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Post by G on Nov 28, 2009 11:14:34 GMT -5
This might look a bit self depreciating since I myself fully admit to loving and collecting comic books. But I have to ask myself every time I go to a comic convention or an overloaded comic store why I want to put myself with the same crowd that looks romantically challenged all the time; lacking in hygiene, style and grooming skills, I often feel the collectors of comics give comic collecting.....a bad name. I cannot tell you how many times I've been at a convention rummaging through boxes and some dude like this came up elbow to elbow to me, almost knocking me over to look at the same books I was at the same time. And if not physically knocking me over to look at the same books, their spicy "aura" of funk would remove me even quicker, I have to wonder why is comic collecting plagued with such a high ratio of, for lack of a better term.....nerds.  I think it's okay to have fun with comic collecting. And I guess its fine if you want to dress up in costumes of your favorite hero or villain. Although this is clearly not for me and not something I would ever do. I sometimes admire those that have the gumption to do it. Because I certainly couldn't parade around like that. However, that quickly disappears when the person takes on the personality of the character. And even worse, begins posing or better yet, trying to look intimidating while in garb. It's enough to make you wanna punch them in the face just to see one cry.  Or worse yet, the over sophisticated comic collector who has read every comic, knows every character, has every issue and can answer every question with authority all the while wearing clothes that scream "I was beat up in school daily and I still live with my mother". Where do they get these pompous attitudes of authority when they attend conventions and suddenly have their highest form of power compared to their normal everyday lives? You can almost feel how much these "players" are living in their element when around other convention goers and comic collectors. It's like when William Shatner said in his famous SNL skit spoofing a Star Trek convention....."You....have you ever even kissed a girl"? "Son, get a life"!  I sometimes want to quit comic collecting just because of the clientele. I think for a bit in the 80s and early 90s, it seemed as though comics were becoming just a bit more mainstream and appealed to a little more of the "all walks of life" variety. When it felt a bit more normal to collect comics. Yes, there was still a high ratio of nerds, but now with comics being almost an outdated relic of the past......it seems its the true blue nerds that remain and the ratio has never been higher. That if you want to be a comic collector these days, you just have to wade your way through an endless crowd of hapless individuals seeking acceptance from others just like themselves. It sometimes seriously makes me consider letting the hobyy I love so much go. Is there any hope comics will attract "normal" people again? |
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Post by defiant1 on Nov 28, 2009 12:46:19 GMT -5
All I can say is that I agree.
Here is Harlan Ellison giving his take on his fans...
The sad thing is that he talks in their language when he's putting them down. He's just as bad as they are. That's Peter David speaking first.
At Heroes Con, some fat guy was walking around dressed like Superman. I looked at my friends that were setup in the artists section and said "Superman has really let himself go to hell." They laughed. Even the sexy girl that dress up like catwoman concern me. I have no interest in walking around like that. I think it's stupid. Dragon Con is more notable as a freak show that it is a multimedia convention.
I'll never forget the overweight girl dressed up a a fair maiden at Dragon Con. She had this dress that pressed her boobs up. I called it a boob shelf. Her breast had no form or shape. they were like blobs of jelly jiggling in a bowl. It looked horrible and she was smiling ear to ear at the stares she was getting. I was ashamed for her.
Defiant1
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Post by G on Nov 28, 2009 20:12:35 GMT -5
That video is funny as hell! He's speaking the truth. He questions how his profession of choice, which envolves making something he loves is in turn loved by a a bunch of freaks and it seems like it almost makes him ashamed or less honored by his work. You can tell his work means a lot to him and in his mind, he feels it should be enjoyed and admired by people of a higher caliber. And instead, it is adored by a bunch of freaks. You can tell he questions himself on his career choice when he sees the fruits of his labor.
At the college I attend, there is one building with a cafeteria in there. Since I work at school now, I often take my lunch breaks in there heating up microwavable food my wife has put in my lunch box. The cafeteria is a clique hang out for the sci-fi, card gamer, video gamer, comic book and manga loving dorks. The entire cafeteria is filled with this crowd and they are in there every time I am. It's amazing how much they come alive when they are surrounded by others like themselves. To my amazement, there are some girls in there who wear some manga like bunny ears and bunny tails and they go around and sit on these nerd's laps and bounce around and grind on them while they play their little games. Although these are not pure babes, they aint half bad looking and sport nice asses. I sit there and watch as I eat how they grind these nerds with these asses and how the nerds hardly pay it any mind at all. It's like the females don't mean anything to them. I'm sure a few of them are secretly excited but they don't know how to act so they just pay attention to the game because they don't have an aggressive bone in their bodies to make a move on the girls. The other half are frankly just more interested in the game and the girls mean NOTHING to them. These are flat out dweebs. You can tell every guy just doesn't know how to handle it. I often think to myself I should go and sit over there and hang with the dweebs just to get a free daily lap dance. But, I'm too old for it and I don't need the wrong people to see me. Also, I'm happily married so no need for it. So I just sit back and watch. But still, I further wonder if the dorks took to making aggressive moves towards getting laid by one of these chicks, would the girls suddenly stop doing their free daily lap dances? Its almost like they do it because they know the boys wont do anything.
Still its a perfect representation of any given comic convention with girls and nerds. The girls range from nerdy to not bad (sometimes). The dudes range from non aggressive to probably closet gay. If any of the dudes just stopped paying attention to their geeked out card games and paid attention to the women dancing on their laps, they could probably have some of these chicks making men out of them. Problem is, they just aint interested or they're just scared. Seems an awful lot like the crowds I see at the conventions.
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Post by defiant1 on Nov 28, 2009 23:25:03 GMT -5
My personality type is pretty much inept with relationships because I don't relate to the whole social ritual. Regardless, when I do find one that I like and she'll put up with me... I'm in bliss. Call me shallow, but the last two girls I've gone out with were models. One published one that I quit calling. The other 'almost' published because the magazine ceased their print publications.
I think that if a girl dressed up like a Manga character and started bouncing on my lap and wasn't better looking than Tina Fey or that caliber... it would probably annoy me. Personality goes a long way, but dressing up like Manga characters would be a turn-off. I had absolutely no interest when that girl Apollo Smile used to do conventions.
Defiant1
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Post by G on Nov 29, 2009 0:53:25 GMT -5
You obviously can find far superior women and capitalize on that. So when you see average looking at best girls parading around, it's not something for anyone to care about. And I agree with you there.
But these are dudes who you can almost tell, they aint had any experience with even ugly girls. And if they have, 1st base was like a home run for them. And yet, here are girls who although below par for the rest of us, are far better than they'll ever realize without paying for it.
And the sad part of it all is....the card games and manga comics are more interesting to them. They know far too much what to do with an ultimate rare card than they do with a willing woman .
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Post by defiant1 on Nov 29, 2009 7:36:12 GMT -5
I think you nailed it when you said "card games". Unless you are drinking and playing poker for cash, card games aren't 'cool'. I don't think fantasy or cartoon based card games are cool in any way whatsoever. Girls dressing up like cartoon characters is a little evidence of stunted development in my opinion. Nothing wrong with watching cartoons. The girl I like watches them. Dressing up... another matter entirely.
defiant1
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Post by G on Nov 29, 2009 10:25:38 GMT -5
Yes, card gamers are the lowest form on the food chain. Unfortunately, these are mostly the same types who are now your average comic collector. Nothing cool about them from head to toe. And funking up your space as you wade through comic boxes. As well as acting flat out weird. It's hard to imagine general working class professionals wanting to stand side by side with these types at all at local comic conventions. The stigma of being a comic collector is tarnished by this overabundance of nerds. The ratio seems higher than ever and feels like further proof that comics in general are on life support. You need more fathers and sons completing sought after collections and enjoying the hobby. However, today's sons would rather play video games and today's fathers don't want to be around a bunch of weird acting smelly dweebs.
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Post by defiant1 on Nov 29, 2009 12:01:11 GMT -5
I was in a book store yesterday and a couple of kids were looking at the plastic spinner racks of comics. They were normal looking kids. That's pretty much how I started, so I found it encouraging that normal kids took an interest in reading. I just don't feel that most comics would even appeal to young kids. The professionals in the industry today are more interested in appealing to outcasts like emo kids or geeks that think looking cool means wearing a Matrix trench coat. Typically they can't grow a beard are doing their damnedest to try. They have pale white skin from never going outdoors. They don't bathe regularly and their hair looks greasy from the lack of using shampoo. I agree entirely. Even though I'm inept at relationships, I know there are a lot of women interested in me. I'm one of these people that makes everyone smile and as one woman said "I'm just waiting for you to entertain me." There was one older woman who bought comics at a shop before it closed. I used to hang out there a lot and she'd smile the minute she saw me in the store. She confessed that she drove thirty miles out of her way to shop at that store just because we (me and my friends) entertained her. I call it the Howard Stern effect. People were always waiting for whatever I'd say next.
Defiant1
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Post by G on Nov 29, 2009 19:58:54 GMT -5
I just don't feel that most comics would even appeal to young kids. The professionals in the industry today are more interested in appealing to outcasts like emo kids or geeks that think looking cool means wearing a Matrix trench coat. Typically they can't grow a beard are doing their damnedest to try. They have pale white skin from never going outdoors. They don't bathe regularly and their hair looks greasy from the lack of using shampoo. You just described the nerds at my school to a T. It's amazing how nerds have the same appearance everywhere. You can cross thousands of miles and see the same type of nerds. Those Matrix trench coats make me want to punch them in the face even more. Tough acting nerds just slay me! |
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Post by defiant1 on Nov 29, 2009 20:28:24 GMT -5
I think you are insulting nerds when you say this. These kids are just detached from everything. They literally look like they just got off their job from McDonalds, changed into their trench coat without bathing first, and then went to shop for 30 sided dice because the store has a new color. Not saying they can't be intelligent otherwise. Not saying they can't be nice. They are just totally oblivious to anything outside the shell they've created around themselves. Of course you have the guys in their late 50's that have unkept beards like mountain men. They are usually quite knowledgeable but never fit in with a crowd either.
df1
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