Wizard Entertainment
Encyclopedia
Wizard Entertainment, formerly known as Wizard Press, was a New York-based publisher of Wizard
and ToyFare
magazine
s, along with various special issues for each magazine and the annual Toy Wishes holiday guide.
Since the first issue of Wizard magazine was published in 1991, Wizard Entertainment
grew from a publisher of one monthly magazine to a multi-title publishing company with diversified interests in branded products and related convention operations. The magazine originally started as a price guide to comics but evolved into focusing squarely on pop-culture, specifically targeting young adult males. The magazine ultimately featured a price guide to comics and action figures in the back of the magazine. It has since gone digital, closing down its print publications (January 24, 2011).
The company's Wizard World conventions attracted more than 125,000 attendees in 2005, making it the second largest pop-culture event series in the country, only behind the Comic-Con International
series of conventions (San Diego Comic-Con, WonderCon
, and APE
). Wizard hosts thirteen annual conventions, including in Chicago
, Philadelphia, Anaheim, Austin and New Orleans. The Comic Con tour has continued to expand and change cities such as Texas
, New York
and Toronto
. Chicago and Philadelphia are among the larger comic book conventions in the United States, with Wizard World Chicago in second place behind the San Diego Comic-Con for overall attendance at a single event.
magazine in January 1991 shortly after he graduated from college. Originally based in Congers, New York, Wizard grew from one monthly magazine to a multi-title publishing company with diversified interests in branded products and related convention operations. Wizard’s publications reached more than 2 million consumers a month, in 40 countries with translations into 5 languages.
Wizard’s first magazine debuted in July 1991. Wizard: The Guide to Comics was launched (the magazine would later be re-titled as Wizard: The Comics Magazine and again as Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture). Wizard has won numerous awards including four Folio Gold Awards for Editorial Excellence and has been voted “Magazine of the Year” thirteen years in a row by hobby shop retailers. Wizard has been awarded “TOP 10” magazine launch of the 1990s by Mr. Magazine, Samir Husni, a world-renowned magazine industry analyst.
A second monthly magazine was launched in 1995: Inquest Gamer
. InQuest Gamer was a source for information about collectible card games, role-playing games, and strategy gaming. InQuest Gamer was one of the first in the United States to report on some of the world’s hottest hits, including Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh. In 2007, publication of Inquest Gamer was canceled.
ToyFare: The Toy Magazine
was launched in 1997. ToyFare covered new toys including Star Wars
, Spider-Man
and Batman
, and won the Folio Gold Award. ToyFare has since folded.
FunFare Magazine was launched in 2009. It is published semi-annually and features consumer toy products for kids and the young at heart. It too folded.
On January 24, 2011, it was announced that Wizard magazine would cease publication after 20 years, and would be changed to an all digital magazine called Wizard World launching in February 2011. Wizard Entertainment will also cease publication of its sister magazine, Toyfare. Wizard Entertainment will become Wizard World Inc., now a public company, with Shamus its president and CEO.
, in 1997 to expand from its core publishing business into trade/consumer conventions. In just a few short years, the now renamed Wizard World Chicago event boasts a weekend attendance of over 58,000 people. As of 2010, that number has grown to over 10,000 attendees. In 2005, Wizard World was the largest producer of consumer events in its industries with four annual shows taking place in Los Angeles
, Chicago
, Philadelphia, and Arlington, Texas
and reaching over 125 consumers each year.
In 2008, Wizard began adding an academic forum called Wizard World University to include scholarly panels at their conventions, beginning with the November convention in Arlington, Texas.
In 2009, Wizard canceled the Texas event and postponed the Los Angeles convention.
In 2009, Wizard World acquired the Big Apple Convention
, New York City's longest-running comic book
, science fiction
, fantasy
, horror
, and pop culture convention. Big Apple's last independent show was held on June 13, 2009 at the Hotel Pennsylvania
. Big Apple had scheduled a show for November, but it was rescheduled for October 16–18 at Pier 94 in Manhattan
and re-branded "Big Apple Comic Con."
In 2009, Wizard World also acquired the Paradise Comics Toronto Comicon, "a show that has been consistently awarded The Best International Comic Book Convention (non-USA) by ComicBookConventions.com, for the last five years." The Paradise Comics Toronto Comicon was previoulsy owned by Peter Dixon of Paradise Comics
.
As of 2010, Wizard Entertainment now produces a North American Comic Con tour. City stops include:
Toronto
, Anaheim, Philadelphia, Chicago
, New York City
, Austin
, and Boston
. Tour expansions are announced regularly.
Wizard launched Anime Insider
, a U.S. magazine covering the Japanese animation
and manga
market. Anime Insider folded in the spring of 2009.
In 2000
Wizard Entertainment forayed into the world of actual comic book publishing, creating the imprint Black Bull Entertainment, and the first comic title released was the miniseries Gatecrasher. Despite attracting such talent as Garth Ennis
, Jimmy Palmiotti
, Amanda Conner
, Mark Waid
, Nelson DeCastro
, and relatively positive sales for their respective titles: Gate Crasher (ongoing series), Just a Pilgrim
, Beautiful Killer and Shadow Reavers, Wizard Entertainment folded Black Bull, and the line is considered dead.
In 2006, Wizard relaunched its Web site, WizardUniverse.com, with a new design and a new focus on editorial content rather than convention or merchandise related content. That year, Wizard also relaunched its message boards. In 2007, Wizard announced it would revert to the original WizardWorld.com format, which it did for a brief time.
Wizard (magazine)
Wizard or Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture was a magazine about comic books, published monthly in the United States by Wizard Entertainment from July 1991 to January 2011...
and ToyFare
ToyFare
ToyFare was a monthly comedy and collecting magazine published by Wizard Entertainment that focused on collectible action figures, busts, statues, and maquettes. It previewed new and upcoming lines and figures each month, as well as providing a price guide for toy lines, new and old...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s, along with various special issues for each magazine and the annual Toy Wishes holiday guide.
Since the first issue of Wizard magazine was published in 1991, Wizard Entertainment
grew from a publisher of one monthly magazine to a multi-title publishing company with diversified interests in branded products and related convention operations. The magazine originally started as a price guide to comics but evolved into focusing squarely on pop-culture, specifically targeting young adult males. The magazine ultimately featured a price guide to comics and action figures in the back of the magazine. It has since gone digital, closing down its print publications (January 24, 2011).
The company's Wizard World conventions attracted more than 125,000 attendees in 2005, making it the second largest pop-culture event series in the country, only behind the Comic-Con International
Comic-Con International
San Diego Comic-Con International, also known as Comic-Con International: San Diego , and commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by Shel Dorf and a group of San Diegans...
series of conventions (San Diego Comic-Con, WonderCon
WonderCon
WonderCon is an annual comic book, science fiction, and motion picture convention, held in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1987.The convention was conceived by retailer John Barrett and originally held in the Oakland Convention Center, where it remained until 2003, when it moved to San...
, and APE
Alternative Press Expo
The Alternative Press Expo or APE, as it is more commonly known, is a comics convention. It was founded in 1994 by Dan Vado as an event for self-publishers, independent publishers and alternative cartoonists to showcase their books. It was originally held in San Jose, California. Comic-Con...
). Wizard hosts thirteen annual conventions, including in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Philadelphia, Anaheim, Austin and New Orleans. The Comic Con tour has continued to expand and change cities such as Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. Chicago and Philadelphia are among the larger comic book conventions in the United States, with Wizard World Chicago in second place behind the San Diego Comic-Con for overall attendance at a single event.
History
Gareb Shamus, the company’s CEO and Chairman, founded WizardWizard (magazine)
Wizard or Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture was a magazine about comic books, published monthly in the United States by Wizard Entertainment from July 1991 to January 2011...
magazine in January 1991 shortly after he graduated from college. Originally based in Congers, New York, Wizard grew from one monthly magazine to a multi-title publishing company with diversified interests in branded products and related convention operations. Wizard’s publications reached more than 2 million consumers a month, in 40 countries with translations into 5 languages.
Wizard’s first magazine debuted in July 1991. Wizard: The Guide to Comics was launched (the magazine would later be re-titled as Wizard: The Comics Magazine and again as Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture). Wizard has won numerous awards including four Folio Gold Awards for Editorial Excellence and has been voted “Magazine of the Year” thirteen years in a row by hobby shop retailers. Wizard has been awarded “TOP 10” magazine launch of the 1990s by Mr. Magazine, Samir Husni, a world-renowned magazine industry analyst.
A second monthly magazine was launched in 1995: Inquest Gamer
InQuest Gamer
InQuest Gamer is a discontinued monthly magazine for game reviews and news that was published from 1995 to 2007. Originally, the magazine was named InQuest and focused solely on collectible card games ; InQuest, along with its competitor Scrye, were the two major CCG magazines...
. InQuest Gamer was a source for information about collectible card games, role-playing games, and strategy gaming. InQuest Gamer was one of the first in the United States to report on some of the world’s hottest hits, including Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh. In 2007, publication of Inquest Gamer was canceled.
ToyFare: The Toy Magazine
ToyFare
ToyFare was a monthly comedy and collecting magazine published by Wizard Entertainment that focused on collectible action figures, busts, statues, and maquettes. It previewed new and upcoming lines and figures each month, as well as providing a price guide for toy lines, new and old...
was launched in 1997. ToyFare covered new toys including Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
, Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
and Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, and won the Folio Gold Award. ToyFare has since folded.
FunFare Magazine was launched in 2009. It is published semi-annually and features consumer toy products for kids and the young at heart. It too folded.
On January 24, 2011, it was announced that Wizard magazine would cease publication after 20 years, and would be changed to an all digital magazine called Wizard World launching in February 2011. Wizard Entertainment will also cease publication of its sister magazine, Toyfare. Wizard Entertainment will become Wizard World Inc., now a public company, with Shamus its president and CEO.
Conventions
Wizard Entertainment purchased the Chicago Comicon, a comics convention in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, in 1997 to expand from its core publishing business into trade/consumer conventions. In just a few short years, the now renamed Wizard World Chicago event boasts a weekend attendance of over 58,000 people. As of 2010, that number has grown to over 10,000 attendees. In 2005, Wizard World was the largest producer of consumer events in its industries with four annual shows taking place in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Philadelphia, and Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
and reaching over 125 consumers each year.
In 2008, Wizard began adding an academic forum called Wizard World University to include scholarly panels at their conventions, beginning with the November convention in Arlington, Texas.
In 2009, Wizard canceled the Texas event and postponed the Los Angeles convention.
In 2009, Wizard World acquired the Big Apple Convention
Big Apple Convention
The Big Apple Comic Con is a Manhattan comic book convention started by Michael Carbonaro in 1996 in the basement of the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in Manhattan. It was originally named Big Apple Convention. It has grown into the longest-running comic book, science fiction/fantasy/horror/pop...
, New York City's longest-running comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
, science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
, horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
, and pop culture convention. Big Apple's last independent show was held on June 13, 2009 at the Hotel Pennsylvania
Hotel Pennsylvania
The Hotel Pennsylvania is a hotel located at 401 7th Avenue in Manhattan, across the street from Pennsylvania Station and Madison Square Garden in New York City.- History :...
. Big Apple had scheduled a show for November, but it was rescheduled for October 16–18 at Pier 94 in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and re-branded "Big Apple Comic Con."
In 2009, Wizard World also acquired the Paradise Comics Toronto Comicon, "a show that has been consistently awarded The Best International Comic Book Convention (non-USA) by ComicBookConventions.com, for the last five years." The Paradise Comics Toronto Comicon was previoulsy owned by Peter Dixon of Paradise Comics
Paradise Comics
Paradise Comics is a comic book store located in Toronto, Canada. The owner and proprietor is Peter Dixon. The store's manager is long time comic book fan Doug Simpson. Paradise Comics is known primarily as being an excellent source of silver age, 1970s, 1980s and CGC graded comics...
.
As of 2010, Wizard Entertainment now produces a North American Comic Con tour. City stops include:
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Anaheim, Philadelphia, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Austin
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
, and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Tour expansions are announced regularly.
Publications
Wizard once published TOY WISHES: The Ultimate Guide to Family Entertainment, a resource for what toys to buy during the holidays. Every year TOY WISHES appeared in over 100 TV interviews and in over 500 newspapers, including “The Today Show”, “Good Morning America” and USA Today. TOY WISHES produced “The Ultimate Toy Awards” TV show with Dick Clark that aired on NBC December 5, 2004.Wizard launched Anime Insider
Anime Insider
Anime Insider was a monthly magazine published by Wizard Entertainment, consisting of news and entertainment pieces relating to the Japanese anime and manga subculture....
, a U.S. magazine covering the Japanese animation
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
market. Anime Insider folded in the spring of 2009.
In 2000
2000 in comics
-February:*Strange Adventures vol. 2, #4, final issue cover-dated February - January :* January 5: Goseki Kojima, co-creator of Lone Wolf and Cub, dies at age 71.* January 6: Mad magazine fixture Don Martin dies at age 68....
Wizard Entertainment forayed into the world of actual comic book publishing, creating the imprint Black Bull Entertainment, and the first comic title released was the miniseries Gatecrasher. Despite attracting such talent as Garth Ennis
Garth Ennis
Garth Ennis is a Northern Irish comics writer, best known for the Vertigo series Preacher with artist Steve Dillon and his successful nine-year run on Marvel Comics' Punisher franchise...
, Jimmy Palmiotti
Jimmy Palmiotti
James "Jimmy" Palmiotti is an American writer and inker of comic books, who also does writing for games, television and film.-Early life:Palmiotti is a graduate of the High School of Art and Design in New York City.-Career:...
, Amanda Conner
Amanda Conner
Amanda Conner is an Irish-American comic book artist and commercial art illustrator. She began her career in the late 1980s for Archie Comics and Marvel Comics, before moving on to contribute work for Claypool Comics' Soulsearchers and Company and Harris Comics' Vampirella in the 1990s...
, Mark Waid
Mark Waid
Mark Waid is an American comic book writer. He is well known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America...
, Nelson DeCastro
Nelson DeCastro
Nelson Faro DeCastro, known professionally as Nelson , is an American comic book artist known for his airbrushed cover art, and his interior penciling, inking and coloring work. He is also a writer and teacher...
, and relatively positive sales for their respective titles: Gate Crasher (ongoing series), Just a Pilgrim
Just a Pilgrim
Just a Pilgrim is a five-issue comic book limited series written by Garth Ennis, with art by Carlos Ezquerra, and published by Black Bull, the short-lived comics publishing division of Wizard Entertainment, in 2001...
, Beautiful Killer and Shadow Reavers, Wizard Entertainment folded Black Bull, and the line is considered dead.
In 2006, Wizard relaunched its Web site, WizardUniverse.com, with a new design and a new focus on editorial content rather than convention or merchandise related content. That year, Wizard also relaunched its message boards. In 2007, Wizard announced it would revert to the original WizardWorld.com format, which it did for a brief time.