Does anyone else get annoyed at the jolly come latelies?

[hero talk]

jolly sounds better then johnny any way

[Bradley]

This is a refreshingly pleasant and positive discussion.

I think I understand the impulse to be a little defensive about these things, as many of us were made to feel like geeks or outsiders for loving this stuff in years past. This stuff becoming "trendy" can seem off-putting. But honestly, I'm just glad to see that so many people are enjoying what they enjoy, without shame or self-consciousness. And it's nice that I don't have to feel self-conscious about the stuff I enjoy too. This wasn't always the case, it seems to me.

[Spike-X]

This post is no longer necessary and should be disregarded.

[Starchild]

I actually agree with OP, you aren't wrong at all. I find it annoying how bandwagoners are huge fans of X or Y without having any type of knowledge of them at all. You're a big Deadpool fan, but you don't know the name of the creators? They see a film, watch a show and all of a sudden they know all. Don't even get me started on those Wikipedia Warriors. Posers are the number one reason why I don't attend Comic Con that often, because I would most likely call them out on it.

[Spike-X]

[Paradox]

Cyberpunk Ronin came to give a classic example:

I actually agree with OP, you aren't wrong at all. I find it annoying how bandwagoners are huge fans of X or Y without having any type of knowledge of them at all. You're a big Deadpool fan, but you don't know the name of the creators? They see a film, watch a show and all of a sudden they know all. Don't even get me started on those Wikipedia Warriors. Posers are the number one reason why I don't attend Comic Con that often, because I would most likely call them out on it.

Almost literally "you're not liking it right".

Cyberpunk Ronin thinks he can be the judge of who gets to be a fan. Kids, don't be like Cyberpunk Ronin.

[t hedge coke]

And this thread was going so well...

[Kirby101]

Unless you started reading comics in the Golden Age, we are all Johnny-come-latelies.

[batnbreakfast]

I was late for Game of Thrones, Mad Men, David Bowie and 50 years late for Batman and I'm a diehard now. Hopefully noone disregards my opinion about theese topics since I'm passionate about them like they are family members. On the other hand it pleases me when people I consider jerks dislike them.

[Bradley]

I guess I kind of feel like I married someone who got into these things late-- my wife had read Watchmen and Sandman in college, but that was pretty much her only exposure to comics until the first Iron Man came out. These days, we spend an awful lot of time discussing the identity of Zoom on The Flash or Grant Morrison's oeuvre. I'm glad that my wife found that she enjoys these things, and I'm glad that the culture has evolved to the point that people are no longer made to feel like nerds or weirdos for being into this stuff.

[ed2962]

I really don't get people trying to be hipper than thou over characters that are used on kid's merchandise...

[John Aston]

Since posting this thread and reading the replies, it has really made me think and realise that I was wrong. It's fine that I have my own history with these things but as you say, I don't own them. If someone was to become a fan of my writing in 20 years time, I wouldn't want someone who has read me from the start to do anything but encourage.
We all found our way to comics in one way or another and that shared experience should be a great thing and nothing else.

Don't be too quick to back-step. You're actually tapping into something, at least myself, has experienced.

It's not a gate-keeper-of-the-hobby thing, but a disconnect long-time readers have to the those being sucked into the trendiness of comic book characters in TV or Film. They way it's going isn't "oh, look, new people starting to read comics" but "I wonder what the post credit sequence of Guardians of Galaxy Vol. 2 will be and will it tie into another film."

I absolutely love new comic readers and making (realistic) suggestions to read based on their tastes -- and quite envious of them being able to discover for the first time all the gems the medium offers and will back-issue dive to refresh my memory in order to have a conversation about what they read.

But, the movies... I can talk about the Captain America from the films with a larger number of people who are a wide age range but finding somebody who will be able to discuss the flaws of Mark Gruenwald's run compared to Mark Waid's initial run on Cap is still limited to message boards and comic shops.

The best course is the keep the course, finding somebody who will read. And of that group, somebody who might actually read a comic. And of that group, somebody who would consider a (realistic) recommendation. The films, at least, have probably made people a bit more likely to go for it.





The films have brought the characters to the forefront but not the source materials, which is unfortunate.

[t hedge coke]

Don't be too quick to back-step. You're actually tapping into something, at least myself, has experienced.

It's not a gate-keeper-of-the-hobby thing, but a disconnect long-time readers have to the those being sucked into the trendiness of comic book characters in TV or Film. They way it's going isn't "oh, look, new people starting to read comics" but "I wonder what the post credit sequence of Guardians of Galaxy Vol. 2 will be and will it tie into another film."

...

But, the movies... I can talk about the Captain America from the films with a larger number of people who are a wide age range but finding somebody who will be able to discuss the flaws of Mark Gruenwald's run compared to Mark Waid's initial run on Cap is still limited to message boards and comic shops.

It's okeh to be frustrated, or disappointed, but when that leads to actually condemning other fans or actively criticizing (or worse, attacking) them, it's not a good thing.

Even to love a thing, an entertainment, doesn't behoove one to seek out all versions of it or be versed in the history and sources. I have Sister Street Fighter playing in the background right now, and I love it, it's a special sort of thrill for me to watch it when I do, but I've never seen it in Japanese, uncut. I don't have any huge desire to do so. I wouldn't refuse, if I had the opportunity without paying, probably, but even then, it's probably not going to mean as much to me as the American dub.

I see, increasingly, old school Turtles fans getting mad because the new movies are aimed at kids and they're silly, awkward, kind of nonsensical, and April does too little/does too much, etc. Mikey's necklace doesn't make sense. Whatever. And, you look back, even the earliest Mirage comics were goofy. They had a serious face and ink-spray to represent blood, yeah, but they were also full of the Rextab Building and Daredevil puns and nearly all of those old school fans came in through very silly action figures or cartoons, not those first comics, anyway. Kids don't care. Kids are going to enjoy what they enjoy.

I'd love it if, when The Multiversity came out, it was easier to talk about not just the Superman and Batman riffs, which villains were mashed up in the Captain Marvel issue, but also the music and poetry used throughout, but, seriously, I can't expect the deep-in-superhero-comics people to be, each and all, deep into REM and Philip Larkin, too. Most of the people I can talk about the DCU aspects with aren't as interested in the Childe Roland or Nibelungen aspects. Some few are, and it's cool to talk with them, but I'm sure, they, too, have things they might want to talk with someone about that connect, that I'm not versed in or interested with.

A lot of the fans of the recent Captain America movies aren't even interested in earlier Captain America movies, much less the comics, and that's just to be expected. They're connected, but perhaps what they enjoy about it isn't as connected or even present in the other forms, other options.

[Starchild]

Almost literally "you're not liking it right".

Cyberpunk Ronin thinks he can be the judge of who gets to be a fan. Kids, don't be like Cyberpunk Ronin.

So posers and bandwagoners are okay? Walking around in a Green Lantern shirt and not knowing a damn thing about GL is fine right? I don't care how many movies or episodes they watch. The comics will always be the foundation.

[Paradox]

Cyberpunk Ronin insists on his hierarchical chart:

So posers and bandwagoners are okay?

Yes, although "posers" and "bandwagoners" aren't what they are. They're just fans.

Walking around in a Green Lantern shirt and not knowing a damn thing about GL is fine right?

Absolutely. Why do you think you get to be the arbiter of other people's fandom?

I don't care how many movies or episodes they watch. The comics will always be the foundation.

So what? What's it to you?

You should be happy other people like stuff you do, not defensive that (I repeat) "they're liking it wrong". Heck, it even lets you show off your acquired knowledge to people about cool stuff they didn't know. Unless, of course, you only use it to tell them how wrong and stupid they are. Educate and share the joy!