Do some people still look at comic books as...?

[agent817]

"Kids Stuff"? Personally, I don't care either way if someone doesn't like comic books, but what I don't like is when people quickly assume that it's for kids or for dorks. Just because there are drawn-out visuals doesn't mean they're all for kids. Plus, not all comics have to do with superheroes. Take a look at stuff like "100 Bullets", "Girls", "The Boys", "Sin City", etc. Also, it still cracks me up how I heard that parents took kids to see Watchmen, when that wasn't a kids movie, nor was it your typical superhero flick. What do you think?

["American Cream" Dusty Loads]

nah it's usually just "nerd stuff"

[Maidpool w/ Cleaning Action]

I do. Why would anyone waste their time on comic books?

[agent817]

Jan 9, 2011 1:41:17 GMT -5 Maidpool w/ Cleaning Action said:

I do. Why would anyone waste their time on comic books?

I take it you're kidding, otherwise I wouldn't see Deadpool as your sig and avatar.

[clifford]

I think having mainstream, critically appraised movies such as the Marvel films, the Nolan Batman films, Sin City, Watchmen etc. have taken a lot of the stigma off of comic books as things just kids can read and enjoy.

That said, my dad was still fairly miffed to see me reading the Walking Dead when I was home over the holidays, and he's generally very open minded.

Comic books though. That's what they are. That's what they have always been. I hate this 'graphic novel' nonsense.

[Deleted]

I never saw it as kid's stuff. It's more of a "Guys in their 20s with free time stuff" situation.

That said, comics are pretty sweet.

[darthalexander]

I mentioned this situation in the animated film thread. Many people still do think this way but it's not as bad as it used to be. I remember in the 90s, comic shops seemed to always be in trouble for selling certain comics to kids and there being tons of reports on the news about "evil, corrupting" comic books. Now it's "evil and corrupting" video games we hear about.

I also wish people would realise comics are more than just superheroes.

[Maidpool w/ Cleaning Action]

Jan 9, 2011 1:42:58 GMT -5 agent817 said:

Jan 9, 2011 1:41:17 GMT -5 Maidpool w/ Cleaning Action said:

I do. Why would anyone waste their time on comic books?

I take it you're kidding, otherwise I wouldn't see Deadpool as your sig and avatar.

Yeah, I'm pretty much using my profile as a giant winky face on that one. lol

[mattperiolat]

Anyone who says comics are trash is ignorant and I blame Fredric Wertham for the stigma.

Don't know the name? Wiki or read Seduction of the Innocent. In one flawed thesis, he nearly killed the entire comics industry, made the US SENATE investigate COMIC BOOKS, and, oh yes, created the Batman-is-gay theory. Oh and made comics look like trash.

For my money, at times, comics can be great literature (Read Watchmen or Dark Knight Returns for that). They can be cultural milestones (compare how African-Americans are portrayed in Superman newsstrips from the 1940s to the elderly gentleman verbally destroying Green Lantern in GL/GA #76). Or, quite honestly, just darn entertaining stories (insert favorite story line from your favorite comic here).

Hug a comic today. It may be an expensive habit at times, but it's nice to have a tangible memory of where the money went than to be wondering what someone may have smoked or drank last night.

[FinalGwen]

I always love the fact that the World Fantasy Award changed its rules after Neil Gaiman won the Best Short Fiction award with part of the Sandman series so that comics couldn't win again. You can just imagine the range of closed-minded authors outraged that they could be defeated by a mere comics author.

[Bub (BLM)]

Let me put it to you this way - I work with an idiot who took her 7 and 5 year old kids to see Watchmen because "It was superheroes... I didn't know it would be like that. It's supposed to be for kids". People like that really irk me. Comics haven't been "for kids" for a very long time.

Hell, if you look at Marvel, they've never been for kids. Stan Lee says in multiple interviews that he was writing for teenagers and young adults.

[Ian Austin]

Comic-books are like anything. Some are good, some are bad, some are very British (see my sig) and some are utterly repugnant.

But screw what other people think. I dig comic-books. And don't see the point in pretending otherwise, or saying "they're graphic novels" to try and increase my hipster points. If you like them, f*** what anyone else thinks.

[DSR]

Jan 9, 2011 8:30:37 GMT -5 Ian Austin said:

Comic-books are like anything. Some are good, some are bad, some are very British (see my sig) and some are utterly repugnant.

But screw what other people think. I dig comic-books. And don't see the point in pretending otherwise, or saying "they're graphic novels" to try and increase my hipster points. If you like them, f*** what anyone else thinks.

I only recently got the distinction between "Graphic Novels" and "Trade Paperbacks." I've been using the two terms interchangeably. *shrug*

[hossfan]

The funny thing is the only time I see kids in my local comic book store its when there's a "Magic the Gathering" tournament going on upstairs.

[Ryback on a Pole!]

I don't even think comics are considered nerdy anymore.

I mean, everybody seemed to love the Spiderman & X-Men films, even folks who didn't collect comics. I think the success of the recent comic book movies has got comics more mainstream, sure not everybody collects comics but the stigma of it been for fat, 30 year old guys who live in their mam's basement has gone imo.

[Citizen Snips Has Left]

Jan 9, 2011 8:35:46 GMT -5 hossfan said:

The funny thing is the only time I see kids in my local comic book store its when there's a "Magic the Gathering" tournament going on upstairs.

I usually go to Atomic City Comics on South Street here in Philly. Aside from the owners' kid, the place is all teens and older.

[JLAJRC]

Jan 9, 2011 8:46:38 GMT -5 Ryback on a Pole! said:

I don't even think comics are considered nerdy anymore.

I mean, everybody seemed to love the Spiderman & X-Men films, even folks who didn't collect comics. I think the success of the recent comic book movies has got comics more mainstream, sure not everybody collects comics but the stigma of it been for fat, 30 year old guys who live in their mam's basement has gone imo.

I don't know. As a fellow comic collector/reader, it seems more like comic book related stuff (movies, tv shows/cartoons, video games, etc.) is popular. But comic book themselves, are definately still not popular.

[Ian Austin]

Jan 9, 2011 9:15:07 GMT -5 JLAJRC said:

Jan 9, 2011 8:46:38 GMT -5 Ryback on a Pole! said:

I don't even think comics are considered nerdy anymore.

I mean, everybody seemed to love the Spiderman & X-Men films, even folks who didn't collect comics. I think the success of the recent comic book movies has got comics more mainstream, sure not everybody collects comics but the stigma of it been for fat, 30 year old guys who live in their mam's basement has gone imo.

That depends.

Batman and Captain America got national press coverage for recent comic-book events.

[Ryback on a Pole!]

Jan 9, 2011 9:15:07 GMT -5 JLAJRC said:

Jan 9, 2011 8:46:38 GMT -5 Ryback on a Pole! said:

I don't know. As a fellow comic collector/reader, it seems more like comic book related stuff (movies, tv shows/cartoons, video games, etc.) is popular. But comic book themselves, are definately still not popular.

The comics themselves are nowhere near as popular as the other related franchises but, it still seems to me that comics themselves aren't considered nerdy.

People may not collect them but at the same time, they also don't seem to look down on the people who do and automatically class them as a geek.

They just seem to be alot more accepted in the mainstream now.

[Jiren]

Where I am yes or It could be Nerdy, All I know is it bugs the hell outta me

People find Twilight legitimite reading yet look down on me for reading Comic/Trades, Regardless of the fact that even the worst Comic is better written than Twilight.

Just because it's a Novel doesn't make it better.