Wizard Entertainment Inc., formerly known as Wizard World, was a producer of multi-genre fan conventions across North America.

The company that became Wizard Entertainment began in 1991 as Wizard Press, the publisher of the monthly magazine Wizard. That company evolved into a multi-title publishing company with diversified interests in branded products and related convention operations. By 2011, the company had discontinued its print division to focus exclusively on its convention business. By 2015, the company had expanded to producing 25 annual conventions around the U.S. In 2021, Wizard sold its convention events business to FanExpo.

Corporate history

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

Wizard magazine was successful, and the company expanded its publishing operations with more magazines devoted to other elements of the collectible industry. Wizard purchased the Chicago Comicon in 1997 to expand from its core publishing business into trade/consumer conventions.

In early 2011, the company made some major corporate transitions. First, through an arrangement with Strato Malamas of the holding company GoEnergy, it became a publicly traded company known as Wizard World. At the same time, it abruptly canceled Wizard magazine to focus on its convention business.

Shamus was pushed out as company CEO in late 2011; his position was taken in March 2012 by John Macaluso. Less than a week after the announcement of the losses, Macaluso resigned as CEO and was replaced by John D. Maatta.

In 2018, Wizard World was renamed Wizard Entertainment, Inc. Wizard was an instant hit, with a monthly circulation of more than 100,000 copies (although by early 2006, circulation was down to around 50,000).

The magazine also spawned several ongoing magazines dedicated to similar interests, such as InQuest Gamer (launched 1995), for collectible game cards; ToyFare: The Toy Magazine, for toys and action figures (launched 1997); Anime Insider (launched 2001) for anime and manga; and Toy Wishes (launched 2001) for mainstream toy enthusiasts.

On January 24, 2011, after 20 years of publication, the company announced that Wizard would cease print publication and become an all-digital magazine called Wizard World, launching in February 2011. Black Bull's titles included:

  • Beautiful Killer (2002–2003), #1–3
  • Gatecrasher (2000–2001), #1–6
  • Gatecrasher: Ring of Fire (2000), #1–4
  • Just a Pilgrim (2001), #1–5
  • Just a Pilgrim: Garden of Eden (2002), #1–4
  • The New West (2005), #1–2
  • Shadow Reavers (2001–2002), #1–5

Black Bull published comics through 2005.

Conventions

Beginnings and growth

Wizard purchased the Chicago Comicon in 1996; the renamed "Wizard World Chicago" was the template for a new kind of convention that shifted its focus from actual comic books to ancillary elements of pop culture fandom: celebrity performers, films, television, video games, and toys – "comic conventions" almost in name only.

In May 2002, Wizard branched out from Chicago and produced Wizard World East at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. And in 2003 the company produced Wizard World Texas, adding Wizard World Los Angeles in 2004 and Wizard World Boston in 2005.

In 2007–2008, Wizard held conventions in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Texas. In 2008, Wizard began adding an academic forum called "Wizard World University," integrating scholarly panels into its conventions, beginning with the November convention in Arlington, Texas.

"Con Wars" / growing pains

thumb|right|The floor of the 2013 [[Wizard World New York Experience at Pier 36 in Manhattan]]

Beginning in 2005, Wizard CEO Gareb Shamus made a concerted push to dominate the North American convention circuit. First, 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. 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. As a result of the outcry, many prominent creators signed up to appear at HeroesCon 2006 rather than the competing Wizard con. Wizard ultimately announced that it would postpone the planned Atlanta convention until 2007. That spring and summer, however, Shamus/Wizard acquired the Paradise Comics Toronto Comicon and the Big Apple Comic Con, New York City's longest-running comic book, science fiction, fantasy, horror, and pop culture convention.

Wizard Entertainment's 2010 planned North American Comic Con tour included city stops in Toronto, Anaheim, Philadelphia, Chicago, New York City, Boston, New Jersey, and Austin. As part of a "major offensive against Reed Exhibitions' New York Comic Con," Wizard scheduled "three East Coast shows in a row—the New England Comic-Con in Boston on October 1-3, Big Apple the same weekend, and the new New Jersey Comic-Con the weekend after, on October 15-17." After a public outcry, Wizard ended up moving the dates of its 2010 New York convention to October 1–3. (Additionally, the planned Wizard 2010 New Jersey convention was canceled.)

Going public; further expansion

Wizard went public in 2011; its financial statements proved that it was doubling down on dominating the North American convention market: