Rant: Comic book fans at that convention last Saturday were something else

I went to the Big City Comic Con last weekend and man, the fans there were acting like gatekeepers on steroids. Some guy yelled at a kid for not knowing the exact issue number where Wolverine lost his adamantium. I saw three people arguing for 20 minutes about whether a variant cover from 1992 was 'real' canon or not. It felt more like a competition than a place to share a hobby we all love. Why do some fans turn something fun into a test of who's the biggest nerd? Has anyone else dealt with crowds like that at their local show?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamie94013d ago

That "comics are supposed to be FUN" line really hits home. My buddy Dave brought his nephew to a con last year, just a kid who loves the Spider-Man movies, and some guy overheard him say "Miles Morales is my favorite Spider-Man" and went on a full rant about how "real fans" know Peter Parker is the only one. The kid was so embarrassed he barely looked at any comics the rest of the day. Stuff like that makes me think some people just want to feel superior, not share a love for the stories.

the_taylor13d ago

That "pop quiz" line got me, I used to be that guy but now I just feel bad for the kid.

knight.felix14d ago

And that guy yelling at a KID about Wolverine's adamantium is EXACTLY the problem. I saw a grown man at my local show literally block a teenager from looking at a back issue bin because the kid didn't know which era of X-Men was "peak." It's like they forget comics are supposed to be FUN and not a pop quiz. That gatekeeping stuff just pushes new readers away and then they wonder why sales are down.