We Are Comics Banishes Stereotypes, Showcases Community

[knighthood]

I am actually concerned about the perspective concerning comics. We are more then just nerdy fanboys. Our demographic is much more diverse and the products being offered should be as diverse.

On the flip side I'm also concerned about the general public's perception of comics. We are more than just super-heroes. American comics should strive for the widespread acceptance that manga has in Japan. Heck, they can by manga from vending machines! I can't even pick up a book from my local grocery store anymore.

[Tomppa]

I'm down with that, but it's not quite what the article or project is about, either.

It's about showing solidarity for people that are getting blocked out of fandom, and in many case, blocked out of shops and events as well.

My girlfriend can't go to the lcs in her city, without the owner offering sex-discounts or the regulars yelling trivia questions at her to make her prove her fandom. My mom tried to go to her local shop, they treated her as if she must be a complete idiot and ignorant of all things. When I took my niece to get her her own trades of Morrison's bat-stuff, the guy at the counter literally refused to take her money and sell her RIP because he decided she wouldn't understand it. I've got friends who'll never risk another con, or some who go, but get somebody else to hit the floor for them, because of past problems.

When I was 10/11 and Claremont & Lee's X-Men #1 came out, I went with my cousins and brother to a shop in Santa Fe, and the guy at the counter thought we were latino so he kept on about how bad we stank, how much chicle did we have to sell to get the money to buy the comics, don't steal anything, blah blah. We were freaked out, and going to leave empty-handed, except this black guy came over and told us we don't have to put up with that, making the guy let us buy or stuff in peace, then telling the clerk he and us kids wouldn't be coming back, but using the shop three blocks away, which I did, steadily, both times I lived there. The other shop was friendly, inclusive, and it made a difference.

Even if you kinda look like Comic Book Guy, it's important to let people know we don't all sound and act like ignorant petty jerks. That's regardless of what comics you read, which comics you don't read.

Holy shit! I can't believe this! People really act that way?! No wonder comics or at least comicbook fans are a dying breed! Who would want to belong to group that treats potential new members and anyone not fitting into certain gender or racial stereotype like that! If I lived in US and saw something like that in my LCS I'd fucking explode at them for being so stupid. smh

I am actually concerned about the perspective concerning comics. We are more then just nerdy fanboys. Our demographic is much more diverse and the products being offered should be as diverse.

On the flip side I'm also concerned about the general public's perception of comics. We are more than just super-heroes. American comics should strive for the widespread acceptance that manga has in Japan. Heck, they can by manga from vending machines! I can't even pick up a book from my local grocery store anymore.

Exactly! Great points. While I mostly read superhero comics I think people should be made aware that comics are so much more than that. Especially this day and age there are such a diverse variety of comics with indie market and creator owned stuff plus all TV shows and movies that are either adapted into comics, continued in comics form after cancellation or have tie in comics and with comic book movie craze being as big as it is atm. I can't understand that comics aren't sold in the local grocery stores in the US. I wouldn't be reading comics now if it weren't for the fact that here comics are sold at grocery stores and gas stations. It's the only way to become familiar with them if you don't know anyone else who already reads american comics and could introduce them to you.
Only way for comics to survive in the digital age where they have to compete with movies, TV and games, besides advancing digital and making sure they offer quality stories, is to diversify the selection and to get comics to people! And that means more than selling them just in some specialty stores that people can't find unless they're specifically looking for them. In Japan manga is big because selection ranges from historical to crime fiction and young adult fiction to romance, sports and action and really everything imaginable. And you can buy them anywhere. That's how it should be everywhere if you want comics to continue going forward.

[King Of All Nerds]

Lots of people in real life DO care. Who do you think writes about this stuff? Reads and responds to it? People in real life.
It's really easy not to care when you're being catered to, and it's easy to think other people don't care when you don't want them to. But, plenty of people do care.

Why an I not surprised you took "real life" way too literal? You also seemed to be confused about how apathy works but...whatever. *shrug*

[Mbast1]

Why an I not surprised you took "real life" way too literal? You also seemed to be confused about how apathy works but...whatever. *shrug*

You mean I should have thought you meant as opposed to IN the comics?

No, I'm not confused about anything. I just know how often people SAY they don't care, when if they really didn't, they wouldn't even bother to SAY anything. THAT is apathy. What is being done with the "I don't care and no one else really does either" line isn't apathy, it's an attempt to shut down a conversation people don't like.

[Rene Narciso]

Yeah, the good old "nobody cares about this" diversion strategy.

Dude cares a lot if he takes the time to read the article, follow the discussion, and then post on a message board to let us know that no one cares.

[Indigo Al]

My girlfriend can't go to the lcs in her city, without the owner offering sex-discounts or the regulars yelling trivia questions at her to make her prove her fandom. My mom tried to go to her local shop, they treated her as if she must be a complete idiot and ignorant of all things. When I took my niece to get her her own trades of Morrison's bat-stuff, the guy at the counter literally refused to take her money and sell her RIP because he decided she wouldn't understand it. I've got friends who'll never risk another con, or some who go, but get somebody else to hit the floor for them, because of past problems.

Jesus. What shop is this in your GF's local city? People should know where these scumbags do business. And for the guy refusing your niece - was there a sound, solid slapping involved?

[Michael24]

I've been to lots of comic shops over the years, and I've never seen anybody treated badly like that. My current LCS has regular customers of both genders, various ages and different races, and everybody is treated equally. To do otherwise is just bad business, plain and simple.

[Crazy-El]

Social values ​​are often controversial topics. People who promote these values ​​would be desirable that they are less controversial in their demands. Here we have people who belong to a subculture. I wish they would talk about the positive things that are done in the comics. Jeff Lemire with his young Aboriginal girl, who served as a model for its new super-heroine in Justice League United. Harley he could represent underground culture. It would also all persons with reduced capacity, which are in a wheelchair, should also be represented, but that they not speak. We speak more than one underground culture and sexual orientation. But I assure you I am for social equality. I prefer people who speak more calmly, asking the right questions and less vindictive.

[skyvolt2000]

I've been to lots of comic shops over the years, and I've never seen anybody treated badly like that. My current LCS has regular customers of both genders, various ages and different races, and everybody is treated equally. To do otherwise is just bad business, plain and simple.

If you are the only source in town, you can get away with almost anything. Including bad service and being rude to folks.

If the choice comes down to buying comics from them or not buying period because you don't have anywhere else to go-you will see folks put up with it.

[dupont2005]

I'm down with that, but it's not quite what the article or project is about, either.

It's about showing solidarity for people that are getting blocked out of fandom, and in many case, blocked out of shops and events as well.

My girlfriend can't go to the lcs in her city, without the owner offering sex-discounts or the regulars yelling trivia questions at her to make her prove her fandom. My mom tried to go to her local shop, they treated her as if she must be a complete idiot and ignorant of all things. When I took my niece to get her her own trades of Morrison's bat-stuff, the guy at the counter literally refused to take her money and sell her RIP because he decided she wouldn't understand it. I've got friends who'll never risk another con, or some who go, but get somebody else to hit the floor for them, because of past problems.

When I was 10/11 and Claremont & Lee's X-Men #1 came out, I went with my cousins and brother to a shop in Santa Fe, and the guy at the counter thought we were latino so he kept on about how bad we stank, how much chicle did we have to sell to get the money to buy the comics, don't steal anything, blah blah. We were freaked out, and going to leave empty-handed, except this black guy came over and told us we don't have to put up with that, making the guy let us buy or stuff in peace, then telling the clerk he and us kids wouldn't be coming back, but using the shop three blocks away, which I did, steadily, both times I lived there. The other shop was friendly, inclusive, and it made a difference.

Even if you kinda look like Comic Book Guy, it's important to let people know we don't all sound and act like ignorant petty jerks. That's regardless of what comics you read, which comics you don't read.

Wow, that's some insane behavior you've experienced. I hope those shops all went out of business.

[dupont2005]

right...but that feeling seems to be vastly in the minority

Im trying to talk my lady into going into a convention later this year but she's heard/read some horror stories and is really not open to the idea based on those things

I have a friend who used to cosplay but doesn't anymore because of all the people at cons trying to take pictures of her butt or rub up against her unnecessarily.

[dupont2005]

On the flip side I'm also concerned about the general public's perception of comics. We are more than just super-heroes. American comics should strive for the widespread acceptance that manga has in Japan. Heck, they can by manga from vending machines! I can't even pick up a book from my local grocery store anymore.

It's really not just the general public's perception. Want people to think comics are about more than super heroes? Buy more than super hero comics, discuss more than super hero comics, ask the LCS to stock more than just super hero comics.

[dupont2005]

I've been to lots of comic shops over the years, and I've never seen anybody treated badly like that. My current LCS has regular customers of both genders, various ages and different races, and everybody is treated equally. To do otherwise is just bad business, plain and simple.

I've never seen a Klan rally, but they exist.

We're not generalizing all comic shop owners as racist bigots, but apparently some are. The solution is to out them and hope they lose their customers and go out of business, the hole in the market filled by a more tolerant retailer.

[t hedge coke]

Wow, that's some insane behavior you've experienced. I hope those shops all went out of business.

I know the one in Santa Fe did, by the time I was back there in high school.

I don't mean to imply this is every shop, anywhere, or something like that. I've been to awesome comics stores, I've been out at cons with friends where none of us had a hard time. It's just common enough, that to be apathetic about it, to just say "well, not my problem" only encourages things to get worse. The same shop that gives my gf trouble, before I knew that, I'd go in, sometimes they'd give me a beer just for stepping inside, try to sell me an entire long box of Mark Gruenwald comics or something, tell me about contests.

A friend works with libraries and schools in California, coordinating their manga/anime clubs, and she says apathy towards creepers or what she calls "loli boys" and "true fans" run off more diversity than anything, but many of the adult fans she works with want those guys to be let alone to act how they're going to act. They're written off as "enthusiastic" or "socially inept" so when they scare a 13 yr old girl by saying disgusting things or tell someone they're not into real manga, because they just have some popular series and try to block them out of engaging with other fans, it's the girl that leaves or the fan of the popular series, and they may still read manga/comics, but they're not calling themselves fans, publicly, any more, and they're not going to events anymore. Her colleagues, at the libraries or schools will sometimes point out that she's a woman, she's mixed race, and she loudly proclaims her fandoms, so it can't shut out everyone., and she'll have to explain it's not about whether it shuts out everyone, but that it's shutting out too many people, who haven't done anything wrong, just to provide a "safe space" for people who are being abusive.

[Charles RB]

I've seen that one come up again and again online, people talking about the geek fallacy of thinking you have to accept those people or you'd being 'judgemental' - and happened at uni with the Fantasy Sci-Fi Society, where one obnoxious bugger kept turning up and discouraging others until they told him to stop.Once they had, someone else heard and complained because they weren't being nice & inclusive and acting just like the bullies, yo)