Wizard Entertainment

Wizard Entertainment

Wizard World logo
Formerly called	Wizard Press
Type	Private
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	1991
Founder	Gareb Shamus
Headquarters	New York City, U.S.
Area served	North America
Key people	John Macaluso
Products	magazines (1991–2011)
Services	Fan conventions (1997–present)
Website	www.wizardworld.com

Wizard Entertainment, formerly known as Wizard Press, is a producer of multigenre fan conventions across North America. Starting out in 1991 as the publisher of one monthly magazine (Wizard), the company evolved into a multi-title publishing company with diversified interests in branded products and related convention operations. In 2005 the Wizard World conventions attracted more than 70,000 attendees, making it the third largest pop-culture event series in the country, only behind New York Comic Con, and San Diego Comic-Con International. Since then they have expanded to producing more than 15 conventions around North America. By 2011 the company had discontinued its print division and now focuses exclusively on its convention business.

History

Gareb Shamus founded Wizard magazine in January 1991 shortly after he graduated from college.^[1] The company was originally based in Congers, New York.

Wizard purchased the Chicago Comicon in 1997 to expand from its core publishing business into trade/consumer conventions.^[2]

In December 2007, Darren Sanchez was named Vice President of Production at Wizard Entertainment.^[3]

Shamus was pushed out as company CEO in late 2011; his position was taken in March 2012 by John Macaluso.^[1]

Publishing

Wizard 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.) With its high-end production values and embodiment of the comic speculator boom,^[4] Wizard was an instant hit, with a monthly circulation of more than 100,000 copies.^[5]

The magazine also spawned several ongoing magazines dedicated to similar interests, such as ToyFare: The Toy Magazine, for toys and action figures; Inquest Gamer, for collectible game cards; Anime Insider for anime and manga; and Toy Wishes for mainstream toy enthusiasts.

Anime Insider folded in the spring of 2009. On January 24, 2011, after 20 years of publication the company announced that Wizard would cease print publication be changed to an all-digital magazine called Wizard World, launching in February 2011.^[6] At that point Wizard Entertainment also ceased publication of its sister magazine, Toyfare.

Black Bull Entertainment

In 2000, Wizard founder Gareb Shamus forayed into the world of actual comic book publishing, creating the imprint Black Bull Entertainment, featuring several well-known creators, including Mark Waid, Chris Eliopoulos, Nelson DeCastro, and Garth Ennis. The first Black Bull title was the miniseries Gatecrasher.^[7]

• Just a Pilgrim
• Shadowreavers
• Gatecrasher

Conventions

The floor of the 2013 Wizard World New York Experience at Pier 36 in Manhattan

Just a few years after purchasing the Chicago Comicon in 1996, the now renamed "Wizard World Chicago" event boasted a weekend attendance of over 58,000 people.^[8]

In May 2002, Wizard branched out from Chicago and produced "Wizard World East" at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.^[9] And in 2003 the company produced "Wizard World Texas;" adding "Wizard World Los Angeles" in 2004,^[10] and "Wizard World Boston" in 2005.

In 2005, Wizard announced that it would be holding a comic book convention in Atlanta from June 30–July 2, 2006, the same dates on which the long-running Charlotte, North Carolina-based Heroes Convention was scheduled to take place.^[11] This caused an outcry amongst the comic book community, as Atlanta is only a four-hour drive from Charlotte, and several comic book creators voiced concerns about an attempt by a large, corporate event to force out an independent comic book convention.^[12][13] As a result of the outcry, many comic book creators, including Warren Ellis, Bryan Hitch, Greg Rucka, Tony Harris, Scott Kurtz, Gaijin Studios and Art Adams, signed up to appear at HeroesCon 2006. In mid-August 2005, Wizard announced that it would be pushing back the Atlanta convention until 2007.^[12]

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.^[14]

In 2009, Wizard canceled the Texas event and postponed the Los Angeles convention.^[15]

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." Wizard gave up the New York market after 2013 due to the dominance of the New York Comic Con, produced by ReedPOP, a division of Reed Exhibitions and Reed Elsevier.

In 2009, Wizard World also acquired the Paradise Comics Toronto Comicon.^[16][17]

As of 2010, Wizard Entertainment now produces a North American Comic Con tour. City stops include: Toronto,^[18] Anaheim,^[19] Philadelphia,^[20] Chicago, New York City, Austin, and Boston.

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.^[21] In September 2013, Wizard World announced 7 new stops for the 2014 tour: Sacramento, Louisville, Minneapolis, Atlanta, San Antonio, Richmond, and Tulsa.^[22]

References

External links

• Official website