I was gatekeeping comics for years without even knowing it

Last month, I saw a kid at my local shop in Springfield pick up a Miles Morales graphic novel and ask his dad if it was 'real Spider-Man.' I almost jumped in to explain the whole multiverse thing, but I stopped myself. I realized I was about to lecture a 12-year-old on canon instead of just saying 'Yeah, it's awesome, you should read it.' That moment made me see how often I'd done that, turning simple fun into a test. I've been collecting for 15 years, but I was making it a club with rules instead of a hobby. Has anyone else caught themselves doing this and changed how they talk to new fans?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_max2mo agoMost Upvoted

Wait you’re from Springfield?

umaf442mo ago

How many Springfields have you been to, because I swear there's one in every state?

kevin_carr29d ago

Is it really that many though? I feel like people say that but there's probably only like a dozen or so, not literally one per state.