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CBG vs. Wizard

Started by drice6900,

63 posts in this topic

drice6900

drice6900

Posted
Posted

So most of you have heard that the Comic Buyers Guide (CBG) is switching from a weekly, tabloid format to a slick, monthly mass market magazine. I see this as a direct attack on Wizard's turf, and wonder who will emerge the victor in this battle.

 

Wizard obviously has the experience in monthlies, and has the most up-to-date news on Moderns. Humor is also their forte.

 

CBG has the more respected stable of writers/columnists, and has nice market report information.

 

So, who is going to knock out whom? Personally, I can see Wizard having some serious problems matching up with CBG. The irreverant attitude and crappy price guide will only go so far. Of course, this is all assuming CBG looks and reads like they are promoting it. 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

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Deathlok

Deathlok

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I think they can co-exist. Wizard normally appeals to the fanboy. The neat gimmicks and hypothetical of comics. CBG normally deals with the industry and evolution/improvement of it as a whole. I had a subscription to both and viewed each differently.

 

While I think the Darryl's CGC prices realized section is awesome, Wizards leaves a lot to be desired.

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Deathlok

Deathlok

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After thinking a sec about it, I think CBG will be better off with a monthly mag. Most times I start to read it seems sparce. I would like to see more content involved. Perhaps a better stock of paper, and more pages. Some of their classified pages need a lot of work, sometimes they are very hard to read.

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drice6900

drice6900

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I agree with Deathlok that CBG may be better off as a monthly. I am not sure just how much of the old is going to transfer to the new though. Maggie has hinted a few times in her recent editorials that this magazine will strongly compete with the "other monthly". I seriously hope it does, and does it well. I would like nothing more than to drop Wizard from my monthly reads thumbsup2.gif

 

Should be interesting...

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sterlingcomics

sterlingcomics

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I'm curious and optimistic of CBG's new format. I feel like the weekly newspaper format felt rushed and somewhat lacking of quality. Being able to change to a monthly format should allow for some more in depth articles and improved focus. I think this is a good thing. I've had a subscription now for the past year.

 

Just seeing the covers to Wizard have turned me away, so can't speak too much about that mag.

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goldust40

goldust40

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They'll have to radically change not just their format, but their editorial outlook and content - the reason why they've switched to monthly is that the weekly magazine failed, mainly due to 90% of its' advertisers leaving it for ebay and the web.

 

Pre-ebay, CBG was a much fatter, more profitable mag with so many more dealer/private seller ads. All that's left are some decent, workmanlike, but hardly compelling reviewers and a bunch of stats based on their own price guide. And those stats are being made redundant by Overstreet's new monthly updates.

 

Meanwhile CBM has cornered the market on nostalgia based comic review magazines. Wizard has a much higher, more corporate, populist (i.e. fanboy) profile - needless to say they've found their niche. At the other end of the scale, we have the smug, elitist, cliquey bastion of self-righteous pseudo-intellectualism that is the Comics Journal. So the "highbrow" end is also taken.

 

CBG will have to completely reinvent itself in order to stay afloat, in a market that's not crying out for another monthly review magazine. I don't think they'll manage it.

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cavecarson

cavecarson

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CBG is kinda pricey though. I pay $24.00 for a Wizard sub looks like the CBG sub is $38.95

Wizard is the perfect "reading room" material I hate it when my issues is late I feel so backed up.

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sterlingcomics

sterlingcomics

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Andy, I agree that some elements of the CBG format was unattractive. Hopefully, they have been soliciting opinions from the field and making proper adjustments. Interesting point on the advertising angle--mags like this used to be THE vehicle for advertising and reaching the market. Now with the penetration of other online eBusiness opportunities, it remains to be seen if this format will be totally successful.

 

Does anyone know if they provide their magazine in the online format? If I were them, I'd be concentrating on an Internet presence if they haven't already done so.

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Deathlok

Deathlok

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CBG is kinda pricey though. I pay $24.00 for a Wizard sub looks like the CBG sub is $38.95

Wizard is the perfect "reading room" material I hate it when my issues is late I feel so backed up.

 

good point, the price may dissuade some new readers. Although they say that the new CBG will have 200+ pages. I may have to give the new mag a look or two to see if it is worth renewing my sub.

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BassGMan

BassGMan

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Hey, both mags can co-exist peacefully as they do cater to different audiences, however there is some crossover appeal. If anyone is trying to guess at if one puts the other out of business, then hardly. I doubt anyone is going to drop one in favor of the other. My guess is that there is no subscription change in Wizard at all due to this. CBG's numbers may change though. I have been a Wizard subscriber for maybe seven or eight years, I used to subscribe to CBG but dropped it. Odd since my interests lie mainly in Bronze books and I buy no Moderns. The monthly change in CBG is appealing to me and I think that now I will subscribe to that as well. ------Sid

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goldust40

goldust40

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Andy, I agree that some elements of the CBG format was unattractive. Hopefully, they have been soliciting opinions from the field and making proper adjustments. Interesting point on the advertising angle--mags like this used to be THE vehicle for advertising and reaching the market. Now with the penetration of other online eBusiness opportunities, it remains to be seen if this format will be totally successful.

 

Does anyone know if they provide their magazine in the online format? If I were them, I'd be concentrating on an Internet presence if they haven't already done so.

 

The point you made about the advertising echoed what I said - CBG, and I include myself here, was bought primarily for the ads. Ten to fifteen years ago, this mag was the soul of the hobby for this reason. The internet has marginalized its' presence in the marketplace enormously - at one point their circulation was in the 40,000 range, maybe higher. Now it shifts 9,000 copies on average.

 

Even if, or especially if, they go online, it will marginalize them further. There are so many comic review sites on the web devoted to all aspects of the medium that it won't make any difference.

 

You live by your ads, you're in trouble.

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sterlingcomics

sterlingcomics

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Tis true. How the game is played has changed, and they need to provide a "nextgen" way of approaching the hobby. I personally received a rate card from them several months ago and I am curious as to how their rate structure will change for advertisers.

 

I will remain neutral on the magazine however until I have time to digest the new format. thumbsup2.gif

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