Why is Wizard Evil?

possumgrease · Post by **possumgrease** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 3:20:17 pm

I'm new to the boards and haven't been actively reading comics for a number of years until recently. Even though I wasn't reading regularly, I'd pick up the occasional copy of Wizard to keep up to date with the industry.

I've noticed from reading these boards that a number of you call Wizard evil. Now, granted, I wish there were another magazine out there covering comics (I don't really count The Comics Journal, although I read it at times too.). Wizard has way too many LCD jokes and is, overall, quite juvenile. However, in a lot of ways, most comics are quite juvenile.

Despite this, I wouldn't say they're evil. Wizard remains on the magazine rack at most drug stores and grocery stores in my area. The actual comics have disappeared from those same shelves. So what Wizard is doing is maybe reaching that kid who just watched Spiderman and wants more, but doesn't know to ask his parents to take him to a comic shop. He sees the magazine in the grocery store and new worlds are opened.

Perhaps this is too grandiose of an image for what Wizard does for the industry. Thoughts?

Drift · Post by **Drift** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 4:19:41 pm

A review and info magazine should remain informative and unbiased.

Wizard, whilst giving the odd bit that is informative, is not unbiased in the least.

They generate hype for things that are total dog *SQUEE* while leaving gems to rot out of the way and unread by those that might enjoy them.

They tell people who the hot artists are and what books are hot rather than leave them to form their own opinion.

They encourage the buying of CGC and variant graded books at well over what could be considered a reasonable price.

This is the start of a very long list of why they are evil.

why did the market collapse in the nineties?

Overhyping of dog *SQUEE* books.

people picking up stuff by writers and artists that they were told were hot when they actually weren't (one word: Liefeld)

Variants of books being sold for well over what could be considered a reasonable price.

this is the start of a long list.

You see a pattern here?

The comic book market has clawed itself back from the brink of a total collapse and adapted to a world very different from what it was way back when, yet Wizard continue to peddle the same *SQUEE* month after month, year after year. The market moved on. Wizard did not. So while it is true that it might entice Little Johnny to come to the geek side it will soon turn him down a much darker path. Soon Little Johnny who wanted to read about spider-man will soon think that Jeff Loeb and Jim Lee are the be all and end all of comics and we will never get him to take the plunge like we did and read a Valiant comic.

Dr. Solar · Post by **Dr. Solar** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 4:33:36 pm

Wizard takes advertisements and presents them as articles.

They tow the big two company line rather than present good information.

They cash in on their insider knowledge (The Cap 25 debacle).

Thay add little of worth to the enjoyment and collecting of comics (my subjective opinion)

terreth · Post by **terreth** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 4:46:55 pm

Sadly, I would say you are both right.

If you want to stay in touch with the industry Wizard is the easiest way. Too bad it does not give you an objective picture. It maybe immature, but I am surprised whole immoral it is as well, which sadly reflects the comic industry as well.

I've been out of comics for a while but picked up Wizard every once in a while to keep up a bit, but I got sick of all the innuendo and hype and have decided to leave Wizard.

Is Wizard evil? Sure.
Is it all that is left? Yeah.
How do those who are interested, but not immersed, in the industry keep up?
Welcome to the internet, but there is a lot of evil out there too.

Hopefully a better solution will be coming.

possumgrease · Post by **possumgrease** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 5:03:28 pm

terreth wrote:Sadly, I would say you are both right.

If you want to stay in touch with the industry Wizard is the easiest way. Too bad it does not give you an objective picture. It maybe immature, but I am surprised whole immoral it is as well, which sadly reflects the comic industry as well.

I've been out of comics for a while but picked up Wizard every once in a while to keep up a bit, but I got sick of all the innuendo and hype and have decided to leave Wizard.

Is Wizard evil? Sure.
Is it all that is left? Yeah.
How do those who are interested, but not immersed, in the industry keep up?
Welcome to the internet, but there is a lot of evil out there too.

Hopefully a better solution will be coming.

I'm no prude, but the childish innuendo or, where a 30 year old man is lusting about a few lines drawn on paper, is what I dislike most about Wizard.

I understand that they're not even gonna give me an indepth look at Sandman, or competent review of the legal battle with Miracleman, both of which are arguably still mainstream. I just wish they'd grow up a bit.

I wonder if there's even a market for mature-targeted comic magazine? you know, something a person in his 20's or later wouldn't be embarrassed to leave lying on the coffee table. I sure don't leave Wizard lying around if I'm trying to convince someone that comics have grown up.

I guess most of us stick to online resources for that sort of discussion.

Dr. Solar · Post by **Dr. Solar** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 5:11:49 pm

I have heard good things about Back Issue, but I have never read a copy. I may subscribe for this coming year.

ZephyrWasHOT!! · Post by **ZephyrWasHOT!!** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 7:24:42 pm

http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php ... _marshall/

Also, their back issue fulfillment/customer service department is a joke. I spent about $3500 with them this year buying their 1/2 issues that they were FINALLY dumping after a decade+, and EVERY....SINGLE....ORDER was wrong.

Every one.

Some orders never shipped. Most orders shipped with no CLUE as to which auction they were. No invoice, no nothing. Some orders shipped with invoices that said the books were there, and they were not....and some orders shipped with MORE books than were on the invoices (and, no, they weren't the same books.

)

Many, many, many (HUNDREDS, if not over a THOUSAND) were mangled (they were all advertised as "NM")

Some orders were wrong (I won, say, Gear Station foil, and they sent me regular Gear Station, or Savage Dragon platinum, and they sent me regular SD. It was a joke.)

And, of course, in a long standing tradition that is fully supported by eBay, you would win an auction, and then they would issue you a refund, stating that the merchandise was no longer in stock, or, even better, that they "discovered" that the merchandise was "not in the condition advertised"....even though they were SUPPOSED to have done that BEFORE listing the auction.

Most people....most small to medium sellers on eBay, that is...wouldn't be allowed to play THAT game for long. But eBay lets the big customers do it because EBAY DOESN'T FOLLOW ITS OWN RULES (so no one else should, either), and it makes them more money.

I won several auctions fro Rising Stars 1/2 Gold, for example (for like $5, $6, $7 per 10 pack, nothing big)....and they fulfilled everyone else's order, but not mine...as an example. Sometimes, I'd win 8-9 10 packs, all for different prices, and 4 would show up....with no explanation where the others were.

It took me dozens and dozens of hours to straighten out their mess, so I milked it for all it was worth. Got some decent free stuff out of it by calling their customer service people (and they rotated them in and out over the course of the year as they fired one and hired another) and politely but firmly complaining.

I also, if I had damaged books, and had won, say, nine 10 packs of Silver Surfer 1/2 Foil, from anywhere between $7 and $20, I'd simply send back whatever was damaged, and make them refund me most expensive down, instead of least expensive up.

However.....since they wasted so much time (I had to make excel spreadsheets to straight out their mess!) I still feel that Wizard owes me quite a bit.

Here, check out their feedback...it's atrocious:

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.d ... llFeedback

240 negatives left in the last 12 months. Yeesh.

So....Wizard Magazine is a long standing joke.

stone384 · Post by **stone384** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 7:49:07 pm

Dr. Solar touched on it, but the reason Wizard is evil is because they take insider info and use it to make money by bilking unsuspecting comic buyers with 'hot' comics. The Death of Cap story is a prime example. They very day the book hit the shelves Wizard had hundreds for sale on ebay. Some of those were CGC'd. So how did they know the book would be so popular when the rest of the world had no idea. There was no info in the solicits or anywhere else and yet out of nowhere Wizard was able to produce CGC'd copies. When retail shops were selling out, Wizard was able to have hundreds of extra copies for sale, hundreds! They took the inside info they had and used it to profit. Using insider information for you own gain is illegal in other buisnesses, but not for Wizard. And when people did start to notice that Wizard was the only place you could get the book they disappeared from ebay. They took advantage of people who were desperate to read the issue by charging hundreds of dollars on a worthless book and made thousands of dollars off of people. This is exactly what forced tons of people out of the hobby in the 90's. Buyers felt used when these collectibles were discovered to be worthless. They felt taken advantage of and they were right. Wizard doesn't care about the hobby. They care about getting paid. And if the quest for them to make money destroys our hobby fine by them as long as they get theirs.

m

terreth · Post by **terreth** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 8:25:32 pm

Thanks for passing on the info. about "Back Issue."

Let us know what you think when it comes.

The Harbinger · Post by **The Harbinger** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 9:10:55 pm

I think the most important thing is "leaving the gems out to rust". The greatest comics out there won't be covered if they're not a Marvel, DC, or Image.

tarheelmarine · Post by **tarheelmarine** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 9:14:10 pm

possumgrease wrote:
terreth wrote:Sadly, I would say you are both right.

If you want to stay in touch with the industry Wizard is the easiest way. Too bad it does not give you an objective picture. It maybe immature, but I am surprised whole immoral it is as well, which sadly reflects the comic industry as well.

I've been out of comics for a while but picked up Wizard every once in a while to keep up a bit, but I got sick of all the innuendo and hype and have decided to leave Wizard.

Is Wizard evil? Sure.
Is it all that is left? Yeah.
How do those who are interested, but not immersed, in the industry keep up?
Welcome to the internet, but there is a lot of evil out there too.

Hopefully a better solution will be coming.
I'm no prude, but the childish innuendo or, where a 30 year old man is lusting about a few lines drawn on paper, is what I dislike most about Wizard.

I understand that they're not even gonna give me an indepth look at Sandman, or competent review of the legal battle with Miracleman, both of which are arguably still mainstream. I just wish they'd grow up a bit.

I wonder if there's even a market for mature-targeted comic magazine? you know, something a person in his 20's or later wouldn't be embarrassed to leave lying on the coffee table. I sure don't leave Wizard lying around if I'm trying to convince someone that comics have grown up.

I guess most of us stick to online resources for that sort of discussion.

I highly recommend CBG (Comic Buyers Guide). I came back into the hobby in 2003 and picked up a Wizard then, and could not believe how immature the magazine was after many years away. I could not believe (and still can't believe) the racy sexual material in wizard. While I feel it's fine for adults the magazine is geared towards a lower age bracket and I diasgree with wizards ways.

I too think that wizard is not an objective magazine. It's sole existence is to hawk its wares ranging from its website to its conventions. It's a shame that this company has such an influence on the hobby.

I stay away from this magazine at all cost (minus when I am deployed and will read anything comic related).

I highly recommend CBG. It is geared for ADULTS, and does a nice job covering new events in the industry via its magazine and website (you can post there as well). The contributors have numerous experience in the field (some of them write current comics). Also, there are lots of reviews of different genres providing readers with an excellent introduction of new material to get into as a reader.

The only way to change the industry is with your pocketbook. Try the magazine out. http://www.cbgxtra.com/

possumgrease · Post by **possumgrease** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 9:32:21 pm

thanks for the suggestions. I think I'll try one of those out.

superman-prime · Post by **superman-prime** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 9:33:46 pm

wizard is evil for all teh reasons above and more. they rarely give the independents much attn and push the big 2 a lot

Chiclo · Post by **Chiclo** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 11:33:36 pm

Drift wrote:A review and info magazine should remain informative and unbiased.

Wizard, whilst giving the odd bit that is informative, is not unbiased in the least.

They generate hype for things that are total dog *SQUEE* while leaving gems to rot out of the way and unread by those that might enjoy them.

They tell people who the hot artists are and what books are hot rather than leave them to form their own opinion.

They encourage the buying of CGC and variant graded books at well over what could be considered a reasonable price.

This is the start of a very long list of why they are evil.

why did the market collapse in the nineties?

Overhyping of dog *SQUEE* books.

people picking up stuff by writers and artists that they were told were hot when they actually weren't (one word: Liefeld)

Variants of books being sold for well over what could be considered a reasonable price.

this is the start of a long list.

You see a pattern here?

The comic book market has clawed itself back from the brink of a total collapse and adapted to a world very different from what it was way back when, yet Wizard continue to peddle the same *SQUEE* month after month, year after year. The market moved on. Wizard did not. So while it is true that it might entice Little Johnny to come to the geek side it will soon turn him down a much darker path. Soon Little Johnny who wanted to read about spider-man will soon think that Jeff Loeb and Jim Lee are the be all and end all of comics and we will never get him to take the plunge like we did and read a Valiant comic.

Are you complaining about Wizard or MTV?

IMJ · Post by **IMJ** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 12:12:18 am

Drift wrote:A review and info magazine should remain informative and unbiased.

I disagree with this in some levels.... a reviewers job in many cases is to levy an opinion. However, a periodical should not be so biased in their reviews that it appears that they are supporting some company with interest somehow over another beyond the merit of what they are reviewing.

A review with no opinion is not a review at all and instead is a synopsis.

depluto · Post by **depluto** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 12:23:32 am

IMJ wrote:
Drift wrote:A review and info magazine should remain informative and unbiased.
I disagree with this in some levels.... a reviewers job in many cases is to levy an opinion. However, a periodical should not be so biased in their reviews that it appears that they are supporting some company with interest somehow over another beyond the merit of what they are reviewing.

A review with no opinion is not a review at all and instead is a synopsis.

Well said, IMJ.

And Wiz is not evil. Just stoopid.

slym2none · Post by **slym2none** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 1:59:39 am

Chiclo wrote:Are you complaining about Wizard or MTV?

ZING!!!

-slym

kikitwitme · Post by **kikitwitme** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 11:17:13 am

Toyfare "Scandal"
http://www.mwctoys.com/FEATURE_072301.html

Cyberstrike · Post by **Cyberstrike** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 12:03:09 pm

Wizard's online problems.

In the internet age Wizard is finding very to compete with sites like
newsrama, comixmix, silverbullet, comicbookreporter, and several others
that offer more up-to-date news and they act more professional.

superman-prime · Post by **superman-prime** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 5:08:50 pm

at the least they are not good to their employees

Draco · Post by **Draco** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 7:53:33 pm

Dr. Solar wrote:I have heard good things about Back Issue, but I have never read a copy. I may subscribe for this coming year.

Back issue is a fantastic mag as all of their brother and sister publications, however the title means back as is in way back. they dont really focus on anything after the 80' s unless they changes that recently?

400yrs · Post by **400yrs** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 8:36:44 pm

depluto wrote:
And Wiz is not evil. Just stoopid.

Yep.

xodacia81 · Post by **xodacia81** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 2:26:17 pm

Wizard is evil for all the above mentioned reasons and anything else you can think of. If you can accuse them of it, they are most likely guilty and even if you can't, they probably did that as well.

Chiclo · Post by **Chiclo** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 2:42:15 pm

xodacia81 wrote:Wizard is evil for all the above mentioned reasons and anything else you can think of. If you can accuse them of it, they are most likely guilty and even if you can't, they probably did that as well.

They wrote the screenplay to the movie Glitter?

xodacia81 · Post by **xodacia81** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 2:44:03 pm

Chiclo wrote:
xodacia81 wrote:Wizard is evil for all the above mentioned reasons and anything else you can think of. If you can accuse them of it, they are most likely guilty and even if you can't, they probably did that as well.
They wrote the screenplay to the movie Glitter?

Yep. They also are responsible for Cop Rock, Ishtar and all cases of gout since 1993.

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Why is Wizard Evil?

Why is Wizard Evil?

Thanks to Dr. Solar