Over at the Bendis Board, it’s all about the question in every fan’s subconscious:
Give 5 Reasons Why Comic Book Readers are ridiculed! Comic book readers are looked down upon quite a bit in our society, I was just curious why you think that is.
Surprisingly, no-one answers “Perhaps it has something to do with the image of socially-awkward fanboys who have sexual fantasies about fictional women that is projected when people have signature images of comic book characters’ asses, just like your ‘Civil War: I’m following Ms. Marvel’ one,” but that may be because no-one else is as mean as I am (Someone comes close, however). Real responses after the jump.
The first reply doesn’t pull punches:
1. Fat
2. OCD
3. BO
4. Cosplay
5. “Kiddie books”
Other posters agree:
“That’s pretty much it. You may be able to fit Socially Awkward in there somehwere.”
“This goes along with ’socially awkward,’ but the total inability to talk about something other than comics.”
“Here’s one: Telling people all about a character/issue/title etc. when those people aren’t interested… and not stopping when it’s obvious that the interest isn’t there. (Though perhaps this is a commentary on the ability to recognize when people don’t want to talk about it?) This is true of most groups of fans, but I feel that some comic peeps can be overbearing on this front. Like the need to talk has been building for so long that it just spills out.”
But maybe more interesting is the parallel conversation that happens, where Bendis Boarders start talking about trying to get other people into comics…”
“when you brought up the walking dead it reminded me that most people see comics as a strictly super hero genre, which is so false it isn’t even funny. Some of the best comics don’t even come within 1 million miles of being about super heroes.”
“it’s been much, much easier for me to get friends to read non superhero stuff.”
“Blah Blah Blah. It’s easier to get friends to read well-written stories from Whatever genre. At least in the circles I run in. They don’t give one rat’s ass if the books involve capes or crying…if I tell ‘em it’s a tale worth reading they’ll give it a shot (at the very least).”
“I agree with that, but the fact is, there are quite a few more non super hero books than super hero books that are well written.”
“Huh? Art is now no longer ’subjective’? You have ‘facts’ that some is better than others?”
“I’d say that’s a pretty jaded and/or one-sided point of view. I mean, I for example love my superhero stuff, but I have wandered extensively down the non-cape path and found it (for the most part) uneven in quality, narciscistic at times and downright boring. Now I’m not saying that’s the general rule, but I do think that it is true of lots of ‘indie’ books. And that’s coming from someone who aspires to make an indie-cape book.”
From there, the thread turns into one full of Borders-hatred, intellectual-dislike, and some fascinating self-righteousness over why comic fandom isn’t a socially accepted fandom (as opposed to sports fandom, for example):
“People don’t like us because we might be a bit more creative, but also because we might challenge their opinions. We tend to not lay down and let people tell us what is the right opinion, and what is the wrong one.”
Oh, and the advantages of being female over being male (Something to do with rock-climbing, apparently). It’s a long thread, but one worth reading.
August 11th, 2006 at 11:54 am
I like sharing with non-comic readers books like “Mom’s Cancer.” I’ve suggested it to numerous people and not once have I been ridiculed for doing so.
August 11th, 2006 at 11:59 am
Graeme, I just want to compliment the relatively obscure They Might Be Giants reference in the title of this post. Excellent choice!
August 11th, 2006 at 12:20 pm
I was just going to say that! Keep the TMBG flowing, baby!
August 11th, 2006 at 12:29 pm
You know what I like about super hero comics these days? They have capes AND crying.
August 11th, 2006 at 12:47 pm
That’s just because of all the rape.
Also: the “non-cape” path is uneven in quality and narcisistic? Compared to superhero books? Wha-huh?!?
August 11th, 2006 at 1:27 pm
“I thought TMBG meant Too Much Beef Gristle.” –Andy Richter
August 11th, 2006 at 2:15 pm
Maybe if comic book fanboys didn’t act like creepy, glassy eyed Mormons when they’re trying to “convert” their acquaintances to comics they wouldn’t be looked down upon.
And personal grooming and hygiene are also important; at least the creepy, glassy eyed Mormons who accost me with their propaganda are invariably clean-cut and don’t smell like unwashed armpits.
August 11th, 2006 at 3:07 pm
If I give a comic book to my wife, family member, or a friend and tell them that they have to read it. More often then not, they’ll read it. Guys won’t have any problem reading a Superman or Batman story. Most of my male friends loved Kingdom Come (mainly because, we’re all old enough to remember the Shazam TV show and seeing realistic drawings of Superman and Captain Marvel fight brings out the little boy in everyone. Oh just admit it already). Loved it. Most women I know won’t go anywhere near a superhero book, but most women I know won’t go anywhere near a sci-fi book either. A horror comic wouldn’t be a problem.
But, I have to lend them the book. They won’t go out of there way to a bookstore to get a comic book. They just won’t.
As for drawings, you mean like those half naked men on the covers of romance novels? Or all those slash fiction stories about Nightwing and Gambit?
Oh right, it’s only a problem when it’s straight men.
August 11th, 2006 at 3:57 pm
It would help if some mainstream comic fans didn’t have such a “us vs. them” attitude.
us vs. manga
us. vs. children
us. vs. women
us vs. black and white comics
and so on.
August 11th, 2006 at 4:07 pm
“Most women I know won’t go anywhere near a superhero book, but most women I know won’t go anywhere near a sci-fi book either.”
Most women I know won’t go near a book, period. Good thing they’re pretty …
August 11th, 2006 at 4:09 pm
Great response Stephanie.
Maybe it’s not comic books that people down upon maybe it’s the self-righteous attitude that comic book fans have towards what someone reads, likes, etc. Most people I know detest that type of attitude.
August 11th, 2006 at 11:40 pm
David, it’s so true! I find it surprising when pretentious snob going on and on about how they don’t want women shopping at their comic shops, or how manga readers are stupid, or how it’s dumb that comic companies want to cater to other audiences.
On the extreme flip side, it would also help if some comic readers weren’t so “welcoming” to do things like grab my ass when I was shopping in a comic book store (true story). >_<
August 12th, 2006 at 2:29 am
I only did that once, Stephanie, and you were smiling about it at the time…
August 14th, 2006 at 5:49 pm
I think the comic readers are riduculed because so often their reading material is ridiculous. Simple as that.
I grew up reading superhero comics but left when the industry seemed to take a turn in the nineties (before the big tank) toward bad girls, bad pencilers (yes you Rob Liefield) and plots that, as Stephanie pointed out, isolated anyone outside a very narrow demographic. I grew up and the comics didn’t…So I left them behind and thought bad things about those who could keep stomaching the crap being served.
I’m coming back though. Joss Whedon should be worshipped at Marvel. I have a feeling I’m not the only older Marvel fan who’s using his series as a way back to comics.