Bleeding Cool learnt the sad news yesterday, but we were asked to postpone reporting on it, until those affected had been contacted. But it has been confirmed to us that the website Comics Alliance is to close.

Set up in 2009 by AOL, the comic book news and features site run initially by Laura Hudson seemed to operate as an online sequel to the Comics Foundry magazine. The site closed once in 2013 when AOL closed a number of their sites.

Comics Alliance, along with a number of AOL Music sites were sold to Townsquare Media, and were eventually allied with another Townsquare site, Screencrush.

With an old friend and ex-Bleeding Cool columnist Andrew Wheeler as Editor In Chief, the site won the Eisner for Best Comics Periodical/Journalism.

But now it seems Townsquare Media will be closing the site, with the site becoming a portal to Screencrush content. They didn't return e-mail inquiries, but Wheeler told Bleeding Cool,

"We've always had amazing writers at ComicsAlliance, with a shared dedication to celebrating creativity and community, and elevating originality and diversity. As devastated as I am that none of us will be writing for the site anymore, I'm excited to see those writers take their voices elsewhere, whether in comics criticism or in creating comics of their own. Editors would be smart to snap these people up, because they are the heart of comics. I love my team, and I'm proud of them, and of the work we've done together."

Last time the site was closed, I was told that that Boom! Studios made an approach to buy it up, but it is a different market now. Nevertheless, it is still possible the site could be sold and revived again. But there has to be a desire on the owners to do such a thing and at the moment I understand there is not.

Comics Alliance contributors, our condolences, you are in our thoughts at this time, please let us know if there's anything we at Bleeding Cool can do to help.

UPDATE: Andrew Wheeler has tweeted out

I'm sorry to report that today is the last day for the current ComicsAlliance team. TownsquareMedia has elected to place the site on hiatus. — Andrew Wheeler (@Wheeler) March 31, 2017

I am incredibly proud of the team at CA, and of all the work we've done. I think we provided an important voice in the community. — Andrew Wheeler (@Wheeler) March 31, 2017

My heartfelt thanks to Elle, Kieran, Chris, Luke, and all our wonderful writers; and to Laura, Andy, Caleb, Joe and Janelle for the legacy. — Andrew Wheeler (@Wheeler) March 31, 2017

I hope there will now be a diaspora of our amazing team of contributors to other sites; their voices and talents are too important to lose. — Andrew Wheeler (@Wheeler) March 31, 2017

My personal focus will be on writing comics, and on non-comics journalism. I'm putting my days as a comics journalist behind me. — Andrew Wheeler (@Wheeler) March 31, 2017

We're going out like lions with an amazing day of features. Thank you for reading. Thank you for your support. See you in the funny papers? — Andrew Wheeler (@Wheeler) March 31, 2017