It still surprises me that in today’s society people still have negative preconceptions about comic book readers. It does not make sense to me how many people still believe comic book readers cannot let go of their childhood or that comics are only for children. I can’t wait until the day we can say that the negative preconceptions of comic book readers have gone away. I have to tell you about the conversation I had with a particular [Censored] late last night.
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The Situation
Last night, I found myself sitting in the baggage claim at Metro Airport waiting for my brother and sister-in-law to land. I had an hour to blow, so I pulled some comics out of my backpack. A man sitting a few seats away said “Hey, aren’t you too damn old to read comics?” At first I thought he was joking until I realized the look on his face was serious. He continued with “My kids gave up comics in their teens. Isn’t it time you did the same and grow up?” I not only found myself dealing with someone with negative preconceptions of comic book readers, I found myself dealing with a complete [Censored].
My Reply
Astonished, I tried to pull my composure together quickly and asked him “What is the top movie in the world right now?” He answered by blurting “Who the [Censored] cares? I know it is Iron Man but that does not justify an adult reading comics.” “So, let me wrap my mind around this,” I responded, “millions of people can go see a movie about a man flying around in a super suit, but reading about it is childish?” He then went on a [Censored] diatribe about there being a difference between reading books with tons of pictures and reading a novel. He tossed out all of the typical negative preconceptions about comic book readers.
The Final Response
I grabbed one of the comics in my bag so he could see the difference between comics now, and the comics he grew up with. I showed him how comics are more grown and mature than they were twenty years ago when his children would have been reading. I told him about recent storylines about the murder of a child (Damian Wayne), insanity, and about how characters have to deal with more than just baddies in the modern comics. While I did not win him over to reading comics, at least I shut him the [Censored] up for five minutes until it was time for his baggage to arrive.
Keeping My Cool
It was difficult for me to keep my cool with this particular [Censored] and his negative preconceptions of comic book readers. I decided to leave my anger for this article. I decided to leave it for the [Censored] preps who think they can talk to me about football simply because I have a Lions hat on but think there is something wrong with me when I talk to them about comics when they are wearing a shirt from “The Avengers.” I saved my anger for the people who think they can relate to our subculture because they [Censored] watch The Big Bang Theory. I will save my anger for the next person who brings up his or her negative preconceptions about comic book readers when I am trying to read a [Censored] comic book. I will unleash my anger the next time a person believes the preconceived “truths” from 25 years ago hold true today. [Censored]! Either accept our subculture or shut the [Censored] up!
