Wizard Entertainment Confirms End of 'Anime Insider'

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Wizard Entertainment Editor-in-Chief Scott Gramling has been informing the press Thursday that their magazine Anime Insider is ceasing publication as of its upcoming 67th issue.

In an email to Newsarama, Gramling writes, "…after several years of producing Anime Insider magazine, Wizard Entertainment has decided to discontinue its publication. The last issue will be Anime Insider #67. We thank our dedicated staffers for all of their hard work, and we thank our readership for their loyal support."

The magazine's staff has reportedly been laid off.

Originally launched as a series of quarterly specials called "Anime Invasion" in Fall 2001, the publication went bi-monthly in late 2002, and was renamed Anime Insider in the Spring of 2003. In 2005 it became monthly.

The news is just the latest in a series of moves by the company over the last several years to reduce staff and operations across its various arms. Most recently the company confirmed the "postponement" of their WizardWorld Los Angeles convention and the cancellation of their November 2009 Texas show, and later confirmed a round of lay-offs which included long-time employee/Senior Vice President - Operations Joe Yanarella.