The Decline of Wizard

superman79 · 11-29-2007, 11:07 PM

I didn't know where this thread actually belonged but have you guys noticed Wizard's new direction? It seems that they are moving away from comic books pretty rapidly. I personally am not thrilled at all by this. What do you guys think? Who will step up and lead the frontlines on comic book news and media?

**paul brian deberry** · 11-30-2007, 09:47 AM

Digital Webbing. Hear that ED!! Do it -- make it happen, engage!

exilednight · 11-30-2007, 10:02 AM

Wizard has been heading down hill for nearly a decade now. There are better magazines out there, the trick is getting your comic shop to carry them.

Rob Norton · 11-30-2007, 12:22 PM

here we go again. time to bitch about Wizard.
jeez, whats yer problem guys? its a magazine that is all about comic books in all its pop culture forms. it talks about comics, interviews creators, gets in depth with the movies made from comics, talks about the toys and other merchandise.
zit covers most of the bases of the popular side of comics. it has grown from a small magazine to a major publication that covers a wide range of stuff. yes, its aimed at all the big major productions. its more "mainstream". but i see that as a good thing, in that some regular dude or dudette that doesnt read comics just might pick up that magazine BECAUSE it looks more mainstream, and they MIGHT like what they see, and then, god forbid, they just MIGHT pick up a comic book here and there. wow... that could suck couldnt it? bring in a few more readers? damn...

so..yes..its not really pushing the small press indie stuff. its THAT the problem? its not supporting the "little guys"? what do you guys want? what should they stop doing and what should they START doing?

**L Jamal** · 11-30-2007, 12:39 PM

Wizard is no longer a magazine about comics.
Who cares? I haven't bought a Wizard since 1997. However, they faithfully continue my free lifetime subscription (thanks to Buddy Scalera) and I faithfully continue to recycle it.

superman79 · 11-30-2007, 12:55 PM

they are a cool magazine to read but in the last few months therer is more hollywood stuff than comic stuff.

exilednight · 11-30-2007, 02:05 PM

Wizard will not last another decade. They got away from the basics that made them decent and respected. I miss the days when wizard carried interviews with creators of titles that I never heard of and made me want to run out and buy that comic. Today they hype the stories that already over-hyped. I don't need another article about Lost, Heroes, or the Bionic Woman. If I want to read about them I will go their website or pick a copy of Entertainment Weekly. (what the hell is the bionic woman still doing on the air anyway?) I don't want to read another article about DC's Countdown, or Marvel's World War Hulk, or whatever huge story arc is being done by the big two. I buy magazines to discover things that I might have missed, but Wizard hasn't done that in a very long time.

Phatman · 11-30-2007, 02:38 PM

I posted this a while ago, but here you go:

Wizard=Maxim

Quote:

No longer making even the pretense of caring about its female readers (if there were any?), the latest issue of Wizard (out Wednesday) reveals it’s now calling itself “The #1 Men’s Pop-Culture Magazine!"

Phatman · 11-30-2007, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob Norton

here we go again. time to bitch about Wizard.
jeez, whats yer problem guys? its a magazine that is all about comic books in all its pop culture forms. it talks about comics, interviews creators, gets in depth with the movies made from comics, talks about the toys and other merchandise.

Huh? Since when? I bitch about the magazine because of the tremendous loads of bullshit that they have pulled; all in the name of comics. If they want to be a another soft-core spank mag then let them get out of the comic convention business and quit draggin the industry into the dirt with them.

Quote:

I see that as a good thing, in that some regular dude or dudette that doesnt read comics just might pick up that magazine BECAUSE it looks more mainstream, and they MIGHT like what they see, and then, god forbid, they just MIGHT pick up a comic book here and there. wow... that could suck couldnt it? bring in a few more readers? damn...

The days of Wizard doing anything positive for the industry have long since passed.

Quote:

so..yes..its not really pushing the small press indie stuff. its THAT the problem? its not supporting the "little guys"? what do you guys want? what should they stop doing and what should they START doing?

They used to support comics. They don't see them as important anymore. Part of this is because the internet breaks any "news" long before Wizard can put it into print and they've allowed their primary advertisers to control content to a point where it's just a giant advertisement. Personally, I'd have gone the opposite direction to bring in and keep readers, but they've gone down this path for so long, I think they've lossed any credibility with comic fans.

DemolitionSamurai · 11-30-2007, 03:16 PM

I still pick it up if I pass through the magazine section at the grocery store, but it's really fallen in quality from where it was 10 or so years ago. They don't have half the amount of material that they used to. It's just advertisements and several month old news once you remove the movie, anime and toy information. Very little is about comics any more. I still pick it up occasionally, but it's usually only for the main article, the couple times a year that the main article isn't about a comic movie.

superman79 · 11-30-2007, 03:29 PM

Nice to know I'm not the only one who has noticed this!

W. Smith · 11-30-2007, 05:21 PM

Is there even a Wizard EDGE any more?

And isn't it sad that we ever really needed one?

Wizard really just pimps pop culture and works as a paid infomercial (insert WHORE if you like) for the big two.

I do not need to know what DC and MARVEL are doing. Either you are a fan of them or you are not. The information about the Big 2 is availible everywhere.

But what about the little guy? What about the comics with a readership of say, less than 2K. Stories that a fresh and unique, and deserve to be read and enjoyed. Well theyjust don't pay enough do they? and besides it takes work to research them, get copies of their work analyze it and ferret out the creator for interviews. Why bother when you can plaster the page with another Avengers or Xmen spread and ask the terribly insightful and thought provoking, "WHO"S REALLY TOUGHER," or worse yet proclaim "THE END OF THE..."

It's trash. I used to love wizard and stupid me, I pick one up every six to nine months hoping for a return to sanity, but to no avail.

kdmelrose · 11-30-2007, 05:27 PM

Instead of creating a Wizard Thread O' The Week, let's keep the complaining contained:

http://www.digitalwebbing.com/forums...d.php?t=118175

11-30-2007, 09:47 AM	#2
paul brian deberry is a MASShole Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: just out of reach Posts: 2,324	Digital Webbing. Hear that ED!! Do it -- make it happen, engage! __________________ -Twitter - Facebook - My Blog - Email Xbox Gamertag: badPOP -- PSN: Luckybubblegum

11-30-2007, 12:39 PM	#5
L Jamal member of G.R.O.S.S. Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: right here Posts: 10,572	Wizard is no longer a magazine about comics. Who cares? I haven't bought a Wizard since 1997. However, they faithfully continue my free lifetime subscription (thanks to Buddy Scalera) and I faithfully continue to recycle it. __________________ L Jámal Walton UNGOODWISE \| MY BLOG \| SELF-PUBLISHING COMICS

11-30-2007, 05:27 PM	#13
kdmelrose Pope of Appalachia Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: In the conservatory, with a candlestick Posts: 7,567	Instead of creating a Wizard Thread O' The Week, let's keep the complaining contained: http://www.digitalwebbing.com/forums...d.php?t=118175 __________________ Robot 6 at Comic Book Resources

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

11-29-2007, 11:07 PM	#1
superman79 i see dumb people Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Nashville TN Posts: 209	The Decline of Wizard I didn't know where this thread actually belonged but have you guys noticed Wizard's new direction? It seems that they are moving away from comic books pretty rapidly. I personally am not thrilled at all by this. What do you guys think? Who will step up and lead the frontlines on comic book news and media?

11-30-2007, 10:02 AM	#3
exilednight Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 451	Wizard has been heading down hill for nearly a decade now. There are better magazines out there, the trick is getting your comic shop to carry them.

11-30-2007, 12:22 PM	#4
Rob Norton apprentice of the pencil Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: utah Posts: 2,778	here we go again. time to bitch about Wizard. jeez, whats yer problem guys? its a magazine that is all about comic books in all its pop culture forms. it talks about comics, interviews creators, gets in depth with the movies made from comics, talks about the toys and other merchandise. zit covers most of the bases of the popular side of comics. it has grown from a small magazine to a major publication that covers a wide range of stuff. yes, its aimed at all the big major productions. its more "mainstream". but i see that as a good thing, in that some regular dude or dudette that doesnt read comics just might pick up that magazine BECAUSE it looks more mainstream, and they MIGHT like what they see, and then, god forbid, they just MIGHT pick up a comic book here and there. wow... that could suck couldnt it? bring in a few more readers? damn... so..yes..its not really pushing the small press indie stuff. its THAT the problem? its not supporting the "little guys"? what do you guys want? what should they stop doing and what should they START doing?

11-30-2007, 12:55 PM	#6
superman79 i see dumb people Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Nashville TN Posts: 209	they are a cool magazine to read but in the last few months therer is more hollywood stuff than comic stuff.

11-30-2007, 02:05 PM	#7
exilednight Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 451	Wizard will not last another decade. They got away from the basics that made them decent and respected. I miss the days when wizard carried interviews with creators of titles that I never heard of and made me want to run out and buy that comic. Today they hype the stories that already over-hyped. I don't need another article about Lost, Heroes, or the Bionic Woman. If I want to read about them I will go their website or pick a copy of Entertainment Weekly. (what the hell is the bionic woman still doing on the air anyway?) I don't want to read another article about DC's Countdown, or Marvel's World War Hulk, or whatever huge story arc is being done by the big two. I buy magazines to discover things that I might have missed, but Wizard hasn't done that in a very long time.

11-30-2007, 03:16 PM	#10
DemolitionSamurai Can derail any thread Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Portland, ME Posts: 1,932	I still pick it up if I pass through the magazine section at the grocery store, but it's really fallen in quality from where it was 10 or so years ago. They don't have half the amount of material that they used to. It's just advertisements and several month old news once you remove the movie, anime and toy information. Very little is about comics any more. I still pick it up occasionally, but it's usually only for the main article, the couple times a year that the main article isn't about a comic movie.

11-30-2007, 03:29 PM	#11
superman79 i see dumb people Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Nashville TN Posts: 209	Nice to know I'm not the only one who has noticed this!

11-30-2007, 05:21 PM	#12
W. Smith W. Smith Publications Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DFW TX Posts: 108	Is there even a Wizard EDGE any more? And isn't it sad that we ever really needed one? Wizard really just pimps pop culture and works as a paid infomercial (insert WHORE if you like) for the big two. I do not need to know what DC and MARVEL are doing. Either you are a fan of them or you are not. The information about the Big 2 is availible everywhere. But what about the little guy? What about the comics with a readership of say, less than 2K. Stories that a fresh and unique, and deserve to be read and enjoyed. Well theyjust don't pay enough do they? and besides it takes work to research them, get copies of their work analyze it and ferret out the creator for interviews. Why bother when you can plaster the page with another Avengers or Xmen spread and ask the terribly insightful and thought provoking, "WHO"S REALLY TOUGHER," or worse yet proclaim "THE END OF THE..." It's trash. I used to love wizard and stupid me, I pick one up every six to nine months hoping for a return to sanity, but to no avail.