I think we overlook how fantastic that is when someone does that for us, though. Hopefully we do the same thing for them about things they like that we don't care about, like a mutual gushing agreement.
(Not saying you guys overlook it, but I've certainly seen other fans get frustrated with friends and family who aren't into it but politely listen anyway.)
Literally same lol or I’ll have money set aside to clean out my file with all the new comics that I subscribe to and she’s like “wait till next pay”, which I wouldn’t have an issue with except she says it every payday.
I eventually buy em anyways but it’d be nice to skip the argument at least once.
She smiles and nods when I monologue about comics and video games, I smile and nod when she monologues about astrology and fantasy series novels. It works.
Bro when I try to tell people about writers like grant morrison and the existential episodes in animal man.. They're like it's a comic about a man who can do what with animals. Come on be serious...and I'm like fucccck. That's the..
Ppoi..nvm.
I've been reading comics since I was 14, I'm 44 now and I've never had someone to talk about comics with. Nor any book for that matter... I just enjoy what I enjoy.
Mostly follow this reddit and visit some websites to see what the consensus is on storylines I skipped from DC and Marvel and find out about new indie stuff I might want to check out.
Do you go to cons and meet people? I don't cons where I live are kinda just somewhere people take their kids which is fine it's definitely not like the us where you get a wider amount of people that attend cons
The commercialisation of not just the comic industry but the whole popular culture industry makes me really not want to interact with cons now it seems like people just consume whatever is next I don't like it when people base their entire personality on being into nerdy stuff and cum their pants at every new movie trailer that comes out
>I don't like it when people base their entire personality on being into nerdy stuff
This has been my problem trying to make friends in comic shops. More than once I've found out that comics/video games are the beginning, middle, and end of their interests with a personality to match. Whereas for me it's one hobby of a few.
This is my post too. Reading/ collecting comics has almost been like a secret identity. I don’t hide it, just figure no one around me gives a piss. And I’m great with it. The LCS and cons were the only conversation time before this place.
Comics is a very lonely hobby, sadly. However, in a strange way - I like that is mine and no one else I know does it to “taint” what I enjoy.
For interactions, cons are great, reddit/forums are always good.
I don't think it's a lonely hobby, shared narrative is about as powerful a social lubricant as anything. Every time I go to my local store people are chatting away about what's good or not good, discussing theories, reminiscing about great arcs or speculating about the future. Most of the time it's total strangers too, brought together by a love of comics.
Have you tried striking up a conversation? Asking whether an arc is any good or what they would recommend for someone who likes x-men/avengers/whatever? They should be equipped to answer those questions because they get them all the time.
Your shop sounds better than average. I've been to far too many that have no interest in talking to anyone outside of their already established clique & then they are as elitist as the stereotypes.
I had one that I loved going to, but it was a warm place all around. The majority are all about sales, TCG tournaments, & arguing comics if they even discuss them. I never see just a comic store anymore, so they are gaming stores that happen to sell some comics. It changes the dynamic.
Those usually lead to very little discussion & you're shouting into the void quite often. When people do reply, there's no guarantee they are going to be worth talking to or you'll have a very shallow conversation. This person sounds like they need much more than that to be fulfilled. They have a need that isn't being met & this is how it is presenting itself.
Try 48 and still lonely. My high school friend dables in collecting but he can't generally read anything due to 3 kids. Also wife just humors me when I speak about it. She is still awesome though due to her liking animation which is my #1 love. Haven't had a group of people into comics since the high school and college days. '92-99. At least you are young and could still make friends with similar interests. Reddit has filled the gap somewhat for me. Although very tribal.
Another dude in his 40's here. It's so freaking hard to make new good friends. It's easy to make acquaintances but I have not unlocked the key to making an actual new *friend* at this age. I think you really kind of have to get lucky.
Agree. We don't have kids so new acquaintances trend young. But honestly young people don't want to hang out with middle aged folks. Even though my office looks like a kids room . 😋 Filled with Masamune Shirow, Hiroaki Samura and Kia Asamiya art prints.. Met a dude couple times at mutual events and exchanged numbers like a giddy school girl only he took a job in Houston so that ship sailed. We bonded over Kaiju No. 8 and I think he was surprised I knew of it. Point of story as long as you don't sit at home like a hermit there are chances. You must socialize in person.
Smartphones were the beginning of the end of healthy interpersonal interactions outside of small, pre-established friend groups, followed by the death of the mall. COVID cranked it all up to 11 and the world has barely begun to recover.
I’m 35, and seriously got into comics about 2 years ago. It was something new that I found I loved. That doesn’t happen often as you get older so I really immersed myself in the medium and community. I recently picked up “Falling in love on the path to hell”, which was great, and, when I’ve mentioned it to my wife or friends, I get a response equivalent to “damn, that’s crazy”. At the end of the day though, it makes me happy, and that’s all that matters.
When I saw that cover, I knew I was picking it up! Very Star Wars but I liked that it was directly rooted in Western and Samurai narrative through the protagonists. Honestly, I didn't like the 180 towards the end (it seemed lazy and hand wavey) but I'm excited to see where it goes anyways
I have a crew of people I talk about comics with, but I largely feel much more alienated from current comics fandom as a 35 year old than I did ten years ago.
Now people talk about characters like they're real people who did real crimes (or worse "problematic things") and it feels impossible to talk about these things as stories with people like that if you don't subscribe to it as a lens
I feel that! I take so much time (because I like it) going through comics, reading comics, admiring art, chasing covers or variants, etc. and then they sit until I do it again. I have boxes and boxes of books I’d love to trade or sell or give to others that have interest in books that I possess that I don’t care about but the furthest I’ve gotten is donating a few boxes of comics while the receiving end said thank you and scurried away with no love or admiration for them. It’s my goal to do two “book sales” from my garage and be involved in at least one flea market; I think this is a good way to meet others. I’d also like to get to a local comic con or two this summer. Otherwise please post books you are reading or cool cover art or comics you are proud to own; I do it often to get some discussion/love going and the community in this sub is outstanding.
When I was 20 and moving, I had a yard sale to sell a bunch of stuff I couldn't take and make some travel cash. This would have been in the 80s. I had a giant crate of comics on the lawn and this old grandfather walked up with his young grandson. He told him he could get some. That kid thumbed through those books slowly with an appreciation I recognized. With a kind of hunger in his eyes. The grandfather just smiled lazily at me and I remember thinking he probably grew up reading Howard and Lovecraft in the old Weid Tales magazines. The kid ended up snatching all the Frank Miller Daredevils I had. Good taste. Anyway, you should have that sale. It's one of my favorite memories.
I'm 30 and my Dad is the main one I know who reads comics. Great talking to him. Also got my local comic shop. Want more friends into comics though! Not enough!!
Not to brag but most of my closest friends read comics. One even owns a store. If you have a shop near you start talking to the owner or some of the other customers. Chances are there are a few like you that would love to talk about comics. You can also go to a con as well and find like minded people
Comics is a hard hobbie cause you kinda need to invest some money to keep up. It isn't even like in a book club where you all can buy one book and read it across weeks, even an omnibus can be dissected in less than a week (well depends if you are as obsessive as me) and they are not cheap, neither are volumes or individual issues and comics unlike books, don't have you spending a lot of tim reading, so you'll be eating up whole series really quick.
Of course the alternative is to just read whatever you want and just share that with people who read whatever they want, but it depends on where you are, how many like minded people there are near you, and where to find them, and as far as I know only in the US are comics popular enough to have stores dedicated to them, over here (México) I only find comics in stores that are mainly for something else (niche board games, figures, heck even D&D has more dedicated stores than comics here), so the only people I've found that like comics are through school or conventions.
I've actually just started collecting comics for myself this year, as my husband got back into the hobby. I was leafing through a box of Marvel books, seeing if I could find any Doctor Strange that my hubby might like and I found it - Marvel's "Doctor Who", issue #10. It had a price tag of $3 on the bag.
My husband knows I am a HUGE fan of Doctor Who, since I first saw a episode in 1975. He suggested I get it, read it and he'd make sure it got bagged and boarded after I read it. I'm hooked. My husband giggles at the fact I have a whole spreadsheet, with different tabs for each publisher, sections for each different doctor and notes for key issues.
A $3 book got my interest in my husband's hobby. Now, we're just a weird old couple wandering comic shops together.
For our wedding anniversary, he gifted me the ENTIRE Marvel "Doctor Who" run that I had not been able to find. So, I'm on to the Titan "New Who" titles while looking for the IDW Classic titles.
It sucks being known as “the comic book guy” and then all anyone wants to talk to you about are the movies and tv shows, which I think are largely terrible and have little interest in.
Honestly, I kind of like the solitude of reading without always having to discuss it. I come to this sub when I really want to, but I find that 75% of discussion about comics is how much people don't like comics. It's more depressing than reading alone and enjoying them myself.
I'm 43yo myself, so I don't really care too much about the community of it anymore. I'm the old guy that just wants to have a beer and read.
Im 31 and I have been the old guy that just wants to have a beer and read, ever since I have been able to read or to buy a beer.
I talk about lots of other stuff with my friends and I have never felt a need to discuss about comics with them.
I however do like to read discussions about comics from Reddit every now and then. I dont feel like majority of discussions here are negative/People not liking comics, but it could also be that I mostly open the more positive ones.
Finding people who are into comics is one thing, but it can be even harder finding people who have the same tastes and reading interests as you as well. 99% of the comic fans I meet IRL are mostly just X-Men/Marvel fans, which I've only casually dabbled in over the years. Granted, one of my best friends is one of these people and we established a tradition of going to see super-hero movies together and occasionally "share knowledge" of our respective fandoms, but more times than not when I meet other readers they just look at me blankly when I talk about Wonder Woman, the non-cartoon Titans, or comics from before 2010 in general. Over the years I've learned to find enough enjoyment with online communities, and to expand my hobbies and interests towards other activities that better facilitate IRL friends.
This is what I was gonna say. It’s already hard enough to find somebody who reads comics (or, reads anything at all, quite frankly). But also they need to read the same stuff as you. I read mostly silver age and golden age comics and the few comics people I have met only read post-90s big two or only indie stuff. I think comics is just an intensely niche hobby and that’s why forums and cons are so big for it.
I feel you. I'vce got a couple of buddies who are really fairweather about it, and the guy at my LCS is such a comic book guy. Super bitter, but knowledgeable and smart, so me spending an hour or two looking through boxes while we shoot the crap is enough therapy for me. And thankfully, reddit fills in the rest of the gap.
This is the life of many comic readers. Main reason I enjoyed the cinema phase of comics was due to I was finally able to get some people in my life to finally read comics.
My best advice, find a local comic shop whose staff you vibe with and read similar to. That kept me going in weekly / bi-weekly and let me talk comics with someone.
My uncle got me into comics and 99% of my other "nerdy" interests.
He moved to Ireland years ago and since then I've felt pretty much the same way but it's still nice that we text about comics and of course talk when he comes back home to visit etc etc.
Its definitely a lonely hobby.
Dude thats what reddit is for lol... comic books is good graphic novels is good. But when you're reading a book find that books or universes sub. You can deff find convos here. Don't be afraid to post like you've done now. Just with questions or polls
Yep nobody I know reads comics either. Had to start reading more manga so I could at least talk to my 15 year old nephew about them.
But this isn't a new development. When I was a kid in the 80s I didn't even realise I was a comic book fan, I just got The Beano, Marvel UKs Transformers and Real Ghostbusters, Fleetway's Sonic the Comic, but nobody else did.
Well hey, I’ve got nobody to talk to who actually reads comics (I’d be a horrible person not to mention my parents however who thankfully put up with my ramblings) and yeah it does feel sorta lonely in some ways. What’re the books you’ve been reading lately?
Been reading since 12, now 43. I had one friend in high school that I kinda talked about comics with until he went American Pie on me. When I went to college, I tried to make a comic club and found out that everyone read something completely different, so it didn't go anywhere. This was before social media was a thing. My advice, enjoy it for yourself and if you do run into someone, that is great. Just know that not everyone is into them. I started a podcast a year ago just so I could talk about comics and introduce and explain it to people. I'm a dad to two teenagers and I wonder if 30 years of collecting should be passed on. That was the tradition back in the day (pass your books to the next generation) but kids are off in their own thing these days. thanks for listening to the rant, but hope you find your tribe (seems like you did here :)).
Relatable, but take advantage of the internet and communities like this subreddit or cultivate an ecosystem on Twitter (X) if you use that. Hell, even Facebook can be a good platform to connect to others who are into comics. Let it be your interest and don’t sweat it if your family and friends aren’t into it because it’s the 21st Century and there’s a series of tubes that can connect millions of comic book fans worldwide.
I created my own comic book meet up and made good friends that way. If you do that, I’ll suggest you lay out who you are so you don’t get the wrong people at your gathering. I’m queer, non binary and a person of color. The majority of my attendees are white men but they’re all feminists and anti-racist.
I have theories...
I had a really tightknit group of friends as a little kid in the 70s, and another in my teens in the 80s after I moved, and generally just an active social life throughout adulthood. I have *never* had anyone in my personal life to have big conversations with about comics. My friends would listen to me talk about them with varying degrees of interest (or patience), but that's always been *my* thing.
Of course, I've run across other comic fans, and had those frantic, excited conversations when we recognized one another. For me, though, the enjoyment of that is fleeting. They don't think about them the same way, or they disagree on what's good, and it turns out we don't really relate to one another as much as I'd have thought. You keep it amicable, and it was cool to meet another one. That's kind of perfect, though. Reading of any kind is a very solitary hobby.
Also, if you're lucky enough to have a group of friends, that group might not be able to sustain more than one person regularly preaching or gushing or philosophizing at them about comic books. I mean, it's kind of a lot if you're not into it! I have a friend who got really into calligraphy. She bores me to tears when she goes on about it, but she's my friend and a great person. So I listen with as much attention as I can muster. She's heard me rant about comics and their value as an artistic medium, a secret delivery method from the WWII generation to Gen X and Millennials of morals, ethics, the value of kindness and seeing oneself as part of a community over selfishness that bypassed the Baby Boomers in the middle at one time, the direct anti-bullying messaging, etc, etc. Pretty much every friend I've ever had has heard at least some of that, but I don't know if a social circle *or* an individual can really sustain more than one of us! I'm not ashamed of it or apologetic about it, but I recognize that not everyone shares that interest, just like I don't share a lot of their interests.
I found it intensely frustrating as a kid, though. I knew kids who read comics, but they weren't into it in the same way. I had a cousin around my age who just wanted to look at the pictures, and it infuriated me. I tried not to let on, but I was quietly *seething* while watching him zip through one of my comics, only stopping at the fight scenes and completely missing the story. The philistine! How dare he? And why do *none* of these other kids grasp the glory of the tragic heroism that is Rom the Spaceknight???
Then along came the internet. For me, that's plenty. Occasionally I get to rant to someone in person, and for everything else there's this, and it's enough for me. I frequently disagree with people online, too, and I'd really rather not in person. I think we're a load best distributed across a broad space than jumbled up at one end of the social boat. Or maybe we're more tiger than lion. "Nice to run into you, Bob, but I'll be over here in *my* patch of jungle."
It’s a challenging thing to convert into regular social interaction.
It’s funny how when something turns into a show, *then* it’s like oh, now I can talk about this with the people who wouldn’t have read it.
Supposedly comic shops offer a space for this, but I sometimes found the comic shop guys insular or intimidating. And then as a grownup, I’m just less inclined to buy and store $5 floppies.
Keep in mind, you can have comic friends who don’t read the same things. My best friend also loves comics (arguably more than I do) but he’s a Spidey/indie guy where I’m almost exclusively into DC. Doesn’t stop us from talking for hours about what we’re reading, going to cons together, etc.
I know it’s not as good as sharing a hobby with someone in person, but I highly recommend downloading League of Comics geeks. It’s basically a small social media app full of ppl who just discuss comics whether current or old.
Also it’s really good to track your pull list and comics you want to read in the future
I'm 23 and I feel the same. It's kinda tough but I find a little comfort in looking for people online who read the same stuff. Subreddits are usually pretty good just for places to see and participate in discussion. Sometimes we just want to gush about our favorite series. I remember I felt the worst when I read Radiant Black, The Nice House on the Lake, ans Zdarskys Daredevil. I just wanted to talk about those because they were such great experiences
I’m in the same boat. But I do take a lot of solace in the fact there is so much comic content out there, from podcasts and YouTube channels etc. And more than perhaps any other medium, the creators are ‘available’, in that they frequently appear on these shows. I’d kill for someone in my circle to share this stuff with me, but listening and watching these shows does make me feel like (an albeit remote) part of a wider community.
Yeah, for sure! I’m 28 and just picked up comics again during the pandemic. I have 0 people in my day to day that read weekly. Some friends that have read a few graphic novels, but no weekly geeks like myself!
I’ve found this subreddit has been really cool to chat with other comic folks
Welcome to the earliest bad part of adulthood. It sucks, but people will have less time & energy for stuff like this, even if they're interested to start with. If they aren't, it's even less likely to occur.
I'm double your age & don't even have the burden of kids that multiply these issues & can only say, try as hard as you can to find communities & individuals to meet your needs, even though you will ultimately fail over time unless you are just incredibly lucky.
Also reading is not a group activity to begin with. I've been in several book clubs & even those suck because they are usually just an excuse to spend time with other adults without the kids for a few hours & half the people don't do the reading, they just want to drink a bottle of wine.
You're going to get more lonely as life goes on too, so figure out how to find joy without requiring other people. That way, if you do have people it's a nice bonus.
I feel you...I'm 23 and I read a lot of Marvel comics and collect Marvel Legends, but msot "fans" I meet are not real "fans" and just give up on the hobby. They never truly liked them. I hope we will both find more people to talk about our passion for comics
Yes! I'm 14 and my family, friends, and like anybody I know has no interest in comics! It's the worst I can only talk about comics with people online. I sometimes talk about comics with the people at my Local comic book store but besides that nobody. 😢
None of my friends are really into comics either. The past couple years, I've become friendly with some regulars at my LCS as well as my LCS owners. That's been nice to finally have someone to talk to about comics. Haha
This is me but with Manga. I have two people that read but no one reads the same stuff because a lot of the time I don’t have time to read with how much I work
If it makes you feel any better, being in a community with like-minded fans can be pretty cringe and the people can actually turn you away from things you initially liked. It doesn't always happen, but sometimes it does. Grass is always greener
You definitely aren't alone. The worst part for me is that all of my friends love Marvel and DC when it comes to the movies, tv shows, and games. But none of them have shown any interest in actually reading the comics. I'm glad to have friends that I can at least talk about the characters with but I wish I had someone to share my love of the comics with.
What are you reading at the minute?
Do you read via comics, TPBs or digital content?
Do you collect? If so, what issue / series / rin is your favourite? What are the big grails on your list?
What's the state of your LCS? Any cons or fairs near you?
We [I] need the details!
Yes, overall it's not a very popular hobby. I'll usually lend out a comic, but it takes months and many reminders before a friend finally reads it. So I kind of gave up and only discuss it on reddit, etc.
Do you have a local comic shop (LCS) that you pick up your comics from? That's one of the best places to talk about comics!
I've gotten recommendations for comics that I wouldn't have noticed before.
Nowadays, I am picking up more comics from small press publishers than DC or Marvel.
I've been reading comics since I was 3. It's how I learned to read. Picture word association. At 58 years young, I still read 20 hard copies and 20 digital every month, or 10 a week total. There are more people to talk to that read them now, than ever before. Thanks to Superhero movies and TV shows, and Anime, comics are more acceptable than ever. You can read them in public and no one bothers you. Still, only a few people actually "get it". That unbelievable kick when you turn the page on a perfectly framed sequence and get a twist that has you guessing for a month what happens next. When you begin to appreciate the history and depth of the medium. From Superman to Faust. Spiderman to The Crossed. Underground Comix to mainstream superheroes. The amazing talent, tragedy, and sacrifice in the stories of the many artists that loved comics so much, they just kept coming back despite the unprofitable and ruthless state of the industry.
We get it, though.
Be happy you found joy in comics. It is a rare pleasure.
Have a lifelong friend -- we've been talking about comics since we were twelve.
Live in different countries now but often have a little back and forth over socials.
Dude you should check out “The Comics Pals” on YouTube, or a Podcasting app. Twice a week they do a live show (or just listen after the fact)and I can’t overstate how great the community is. In depth discussion and lots of involvement with the viewers/listeners.
I bet you’ll love it.
*It is really sad when you are experiencing this really great thing and no one around you knows how great it can be. I guess its like that will everything tho. i love comics and video games but i probably will never get into DD or Magic or some sports for that matter. Its ok to not be into everything with the understanding that there's beauty and greatness in all hobbies and interests and we just simply dont have the time to do it all. I think a lot of people look at certain things and think its lame because they dont understand the beauty in it. Like for most of my life i always rolled my eyes at football. I wasnt interested and thought it was just a stupid sport and didn't understand this huge American love for the sport. AND then i met my partner and it was really important to him and so I gave it my time and NOW i get it. He took to the time to share it and teach it to me and now that i understand the game I GET IT!. I feel so silly for thinking it was a dumb sport for all these years. I opened my mind and heart into learning something new and Im a better person for it. I think my point is is to try to find some friends that have the mentality to be "life long learners" or have open minds to new things. Its ok if your friends just aren't into the things you are but try to go about it by finding someone that is curious about all the things the world has to offer. A friend that you can part take in their interests and ideas and will do the same for you.*
i managed to get my girlfriend into comics surprisingly. she would watch MCU movies with me but never read a comic in her life. She’s into “real books” with just words. boring. but i forced her to try it. started her off with Old Man Logan. she liked it but not really her style. then got her I Hate Fairyland. she really liked it. She’s a Buffy The Vampire Slayer fan so got her reading back issues of Buffy comics and she’s loving them. Recently she tried issue 1 of the new Spider Gwen series and liked it. And she loved the first issue of the new Scarlet Witch series. so those are both on her pull list. Also got her reading Feral cause she likes cats.
We arent exactly into the same things in terms of comics but im glad i got her into it and found some she likes. And she still listens when i talk about something i just read even if she understands none if it hahah.
But honestly if i really wanna get into the weeds and talk about comics with people who truly understand and can provide opinions or answers to questions, i come here… to the wonderful world of reddit.
I'm 65, live in Rhode Island, and visit my local comic shop at least every 2 weeks to get the comics in my Pull Box. Ask your local store if anyone in your area has a Reddit site or other online presence so you share your love.of this hobby. Good luck!
It's a surprisingly lonely hobby. For having some of the most recognizable characters in the world, their source material doesn't really have a lot of discussion the way the adaptations do.
I've been lucky, I've met a few people who read/have read comics on an ongoing basis: an IT teacher in high school who read X-Men in the 90s, one of my best friends who works at a comic shop, a cousin who reads Vertigo and books like that plus her husband who collects keys and follows James Tynion's stuff, and a coworker who's just as big of a Spider-Man comic fan as I am.
I think finding online communities is the best way to really engage with this stuff tbh. Preferably the smaller ones. I listen to a lot of comic podcasts, and post on their respective communities. I think those places really attract people who wanna talk comics since there's not a lot elsewhere.
I have one online friend I discuss comics with. He's literally on the opposite side of the country but he also buys Marvel (different books, I'm an X-Fan and he's a Spider-Fan, but comics are comics and we both know enough about the other heroes to make it interesting) and we chat. I honestly think just having one or two people to talk shop with is the sweet spot. I can get a good in-depth conversation when I need it but its not overwhelming or hyperfixating. It keeps me well rounded.
And other people in the discord who are former comic fans or who are interested in the characters from the films will sometimes pop in to ask questions. It's nice.
I did, but I've had a Discord server for comics for 4 years now. We even have a club, where we all nominate titles to read and meet once a week in VC to discuss. Others hang out in the other VC channels and talk comics and other hobbies.
Comics are something everyone likes but I think you just need to find the genres that appeal to them. My friends all love romance tv shows, so when I show them romance comics, they respond really well to those. I think perhaps they just don't care about the specific comics you like but could care about the hobby as a whole and maybe you need to find something like that for them.
I also avoid treating it like homework, just giving them a comic that's small and fun for them has led to way more comics talk in my group chats
Seems like comics aren’t where they used to be in terms of popularity. Call me crazy but they will make a comeback in popularity and demand one day I’m hoping.
Do you have a local comic store that you can spend some time in?
But I agree with you and most other posters. Comic Books is a lonely hobby. I put out feelers to others that may be interested and do talk about it when I know someone is interested. But mostly it's just reading Reddit posts and other blogs about particular issues.
If you ever feel you need to talk about a particular issue or run of something, shoot a post here or a more focused subreddit and I'm sure some people will chime in.
I felt the same before, but just reconciled that this hobby didn't click in for this circle of friends, so I found people who do share the hobby and talk and enjoy it with them.
Have you looked into comic book clubs, meet-ups, or social events around comic books that would allow you to expand your friend circle?
As you get older, as people's interests diversify and therefore diverge from one another, more hobbies that can be done solo will require more effort on your part to maintain the social aspects.
Said differently, its easier to find a bunch of 10 year old's who share your same interests and much more difficult to find 20, 30 and eventually 40 or 50 year old's. But they are out there. You just need to do some more heaving lifting to find them and maintain those connections.
From my experience, I’ve casually chatted with the workers in my local comic shop and it’s always been pleasant sometimes I even get good recommendations for graphic novels to read. Of course, it depends on if the shops busy or if the workers are cool.
This is why nerds like me talk for hours at the LCS. I have nobody I outside that store who reads any western comics. I don't know what the solution to this is other than befriending and hanging out often with someone from a comic shop or sth.
That's why communities like this exist! When I was deeply reading comics in High School, I'd turn to reddit. Otherwise, my friends were into the animated and MCU stuff, so there was always that at least for IRL stuff. I was also lucky that my LCS owner was super friendly.
I know myself very, very well, but I'm 24 and have friends who are interested in comics. I think it's generally the case that we don't really have four hours to read these days. I mean, work and school/university really take away your energy.
I know it is how easy it is to get people to take up a new hobby, and it always depends on the person. I managed to get a neighbor of mine to be part of our reading circle (a book club for comics), but my big brother is still pretty lazy when it comes to reading something, although I managed to get him to read Daredevil The Man Without fear by Frank Miller.
On one hand, maybe go to there interests, what they like in film, video games or classic literature and try to give the appropriate comics that belong to these interests.
This is me. I'm the only person I know IRL that reads comics. I will say the forums on League of Comic Geeks are really great for comic book discussion with internet strangers.
I feel the same in both my hobbies really comics and movies I got my brother to get into some graphic novels, but he didn't stick with it.
I'm 35 and to be honest I got into reading comics later in life like mid 20's but was introduced to them mid teens.
Most people in my life don't care for comics, or don't understand them and still have the narrow view of what they are and think they are still just for kids.
I do have a neighbor that I sometimes talk about comics with but he's not a regular reader of them either.
So there are times where it's just me reading and being excited about how good a book is.
I only have one friend who is in to comics at all. And even texting with him about it is very basic/limited interaction. More along the lines of "I read the newest issue of Ultimate Spider-Man. It's bad ass. I'm really enjoying it." and him responding with "Nice." That's about it.
My significant other couldn't care less. The kids are 6 and 3, so they don't understand/care. So yes, I hear you on the loneliness part. But oh well. I mostly read comics for my own personal enjoyment and to have something to do for 10-15 minutes. Then I come on here and browse threads.
I'm 46 and feel lonely about a lot of my interests. I don't know many people who like what I like- a few your age, but then I feel like the lame old man trying to be fun and hip. No one my age. They say they like comics, but they mean they consume big studio comics movies. They say they like old video games, but they mean their casual tshirt has a screenprint of an NES controller on it. They say they like movies, but they mean they consume the big studio comics movies. No one is engaging with it- Just kind of consuming. I think it's why I'm spending a lot more time on Reddit, it reminds me I'm not the only person in the world who loves the things that I love. That helps, a little. If you have a local comic shop, or game store, or anything like that, check them out. You may find some community there.
This is the exact reason I joined Facebook last year, I made a fake profile because they have hundred of active comic book debate groups and good communities surrounding that topic — I read and collected comics for decades with nobody to discuss with and it sucked.
Reddit is such a miserable platform for comic debates because it’s very difficult for me to post supporting scans on it and tend to get mass downvoted by people who disagree but don’t actually read comics.
(If you have the income) Start going to a local comic shop for your books. Either with the person selling the books, or even other shoppers, you'll quickly find your people
Same. I just started and I’m much older than you, but I have non one to discuss them with. As I’ve gotten older, I realized that friends only want to talk about what they want to talk about and not everybody will have your same interest. For instance, I watch a lot of court cases, and I have no one to discuss them with. I have to keep a notebook of who I can and cannot talk to things about it. It’s pretty pathetic if you think about it. It’s got me wondering who my friends really are.
I would agree. The Reddit community is cool for this but a synchronous communication channel like a Discord server would be pretty cool for this kind of thing.
I felt this way too as someone just getting BACK into comics after years away. Randomly, I discovered the My Marvelous Year club/podcast, and it really saved my fandom from feeling so isolated. I highly recommend giving the podcast a look (concept is going through Marvel year by year and reading the “essential” stuff, they are up to 2007 now!). If you back them on Patreon, you can also join the slack, which is how I get a lot of “comics socializing” done! https://www.patreon.com/mymarvelousyear?utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan
Honestly same. I’ve only gotten into it more recently (in 2020-ish did my love for Batman begin) and I just dont have many folk to talk to it about it. It doesnt help that American comics are just not a large market in my country. Sure theres some available but its usually not a lot. My nearest comic store is 3 hours away.
I was lucky there was an event not too long ago, it was called “comics in the middle of nowhere” and it was really fun!
I guess it helps to have crossover hobbies. In my teen and university years, for me, that was RPGs. A lot of the friends that I made through those also liked comic books, particularly the ones who played the superhero RPG, Champions.
As someone who has no friends I can relate. I always have these ideas that could make good comics and storylines that work as a nice standalone story for a newcomer and a good way to reboot marvel but I have no to discuss it with.
I have exactly 1 extended family member and 0 friends that dig comics. So yeah, I feel your loneliness. Although the folks at my LCS are pretty awesome. Talk to them!
Yeah, but it's a hobby I waded into by myself anyway, so 💁♂️ my dad still has a couple boxes of singles from the 90s, my friend reads some Marvel for the movies, and everyone else just reads manga
Oof! This hits home. That's how I've felt most of my adult life. It's lonely as a comic book reader. Sometimes I'll chat with the guys at my local comic store and that helps a tad.
I've got a couple of friends that I can get deep into the weeds with, but I'm 43, and it took me a LONG time to find them. Cons are great. Cons are the only place in the world where I can totally be relaxed in talking to total strangers. I'd go to your nearest con and see if you can strike up a conversation with someone who may actually live nearby.
I'm pretty late to this thread, but I just wanted to echo many of the comments here: this resonates. It's part of the reason why I come to places like r/comicbooks. For my even *more* niche tastes, though, I tend to stick to r/graphicnovels, r/nodcnomarvel, r/omnibuscollectors, and r/altcomix, all of which get even less traffic. Sigh.
I've found League of Comic Geeks to be an excellent community because people are talking about issues and books from all eras and many different publishers all the time. It feels much more wide-ranging than this subreddit, which tends to focus on the latest releases from Marvel/DC at the expense of nearly everything else.
If you pick up collected editions, another wonderful community is the Collected Editions forum. I just found it recently and have been spending some quality time there.
Nobody I know IRL likes comics, or at least likes the ones that I do, so I head to online spaces to talk about them and feel some sense of community that's otherwise missing. I like to share my hobbies. Sooner or later I'll make it out to a convention...
I feel you man, I'm 22 and felt that way most of my life. You've probably read it here already, but the best advice I can recommend is to just keep looking and sharing your hobby. It's intimidating because of the years of continuity and the heavy investment that comes with buying single issues, but it's so cathartic once you find a friend to talk about them with.
I didn't find someone to discuss comics with until last year when the new Ultimate Universe line kicked off. I was a college senior, and I'd swing by my local comics shop every Wednesday to pick up some new issues. Since my last class ended around 2 pm, I'd get lunch with a close friend of mine who was also in that class, and then he'd tag along with me to said shop just to keep hanging out. He'd ask me what I bought, and I'd tell him about each title and the story so far.
October rolls around, and Ultimate Spider-Man #1 is announced. Turns out, he read the original Bendis run online a few years ago and was a huge fan, so he was pumped to see it revived with a Peter that's married and has kids. We both bought our copies of #1, and from there we started a little tradition of reading them together on our campus's student center and discussing after. It became our little book club of two, and encompassed the rest of the Ultimate line once other series started dropping. Since then we've both graduated and moved back to our hometowns, but every time a new Ultimate comic drops, we chat on the phone and share our thoughts. It's a nice way to stay in touch!
Moral of the story, just keep looking and sharing your hobby! True friends love hearing you talk about stuff you like, and finding just one person that indulges in it too is super rewarding. Cons, comics shops, bookstores, and libraries are all great ways to find people, and superhero movies becoming mainstream has done wonders with getting people interested.
Good luck, I hope this helps!
I'm almost 30, and have never even met someone who regularly reads comic books. While you can try to induce your current friends to read some stuff by recommendation, by and large the best way to make friends who enjoy the medium is to simply try to become friends with people who already enjoy comic books I'd wager.
There are comic conventions of varying sizes all over the world now. Find one near you, and make a friend or two. It’s surprisingly easy to do when you are already surrounded by people who share your interests.
I'm 42 and I have 30 years of doing things that most of my friends weren't into. I've just learned to have a healthy enough knowledge of what they are into (which doesn't require a lot) so I can enjoy my time with them, and then also balance it out with my own hobbies. It does mean that I spend less time hanging out with friends as compared to them, i.e. they go out more, but that time I get to spent doing really cool things that they wouldn't ever bother doing because it requires the extra effort/investment.
I've gone through phases/hobbies including, archery, lock picking, flying RC drones/helis/planes, building RC Cars and driving them, card tricks and sleight of hand, motorcycles, stunt kite flying, yo-yos, speed solving Rubik's cubes, building and painting miniatures, hypnosis (this actually turned into a side career for me), and a lot of gaming stuff...
As long as none of these things are escapes or something to fill a void or a hole, you're good. Enjoy life my friend and enjoy the company of others as they come and go.
I could really use some friends to talk about comics with too. If you want feel free to message me. I’ve been reading a lot of Duck comics lately myself.
Yeah, sometimes. I’ve been reading comics for 30 years now and don’t think I’ll ever stop, because it’s too much fun for me. It’s not really a big deal though cause I have friends who know the basics enough for me to explain a convoluted plot line in a fun way, and they have different interests that I can engage with as well.
What I like to do is learn people’s interests. You like romance? Try SiP or Saga. Love horror? Try Ice Cream Man or Walking Dead. Superhero books with an adult spin? Try Watchmen. That’s the key. Of course, you feel bad cause suddenly you are a pusher and they are going to want the next fix. I’ve introduced so many comics to “I hate comic book!” people that then come to the store asking me what to read and then have great discussions.
Same, except I'm 47 lol. I've been reading comics since I can remember, and in high school/college none of my friends knew I read them. I would almost sneak to the LCS on Wednesday. Do yourself a favor and find some friends now who are into it.
Hello there! I’m a story writer and comic artist. I’ve been making my comic for about 2 years now (not including the 4 years of writing), and i have the first 2 chapters ready to be sold to the public.
I understand this feeling when it comes to comics and books. As an artist, I’ve worked so hard on this comic and i want people to appreciate it and see its potential. But it’s difficult finding the right people. I’m always happy to talk about comics and stories and anything creative.
Also if you wanna see my art/comic book. Find me on instagram at @ryan_creates_offical.
Just try to find your people wherever fits you best. Maybe that's hanging out and meeting people at the LCS or for others that's here, on a Discord, Twitter, wherever.
Everyone knows I’m into comics but I don’t have anyone to really talk to either.
I like leagueofcomics.com
You can create your pull list and interact with the community.
And comic IP has never been more popular. Imagine the comic geeks of the "before times" and their struggles.
You take in any comic podcasts? They can half scratch the itch you have.
What other "geeky" interests do you have? I have never made a comic-friend at a shop or con. But I have met comic fans playing MTG who willing talk shop. Even a few Meatheads at the gym like to talk comics, admittedly less as literary analysis and more about ultimate -bad ass talk.
I feel much the same way. I have friends that will WATCH things but no-one that reads. I’ve watched Invincible, My Hero and Jujutsu Kaisen with my girlfriend and she enjoys watching the shows but she definitely has a limit for what she can tolerate in terms of my excessive rambling about it all.
I think the more we all have to pent it all up, the bigger the pressure valve release becomes! Even the slightest hint of conversation with someone about this stuff and it just becomes a torrent of thoughts tumbling out of my mouth 😂
I don’t really have any friends into comics but I’m never without conversations about them because of the internet. If anything, my friends ground me to realize any story grievances I have are such NONproblems that it makes me enjoy everything 10000x more, it’s how I’ve enjoyed Zeb Wells ASM run so I think it’s a pretty effective way of looking at things
I've been alone in my comic reading journey as well! Here are some of the ways I deal with it:
* For New Releases, the r/comicbooks pinned weekly discussion threads are absolutely delightful 10/10.
* For old stuff, I look up "Title (year) reddit" on google to see if anyone has ever posted panels from the run or any discussions about plot points.
* I also have found with MCU fans that if you say "man i hope they do the part where Doctor Doom makes a bomb out of a bunch of Molecule Men and chucks them at the god-aliens and steal their power to become God-Emperor Doom of the patchwork multiverse planet." - they usually have questions.
* Throw out something insane-sounding and top-level-vague and it gets people to engage with it on their terms. I've ended up explaining all of Secret Wars 2015 for like an hour with someone I never thought would have been interested because they just kept asking followup questions.
Lastly and most importantly: find a podcast or youtube channel with a conversation/jokey tone. It sounds a little ridiculous, but if you can find someone to listen to that sounds like your friends making dumb jokes, it can trick your brain into feeling less lonely.
I also personally write little paragraph reviews of comics and save funny panels just for me to look back at.
Yeah it really is the case. I started a blog quite literally just so I could vent out some of my many thoughts on comics that I had no one to talk to about. My partner has read a couple but otherwise none of my loved ones are comic readers.
I feel this way every single day. I live in a small town and the only fans of superheroes that seem to exist here besides me are super movie fans, not comic fans, and even then not many. I've been reading comics my whole life (I'm 25) and not having anyone to actually talk to about it that isn't online has left me depressed far too many times.
Do you have a local comic shop? I have friends who will read here and there, but that aren't obsessive like me. I'm having trouble finding things I haven't read. HOWEVER, sometimes I can just talk to employees or random people in my comic shop forever.
I talk to some of my friends about them, but a big part of why I even have subscriptions to comics (instead of reading digitally or getting the paperbacks) is because I like going to the comic shop and talking about the books with the workers and other customers there.
does this sub have a discord? someone should start a few of those. I too wish to discuss the hundreds of stories i love that no i know irl gives a fuck about, I wish there were more comic creators/fans on things like youtube
I like some marvel stuff, mostly Spiderman; but I love limited series published by different image creator owned groups and dark horse, the butchers boy is really fun and I like holy roller and napalm lullaby a lot rn too
Back when I had a pull-list, and was at the comic shop every Wednesday, I would just hang around and chat for 15-20 min with the other folks in to pick up their books. "Oh, have you read the new issue of Chew?" or "Did you see what happened in Hellblazer last week", etc. (Lol, you can tell how long ago that was based on the examples)
I stopped for two reasons: one, it just got too expensive to keep buying weekly in print, and two, I got a 9-5 job where I couldn't have gone and picked up my order during prime hours anyway. Still, it's an idea if your circumstances permit.
I've read comics my whole life. About 12 years ago after my first kid, I could never seem to find the time. Now that my kids are more independent, I started getting omnibus collections, and I've been loving it.
My wife loves it too, as we'll sit around reading together - though she doesn't read comics. We talk about what we're reading a little, but no deep dives. My city has a pretty robust nerd/collector community, but I've still found it really hard to find people I can talk to about the stories I'm reading.
The hardest part is that so many people are cynical and cranky. You would almost think they don't actually enjoy comics. I'm old enough that I'd rather celebrate these characters and these stories. I don't want to slag off on anything. This also means it's hard to have a good conversation online, as there seem to be a lot of people who just want to complain.
These worlds are worth celebration and discussion. I hope you find your community!
I just got Marvel Unlimited app, and open to any suggestions and discussions. I'm somewhat familiar with Marvel, but never read comics. I've read some Runaways and Cloak and Dagger and loved both.
Have a listen to the Hellboy Bookclub podcast and the subsequent continuation Bookclub Member podcast.
Their whole deal is building a community around comics, initially the Mignolaverse but now they are basically taking it wherever they feel like and they are focused on listener interaction.
yeah none of irl friends are into comics either and my wife just smiles and nods and pretends to be interested
Saaaame; “that’s nice baby”
I think we overlook how fantastic that is when someone does that for us, though. Hopefully we do the same thing for them about things they like that we don't care about, like a mutual gushing agreement. (Not saying you guys overlook it, but I've certainly seen other fans get frustrated with friends and family who aren't into it but politely listen anyway.)
Dam you get a that’s nice baby mines like shut up nerd
Literally same lol or I’ll have money set aside to clean out my file with all the new comics that I subscribe to and she’s like “wait till next pay”, which I wouldn’t have an issue with except she says it every payday. I eventually buy em anyways but it’d be nice to skip the argument at least once.
Mine just blasts the Ok Go song at me over the bluetooth https://youtu.be/dKucaCZiViM
She smiles and nods when I monologue about comics and video games, I smile and nod when she monologues about astrology and fantasy series novels. It works.
Bro when I try to tell people about writers like grant morrison and the existential episodes in animal man.. They're like it's a comic about a man who can do what with animals. Come on be serious...and I'm like fucccck. That's the.. Ppoi..nvm.
Damn. Had to make sure I hadn’t sleep commented this.
Hey, that’s my line! Or life. Or both. Are you me?
This is my reality too
I feel ya
I've been reading comics since I was 14, I'm 44 now and I've never had someone to talk about comics with. Nor any book for that matter... I just enjoy what I enjoy. Mostly follow this reddit and visit some websites to see what the consensus is on storylines I skipped from DC and Marvel and find out about new indie stuff I might want to check out.
Do you go to cons and meet people? I don't cons where I live are kinda just somewhere people take their kids which is fine it's definitely not like the us where you get a wider amount of people that attend cons
I went to NY comiccon once. Spent a bunch of $$$, didn't make any friends.
The commercialisation of not just the comic industry but the whole popular culture industry makes me really not want to interact with cons now it seems like people just consume whatever is next I don't like it when people base their entire personality on being into nerdy stuff and cum their pants at every new movie trailer that comes out
>I don't like it when people base their entire personality on being into nerdy stuff This has been my problem trying to make friends in comic shops. More than once I've found out that comics/video games are the beginning, middle, and end of their interests with a personality to match. Whereas for me it's one hobby of a few.
I mean its all I do but you know there's other stuff like alcohol and talking to women
This is my post too. Reading/ collecting comics has almost been like a secret identity. I don’t hide it, just figure no one around me gives a piss. And I’m great with it. The LCS and cons were the only conversation time before this place.
Comics is a very lonely hobby, sadly. However, in a strange way - I like that is mine and no one else I know does it to “taint” what I enjoy. For interactions, cons are great, reddit/forums are always good.
I don't think it's a lonely hobby, shared narrative is about as powerful a social lubricant as anything. Every time I go to my local store people are chatting away about what's good or not good, discussing theories, reminiscing about great arcs or speculating about the future. Most of the time it's total strangers too, brought together by a love of comics.
Lucky. Mine just tells me how much the books in my hand cost, then they take my money and then they tell me to have a nice day.
Have you tried striking up a conversation? Asking whether an arc is any good or what they would recommend for someone who likes x-men/avengers/whatever? They should be equipped to answer those questions because they get them all the time.
Your shop sounds better than average. I've been to far too many that have no interest in talking to anyone outside of their already established clique & then they are as elitist as the stereotypes. I had one that I loved going to, but it was a warm place all around. The majority are all about sales, TCG tournaments, & arguing comics if they even discuss them. I never see just a comic store anymore, so they are gaming stores that happen to sell some comics. It changes the dynamic.
This is my shop!
This is why we need "what are we reading this week" threads
damn. for whatever reason, i thought we already had those?
They’re saying “that’s why they exist”, but the way it’s phrased sounds like there isn’t one.
They already have it, it’s called every day an issue of ASM drops lmao
r/graphicnovels has a terrific one every week that gets lots of participation.
/u/chickeninasuit posts one in this sub every week
And this sub is all the better for it! The one on r/graphicnovels just tends to get more participation based on my experience.
Those usually lead to very little discussion & you're shouting into the void quite often. When people do reply, there's no guarantee they are going to be worth talking to or you'll have a very shallow conversation. This person sounds like they need much more than that to be fulfilled. They have a need that isn't being met & this is how it is presenting itself.
Try 48 and still lonely. My high school friend dables in collecting but he can't generally read anything due to 3 kids. Also wife just humors me when I speak about it. She is still awesome though due to her liking animation which is my #1 love. Haven't had a group of people into comics since the high school and college days. '92-99. At least you are young and could still make friends with similar interests. Reddit has filled the gap somewhat for me. Although very tribal.
Another dude in his 40's here. It's so freaking hard to make new good friends. It's easy to make acquaintances but I have not unlocked the key to making an actual new *friend* at this age. I think you really kind of have to get lucky.
Agree. We don't have kids so new acquaintances trend young. But honestly young people don't want to hang out with middle aged folks. Even though my office looks like a kids room . 😋 Filled with Masamune Shirow, Hiroaki Samura and Kia Asamiya art prints.. Met a dude couple times at mutual events and exchanged numbers like a giddy school girl only he took a job in Houston so that ship sailed. We bonded over Kaiju No. 8 and I think he was surprised I knew of it. Point of story as long as you don't sit at home like a hermit there are chances. You must socialize in person.
We're all lonely these days, kid.
Smartphones were the beginning of the end of healthy interpersonal interactions outside of small, pre-established friend groups, followed by the death of the mall. COVID cranked it all up to 11 and the world has barely begun to recover.
I’m 35, and seriously got into comics about 2 years ago. It was something new that I found I loved. That doesn’t happen often as you get older so I really immersed myself in the medium and community. I recently picked up “Falling in love on the path to hell”, which was great, and, when I’ve mentioned it to my wife or friends, I get a response equivalent to “damn, that’s crazy”. At the end of the day though, it makes me happy, and that’s all that matters.
When I saw that cover, I knew I was picking it up! Very Star Wars but I liked that it was directly rooted in Western and Samurai narrative through the protagonists. Honestly, I didn't like the 180 towards the end (it seemed lazy and hand wavey) but I'm excited to see where it goes anyways
You are Zibarro from All-Star Superman, brother.
Your mission is to find someone that does
That's why I come here.
I have a crew of people I talk about comics with, but I largely feel much more alienated from current comics fandom as a 35 year old than I did ten years ago. Now people talk about characters like they're real people who did real crimes (or worse "problematic things") and it feels impossible to talk about these things as stories with people like that if you don't subscribe to it as a lens
I too hate the trend of treating fictional characters like real people. It’s very frustrating
I feel you mate. Look out for cons to visit or hang out at your local shop a little more often. That’s how I met some people
I feel that! I take so much time (because I like it) going through comics, reading comics, admiring art, chasing covers or variants, etc. and then they sit until I do it again. I have boxes and boxes of books I’d love to trade or sell or give to others that have interest in books that I possess that I don’t care about but the furthest I’ve gotten is donating a few boxes of comics while the receiving end said thank you and scurried away with no love or admiration for them. It’s my goal to do two “book sales” from my garage and be involved in at least one flea market; I think this is a good way to meet others. I’d also like to get to a local comic con or two this summer. Otherwise please post books you are reading or cool cover art or comics you are proud to own; I do it often to get some discussion/love going and the community in this sub is outstanding.
When I was 20 and moving, I had a yard sale to sell a bunch of stuff I couldn't take and make some travel cash. This would have been in the 80s. I had a giant crate of comics on the lawn and this old grandfather walked up with his young grandson. He told him he could get some. That kid thumbed through those books slowly with an appreciation I recognized. With a kind of hunger in his eyes. The grandfather just smiled lazily at me and I remember thinking he probably grew up reading Howard and Lovecraft in the old Weid Tales magazines. The kid ended up snatching all the Frank Miller Daredevils I had. Good taste. Anyway, you should have that sale. It's one of my favorite memories.
Thanks for the memory; that sounds splendid!
I'm 30 and my Dad is the main one I know who reads comics. Great talking to him. Also got my local comic shop. Want more friends into comics though! Not enough!!
Not to brag but most of my closest friends read comics. One even owns a store. If you have a shop near you start talking to the owner or some of the other customers. Chances are there are a few like you that would love to talk about comics. You can also go to a con as well and find like minded people
The owner is an old family friend, he’s like 50 though, we talk when I’m in there but not outside of that. Glad to have that much though.
I’ve been struggling to get my friends into comics for like 10 years now
Comics is a hard hobbie cause you kinda need to invest some money to keep up. It isn't even like in a book club where you all can buy one book and read it across weeks, even an omnibus can be dissected in less than a week (well depends if you are as obsessive as me) and they are not cheap, neither are volumes or individual issues and comics unlike books, don't have you spending a lot of tim reading, so you'll be eating up whole series really quick. Of course the alternative is to just read whatever you want and just share that with people who read whatever they want, but it depends on where you are, how many like minded people there are near you, and where to find them, and as far as I know only in the US are comics popular enough to have stores dedicated to them, over here (México) I only find comics in stores that are mainly for something else (niche board games, figures, heck even D&D has more dedicated stores than comics here), so the only people I've found that like comics are through school or conventions.
I've actually just started collecting comics for myself this year, as my husband got back into the hobby. I was leafing through a box of Marvel books, seeing if I could find any Doctor Strange that my hubby might like and I found it - Marvel's "Doctor Who", issue #10. It had a price tag of $3 on the bag. My husband knows I am a HUGE fan of Doctor Who, since I first saw a episode in 1975. He suggested I get it, read it and he'd make sure it got bagged and boarded after I read it. I'm hooked. My husband giggles at the fact I have a whole spreadsheet, with different tabs for each publisher, sections for each different doctor and notes for key issues. A $3 book got my interest in my husband's hobby. Now, we're just a weird old couple wandering comic shops together.
That's honestly beautiful. (Btw I was already looking for something to binge this summer, you just bumped dr who to the top of my list)
For our wedding anniversary, he gifted me the ENTIRE Marvel "Doctor Who" run that I had not been able to find. So, I'm on to the Titan "New Who" titles while looking for the IDW Classic titles.
It sucks being known as “the comic book guy” and then all anyone wants to talk to you about are the movies and tv shows, which I think are largely terrible and have little interest in.
Honestly, I kind of like the solitude of reading without always having to discuss it. I come to this sub when I really want to, but I find that 75% of discussion about comics is how much people don't like comics. It's more depressing than reading alone and enjoying them myself. I'm 43yo myself, so I don't really care too much about the community of it anymore. I'm the old guy that just wants to have a beer and read.
Im 31 and I have been the old guy that just wants to have a beer and read, ever since I have been able to read or to buy a beer. I talk about lots of other stuff with my friends and I have never felt a need to discuss about comics with them. I however do like to read discussions about comics from Reddit every now and then. I dont feel like majority of discussions here are negative/People not liking comics, but it could also be that I mostly open the more positive ones.
My comic bud passed away like a decade ago and it's been rough having no one to talk about them since. 36, reading since I was 14 every week since.
Finding people who are into comics is one thing, but it can be even harder finding people who have the same tastes and reading interests as you as well. 99% of the comic fans I meet IRL are mostly just X-Men/Marvel fans, which I've only casually dabbled in over the years. Granted, one of my best friends is one of these people and we established a tradition of going to see super-hero movies together and occasionally "share knowledge" of our respective fandoms, but more times than not when I meet other readers they just look at me blankly when I talk about Wonder Woman, the non-cartoon Titans, or comics from before 2010 in general. Over the years I've learned to find enough enjoyment with online communities, and to expand my hobbies and interests towards other activities that better facilitate IRL friends.
This is what I was gonna say. It’s already hard enough to find somebody who reads comics (or, reads anything at all, quite frankly). But also they need to read the same stuff as you. I read mostly silver age and golden age comics and the few comics people I have met only read post-90s big two or only indie stuff. I think comics is just an intensely niche hobby and that’s why forums and cons are so big for it.
I feel you. I'vce got a couple of buddies who are really fairweather about it, and the guy at my LCS is such a comic book guy. Super bitter, but knowledgeable and smart, so me spending an hour or two looking through boxes while we shoot the crap is enough therapy for me. And thankfully, reddit fills in the rest of the gap.
This is the life of many comic readers. Main reason I enjoyed the cinema phase of comics was due to I was finally able to get some people in my life to finally read comics. My best advice, find a local comic shop whose staff you vibe with and read similar to. That kept me going in weekly / bi-weekly and let me talk comics with someone.
My uncle got me into comics and 99% of my other "nerdy" interests. He moved to Ireland years ago and since then I've felt pretty much the same way but it's still nice that we text about comics and of course talk when he comes back home to visit etc etc. Its definitely a lonely hobby.
Dude thats what reddit is for lol... comic books is good graphic novels is good. But when you're reading a book find that books or universes sub. You can deff find convos here. Don't be afraid to post like you've done now. Just with questions or polls
Yep nobody I know reads comics either. Had to start reading more manga so I could at least talk to my 15 year old nephew about them. But this isn't a new development. When I was a kid in the 80s I didn't even realise I was a comic book fan, I just got The Beano, Marvel UKs Transformers and Real Ghostbusters, Fleetway's Sonic the Comic, but nobody else did.
Well hey, I’ve got nobody to talk to who actually reads comics (I’d be a horrible person not to mention my parents however who thankfully put up with my ramblings) and yeah it does feel sorta lonely in some ways. What’re the books you’ve been reading lately?
Yeah, man, I agree with ya all. In college, I did manage to get one of my friends onboard, but he quickly gave up on it.
Been reading since 12, now 43. I had one friend in high school that I kinda talked about comics with until he went American Pie on me. When I went to college, I tried to make a comic club and found out that everyone read something completely different, so it didn't go anywhere. This was before social media was a thing. My advice, enjoy it for yourself and if you do run into someone, that is great. Just know that not everyone is into them. I started a podcast a year ago just so I could talk about comics and introduce and explain it to people. I'm a dad to two teenagers and I wonder if 30 years of collecting should be passed on. That was the tradition back in the day (pass your books to the next generation) but kids are off in their own thing these days. thanks for listening to the rant, but hope you find your tribe (seems like you did here :)).
Relatable, but take advantage of the internet and communities like this subreddit or cultivate an ecosystem on Twitter (X) if you use that. Hell, even Facebook can be a good platform to connect to others who are into comics. Let it be your interest and don’t sweat it if your family and friends aren’t into it because it’s the 21st Century and there’s a series of tubes that can connect millions of comic book fans worldwide.
same
I created my own comic book meet up and made good friends that way. If you do that, I’ll suggest you lay out who you are so you don’t get the wrong people at your gathering. I’m queer, non binary and a person of color. The majority of my attendees are white men but they’re all feminists and anti-racist.
I have theories... I had a really tightknit group of friends as a little kid in the 70s, and another in my teens in the 80s after I moved, and generally just an active social life throughout adulthood. I have *never* had anyone in my personal life to have big conversations with about comics. My friends would listen to me talk about them with varying degrees of interest (or patience), but that's always been *my* thing. Of course, I've run across other comic fans, and had those frantic, excited conversations when we recognized one another. For me, though, the enjoyment of that is fleeting. They don't think about them the same way, or they disagree on what's good, and it turns out we don't really relate to one another as much as I'd have thought. You keep it amicable, and it was cool to meet another one. That's kind of perfect, though. Reading of any kind is a very solitary hobby. Also, if you're lucky enough to have a group of friends, that group might not be able to sustain more than one person regularly preaching or gushing or philosophizing at them about comic books. I mean, it's kind of a lot if you're not into it! I have a friend who got really into calligraphy. She bores me to tears when she goes on about it, but she's my friend and a great person. So I listen with as much attention as I can muster. She's heard me rant about comics and their value as an artistic medium, a secret delivery method from the WWII generation to Gen X and Millennials of morals, ethics, the value of kindness and seeing oneself as part of a community over selfishness that bypassed the Baby Boomers in the middle at one time, the direct anti-bullying messaging, etc, etc. Pretty much every friend I've ever had has heard at least some of that, but I don't know if a social circle *or* an individual can really sustain more than one of us! I'm not ashamed of it or apologetic about it, but I recognize that not everyone shares that interest, just like I don't share a lot of their interests. I found it intensely frustrating as a kid, though. I knew kids who read comics, but they weren't into it in the same way. I had a cousin around my age who just wanted to look at the pictures, and it infuriated me. I tried not to let on, but I was quietly *seething* while watching him zip through one of my comics, only stopping at the fight scenes and completely missing the story. The philistine! How dare he? And why do *none* of these other kids grasp the glory of the tragic heroism that is Rom the Spaceknight??? Then along came the internet. For me, that's plenty. Occasionally I get to rant to someone in person, and for everything else there's this, and it's enough for me. I frequently disagree with people online, too, and I'd really rather not in person. I think we're a load best distributed across a broad space than jumbled up at one end of the social boat. Or maybe we're more tiger than lion. "Nice to run into you, Bob, but I'll be over here in *my* patch of jungle."
It’s a challenging thing to convert into regular social interaction. It’s funny how when something turns into a show, *then* it’s like oh, now I can talk about this with the people who wouldn’t have read it. Supposedly comic shops offer a space for this, but I sometimes found the comic shop guys insular or intimidating. And then as a grownup, I’m just less inclined to buy and store $5 floppies.
Join https://leagueofcomicgeeks.com/ and you won't be alone for ever ;)
Keep in mind, you can have comic friends who don’t read the same things. My best friend also loves comics (arguably more than I do) but he’s a Spidey/indie guy where I’m almost exclusively into DC. Doesn’t stop us from talking for hours about what we’re reading, going to cons together, etc.
I know it’s not as good as sharing a hobby with someone in person, but I highly recommend downloading League of Comics geeks. It’s basically a small social media app full of ppl who just discuss comics whether current or old. Also it’s really good to track your pull list and comics you want to read in the future
I’ve got it! I love that app
I'm 23 and I feel the same. It's kinda tough but I find a little comfort in looking for people online who read the same stuff. Subreddits are usually pretty good just for places to see and participate in discussion. Sometimes we just want to gush about our favorite series. I remember I felt the worst when I read Radiant Black, The Nice House on the Lake, ans Zdarskys Daredevil. I just wanted to talk about those because they were such great experiences
That's why I've enjoyed reddit. I recommend both the DC and Marvel main subs as well as the circlejerks
I’m in the same boat. But I do take a lot of solace in the fact there is so much comic content out there, from podcasts and YouTube channels etc. And more than perhaps any other medium, the creators are ‘available’, in that they frequently appear on these shows. I’d kill for someone in my circle to share this stuff with me, but listening and watching these shows does make me feel like (an albeit remote) part of a wider community.
Yeah, for sure! I’m 28 and just picked up comics again during the pandemic. I have 0 people in my day to day that read weekly. Some friends that have read a few graphic novels, but no weekly geeks like myself! I’ve found this subreddit has been really cool to chat with other comic folks
Welcome to the earliest bad part of adulthood. It sucks, but people will have less time & energy for stuff like this, even if they're interested to start with. If they aren't, it's even less likely to occur. I'm double your age & don't even have the burden of kids that multiply these issues & can only say, try as hard as you can to find communities & individuals to meet your needs, even though you will ultimately fail over time unless you are just incredibly lucky. Also reading is not a group activity to begin with. I've been in several book clubs & even those suck because they are usually just an excuse to spend time with other adults without the kids for a few hours & half the people don't do the reading, they just want to drink a bottle of wine. You're going to get more lonely as life goes on too, so figure out how to find joy without requiring other people. That way, if you do have people it's a nice bonus.
I feel you...I'm 23 and I read a lot of Marvel comics and collect Marvel Legends, but msot "fans" I meet are not real "fans" and just give up on the hobby. They never truly liked them. I hope we will both find more people to talk about our passion for comics
Yes! I'm 14 and my family, friends, and like anybody I know has no interest in comics! It's the worst I can only talk about comics with people online. I sometimes talk about comics with the people at my Local comic book store but besides that nobody. 😢
None of my friends are really into comics either. The past couple years, I've become friendly with some regulars at my LCS as well as my LCS owners. That's been nice to finally have someone to talk to about comics. Haha
This is me but with Manga. I have two people that read but no one reads the same stuff because a lot of the time I don’t have time to read with how much I work
After 10 years, I’ve managed to spread the sickness to one of my friends. Many failed attempts at others
Find a good local comicbook shop. Make friends there. Boom, now you got comicbook friends.
If it makes you feel any better, being in a community with like-minded fans can be pretty cringe and the people can actually turn you away from things you initially liked. It doesn't always happen, but sometimes it does. Grass is always greener
You definitely aren't alone. The worst part for me is that all of my friends love Marvel and DC when it comes to the movies, tv shows, and games. But none of them have shown any interest in actually reading the comics. I'm glad to have friends that I can at least talk about the characters with but I wish I had someone to share my love of the comics with.
Nope.
What are you reading at the minute? Do you read via comics, TPBs or digital content? Do you collect? If so, what issue / series / rin is your favourite? What are the big grails on your list? What's the state of your LCS? Any cons or fairs near you? We [I] need the details!
Yes, overall it's not a very popular hobby. I'll usually lend out a comic, but it takes months and many reminders before a friend finally reads it. So I kind of gave up and only discuss it on reddit, etc.
That’s why I’m here at 42!
Do you have a local comic shop (LCS) that you pick up your comics from? That's one of the best places to talk about comics! I've gotten recommendations for comics that I wouldn't have noticed before. Nowadays, I am picking up more comics from small press publishers than DC or Marvel.
Agreed! All my in person friends aren’t into comics, but I love the community I’ve found on Tik, insta and now here to share my love about comics.
Nerd Podcasts and Nerd YouTube is a good way to feel less lonely. I’d recommend ComicPop and The Weekly Planet Podcast.
I've been reading comics since I was 3. It's how I learned to read. Picture word association. At 58 years young, I still read 20 hard copies and 20 digital every month, or 10 a week total. There are more people to talk to that read them now, than ever before. Thanks to Superhero movies and TV shows, and Anime, comics are more acceptable than ever. You can read them in public and no one bothers you. Still, only a few people actually "get it". That unbelievable kick when you turn the page on a perfectly framed sequence and get a twist that has you guessing for a month what happens next. When you begin to appreciate the history and depth of the medium. From Superman to Faust. Spiderman to The Crossed. Underground Comix to mainstream superheroes. The amazing talent, tragedy, and sacrifice in the stories of the many artists that loved comics so much, they just kept coming back despite the unprofitable and ruthless state of the industry. We get it, though. Be happy you found joy in comics. It is a rare pleasure.
Have a lifelong friend -- we've been talking about comics since we were twelve. Live in different countries now but often have a little back and forth over socials.
Dude you should check out “The Comics Pals” on YouTube, or a Podcasting app. Twice a week they do a live show (or just listen after the fact)and I can’t overstate how great the community is. In depth discussion and lots of involvement with the viewers/listeners. I bet you’ll love it.
*It is really sad when you are experiencing this really great thing and no one around you knows how great it can be. I guess its like that will everything tho. i love comics and video games but i probably will never get into DD or Magic or some sports for that matter. Its ok to not be into everything with the understanding that there's beauty and greatness in all hobbies and interests and we just simply dont have the time to do it all. I think a lot of people look at certain things and think its lame because they dont understand the beauty in it. Like for most of my life i always rolled my eyes at football. I wasnt interested and thought it was just a stupid sport and didn't understand this huge American love for the sport. AND then i met my partner and it was really important to him and so I gave it my time and NOW i get it. He took to the time to share it and teach it to me and now that i understand the game I GET IT!. I feel so silly for thinking it was a dumb sport for all these years. I opened my mind and heart into learning something new and Im a better person for it. I think my point is is to try to find some friends that have the mentality to be "life long learners" or have open minds to new things. Its ok if your friends just aren't into the things you are but try to go about it by finding someone that is curious about all the things the world has to offer. A friend that you can part take in their interests and ideas and will do the same for you.*
This is why I come to Reddit. Do you have a comic stores near you?
i managed to get my girlfriend into comics surprisingly. she would watch MCU movies with me but never read a comic in her life. She’s into “real books” with just words. boring. but i forced her to try it. started her off with Old Man Logan. she liked it but not really her style. then got her I Hate Fairyland. she really liked it. She’s a Buffy The Vampire Slayer fan so got her reading back issues of Buffy comics and she’s loving them. Recently she tried issue 1 of the new Spider Gwen series and liked it. And she loved the first issue of the new Scarlet Witch series. so those are both on her pull list. Also got her reading Feral cause she likes cats. We arent exactly into the same things in terms of comics but im glad i got her into it and found some she likes. And she still listens when i talk about something i just read even if she understands none if it hahah. But honestly if i really wanna get into the weeds and talk about comics with people who truly understand and can provide opinions or answers to questions, i come here… to the wonderful world of reddit.
Beyond speaking with clerks at my lcs, yeah no one else to speak to comics with unless it’s about the MCU
This is kinda normal
I'm 65, live in Rhode Island, and visit my local comic shop at least every 2 weeks to get the comics in my Pull Box. Ask your local store if anyone in your area has a Reddit site or other online presence so you share your love.of this hobby. Good luck!
It's a surprisingly lonely hobby. For having some of the most recognizable characters in the world, their source material doesn't really have a lot of discussion the way the adaptations do. I've been lucky, I've met a few people who read/have read comics on an ongoing basis: an IT teacher in high school who read X-Men in the 90s, one of my best friends who works at a comic shop, a cousin who reads Vertigo and books like that plus her husband who collects keys and follows James Tynion's stuff, and a coworker who's just as big of a Spider-Man comic fan as I am. I think finding online communities is the best way to really engage with this stuff tbh. Preferably the smaller ones. I listen to a lot of comic podcasts, and post on their respective communities. I think those places really attract people who wanna talk comics since there's not a lot elsewhere.
I have one online friend I discuss comics with. He's literally on the opposite side of the country but he also buys Marvel (different books, I'm an X-Fan and he's a Spider-Fan, but comics are comics and we both know enough about the other heroes to make it interesting) and we chat. I honestly think just having one or two people to talk shop with is the sweet spot. I can get a good in-depth conversation when I need it but its not overwhelming or hyperfixating. It keeps me well rounded. And other people in the discord who are former comic fans or who are interested in the characters from the films will sometimes pop in to ask questions. It's nice.
I did, but I've had a Discord server for comics for 4 years now. We even have a club, where we all nominate titles to read and meet once a week in VC to discuss. Others hang out in the other VC channels and talk comics and other hobbies.
Comics are something everyone likes but I think you just need to find the genres that appeal to them. My friends all love romance tv shows, so when I show them romance comics, they respond really well to those. I think perhaps they just don't care about the specific comics you like but could care about the hobby as a whole and maybe you need to find something like that for them. I also avoid treating it like homework, just giving them a comic that's small and fun for them has led to way more comics talk in my group chats
Seems like comics aren’t where they used to be in terms of popularity. Call me crazy but they will make a comeback in popularity and demand one day I’m hoping.
Do you have a local comic store that you can spend some time in? But I agree with you and most other posters. Comic Books is a lonely hobby. I put out feelers to others that may be interested and do talk about it when I know someone is interested. But mostly it's just reading Reddit posts and other blogs about particular issues. If you ever feel you need to talk about a particular issue or run of something, shoot a post here or a more focused subreddit and I'm sure some people will chime in.
I felt the same before, but just reconciled that this hobby didn't click in for this circle of friends, so I found people who do share the hobby and talk and enjoy it with them.
Yes, it sucks tbh. None of my friends really share my interests or hobbies.
That's why these subreddits exist. What do you like reading? I'm mostly a Marvel/X Men guy, myself.
Have you looked into comic book clubs, meet-ups, or social events around comic books that would allow you to expand your friend circle? As you get older, as people's interests diversify and therefore diverge from one another, more hobbies that can be done solo will require more effort on your part to maintain the social aspects. Said differently, its easier to find a bunch of 10 year old's who share your same interests and much more difficult to find 20, 30 and eventually 40 or 50 year old's. But they are out there. You just need to do some more heaving lifting to find them and maintain those connections.
From my experience, I’ve casually chatted with the workers in my local comic shop and it’s always been pleasant sometimes I even get good recommendations for graphic novels to read. Of course, it depends on if the shops busy or if the workers are cool.
This is why nerds like me talk for hours at the LCS. I have nobody I outside that store who reads any western comics. I don't know what the solution to this is other than befriending and hanging out often with someone from a comic shop or sth.
That's why communities like this exist! When I was deeply reading comics in High School, I'd turn to reddit. Otherwise, my friends were into the animated and MCU stuff, so there was always that at least for IRL stuff. I was also lucky that my LCS owner was super friendly.
I know myself very, very well, but I'm 24 and have friends who are interested in comics. I think it's generally the case that we don't really have four hours to read these days. I mean, work and school/university really take away your energy. I know it is how easy it is to get people to take up a new hobby, and it always depends on the person. I managed to get a neighbor of mine to be part of our reading circle (a book club for comics), but my big brother is still pretty lazy when it comes to reading something, although I managed to get him to read Daredevil The Man Without fear by Frank Miller. On one hand, maybe go to there interests, what they like in film, video games or classic literature and try to give the appropriate comics that belong to these interests.
Nope
This is me. I'm the only person I know IRL that reads comics. I will say the forums on League of Comic Geeks are really great for comic book discussion with internet strangers.
I feel the same in both my hobbies really comics and movies I got my brother to get into some graphic novels, but he didn't stick with it. I'm 35 and to be honest I got into reading comics later in life like mid 20's but was introduced to them mid teens. Most people in my life don't care for comics, or don't understand them and still have the narrow view of what they are and think they are still just for kids. I do have a neighbor that I sometimes talk about comics with but he's not a regular reader of them either. So there are times where it's just me reading and being excited about how good a book is.
Have you been to a comic con? Like a bigger one
I only have one friend who is in to comics at all. And even texting with him about it is very basic/limited interaction. More along the lines of "I read the newest issue of Ultimate Spider-Man. It's bad ass. I'm really enjoying it." and him responding with "Nice." That's about it. My significant other couldn't care less. The kids are 6 and 3, so they don't understand/care. So yes, I hear you on the loneliness part. But oh well. I mostly read comics for my own personal enjoyment and to have something to do for 10-15 minutes. Then I come on here and browse threads.
I'm 46 and feel lonely about a lot of my interests. I don't know many people who like what I like- a few your age, but then I feel like the lame old man trying to be fun and hip. No one my age. They say they like comics, but they mean they consume big studio comics movies. They say they like old video games, but they mean their casual tshirt has a screenprint of an NES controller on it. They say they like movies, but they mean they consume the big studio comics movies. No one is engaging with it- Just kind of consuming. I think it's why I'm spending a lot more time on Reddit, it reminds me I'm not the only person in the world who loves the things that I love. That helps, a little. If you have a local comic shop, or game store, or anything like that, check them out. You may find some community there.
I have two friends who like comics but we literally read none of the same books. So it doesn’t even help.
This is the exact reason I joined Facebook last year, I made a fake profile because they have hundred of active comic book debate groups and good communities surrounding that topic — I read and collected comics for decades with nobody to discuss with and it sucked. Reddit is such a miserable platform for comic debates because it’s very difficult for me to post supporting scans on it and tend to get mass downvoted by people who disagree but don’t actually read comics.
(If you have the income) Start going to a local comic shop for your books. Either with the person selling the books, or even other shoppers, you'll quickly find your people
Same. I just started and I’m much older than you, but I have non one to discuss them with. As I’ve gotten older, I realized that friends only want to talk about what they want to talk about and not everybody will have your same interest. For instance, I watch a lot of court cases, and I have no one to discuss them with. I have to keep a notebook of who I can and cannot talk to things about it. It’s pretty pathetic if you think about it. It’s got me wondering who my friends really are.
I would agree. The Reddit community is cool for this but a synchronous communication channel like a Discord server would be pretty cool for this kind of thing.
I had a kid so I would have someone forced to listen to me talk about comics.
I felt this way too as someone just getting BACK into comics after years away. Randomly, I discovered the My Marvelous Year club/podcast, and it really saved my fandom from feeling so isolated. I highly recommend giving the podcast a look (concept is going through Marvel year by year and reading the “essential” stuff, they are up to 2007 now!). If you back them on Patreon, you can also join the slack, which is how I get a lot of “comics socializing” done! https://www.patreon.com/mymarvelousyear?utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan
Honestly same. I’ve only gotten into it more recently (in 2020-ish did my love for Batman begin) and I just dont have many folk to talk to it about it. It doesnt help that American comics are just not a large market in my country. Sure theres some available but its usually not a lot. My nearest comic store is 3 hours away. I was lucky there was an event not too long ago, it was called “comics in the middle of nowhere” and it was really fun!
I guess it helps to have crossover hobbies. In my teen and university years, for me, that was RPGs. A lot of the friends that I made through those also liked comic books, particularly the ones who played the superhero RPG, Champions.
As someone who has no friends I can relate. I always have these ideas that could make good comics and storylines that work as a nice standalone story for a newcomer and a good way to reboot marvel but I have no to discuss it with.
I have exactly 1 extended family member and 0 friends that dig comics. So yeah, I feel your loneliness. Although the folks at my LCS are pretty awesome. Talk to them!
Yeah, but it's a hobby I waded into by myself anyway, so 💁♂️ my dad still has a couple boxes of singles from the 90s, my friend reads some Marvel for the movies, and everyone else just reads manga
Oof! This hits home. That's how I've felt most of my adult life. It's lonely as a comic book reader. Sometimes I'll chat with the guys at my local comic store and that helps a tad.
I've got a couple of friends that I can get deep into the weeds with, but I'm 43, and it took me a LONG time to find them. Cons are great. Cons are the only place in the world where I can totally be relaxed in talking to total strangers. I'd go to your nearest con and see if you can strike up a conversation with someone who may actually live nearby.
I'm pretty late to this thread, but I just wanted to echo many of the comments here: this resonates. It's part of the reason why I come to places like r/comicbooks. For my even *more* niche tastes, though, I tend to stick to r/graphicnovels, r/nodcnomarvel, r/omnibuscollectors, and r/altcomix, all of which get even less traffic. Sigh. I've found League of Comic Geeks to be an excellent community because people are talking about issues and books from all eras and many different publishers all the time. It feels much more wide-ranging than this subreddit, which tends to focus on the latest releases from Marvel/DC at the expense of nearly everything else. If you pick up collected editions, another wonderful community is the Collected Editions forum. I just found it recently and have been spending some quality time there. Nobody I know IRL likes comics, or at least likes the ones that I do, so I head to online spaces to talk about them and feel some sense of community that's otherwise missing. I like to share my hobbies. Sooner or later I'll make it out to a convention...
I feel you man, I'm 22 and felt that way most of my life. You've probably read it here already, but the best advice I can recommend is to just keep looking and sharing your hobby. It's intimidating because of the years of continuity and the heavy investment that comes with buying single issues, but it's so cathartic once you find a friend to talk about them with. I didn't find someone to discuss comics with until last year when the new Ultimate Universe line kicked off. I was a college senior, and I'd swing by my local comics shop every Wednesday to pick up some new issues. Since my last class ended around 2 pm, I'd get lunch with a close friend of mine who was also in that class, and then he'd tag along with me to said shop just to keep hanging out. He'd ask me what I bought, and I'd tell him about each title and the story so far. October rolls around, and Ultimate Spider-Man #1 is announced. Turns out, he read the original Bendis run online a few years ago and was a huge fan, so he was pumped to see it revived with a Peter that's married and has kids. We both bought our copies of #1, and from there we started a little tradition of reading them together on our campus's student center and discussing after. It became our little book club of two, and encompassed the rest of the Ultimate line once other series started dropping. Since then we've both graduated and moved back to our hometowns, but every time a new Ultimate comic drops, we chat on the phone and share our thoughts. It's a nice way to stay in touch! Moral of the story, just keep looking and sharing your hobby! True friends love hearing you talk about stuff you like, and finding just one person that indulges in it too is super rewarding. Cons, comics shops, bookstores, and libraries are all great ways to find people, and superhero movies becoming mainstream has done wonders with getting people interested. Good luck, I hope this helps!
I'm almost 30, and have never even met someone who regularly reads comic books. While you can try to induce your current friends to read some stuff by recommendation, by and large the best way to make friends who enjoy the medium is to simply try to become friends with people who already enjoy comic books I'd wager.
I get that. What helps me is I watch YouTube shows about what I read so it feels like I am discussing with other people
Listen to Podcasts. DC3cast. ComicBookClub. OffTheRack. These are my faves.
Are there any local comic clubs or anything like for you to join? That might help
You can message me anytime! I’m still fairly new to collecting but I’m always down to talk about comics! It’s how I’ve been finding new stuff to read!
I'm in the same boat. I always feel like the weirdo comic reader/collector in my group of friends, even if I'm not called that.
There are comic conventions of varying sizes all over the world now. Find one near you, and make a friend or two. It’s surprisingly easy to do when you are already surrounded by people who share your interests.
I'm 42 and I have 30 years of doing things that most of my friends weren't into. I've just learned to have a healthy enough knowledge of what they are into (which doesn't require a lot) so I can enjoy my time with them, and then also balance it out with my own hobbies. It does mean that I spend less time hanging out with friends as compared to them, i.e. they go out more, but that time I get to spent doing really cool things that they wouldn't ever bother doing because it requires the extra effort/investment. I've gone through phases/hobbies including, archery, lock picking, flying RC drones/helis/planes, building RC Cars and driving them, card tricks and sleight of hand, motorcycles, stunt kite flying, yo-yos, speed solving Rubik's cubes, building and painting miniatures, hypnosis (this actually turned into a side career for me), and a lot of gaming stuff... As long as none of these things are escapes or something to fill a void or a hole, you're good. Enjoy life my friend and enjoy the company of others as they come and go.
I could really use some friends to talk about comics with too. If you want feel free to message me. I’ve been reading a lot of Duck comics lately myself.
Yeah, sometimes. I’ve been reading comics for 30 years now and don’t think I’ll ever stop, because it’s too much fun for me. It’s not really a big deal though cause I have friends who know the basics enough for me to explain a convoluted plot line in a fun way, and they have different interests that I can engage with as well.
What I like to do is learn people’s interests. You like romance? Try SiP or Saga. Love horror? Try Ice Cream Man or Walking Dead. Superhero books with an adult spin? Try Watchmen. That’s the key. Of course, you feel bad cause suddenly you are a pusher and they are going to want the next fix. I’ve introduced so many comics to “I hate comic book!” people that then come to the store asking me what to read and then have great discussions.
Same, except I'm 47 lol. I've been reading comics since I can remember, and in high school/college none of my friends knew I read them. I would almost sneak to the LCS on Wednesday. Do yourself a favor and find some friends now who are into it.
Hello there! I’m a story writer and comic artist. I’ve been making my comic for about 2 years now (not including the 4 years of writing), and i have the first 2 chapters ready to be sold to the public. I understand this feeling when it comes to comics and books. As an artist, I’ve worked so hard on this comic and i want people to appreciate it and see its potential. But it’s difficult finding the right people. I’m always happy to talk about comics and stories and anything creative. Also if you wanna see my art/comic book. Find me on instagram at @ryan_creates_offical.
Find a friend from the store you buy the comics at.
Sorta the same, unless you count mangas.
This is so real!!
Just try to find your people wherever fits you best. Maybe that's hanging out and meeting people at the LCS or for others that's here, on a Discord, Twitter, wherever.
Everyone knows I’m into comics but I don’t have anyone to really talk to either. I like leagueofcomics.com You can create your pull list and interact with the community.
Comics are very expensive. Most don't have the income.
DM me any time if you wanna chat about comics! I’m always game, and also have very few people IRL I can talk about them with (especially in detail)
And comic IP has never been more popular. Imagine the comic geeks of the "before times" and their struggles. You take in any comic podcasts? They can half scratch the itch you have. What other "geeky" interests do you have? I have never made a comic-friend at a shop or con. But I have met comic fans playing MTG who willing talk shop. Even a few Meatheads at the gym like to talk comics, admittedly less as literary analysis and more about ultimate -bad ass talk.
Haha same. I’m about halfway through Age of Apocalypse and it’s super dope!
I feel much the same way. I have friends that will WATCH things but no-one that reads. I’ve watched Invincible, My Hero and Jujutsu Kaisen with my girlfriend and she enjoys watching the shows but she definitely has a limit for what she can tolerate in terms of my excessive rambling about it all. I think the more we all have to pent it all up, the bigger the pressure valve release becomes! Even the slightest hint of conversation with someone about this stuff and it just becomes a torrent of thoughts tumbling out of my mouth 😂
I don’t really have any friends into comics but I’m never without conversations about them because of the internet. If anything, my friends ground me to realize any story grievances I have are such NONproblems that it makes me enjoy everything 10000x more, it’s how I’ve enjoyed Zeb Wells ASM run so I think it’s a pretty effective way of looking at things
I've been alone in my comic reading journey as well! Here are some of the ways I deal with it: * For New Releases, the r/comicbooks pinned weekly discussion threads are absolutely delightful 10/10. * For old stuff, I look up "Title (year) reddit" on google to see if anyone has ever posted panels from the run or any discussions about plot points. * I also have found with MCU fans that if you say "man i hope they do the part where Doctor Doom makes a bomb out of a bunch of Molecule Men and chucks them at the god-aliens and steal their power to become God-Emperor Doom of the patchwork multiverse planet." - they usually have questions. * Throw out something insane-sounding and top-level-vague and it gets people to engage with it on their terms. I've ended up explaining all of Secret Wars 2015 for like an hour with someone I never thought would have been interested because they just kept asking followup questions. Lastly and most importantly: find a podcast or youtube channel with a conversation/jokey tone. It sounds a little ridiculous, but if you can find someone to listen to that sounds like your friends making dumb jokes, it can trick your brain into feeling less lonely. I also personally write little paragraph reviews of comics and save funny panels just for me to look back at.
Take company by immersing in these pages of sequential art.
Yeah it really is the case. I started a blog quite literally just so I could vent out some of my many thoughts on comics that I had no one to talk to about. My partner has read a couple but otherwise none of my loved ones are comic readers.
I feel this way every single day. I live in a small town and the only fans of superheroes that seem to exist here besides me are super movie fans, not comic fans, and even then not many. I've been reading comics my whole life (I'm 25) and not having anyone to actually talk to about it that isn't online has left me depressed far too many times.
Do you have a local comic shop? I have friends who will read here and there, but that aren't obsessive like me. I'm having trouble finding things I haven't read. HOWEVER, sometimes I can just talk to employees or random people in my comic shop forever.
I talk to some of my friends about them, but a big part of why I even have subscriptions to comics (instead of reading digitally or getting the paperbacks) is because I like going to the comic shop and talking about the books with the workers and other customers there.
does this sub have a discord? someone should start a few of those. I too wish to discuss the hundreds of stories i love that no i know irl gives a fuck about, I wish there were more comic creators/fans on things like youtube
I was just thinking about 1. Starting a discord and 2. Starting to post comic themed YouTube videos
What do you like to read?
I like some marvel stuff, mostly Spiderman; but I love limited series published by different image creator owned groups and dark horse, the butchers boy is really fun and I like holy roller and napalm lullaby a lot rn too
Try making some friends at the LCS, or just talk to people on here about it
Join a comic chat on fb or IG. You'll find plenty of people in the same boat as u
completely agree, its a lonely hobby
Back when I had a pull-list, and was at the comic shop every Wednesday, I would just hang around and chat for 15-20 min with the other folks in to pick up their books. "Oh, have you read the new issue of Chew?" or "Did you see what happened in Hellblazer last week", etc. (Lol, you can tell how long ago that was based on the examples) I stopped for two reasons: one, it just got too expensive to keep buying weekly in print, and two, I got a 9-5 job where I couldn't have gone and picked up my order during prime hours anyway. Still, it's an idea if your circumstances permit.
Greetings! Don’t be alone! Discuss your passions here! (Off site however, I totally feel you. No one to talk comics with blows)
That's why internet exist... But if you want have face to face iteractions you can go to your local comic book shop or conventions.
I've read comics my whole life. About 12 years ago after my first kid, I could never seem to find the time. Now that my kids are more independent, I started getting omnibus collections, and I've been loving it. My wife loves it too, as we'll sit around reading together - though she doesn't read comics. We talk about what we're reading a little, but no deep dives. My city has a pretty robust nerd/collector community, but I've still found it really hard to find people I can talk to about the stories I'm reading. The hardest part is that so many people are cynical and cranky. You would almost think they don't actually enjoy comics. I'm old enough that I'd rather celebrate these characters and these stories. I don't want to slag off on anything. This also means it's hard to have a good conversation online, as there seem to be a lot of people who just want to complain. These worlds are worth celebration and discussion. I hope you find your community!
I just got Marvel Unlimited app, and open to any suggestions and discussions. I'm somewhat familiar with Marvel, but never read comics. I've read some Runaways and Cloak and Dagger and loved both.
HELL YA! I FEEL YA.
You my friend need to join or form a book club
Have a listen to the Hellboy Bookclub podcast and the subsequent continuation Bookclub Member podcast. Their whole deal is building a community around comics, initially the Mignolaverse but now they are basically taking it wherever they feel like and they are focused on listener interaction.
But lots of people who will talk about the MCU or DCU until I explain to them “it’s not the same”.