Séamus since then. Though still used by some as a derogatory term, the great preponderance of Irish and Irish-American law enforcement officers led to a persisting stereotype, and the name "Shamus" continues to refer to Irish-American police and private detectives. Séamus Variant spellings include ', ', ', ', "Shaymus", "Sheamus" and "Shamus". Diminutives include ', ' and "". In the United States, the word "Shamus" is a derogatory slang misspelling of Séamus that arose during the 19th century as more than 4.5 million Irish immigrated to America, peaking at almost two million between 1845 and 1852 during ""The Great Hunger"" (Irish:
Gareb Shamus in the 1980s). Shamus studied economics at the University at Albany, SUNY and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and a minor in art in 1990. In the 1980s, Shamus' parents opened a sports card and comic book store in Nanuet, New York, where Shamus worked. When he graduated from college, Shamus started a newsletter about comic books, called "", for the store’s customers. It became so popular that in 1991 he turned it into a monthly magazine. After only one year, "Wizard" went worldwide, published in over fifty countries and in multiple languages.