Wizard Entertainment
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| Wizard World | |
|---|---|
| 250px | |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Multi-genre |
| Venue | Various cities |
| Location(s) | New York |
| Country | United States |
| Inaugurated | July 1991 |
| Organized by | Wizard Entertainment |
| Website | |
| www |
|
Wizard Entertainment, formerly known as Wizard Press, was a New York-based publisher of Wizard and ToyFare magazines, 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 on January 24, 2011.[1]
History
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 ceased publication.[citation needed]
In December 2007, Darren Sanchez was named Vice President of Production at Wizard Entertainment.[dead link][2]
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.[citation needed]
Conventions
Wizard Entertainment purchased the Chicago Comicon, a comics convention in Chicago, in 1997 to expand from its core publishing business into trade/consumer conventions.[3] In just a few years, the now renamed Wizard World Chicago event boasts a weekend attendance of over 58,000 people.[4]
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.[dead link][5]
In 2009, Wizard canceled the Texas event and postponed the Los Angeles convention.[6]
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."[citation needed]
In 2009, Wizard World also acquired the Paradise Comics Toronto Comicon.[7][8]
As of 2010, Wizard Entertainment now produces a North American Comic Con tour. City stops include: Toronto,[dead link][9] Anaheim,[10] Philadelphia,[11] Chicago, New York City, Austin, and Boston.[citation needed]
Wizard's 2013 conventions included Portland Comic Con, St. Louis Comic Con, Philadelphia Comic Con, NYC Experience, Chicago Comic Con, Ohio Comic Con, Nashville Comic Con, Austin Comic Con, and New Orleans Comic Con.[12] In September 2013, Wizard World announced 7 new stops for the 2014 tour: Sacramento, Louisville, Minneapolis, Atlanta, San Antonio, Richmond, and Tulsa.[13]
Publications
Wizard launched Anime Insider, a U.S. magazine covering the Japanese animation and manga market. Anime Insider folded in the spring of 2009.[citation needed]
In 2000, Gareb Shamus 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.[14]
References
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- ↑ Melrose, Kevin (January 24, 2011). "Breaking: Wizard and ToyFare magazines fold". Comic Book Resources.
- ↑ "Wizard Entertainment Names Darren Sanchez VP of Manufacturing". Expert Click. Archived June 29, 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "News Watch: Wizard Magazine Buys Chicago Comicon". The Comics Journal. #195 (April 1997), p. 24.
- ↑ Wizard World Chicago Sets Attendance Records.
- ↑ "Announcing Wizard World University Academic Programming". Wizard World-Texas. Archived September 23, 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Wizard World to Postpone LA Show and Cancel Texas Show". Wizard World.
- ↑ Armitage, Hugh (June 25, 2009). "Wizard CEO buys Toronto Comicon". Digital Spy.
- ↑ "Wizard's Gareb Shamus Buys Toronto Comicon". Comic Book Resources. June 24, 2009
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- ↑ http://wizardworlddigital.com/wizard-world-comic-con-plans-massive-expansion-in-2014-adding-seven-new-cities-to-the-largest-comic-con-tour-ever.html
- ↑ De Blieck, Jr., Augie (May 5, 2009). "GATECRASHER, 2000-2001". Comic Book Resources. May 5, 2009
- Pages with reference errors
- Pages with broken file links
- Articles with unsourced statements from July 2015
- Articles with dead external links from June 2012
- Articles with dead external links from July 2013
- Official website not in Wikidata
- Comic book publishing companies of the United States
- Defunct comics and manga publishing companies
- Magazine publishing companies of the United States
- Comics conventions in the United States
- Publishing companies established in 1991
- 1991 establishments in New York
