[Rant] Let’s get rid of gatekeepers in comic book culture

Stitch

As a long-time comics fan and someone with a very extensive comic book collection (in print and in digital form), one of my least favorite experiences is having to deal with gatekeepers in comic book culture — creators, fellow fans, and comic store staff — that think that comics belong to boys and quizzing fans on their knowledge is a valid way to “save” the industry.

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Within weeks of seriously collecting comic books, I had over three hundred. And yet I get tested on my nerd knowledge on a regular basis as if faking my interests is in anyway logical.

From July through December of 2014, I was out of the country. I was 1100 miles away from everything that was familiar to me and a good thirty-minute flight away from the nearest comic book store (in Puerto Rico of all places!).

I was on an island with no bookstore, one movie theater, and RadioShacks that didn’t even sell video games. You’d think that I’d be able to get away from the unpaid and unasked for gatekeepers of comic book culture on an island like that right?

Nope.

Even on that island, I had to deal with unwanted comic book gatekeepers testing me to make sure that I belonged (and hoping that I didn’t) and it sucked.Read More »

Friday Four: 3/9-3/13

Stitch

Here’s what got me pumped this week!

1.  This week’s episode of Empire

empire sinsI just watched Empire episode #10 Sins of the Father and I’m still not okay. It’s been over two hours and I still can’t get over how much the series packs into every single episode. The show keeps killing it and I think it can only go up from here.

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The Great Unboxing: Hot Toys’ Steve Rogers & Captain America

Stitch

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I first preordered this figure set alongside the Winter Soldier one back in April of 2014. I saw the first pictures up on Tumblr and immediately decided that not only did I need a Hot Toys figure, but I needed to order three of them from Sideshow Toys.

At first, I was only going to get the Stealth Captain America. After all, I had Bucky right? What more did I need?

But then I saw the two-figure set and I was hooked.

Finally,  after eleven months of waiting (and an entire day spent sitting in front of the front door waiting for the ups truck to come),  my figures are finally here!

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