While I was in Seattle, I spent a day hanging out with my brother, @nathanisthebest, his friend Kate, and Mike (@elbowsandknees). We went to the comic shop and I was looking at a rack of Wonder Woman trades and whatnot.
As I’m reviewing the materials, a person of a certain stereotypical comic book nerd persuasion stands next to me to look at the same rack. Or, as it turns out, my rack. He asks, “So, who’s your favorite superhero?”
As I am standing in front of the Wonder Woman display, holding an armload of Wonder Woman comics, I mumble, “Uh, Wonder Woman?” and figure that will be the end of it or he will ask me what I think of something specific about Wonder Woman, since that’s how these nerdy conversations usually go.
But then he says, “You usually don’t see girls in comic book shops, so I had to ask.”
I took a breath and replied, “You usually don’t see women my age being referred to as girls,” turned on my heel and walked away. I didn’t see his reaction. He’s lucky I was in a good mood, I guess.
Later on, as we were driving Mike back to the Lynnwood Park & Ride, I began to feel some regret about my brutal shutdown of the nerd and mentioned it to the car – which then exploded into laughter and full-on judgement of his poor-social skills and, apparently, bad personal grooming. I really didn’t get a good look at him, but I’ll take their word for it.
What a tool.
I have definitely had the “prove your geekery” grilling in comic book stores. Homing in on me in between the two guys I walked in with (who, incidentally, were there because I dragged them along with me). Like, “Surely you’re here by mistake, little lady.”
Womenfolk in a comic book store? Must be a hidden camera show or something. It’s that zany!
Amazing, isn’t it? I only actually buy stuff in comic book stores one out of every four times I’m in there, and I’m constantly expecting them to move me along. It must be the penis.
I hate going to the comic shop anymore because I don’t look like the nerds or hipster weirdos they’re used to. Everybody, even the staff, stare like I’m some intruder and not somebody willing to drop some cashflow into their rapidly collapsing niche market. “That guy looks old! Like 30 something! He isn’t overweight OR rocking a soul-patch! He doesn’t even smell bad. ALERT!!!”
I’ve been buying comics on the iPhone recently. Not the same experience, but very freeing from that sort of nerd shit and a lot more engaging that I would have thought. The Comixology Comics app is pretty good. Also a huge time and space saver, which (the lack of) are the reasons I stopped reading comics regularly years ago.
I know Matty is lying because he surely smells bad.
It is possible I’m just very used to my stink and don’t notice it. Also, I cavort with gibbons. NO SEX THOUGH. That’s for the record.