A sad, sad day folks. Space Dock has just learned that Wizard Magazine and its sister publication Toyfare are ceasing operations after more than a decade of circulation. For over fifteen years Wizard has been reporting on upcoming comics; often times outselling the comic book merchandise they are promoting. Respectively, for the last fourteen years Toyfare has been agressively advertising new release and upcoming toys/merchandise from companies such as Toybiz, Hasbro, Lego, and others.
Why the end of an era? Internet sources report that the competition from Internet advertising has rendered both magazines obsolete. We at Space Dock think this is a shame because the quality of the merchandise photos and the satirical humour in both magazines is unparalleled by anything on the Net. Space Dock will especially miss Twisted Toy Theatre, a recurring sketch-comic featuring toys from Mego, Transformers, Star Wars, Masters of the Universe and others. Internet sources report that Wizard will still feature predominantly at comic conventions, and will soon be moving their comic book reporting onto the Web.
The tradition of going to Chapters to pick up the latest issue of Toyfare and Wizard is something that has been long standing at Space Dock. We are sad to see both magazines go.
-Jared Robinson
