Wizard Magazine, Is there a market for this? Options

[Kalidor]

I have a bunch of old Wizard Magazines and I really don't have a place for them and I'm never going to read them again.

I know comics as a whole are pretty much worthless, but I hate just tossing the stuff into the bin. Do you think these would be something someone might want or what?

Are there any "stand out issues" that have anything in them that makes them valuable?

[Fangwing]

They're valuable for nostalgia, mostly. I wish I still had my old Wizards...

This post has been edited by Fangwing: May 16 2012, 06:51 PM

[Detour]

I still have all my old 1990s Wizard mags. They can get surprisingly handy when it's time to nerd it up.

I especially like, in today's prominent superhero film world, to go back and look at all their old Casting Call segments, and compare them to what was actually cast in the films.
Could Rutger Hauer have played a better Magneto?

[CORVUS]

I remember that: didn't they choose Glenn Danzig as Wolverine?

[Detour]

I remember that: didn't they choose Glenn Danzig as Wolverine?

Yep.

[Octavius Prime]

I remember that: didn't they choose Glenn Danzig as Wolverine?

Yep.

That's awesome.

[Autobot Bubbs]

I've got all my Wizards, Toyfairs, and Anime Insiders downstairs in storage. Sometimes, I'll go through to peek, or to look through them trying to find an art segment when my art books won't help me.

And it's Amusing... Fabio was cast as Thor, and Emilio Esteves as Hawkeye

[skankerzero]

if they're in bags, my friend may want to buy one or two to fill the holes in his collection. he would have them all but he forgot to buy it one month.

[Detour]

And it's Amusing... Fabio was cast as Thor, and Emilio Esteves as Hawkeye

Don't have that one.

But I seem to recall an Iron Man one that cast Timothy Dalton as Stark.

[DarkDestroyer]

I had every issue from 36 until the last issue. Then had to get rid of most of them due to not having space any more during a move. I saved some that had cool articles or interviews in them.

Dark Destroyer

[DrSpengler]

They got Patrick Stewart as Professor X right, but then, I think that was as obvious a casting choice as Samuel L. Jackson playing Nick Fury; everybody knew it was gonna happen.

Let's just hope we never get their G.I. Joe movie with Pink as Zaranna.


As for the magazine, as lousy as it was in retrospect (it was written by people who would have laughably bad blogs, now), it was pretty much THE source for a lot of comics news throughout the 90s and I had a subscription for what must have been ten years. I wish I'd kept my magazines just for the nostalgia, as I read each issue about a gazillion times. If anything, they'd be nice for citing sources, as a lot of creators put their feet in their mouths in interviews (Kevin Smith droning on about how Jack Kirby was "overrated" and he "didn't get him" being a good one).

Regarding their value, you may want to look at what Wizard-itself is selling its backlog of copies for. Now that they're out of business, they're probably letting their stock go cheap and it may not be worth it to try and compete with them.

[Kalidor]

Hmm, where can I find this information?

Maybe I should just start my own blog and do my own retrospective reviews.

[DrSpengler]

Hmm, where can I find this information?

Looks like Wizard-itself may have already disposed of its inventory, since I can't find any back issue catalogs from them with prices, etc.

Here's a guide listing overstreet prices as well as a few listings, giving you an idea of what back issues might go for. Doesn't look like much, honestly. Unless you try and sell em in a huge lot.

Maybe I should just start my own blog and do my own retrospective reviews.

I think that'd be a cool idea; dissecting each issue for its humor and info. I know they got a lot of facts wrong at times and succumbed to urban legends (they were probably the biggest spreaders of the "Human Torch wasn't in the 80s cartoon because they were afraid kids would set themselves on fire and jump out of windows" lie) so it could be enlightening to see how accurate they were as journalists via retrospect.

Comics Alliance recently did an article listing some of the more embarassing things Wizard did over the years. And that's just 10 of em. I'm sure someone pouring ovr each issue could find plenty more.

[Scavgraphics]

Value? none.

There are some articles like how-to-draws and some exclusive art that might be nice to scan and hang onto, but that's the bulk of it.

Possibly if you have any unopened ones with 1/2 bonus issues in them..for a title someone cares about today...there could be value..but still no.

I'd say recycle them, Goodwill/Salvation Army them, or if you have a children's hospital nearby, donate them.

(I have that exact same problem "I don't want them but _SOMEONE_ might, and they have historical value"...so easy to say to someone else)

[Kalidor]

I don't have tons, 47 issues spread out from #11 through #98

Something of note I do have is a special edition issue one shot that is about The Avengers. It's everything you ever wanted to know about The Avengers through 1999.

Ironically, and sadly -- there's no casting call.

[Detour]

Comics Alliance recently did an article listing some of the more embarassing things Wizard did over the years. And that's just 10 of em. I'm sure someone pouring ovr each issue could find plenty more.

The New Gods blasting thing is absolutely hilarious in contrast to the neverending Liefeld butt-kissing and the way they would hop on to any Bad Girl bandwagon they could find in the late 90s.

[Scavgraphics]

I don't have tons, 47 issues spread out from #11 through #98

Something of note I do have is a special edition issue one shot that is about The Avengers. It's everything you ever wanted to know about The Avengers through 1999.

Ironically, and sadly -- there's no casting call.

You could try tossing it up on eBay, and maybe sell it for enough to cover shipping.

Comics from the 90's have little value, much less comic magazines, especially Wizard which had huge numbers published and sold with speculators in mind, and that speculators would buy up with the cards and whatnots all bagged.

There's some reading value to them for young kids who are interested but not knowledgeable (as they're so out of date, knowledgeable kids likely wouldn't care).

Early wizards had the wizard hat covers which are kind of neat, and there was a run of How to Draw by Bart Sears, iirc.

[Detour]

Greg Cappulo also did some "how to draw" segments. I think after him they started getting guests to do one each issue, one was about sound effects, another was the guy who decided to draw Catwoman like she was freakin Pam Anderson (Jim Balent? Or am I misremembering?) teaching you to draw women, one feature was about how to draw cartoonier characters...

[Confuzor]

There was a "how to draw" about expressive poses, they drew captain Kirk looking like he was in immense stomach pain. I wish I could find that image again...

In regards to the thread, i recycled all of mine earlier this year, keeping only the ones that have articles/interviews with people I know (note: these are ToyFare and Anime Insider)

[lastmaximal]

I'd be glad to take them, if shipping didn't make it absolutely prohibitive. And it would.