Newsarama has gotten confirmation that both Wizard Magazine and ToyFare Magazine will be ending their print runs. Wizard will continue, starting February 2011, as a digital magazine entitled “Wizard World“, accompanied by a 12 city convention tour. ToyFare isn’t so lucky, with word being that the printed version will simply cease operations.
This ends the near 20 year print run for Wizard Magazine. ToyFare, originally an offshoot of Wizard, has been in print since 1997. With the ever growing popularity of toy blogs, daily breaking news and leaked pre-production toys, it was only a matter of time for something like this to occur. A sad day for toy fans.
Blog@Newsarama » Blog Archive » Developing Story: WIZARD and TOYFARE Both To Cease Publication
According to newsarama, Wizard Magazine and toyfare both will cease publication as print magazines.
So I guess we won't have to worry about their exclusive photos in the magazine from now on. =/
Well that's a bummer.
Meh. It had it's day in the pre-internet age. But with Robot Chicken, sites like this, the fan forums at Mattel, Hasbro, etc, there is zero reason for Toyfare now. You get the latest news from the blogs, you get the funny retro-character interactions from Robot Chicken, and the fan forums connect the toymakers to the public.
Evolution claims another victim.
Damn!
I recently found my old collection of Wizard Magazines and was going to get rid of them, but I think I'll keep them now.
That's sad. I bought both magazines for the longest time, but up until here recently the magazines just did not have anything in them worth paying the $6 for anymore.
It is kind of sad but I can't say I'm surprised. I stopped getting Toyfare a while back after being a loyal subscriber for years. I just wasn't getting anything out of them that I wasn't getting online somewhere way in advance of the printed magazine.
Even so I still have more than a year left of my current subscription. You bastards!
And I just renewed.
Toyfare is really obsolete. I get the same information off sites like this months before the publication runs an article about it. Also, their price guide was a little off sine day 1, either to low or too high especially on the vintage stuff. However, I'll miss Twisted Toyfare Theater I hope that comes back in some shape or form.
Toyfare you will be missed! While the internet has proven to be a significantly quicker resource for toy news, Toyfare was still enjoyable to read, I liked their mix of humor, images, et al. Wizard/Toyfare's priceguides were always a low point I think, each comic shop I went to always said to never use their prices as a guide. This goes back to the 90's.
In recent years the only toy magazine I've noticed that even has info before internet sites is Lee's Toy Review.
Best of luck to Toyfare/Wizard staff! I'll miss Twisted Toyfare Theater as well. That asshole MEGO Spiderman was ALWAYS entertaining!
This is sad indeed. Wizard has been a comics staple since day one.
Although, I haven't found either to be terribly entertaining for at least a decade.
Marvel has always been very accepting, and tolorant of TTT (But then Marvel has *always* had a great sense of humor about themselves), unlike DC. Maybe Wizard can work a deal with Marvel to continue publishing a monthly TTT on it's own.
RIP to both magazines. I collected numerous issues of both as a kid. Printed media is just behind in the times. You can get new information months in advance of printed media.
Sad day, but inevitable. I will miss Toyfare the most.
Maybe the TTT guys can join the cast/crew of Robot Chicken and we can see the return of Mego Spider-Man.
I tried to buy ToyFare last week, but they had already sold out, and I noticed it's been gone from the grocery since summer.
Wizard had some questionable ethics (running an article about a company that a faced a full page ad for the same company always made the journalist in me squirm) and they helped fuel the collector boom in the 1990s that ran the comic industry into the ground, but for most of their run, they were a good magazine. The writers have gone on to do mainstream work, and not just on Robot Chicken, and when Maxim started, it was a straight rip off of Wizard's style (only with real women), right down to the photo captions. I even saw a Pat McCullum article in Maxim, and I don't read it that often.
Anyway, I'm still in shock. It's like when they stopped making music cassettes. I wasn't buying cassettes, but it still felt odd.
What I meant by my statement is I hope the remaining TTT staff can join the RC staff, since ToyFare is done.
This is some sad news, but it was some fun times for me and everyone who was a fan to these magazines. Thanks Wizard and Toyfare for the memories.
man that sucks.. i was just at a comic store last week and pasted by the Toyfare magazine.. and thought to myself, "wow.. do people still buy that?" considering you can find up to date info on your phone now =X... sad day indeed.. i have a huge stack of old Wizard magazines back in my parents house... gonna go through them one day for old memories
I spoke with my wallet many years ago with Wizard. I had followed it monthly since issue #6 and ended sometime after #100. That's more of a reflection of my interest and ability to continually buy comic books, though.
Toyfare I enjoyed some, and I've always liked having the price guide along with some other price guides (Lee's and eBay completed searches mainly).
As Joe M. said, "bummer". Hopefully, these new moves will prove to be the best for those involved. I wish them all the very best.
Never bought ToyFare, but used to read and buy Wizard a lot back in my comic-collecting days in the 90's. Sad to see them go....
Good riddence! I just wish EGM would go out like they said it would.
I'm going to miss both Wizard and Toyfare. I can understand that the internet is more immediate, etc., but sometimes you just need to hold a magazine! My very first issue of Wizard was #48 with Catwoman, Wonder Woman, and Supergirl on the cover. Glad Wizard is at least sticking around in digital form.
Not really news. By the time the issues came you knew the news weeks ago.....I stopped buying Wizard one year ago when It hit me that they arent telling me anything I didnt know weeks ago.....stopped being cool way before that....
I used to love it when the new Toyfare would come in. I would pick it up and read it cover to cover, several times!
It's been a good run my friend! Farewell Toyfare.
It's been a good run my friend! Farewell Toyfare.
Full Thread: ToyFare Magazine to end publication.
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