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VIDEO BLOG #1
The first of many weekly video blog posts is now up. In this episode I’m talking about Wizard Magazine. Hardly an interesting subject, I know, but as I was flipping through the latest issue I noticed a few things that made me cringe, made me think and made me want to throw up. Watch and I’ll let you figure out which.
77 Responses to “VIDEO BLOG #1”
Leave a Comment
August 9th, 2006 at 5:44 pm
I have been reading Wizard off and on since its first issue. Something changed a few years ago. The comics seemed to take a secondary role to other pop culture things. Then it became more and more focused on being perverted and immature. This latest mess is the worst low ever.
You are dead on. Wizard has become a horrible face for comics. Unfortunately it is popular, so widely read. It would be nice if the editorial staff there would go back to its roots and write about comics.
August 10th, 2006 at 1:55 am
Yeah I thought that intro seemed completely out of place (to say the least).
I’ve been getting Wizard regularly since issue #9 and noticed that its basically become the “Entertainment Tonight” of comics magazines instead of the “60 minutes” it should be.
I get it for the same reasons though, to stay current as I don’t care for sorting through tons of websites for information, preferring to have something “complete” and in one place. I’m trying out the Comics International magazine to see if it’s better.
August 10th, 2006 at 2:32 pm
I was never a big Wizard reader over the past four or five years, basically cutting them loose when it occurred to me that they want to be the “cheerleader” of comics. For a few months, I was getting copies free, and even then I had trouble stomaching the magazine. There was just too much psuedo journalism. Now, I cut them completely loose, because they continue to pretend to be showing us the “complete” comics story, when in fact their only doing the shiny, happy stories from three companies.
August 10th, 2006 at 2:52 pm
Holy geez, I can smell your “journastic enterprises in the comic medium” envy from here, dude.
Got some chuckles out of the bleeding-heart act for the dead guy you don’t know.
And were you CRYING at the end?!?
You are to videoblogging what that MIGHTY AVENGERS article was to journalism.
Lighten up, buttercup.
August 10th, 2006 at 3:23 pm
you do realize that you can stay totally current without reading wizard? try reading the diamond previews guide. granted there aren’t “articles” inside discussing the work, but then there really aren’t in wizard either. certainly nothing that you can’t get anywhere else.
August 10th, 2006 at 4:00 pm
Wizard is aimed at 13 years olds - are we seriously expecting respectable journalism?
Yes Wizard is crap.
Crap crap crap.
ps - dude are you stoned?
August 10th, 2006 at 4:04 pm
Envy? Afraid not,Theo. Why would I be envious of anything Wizard does? Because they publish a magazine? Sorry to spoil, but I already work for a national magazine that has a much bigger circulation that Wizard’s.
You can chuckle all you want, but they way they treated that man was absolutely disgusting, insensitive and inexcusable. Wizard should know better.
August 10th, 2006 at 4:06 pm
Chad-
Ha! As absurd as it sounds, that is my natural inflection.
August 10th, 2006 at 4:48 pm
You’re actually crying over WIZARD MAGAZINE?! Get a life, man..
August 10th, 2006 at 4:49 pm
so don’t read it.
i’m sure (*snicker*) when your blog replaces them as the go to medium (*titter*) in the industry you’ll have really proven your point.
but really, if it annoys you so deeply, then you have some issues, dude. what i don’t get is why keep reading it, why keep buying it, why store the magazines so nice and neatly on a shelf? i dig wizard and i don’t keep copies on a shelf. hell, i don’t keep copies at all.
as for the hot chicks on the cover, i know for a fact that you had the option of buying a Superman Returns cover 2 months ago and a Spiderman cover last month. So if they are appealing to the lowest common denominator, that LCD is you.
tool.
August 10th, 2006 at 5:20 pm
Honestly, I bet they made up all that stuff about Cho’s neighbor being dead just to bring in your attention. I’m surprised you didn’t mention that “Cho was bringing in what was missing: boobs”
August 10th, 2006 at 5:29 pm
Hi, Jamawalk. Thanks for your comments — allow me to retort.
Of course it annoys me. Absolutely. And it should annoy me, as it should annoy everyone else in comics journalism. To treat the reader with such disrespect is disgraceful. And then to project the idea that message is representative of every comics fan only makes it worse.
And as for keeping things neatly on a shelf - hey, I’m a comics guy and a magazine guy. It’s in my blood to keep them grouped. You don’t keep your comics together?
And yes, I bought both the Jolie and Alba covers. Jolie, I saw the image and bought it thinking there’d be shots of her and others in costume, stills from the set, etc. But wait, there was no such thing inside. Only SPECULATION if she was even going to be in the movie. And as for Alba, that was actually the only one at my shop. But given the choice, I probably would’ve bought the Alba version anyway, despite it being pick-up art from a year ago.
PS - You forgot to mention the most intriguing thing of all: You WORK for Wizard Magazine.
August 10th, 2006 at 5:44 pm
Hey Tim!
I really enjoy your video blogs and I keep checking back in if there’s a new one. This one was very interesting! What was that sound in the background? It sometimes drowns you out when your voice goes down. If it’s the AC, it’s normally better to turn it off for a while while you’re shooting.
Can’t wait for more!
August 10th, 2006 at 6:01 pm
so i’ve intrigued you have i? excellent. its always been a goal of mine to completely fascinate a hipster. mission: accomplished.
seriously, timmy (can i call you timmy?) have you ever considered writing a letter to the magazine letting them know what you think? since you buy it every month they may be inclined to listen. you are, after all, a member of the wizard buying public so it is to you that they cater. were you not to buy the mag, they may change in an effort to attract you to their pages, but since you continue to pick it up, i doubt they’ll see the need to.
anyway, i’m interested (yet not fully intrigued) in your mag. the one with the chick’s crotch on the cover is the newest issue, right? where can i pick up a copy?
August 10th, 2006 at 6:20 pm
Hi Jama. Again, thanks for your feedback.
You might dislike or disagree with me, but you can’t dispute that what Wizard printed is fundamentally unprofessional and without journalistic merits.
And Gerry -
You’re completely right with that sound. I had a fan going in the other room but I didn’t think it’d pick up the sound. Won’t make that mistake again…
August 10th, 2006 at 6:31 pm
Hey Tim,
Nice post. I’m all for a toothless Entertainment Tonight-style magazine for comics. Wizard has cliamed many times to be an “ambassador for comics.” It is not. It’s an embarrassment.
Like you, I used to occasionally read Wizard when I’d fly. Some people buy US Weekly, I bought Wizard. About 6 months ago, I just couldn’t deal with how vapid and sexist it was.
That Avengers article you mentioned is noteworthy. A true benchmark for poor comics journalism.
I like your site. Keep up the good work.
August 10th, 2006 at 6:49 pm
i’m pretty sure that was just a high-concept joke of a thing that never really happened. it was an intro to a sketchbook wasn’t it? i didn’t actually read it when it came out, i just looked at the sketches and moved on, mostly cause its marvel.
and marvel is dumb.
i’ll read it as soon as i get home from work, though. huh. lookit that. now i’m as fervent a reader of wizard as you are. i better start cleaning off shelf space.
now, seriously, where can i pick up your magazine?
August 10th, 2006 at 6:54 pm
I recommend CBG. A fne knowledge of comics history and compared to Wizard a high level of general respect for it’s readers, it’s content and it’s place in the whole.
August 10th, 2006 at 6:57 pm
I don’t read Wizard because it reeks of a McFarlane-esque idiocy that should’ve fallen by the wayside before the millennium.
And yet, Wizard persists. It would be easy to blame their subscribers, but we all know that subscriptions do not keep a magazine afloat. Instead, the demographics from that roster keeps advertisers engaged. If anything, the articles serve as little more than a mortar of words to bind enough commercial bricks to form an issue.
August 10th, 2006 at 7:13 pm
Wow, Tim. You’re absolutely right; Wizard has become complete dreck. I had no idea it could sink this low.
Luckily, I’ve never paid more than ten cents for an issue of Wizard. It’s not even worth a dime, either. Last one I flipped through, I got for free at one of the cons. It was just empty pap.
Now, though, it seems it’s completely vile. I can’t believe I haven’t seen this pointed out anywhere else on the internet, and I scour the news sites and blogs… you know, places in which you can get good, fun, and well-written pieces on comics. For free.
Then, to read the comments and see people attacking you about it… that I really can’t believe.
August 10th, 2006 at 7:20 pm
I have now been free of my 8 year position as a comic shop manager/orderin’ boy for 6 months. I do not miss Wizard… feeling the necessity to read it every once in a while… having to order so many copies…
But this little video blog of yours gets you added to my favourites. Thanks for the memories!
Craig
August 10th, 2006 at 7:46 pm
Brilliant commentary, Tim. Wizard only seems to do things that serve their self interest. I do admit that I pick up the mag now and then, but it’s one of those publications that you can read in 10 minutes total. For a magazine that comes out once a month, there seems to be no good solid reporting. It’s all opinionated gibberish, loaded with extra nonsensical data strewn throughout just to be page fillers. The “Biggest Issue Ever” had me laughing and pissed off at the same time and the questions posed for FF2 and Sin City 2 was a sad example on just how lax the writers were in coming up with hard hitting questions.
Keep up the good work.
August 10th, 2006 at 8:34 pm
Wizard’s always been a magazine for pubescent boys and stunted adults. It’s a total fratboy magazine and appeals to the exact same audience as something like Maxim or FHM. Most of their jokes are ripped off from those pseudo-porn rags, anyway. It’s really telling that Wizard’s supporters who have commented have done so to the effect of “Why you crying, pussy?” or “Yeah, you’re just jealous.” When a magazine regularly retards itself to fourth-grade humor, it should be no surprise to hear it’s defenders sound like they just got their first pube.
August 10th, 2006 at 8:52 pm
They’re still publishing Wizard?
August 10th, 2006 at 9:37 pm
Pissing on Wizard, while easy, is acceptable now and then. But your talk about “sensationalism” and “no journalistic standards” rings a little hollow when you release a video of yourself sarcastically attacking Wizard and crying on camera about how bad it is.
One might also question why an editor concerned about “objectifying women” would represent his cover story about Moore & Gebbie’s Lost Girls with a cover featuring a frank view of a woman’s crotch, a dotted line moving towards it, and the title “Follow the Yellow Brick Road,” rather than, say, a photo of Moore or Gebbie or the book itself.
The way to make comics journalism more professional is to make more professional comics journalism. I have read and enjoyed many articles at CF, but this video isn’t helping your cause.
August 10th, 2006 at 11:06 pm
Leigh: That has got to be some of the laziest verbal jujitsu I’ve ever read.
First off, I think the fact that Tim posted this to the Foundry’s blog rather than the site itself says something– this is the place for meta-commentary and rants. So he filed it in the right place, not as a more polished, tenical critique of the magazine.
Second, Wizard may be an easy target, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a justifiable one.
Third, the difference in intent between Tim’s video and the article in question is clear: Wizard framed itself as “reporting” something; instead, we get a badly written bit of speculation and hype. Tim made it clear he was giving his opinion from the onset, and thus is not volating any standard I know of– he’s giving us what he promised at the onset.
[And I found the Foundry’s lost girl’s cover clever, myself, where as Wizard’s covers tend to be T&A or tired pin-ups. A cock might have worked too, but the main characters of Lost Girls are women.]
August 11th, 2006 at 12:20 am
Leigh, I don’t think your comments are “verbal jujitsu” at all. I find it incredibly ironic that Tim is supposed to be concerned about the objectification of my sex when the magazine he works for features pictures of women in lingerie with their heads cropped off. I don’t find that “clever,” as D. Edward Sauve. I find it as objectifying of women as anything in Wizard magazine.
I recall a conversation I had with my co-worker Deb (I am the editor-in-chief and she is the director of sales at SLG Publishing) about how offensive we found the first cover. The latest one just cemented what that cover made us feel about Comic Foundry: The cover is a big old banner that says the magazine is not meant for us.
August 11th, 2006 at 2:34 am
Sadly, I’ve really got to agree with you - all your points are valid. It’s already bad enough that Stan Lee’s reality show has set the industry back 20 years.
BTW, you’d make a great Jack Ryder!
August 11th, 2006 at 4:11 am
While I totally agree with you and commend you for your passion (I stopped reading Wizard once I found out there was a Comics Journal and a comics internet), I have to call bullshit on the objectivication of women bit. Judging by the cover to Comic Foundry v1, it’s a bit of the pot and the kettle.
August 11th, 2006 at 5:00 am
I’m sure that you are more than giddy about the fact that you’ve created a stir in the on-line comics community.
You’re probably like one of those annoying film students I went to school with who would almost cream themselves anytime they figured out a way to cut down some Oscar-winning film.
So go ahead and revel in it for a whole second.
But it’s pretty sad that in order to get people to care about who you are, you have to resort to cutting down other people’s work.
Granted, Wizard may not be mind-blowing material, but it’s fun and it makes me laugh; and even though you implied that they are sexist, as a lady, I’ve never really been offended by them. However when I first pulled up this website and I saw the cover to your latest “issue” (where can I buy it? does it only exist here in the land of the internet?) I was appalled. Even though I understood the image, it still really freaked me out. So you’re not scoring any points by being a hypocrite.
Then I took a quick look around your site and I wasn’t that impressed. It’s a little boring (and I’m sure you’ll have some sort of remark about how I must be an idiot and how you’re so cool and blah blah blah). But you know what, whatever. I’m not going to rag on you.
As for Wizard, it seems like they are working on themselves and I’ve always enjoyed what they have to say. It’s a fun read and the personalities present in the magazine are fun and friendly and I like to get more from them.
You on the other hand just come off as an asshole. But whatever.
August 11th, 2006 at 5:24 am
It’s a great video Tim, but i also have to admit that the whole ‘objectifying women’ accusation can be applied to Comic Foundry as well. One cheesecake, mildly titillating, sexualized photo of a woman on the cover of a ‘respectable’ magazine I can take, but two? when the mag hasn’t even reached twenty issues? I want to like Comic Foundry, but the cover makes me as uncomfortable as walking into a comic shop full of Wizards, Marvels, Top Cows, and DC T&A crap.
August 11th, 2006 at 5:38 am
SLAMMIN TIM! SLAMMIN.
August 11th, 2006 at 8:08 am
What you said was awesome, Tim, but I’m totally with TinTin and Jennifer DeGuzman here: you’re not dealing from a position of strenth when CF’s own current cover is a line of post-its pointing at the crotch of a headless woman.
I realize you probably don’t have a say in the covers. However, what’s on them does reflect on all the contributors. And this is coming from a former Wizard (2004-2005) columnist.
Wizard is shit, and from the beginning mostly a waste of the potential it had to do something good for comics instead of for Gareb Shamus and his ad-space-buying cronies.
CF can be…not like that. Covers are a good, EASY place to start, because good content has to fight a bad cover the WHOLE WAY.
August 11th, 2006 at 3:34 pm
“Comic book journalism” is an oxymoron.
Can’t believe you were actually crying at the end. Lighten up, Tim, you’re embarrassing yourself in front of A LOT of people.
August 11th, 2006 at 3:45 pm
Awesome!
There is an alternative, and it’s name is Warlock Mag!
August 11th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
well i’ve always known that wizard is crap - but i kindda look at it as the people magazine of comics - fluff and bs - but good to read on a plane, before bed or during the morning business.
as for the video’s host - what is it about geeky guys in glasses that makes me so damn hot! i’d be happy to have you come over and rant about anything of your choosing
seriously - anytime!!
August 11th, 2006 at 5:19 pm
You started out great with the “Biggest Issue Ever” dumbness, but then you just lost everything with the “OH HOT WOMAN ON A MAGAZINE COVER” argument. First off, sex sells, man. Second of all, I have that very same issue of Wizard to my direct right, on my desk… but there’s a picture of Spider-Man unmasking on it. Hmmm…
The questions are the same: Sure, but they’re also the questions people are asking about both movies. I wanna know these things, and the readers of the magazine wanna know these things.
Dead guy: Oh, suck it up! Perhaps my morals are not up to the standards of THIS comics journalist, but it didn’t really bother me. I just thought it was neat to see Frank Cho drawing the Wasp. Not to mention the you don’t really know whether or not that story’s even true. But hey, if you wanted to take easy shots at Wizard (welcome to the internet, Tim), you should’ve followed up your comment about his children reading the article with “Oh wait, no one reads Wizard.” I am shocked that you didn’t take this easy joke, when you made so many other potshots, and it frankly makes me sick to my stomach and embarassed to be a fan of comic books in general. Not to mention, most comic book journalists should be embarassed to be comic book journalists. THEY ARE COMIC. BOOK. JOURNALISTS.
What a bunch of melodramatic crap you’re spewing forth, and I can bet the rest of the ICC will buy into it.
You’ll harp for seven minutes on a paragraph, but you won’t talk about the emotional Seth Fisher article included in the book. The informative Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore interviews. The ever-informative yet entertaining Secret Stash portion of the mag. No, it’s the easy shots you already accuse yourself of taking at the beginning of the video.
You talk about sensationalism, when really, that’s your bag, baby.
Of course, I normally like your work, but c’mon, man. This “video blog” is just completely off-the-wall. And as an aside, what’s the point of a video blog if you’re just going to sit there and look at the camera?
August 11th, 2006 at 5:45 pm
Sam really nailed it with this comment:
Sam said…
I’m sure that you are more than giddy about the fact that you’ve created a stir in the on-line comics community.
You’re probably like one of those annoying film students I went to school with who would almost cream themselves anytime they figured out a way to cut down some Oscar-winning film.
I’ll just add - Wizard is the TV Guide of the comics industry. It’s not in-depth, and it’s not high journalism.
A word of advice: Not everyone or everything will be structured the way *you* want them to be. Wizard will never be the NYT of comics.
A self-important, “serious” journalist would probably have better things to do than pick on such an inconsequential magazine like Wizard. Easy target, doncha think?
Do Supreme Court justices criticize the findings of Judge Judy? Let’s hope they have better things to do, and can recognize entertainment - or at least, an attempt at it - when they see it.
So…just unclench…and accept Wizard for what they are - a superficial (albeit sometimes entertaining) comics magazine.
August 11th, 2006 at 6:04 pm
Not to mention, most comic book journalists should be embarassed to be comic book journalists. THEY ARE COMIC. BOOK. JOURNALISTS.
It’s comments like these that *really* piss me off. Just because you’re ashamed of the medium doesn’t mean everyone else has to be.
Maybe Wizard is the “TV Guide” of comics or whatever… but TV Guide would not destroy the integrity of a deceased human being.
August 11th, 2006 at 7:20 pm
I think you should be commended for bringing this to light, Tim. Whether or not that story was a high concept joke or true, we’ll never know (unless Cho, Shamus or the writer of the article admits it).
My problem with Wizard isn’t that its a bad magazine. It’s not that bad of a magazine…sometimes. To this day, I commend Wizard on doing a piece on Bill Finger (recently, they did one on Bill Cole). Look, the Comics Journal can sometimes be too snobby, and I’m ok with that. They take comics as art; Wizard, as entertainment.
My problem is that it has become too Big Two centric. There are tons of great Dark Horse, Image, and other indy publisher titles out there that get missed month after month. Wizard, by and large, caters to the lowest common denomenator {sp} (while the Journal caters to the smallest percentage of the elite). Wizard is the equivalent to MTV…there’s hardly any music on there and it’s called “music television.” Wizard’s tagline is “The Comics Magazine.” They cover comics, but not all comics. But I have high hopes for Wizard. I believe that soon they’ll get rid of the potty humor and the Maxim-ized storytelling and get back to talking about ALL comics.
They’ve done it before. They could do it again and never lose money. Why? Because comic fans buy it automatically. To them, it’s just a higher priced comic (at $5.99). I had a dinner with someone from Wizard at SDCC and he picked my brain (and two other JHU employees) about what they could do to make it better. Again, there are guys there that want to make it better, so give it time.
And there’s no reason why on video or in print or on this blog, that you should apologize for having high standards.
August 11th, 2006 at 8:13 pm
what kind of homo complains about hot chicks on mags
August 11th, 2006 at 8:54 pm
Honestly, I think one of the biggest flaws of the comic book industry is that there really isn’t anything between Wizard and the Comics Journal. Each of them marganilizes most fans of the art form and gives a perception to the “general public” that is not very inclusive. How hard would it be to find a happy middle ground?
August 11th, 2006 at 9:01 pm
I’m going to have to go counter to most of the sentiments, and pick up on something said by Team Mercury. I feel that, while Wizard has severely lowered their standards in recent years, each issue has one standout piece that sort of gets lost in the shuffle. It’s kind of like when local networks do their “local hero/human interest” pieces which get lost in all of the murder and accident reports.
I was quite impressed by their recent articles on Bill Cole and Bill Finger, but I was sort of put off by the fact that they were kinda of “downers”. I mean, the Cole article just came off as pretty sad and morbid, but I commended them for not trying to sugarcoat it.
Reading those articles, I wished more of the magazine was that “honest”, for lack of a better word. However, the magazine pales in comparison to what it used to be. I’ve been stalled on a copy of issue #17 I recently found in a dollar box simply because it has TOO much information to digest in one sitting. There is a brilliant John Byrne Q&A where he takes no prisoners. This was before he had his own website, so this was new to some people’s eyes and ears, and it struck me that Wizard would never be this ballsy today because they wouldn’t want to piss off their paymasters.
So, I guess to recap, the magazine DOES suck lately, but I feel like there are one or two people there who are trying to keep it from becoming the comics equivalent of “Stuff”.
August 11th, 2006 at 9:08 pm
1. WIzard is just catching with all the bullshit the rest of insensitive society is doing in the media, and/or what seemingly passes for media and is shoveled down our throats.
2. It’s not like Wizard had far to fall, since it’s sucked large donkey genitalia, always.
3. They’re not even good at reporting media stories, half the sites out there beat them to the punch anyway.
4. Fucking magazines a catalog really.
5. Comic book fans, in general tend to be fucking tards, so, they spponfeed some raw bacon of idiocy to the people sometimes. If they don’t make a ruckus about it, or other thing, why should the rest care?
6. Thanks for saying something. JUSt don’t beat around the bush. WIZARD IS HARMING THE COMICS COMMUNITY AND IS AN ARSE OF A MAGAZINE MADE FOR AN ARSE OF A CROWD.
August 11th, 2006 at 9:19 pm
I’m thinking that the only reason I would pick up Comic Foundry was FOR the American Apparel rip off cover. That’s just me, though.
August 12th, 2006 at 1:09 am
Wizard has a monopoly on comic book magazines. It’s the only one that’s readily available on magazine racks and grocery store shelves. Nonetheless, I agree that the quality of the reporting has become juvenile /amateurish at best. If this is aimed at thirteen year olds, then Wizard should do better to censor itself. I certainly could do without the raunchy innuendo and crude jokes. Comic books are an ARTFORM that should be celebrated and respected. Instead we see a magazine that basically idolizes Kevin Smith and his like-minded contemporaries. (Seriously, did we need to see a poker game at Smith’s house?) Garub Shamus is after the almighty dollar, as is Bendis, Lee, Smith, etc. I believe they have no respect for the comic buying public. Your video blog has made me look closer at Wizard. For that, I thank you.
August 12th, 2006 at 6:00 am
This is the most obtuse video blog I have ever seen. You aren’t attractive enough to zoom in so close on yourself. I can see the grease on your face! You don’t even have room to fit your props in the frame because your head is so big. On a more positive note, your footage gives me a good laugh.
Secondly, you are a TERRIBLE speaker. You ramble like a stumbling fool, and you couldn’t finish a sentence if your life depended on it. Have you thought about practicing your speech before posting it on the net? It helps to organize your thoughts– try it some time.
Third, the statements you make are mind-numbing. Who gives a shit if it’s not Wizard’s biggest issue by page volume?? I’m going to assume you are mad about that just because you fell for their marketing strategy.
The last reason why this is the densest video blog ever created is because you are crying about Rickey Purdin’s apathy toward the dead guy’s family, and yet you are broadcasting video footage over the internet about how terrible his writing was. If that paragraph by Rickey Purdin is a tragedy to comics, then why are you making fun of it at all? What about the author Rickey Purdin and his feelings? What about Rickey Purdin’s family? What if they watch your video and feel sorrow for their son? Just in case you haven’t caught on, there’s a little irony there.
How can you be so critical about Wizard, without directing that criticism toward yourself first? Do the world a favor, and grab a towel to soak up the oil on your face because it’s gross, make a goal to finish a sentence, and smash your webcam so that we can all be spared from more video waste composed of your dim-witted dribble.
August 12th, 2006 at 8:27 am
Nice rant about Wizard, but aside from the visual aids why was it a video blog?
As far as the objectification of women goes, here’s the main difference between CF and Wizard covers. The CF cover is an artistic representation of meaningful content within the magazine dealing with women, sex and fictional characters. The Wizard cover is just a hot chick next to a misleading cover blurb disguised as representing content within the magazine. So, Wizard is objectifying women by using one to sell the book whereas CF is using imagery to sell the book.
Any female offended by the CF cover needs to lighten up, and she needs to stay the fuck away from Lost Girls for sure. If you can’t see the difference between the two magazines then there’s no hope for you. The CF cover is not objectification.
The Wizard intro about the dead guy was most likely bullshit–sensationalistic bullshit which is Wizard’s bread and butter. There’s no doubt that it was in poor taste–which is Wizard’s bread and butter. Aside from the comics ubergeek, Wizard is unappealing to most comics readers. I think it mostly sells because it’s a monthly price guide even though the back issue market is on life support.
The problem is there isn’t a viable alternative on the racks. Wizard came up during the boom time. Launching a new magazine now to rival it would be nearly impossible. It would have to fight Wizard’s readership AND the internet.
Good Luck!
August 12th, 2006 at 2:35 pm
I just ignore Wizard. They’ll continue to do what they do until people stop buying it and publishers stop buying ads in it. The less attention they get the harder it is for them to sell themselves.
Yes, they are an embarrassing magazine. But I don’t see a more serious magazine replacing them anytime soon. I don’t see the big publishers buying the ad space or save their exclusive news for anybody else. I think they like Wizard kissing their ass non-stop and not taking a serious look at what they do.
- Jamie Coville
August 12th, 2006 at 2:54 pm
“As far as the objectification of women goes, here’s the main difference between CF and Wizard covers. The CF cover is an artistic representation of meaningful content within the magazine dealing with women, sex and fictional characters. The Wizard cover is just a hot chick next to a misleading cover blurb disguised as representing content within the magazine. So, Wizard is objectifying women by using one to sell the book whereas CF is using imagery to sell the book.”
Keep telling yourself that. It won’t make it true, but if it makes you feel better, who are we to argue?
Sorry, the CF covers and advertising were artistic on the level of Victoria’s secret-only less humanizing.
Thom
August 12th, 2006 at 2:55 pm
“As far as the objectification of women goes, here’s the main difference between CF and Wizard covers. The CF cover is an artistic representation of meaningful content within the magazine dealing with women, sex and fictional characters. The Wizard cover is just a hot chick next to a misleading cover blurb disguised as representing content within the magazine. So, Wizard is objectifying women by using one to sell the book whereas CF is using imagery to sell the book.”
Keep telling yourself that. It won’t make it true, but if it makes you feel better, who are we to argue?
Sorry, the CF covers and advertising were artistic on the level of Victoria’s secret-only less humanizing.
Thom
August 12th, 2006 at 5:25 pm
Way to get your video blog started on the completely wrong foot. Trashing someone else to make your self seem superior. Get off your fucking high horse and put some energy into talking about actual comics. “I don’t read Wizard often, however I have the last two issues”. You’re a fool
August 12th, 2006 at 5:30 pm
It says alot about that guy ‘Anonymous’ that he can’t write his name. Haw!
Tintin
August 13th, 2006 at 6:49 am
“Keep telling yourself that. It won’t make it true”
Being true makes it true. If not knowing the difference makes you feel better, I understand.
There’s a clear dichotomy between the two covers.
By the way Tintin, nice one! You’ve broken new comedic ground. I hope to see you next to Larry the Cable Guy in the redneck hall of fame.
August 13th, 2006 at 2:13 pm
I think Wizard is idiotic fun, and I don’t expect journalism out of such a magazine (I go elsewhere for that). I do, however, respect Tim’s opinion and don’t find it necessary to make personal insults (really, Courtney, you’re only making yourself look bad). Anyway, Tim is really hot!
August 13th, 2006 at 2:28 pm
You think Wizard is “perverted and immature”? At least they’re not podcasting(!) about Wonder Woman rape fantasies like some fanboys!
http://podcastx.blogspot.com/
Verrry disturbing…
August 13th, 2006 at 7:53 pm
That’s okay, Anonymous, Tim Leong appreciates easy shots even if you don’t. I bet if you asked him, he would say there is journalistic merit to my comment.
August 14th, 2006 at 3:37 pm
I agree with a lot this guy is saying. And I haven’t seen the CF cover people are talking about, but I’d suggest that Wizard is probably a touch worse on objectifying women. The layout of the CF cover is a bit over the top, but it is regarding covering a book that most people are discussing the pornographic aspects of. That’s part of the story. Meanwhile, Wizard is cherry-picking stories and angles to tease them with in order to put hot females on the cover and conducting sophomoric interviews (heh heh…BOOBS).
But…as far as journalism goes…i think Tim’s biggest black eye should be about him asking what happens when the dead guy’s widow reads this story. No…I don’t mean to attack the idea that she’ll read it…but the idea that a guy who was dead and decomposing for a month (with a large number of cats to eat him) even has a widow.
August 14th, 2006 at 5:29 pm
Jennifer,
Is this objectifying
women?
http://store.slavelabor.com/beeerwenchinfo.shtml
August 14th, 2006 at 8:52 pm
Hey Tim
I’m a little late to this party but I thought your commentary was hilarious and, let’s face it, right on the mark. Although Wizard is an easy target to be sure, it’s a target nonetheless. I wasted an afternoon listening to it (laughing uncontrollably) several times and then watched it all over again at home with my wife. We were both in stitches. There’s something about your face, you manage to project a mix of professional exasperation, bottomless dismay and gut-level revulsion that just strikes a chord of perfect hilarity. I’m sure Wizard isn’t too happy about it but the truth hurts. And as for the notion that your tame and witty covergirl perfectly equates to the spandex T&A we take for granted in our superhero comics–Oh,please.
August 14th, 2006 at 10:44 pm
Head clearing here: http://govprophkings.blogspot.com/
And, Leigh– sorry about the verbal jujitsu crack. Not only are you more right then my habits would have me admit, it was uncalled for. I do think Wizard deserves critisism, but That doesn’t mean the foundry deserves defence. Appologies.
August 15th, 2006 at 12:09 am
Tim, I am SO with you on what you have stated regarding the Wizard rag.
August 18th, 2006 at 2:03 am
Mr. Purdin is part of the problem with WIZARD. Their writers SUCK!! It starts at the top with Mike (Troll Boy) Cotton and rolls on downhill. Shamus needs to look at who works for him and make some BIG changes before his little kingdom sinks even more than it has… Dickey Purdin, you are a terrible writer and a worse human being.
August 18th, 2006 at 4:47 am
Damn, Cardinal and Gold. That’s harsh. How about you try reading any number of Cotton and Purdin’s OTHER articles before making those claims?
Also, why be immature and rude? You don’t know the guys and calling them Dickie and Troll Boy is pretty embarressing to Tim’s sincere opinion here. Keep that kind of talk in your diary or letters to your nonexistent girlfrined, huh, you unsociable prick?
-Kevin Bernstein
August 18th, 2006 at 2:37 pm
Cardinal and gold–have you ever met Rickey or Mike? How do you have any right–ANY RIGHT–to say what they are like as people?
As a friend to both guys, I’ll tell you straight up they’re great guys who stand by their friends and would never do something as classless as go on the Internet and name call.
Get some class.
August 18th, 2006 at 3:14 pm
One should expect nothing less from a Wizard staffer. You’ve got quite the cult there haven’t you?
August 18th, 2006 at 3:19 pm
Whoa, bring it back to the stable, huckleberry. Though I’ve been called an asshole (twice), an ass, a cock, a sad little asshole and a sad big headed man on Rickey Purdin’s blog, I’d rather not have the personal jabs here. Instead, let’s vent that anger you might have into constructive criticism.
Thanks for reading/watching
August 18th, 2006 at 3:24 pm
I think the comments probably come from Rickey’s co-workers though… Not exactly unbiased commentary
August 18th, 2006 at 3:35 pm
Having friends=being in a cult now? I must have missed something.
I’m not speaking as a Wizard staffer, I’m speaking as a human being. Some folks–certainly not all–here seem to have trouble remembering that there are REAL LIVE PEOPLE on the other end of the venom you’re hurling.
If you want to criticize our writing, go ahead, that’s your right as a consumer. But how you can say we’re “terrible human beings” or “in a cult”? You don’t even know us.
I may disagree with some of the stuff Tim says on his blog on a professional level, but I’m certainly not going to attack him personally (though I did say “F that guy” on Rickey’s blog, but it was in good humor, Tim ;)) because I DON’T KNOW HIM.
August 18th, 2006 at 4:04 pm
I think those were two diferent posts Ben. Don’t get your knickers in a twist.
August 18th, 2006 at 4:08 pm
My knickers are always in a twist. Please…help me.
August 18th, 2006 at 5:16 pm
No kidding… All of you are making much ado out nothing. While WIZARD is definitely NOT at the level of quality they were in the ’90s (reader since issue 10 here), it doesn’t mean that there should be a pissing contest going on here. Do I like what and they way they write anymore? NO… That is why I quit buying a couple years ago and only leaf through the copies at my local shop.
Now, on to a question posed to “Cardinal and Gold” by Mr. Morse. Yes I have met staff members current, (Mel) and past (Jim McLaughlin (sp?)) at WIZ World in Chicago and they are intelligent, friendly guys. Other people in the organization, not so much. That is any group though. They are not from Wisconsin, but New York, which explains much…
Personally I found the article that started this whole tempest in bad taste, and I HAVE seen Mr. Purdin at this year’s fan awards and think he is still wet behind the ears. Will he and his writing improve? We all do… With age…
August 18th, 2006 at 8:49 pm
First of all I’d like to say that I think everyone has made a mountain out of a mole hill with this debate.
Though I applaud you for your passion and appreciation for comic journalism I really think you went a little overboard with your attacks.
I have been a fan of Wizard since I was a little girl and have been well aware of their direction change in marketing. Being that I work in the entertainment industry I enjoy it, but to each their own. I’ll also be honest and say I know some of the writers there and enjoy their sense of humour as well. They are good people and you all stand for a common love of comics. When you take something (like Rickey’s article) too seriously, you prevent yourself from seeing the lighter side of it. Being a friend of Rickey’s has exposed me to his other writtings and personal comic strip diary. If you knew how verbally creative and funny his past writtings are maybe you wouldn’t be so harsh on this one. I’m not speaking particularly of his wizard reporting but blogs and rants. Also you’re forgetting a very key element. Someone passed that to be printed and it seems to me your just knocking the writer’s style. If your issue is with the mag it self than make it about that. When you start attacking someone personally it really puts you in an unflatering light. It’s great you voice your opinion but it’s hard to take you seriously when name calling gets involved.
Before you judge, and put someone under fire, it would help if you knew all the facts.Next time you have an issue like that try asking the writer yourself.
August 18th, 2006 at 9:26 pm
The problem with WIZARD is that why should we as a reader care about how charming the writer is, when the story should be about the particular subject that writer is writing about. “Entertainment Weekly” (who they are trying to be as of late) doesn’t make their writers part of the story. Also get rid of the pie comments. They were old 10 years ago.
August 20th, 2006 at 2:40 am
Tim, I have to say, 90% with you on your video. Wizard used to be good. Now it is just “boobs” more ways than one (or two).
I don’t get that rag every month. That’s a waste of money. I do how ever read it thanks to open bags at Books-A-Million and or other book stores.
Sometimes, SOMETIMES, an article will surprise me. They did a Jack Cole article I think in the “BIGGEST ISSUE EVER!!” or in the last issue. The Cole article was good.
I wish that the writers of Wizard would do more articles like to show respect to the past creators.
Take care, Tim.
August 20th, 2006 at 1:14 pm
Wizard like anything else has it’s good stuff and it’s bad stuff. Some reviewers like to set up their work with irreverant, sometimes crass intros. Others don’t… I dont see anything that offensive in the introduction referenced, actually it kind of reminded me of Garth Ennis’ Preacher, the same kind of crass black humor about death.
Now I haven’t read the rest of the article, or anything about the Mighty Avengers but I’d imagine it could be setting that kind of tone. Or saying that Mighty Avengers departs from that kind of tone.
Either way I think it’s an effective hook to get the reader wondering what one has to do with the other.
Now if you do not like that stylistic choice, I would like to respectfully suggest you skip the writer in questions introductions in the future.
I think Wizard does a decent job, with some good high points, like Brad Meltzers recent walk through the JLA eras. Or their Rebirth coverage. I get Wizard when I see something interesting on the cover, and more times then not I get the information I desire. That’s all I require. Have a nice day.
August 22nd, 2006 at 3:01 am
Calvin Reid said:
“…and as for the notion that your tame and witty covergirl perfectly equates to the spandex T&A we take for granted in our superhero comics–Oh,please.”
Oh please yourself. As far as I can see, NO ONE said that. What they said was CF was on weak ground having Tim thrash Wizard when their own covers were provocative.
Tame? Yeah. So are Wizard’s. Witty? No, not really.
Tim’s Red Carpet Eisner video was far more witty.