc. to compare it too. Plus I was already in my 30s when Wizard first came out, so it wasn't exactly my kind of thing.

Although, I do still love Twisted Toyfair Theater.

[Alex Dragon]

The first thing some of you need to do is understand comparing WIZARD to ALTER EGO, THE COMICS JOURNAL or CBG is a silly waste of time. They're totally different kinds of magazines with totally different funtions and agendas. It's like comparing THE LATE SHOW with Conan O'Brian to INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO.

WIZARD is and never was supposed to be about important comicbook journalism, or covering comicbook history or anything supposedly noble or deep in the world of comics. WIZARD is an entertainment magazine. I understand that some of you don't find entertaintment aspects of WIZARD entertaining but that doesn't mean it isn't or wasn't good at what it was trying to be.
I know many comic fans never liked WIZARD because it doesn't take itself, the comics industry or comic fans as serious as some would like but one of the biggest problems with comic fans is they take themselves and comics waaaaay too seriously.

Secondly, for those who simply write WIZARD off because because of the net and the news that gets posted on various messageboards there are several reasons this isn't really an issue. (1) WIZARD still has exclusives that don't appear anywhere else. (2) Not everyone spends that much time surfing the net for the latest comicbook news. (3) WIZARD is much more than the latest news on who's working on the latest "hot" book from Marvel and DC.

I actually look forward to and enjoy WIZARD. It's usually a fun little magazine. It's a little bit of what's "hot", what's coming up in the world of comics, an interview or two, some fun topics/articles that always lead to fun debates, that guide in the back to let the goofballs know about how much their bagged comics that they never plan to sell could be worth, and much more.

Yes, I do agree that lately some of the issues haven't been as great as they used to or could be. The latest issue was a "end of the year" wrap up and there weren't a lot of surprises. But basically the problem is the current crew of staffers is either lazy and don't put as much work and creativity into the mag or they're doing their best and their best isn't impressive at all. Some issues are better than others but the overall quality is down. I wouldn't blame it on too much coverage of Hollywood stuff because much of that stuff is news worthy and it's a big part of the overall comic's scene as well as the gaming stuff. No, the problem is the current staff just isn't that good. Plus, in comics (DC and Marvel anyway) it's just been about 2 years of big event books and at this point not much from them seems special anymore.

[Chad]

Thank you very much. It was a great magazine for those first 100 issues and I loved every one of them (even all those specials they put out about the hot topics of the day ... like Death of Superman

The Death of Superman Special...

Alvin Schwartz wrote the first Superman/Batman issue of World's Finest and many stories thereafter. What did Wizard do? They tracked him down and interviewed him at length for this special.

Wizard discovered an obscure Adventures of Superman book dating from 1942 and ran a thorough article explaining it's importance to Superman's history and legacy.

Eliot Maggin was asked intelligent questions about everything from what role Superman must play in the Universe to how Maggin's belief in Superman's immortality affects the classic Superman/Lois/Clark triangle.

Curt Swan was asked to write the foreward; most of the major artists who worked on Superman were profiled; Superman's history in the comics and film were given the attention it deserved; so many interesting tid-bits that you'd have trouble finding even today such as Cary Bates Superman V proposal could be found here - the effort put into this publication was astounding. I still can't believe that even though DC threw their Death of Superman storyline together in 15 minutes Wizard managed to put out this well reseached magazine at the same time.

I also can't believe that this is the same magazine that sports a sexualized Spider-Woman on its latest cover along with an "Undressing the Silk Spectre" article to go with it ' cause, ya know, what else are women there for?

I doubt today's Wizard would even know who Alvin Schwartz, Cary Bates, or Eliot Maggin are.

[DonEMC]

The Death of Superman Special...

Alvin Schwartz wrote the first Superman/Batman issue of World's Finest and many stories thereafter. What did Wizard do? They tracked him down and interviewed him at length for this special.

Wizard discovered an obscure Adventures of Superman book dating from 1942 and ran a thorough article explaining it's importance to Superman's history and legacy.

Eliot Maggin was asked intelligent questions about everything from what role Superman must play in the Universe to how Maggin's belief in Superman's immortality affects the classic Superman/Lois/Clark triangle.

Curt Swan was asked to write the foreward; most of the major artists who worked on Superman were profiled; Superman's history in the comics and film were given the attention it deserved; so many interesting tid-bits that you'd have trouble finding even today such as Cary Bates Superman V proposal could be found here - the effort put into this publication was astounding. I still can't believe that even though DC threw their Death of Superman storyline together in 15 minutes Wizard managed to put out this well reseached magazine at the same time.

I also can't believe that this is the same magazine that sports a sexualized Spider-Woman on its latest cover along with an "Undressing the Silk Spectre" article to go with it ' cause, ya know, what else are women there for?

I doubt today's Wizard would even know who Alvin Schwartz, Cary Bates, or Eliot Maggin are.

See, that's what I'm saying. There used to be indepth analysis of older comic books. They're used to be something in there for everyone.
Nowadays, it's just pure fluff and movies.
I'm totally disappointed even more now that you reminded me of the Alvin Schwartz interview.
Gosh, where'd the REAL Wizard go?

[Rev. Calibos]

Frankly, I never found them to be anything but childish and superficial. But then, I had great magazines from the '80s like Amazing Heroes, TCJ, CBG, etc. to compare it too. Plus I was already in my 30s when Wizard first came out, so it wasn't exactly my kind of thing.

Although, I do still love Twisted Toyfair Theater.


I think that that may have played a part in my enjoyment of it, I was a Jr. in High School when my friend gave me a copy of issue #10 to read in study hall.

I was just blown away. I had been out of comics for about 3 years and when I read that magazine (which I still have btw) it brought me back in.

If you were looking for more cerebral fare then Wizard was not your best bet, lol, but for a fun read, for news and reviews that sounded just as comfortable as chatting comics with friends at school or at the shop, Wizard couldn't be beat.

Nowadays, meh.....I bought issue #200 for sentimental value and I bought another one two months later and it's a completely different animal. There wasn't a single thing about it that resembled the magazine I loved those many years ago.


Twisted Toyfare Theater IS the stuff though.......I don't pick up the magazine but I do pick up the Best Of Volumes they put out.

[Red Oak Kid]

Nowadays, it's just pure fluff and movies.


Which also describes the San Diego Comic Con.

[Lone Ranger]

I haven't read an issue of Wizard in well over a decade. It was pretty piss poor back then. I'm actually surprised to hear that it's still around, as I don't think I've seen one on the racks at a magazine shop in years.

Does anyone remember Overstreet's FAN?

That short-lived title was far superior to Wizard. They also had good record reviews, too.

[DonEMC]

I haven't read an issue of Wizard in well over a decade. It was pretty piss poor back then. I'm actually surprised to hear that it's still around, as I don't think I've seen one on the racks at a magazine shop in years.

Does anyone remember Overstreet's FAN?

That short-lived title was far superior to Wizard. They also had good record reviews, too.

Sorry, but I'm going to have to respectfully disagree about the statement comparing Wizard (during its early days) to FAN.
FAN was the best of the Wizard wannabe knockoffs, no doubt about that. But, in my opinion as a longtime magazine writer and editor, I have to say the design sense and articles were pretty poor in FAN magazine. As far as editorial content goes, they seemed to have a lot of stuff, but no direction for their articles. And they never seemed to do much on the older comics, even though it was produced by Overstreet (being the comic book price guide standard for three decades-plus at that time).
It was a little like what Wizard has become today.
Now, don't get me wrong. I was fan of FAN, too.
I subscribed to FAN early on, because I really thought it would turn out to be better, since it was done by comics collectors who actually collected and sold comics, but it wasn't, as there didn't seem to be much of an editorial plan for each issue. It was like reading People Magazine and then going to Star Magazine. Take a look at those two these days compare them if you want to know what I'm talking about.
I liked FAN, but I didn't ever think it was better than Wizard.
I think Wizard set the standard for popular comic book magazines. It was the first prozine to really reach such a large audience. Even in the heyday of Comics Buyers Guide, I doubt it reached as many subscribers and readers as Wizard did in its prime.
Sure, some of those readers were little kids and the writing was geared toward a younger crowd. But, as a journalist, we're taught to write for a group of five-year-olds, so that everyone can read and enjoy what we write.
I think Wizard really doesn't have that big a staff these days. I see three staff writers and it makes me shudder, because that's exactly what's happening to the newspaper industry right now -- downsizing. And, it may be true that that's what's happened to Wizard, although I think the quality of the magazine has been slipping for several months now and that was when they had a lot more contributors and staff writers.
I just think there's not a lot of thought being put into the magazine these days. Maybe they need a new editor or a new group of writers. But, it's hard to get quality writers when all you're offering them is a way to break into the comics fan press.

[Pól Rua]

The articles are no more than just hype, fanboy interviews and overextended Top 10 lists (this month it's the Top 50 Super-Hero movies ... haven't we read this one before ... over and over again?) ...
Does anyone else see how far Wizard has fallen? It used to be THE premier magazine for comics news, reviews and interviews, but now it's almost a joke.
It's always been like this. Dumbass, shallow hype and fratboy humour. At its best, it's toilet reading.
Wizard hasn't changed, you have.

[Pól Rua]

What has been so bad about the magazine in the past that several of you tell me IT'S ALWAYS BEEN BAD? Can you point out to me what was so bad in Wizard's early years that made it a bad magazine?
Basically, it's always been aimed squarely at the most solidly middle-of-the-road, populist stuff. Back in the 90's, they nearly threw their collective backs out trying to blow Valiant, Marvel and Image while simultaneously raving about how much those great foil-enhanced chromium covers are.
These days, it's the same story, only replace Valiant, Marvel and Image with Any Big Company Crossover, and Any Movie Based on a (Mainstream) Comic, and replace Chromium foil with CGC grading and slabbing.

Where did all the other writers go?
There are plenty of fanboys and girls who regard working at Wizard as a dream job and are willing to work there for next-to-nothing just so they can be at 'the nerve centre'.
A professional, on the other hand, who has some idea of how much his or her time and talent is worth... not so much.

[Black Vespa]

It's always been like this. Dumbass, shallow hype and fratboy humour. At its best, it's toilet reading.
Wizard hasn't changed, you have.

i agree with this. - i started reading wizard back in 91, when it first launched...loved it. I was 16 , and I ate up everything they threw my way, - the crappy image comics, the artwork of liefeld and other hacks, the market watch on hologram covers, multi-covers, etc.

as i grew older, and started forming more of my own opinions and taste in what i read, i wasn't reading it as much.

every once in a while, i'd pick up an ish, - i dunno maybe hoping they grew right along w/ me, - but nah...not so much, -still the same ol' shit, only now -more recently, it's more watered down.

[Paradox]

Alex Dragon has something, but I don't know what:

I understand that some of you don't find entertaintment aspects of WIZARD entertaining but that doesn't mean it isn't or wasn't good at what it was trying to be.

Actually, what it was trying to be at the beginning was a newsletter to hype Shamus' parent's comic store's "hot issues". And as a bigger version of that, I suppose it does succeed.