Welcome to Talk Comics to Me, where we, Heather and Champ, hope to do exactly what the title says: talk comics. We wanna talk new comics, old comics, picks of the week, and what it’s like being a femme while working in a comic shop; which can be a male-dominated world. To start off, we wanted to share how we got into comics, because everyone finds comics in their own way.
Champ:
As an only child I spent a lot of time in worlds that don’t exist. I didn’t have easy access to comics, but I did have Saturday morning cartoons, and that’s where I first met all the fictional characters who would lead me to become the person I am today. I’m sure if I hadn’t fallen in love with Wolverine when I was six, I would have never walked into a comic shop and picked up that first book.
I started collecting comics in my late teens early twenties (2004-2005), while I was dating someone who had an almost endless supply of comics. Quite often I would end up with stacks of comics from them that were a “must read”. They were also the type of person to hit the comic shop every week and get new comics. I started small, picking up Preacher trades every month. That’s when I realized that comics weren’t just about “superheroes”. There is a whole other world of storytelling to be discovered in comics.
For years after my initial introduction into comics, I grabbed stuff off and on when I could afford it, but never delved in like I wanted to. Then a few years ago I was chatting with my current partner about things we enjoyed and of course comics was something that came up. So we started hitting up our local shop and picking up books that the internet told us we must read. The internet wasn’t completely wrong in those suggestions either. I started reading Saga,Deadly Class, Sex Criminals, ODY-C, anything that looked even remotely interesting.
I started to fall in love with our local shop. I would look forward to going in every Wednesday night to pick up my books or search out something new. Becoming friends with everyone who worked there was easy, when they offered me a job I immediately said yes.
That brings us to now. Working in the shop opens an infinite world of comics, almost anything I want to read. It’s easy to get into a conversation about comics with either a coworker or person shopping in the store, which can be helpful to find more books that you might be interested in. I spend my time free or otherwise talking about comics or other nerdy things, and I want to share all the things I’ve gained from certain books. I want people to read the comics I’ve read and feel the same passion or disappointment. There’s something very personal about sharing stories together. From a death of a favorite character to the introduction of someone new. Comics give you all the depth of emotion that any story does. Another aspect of this project that I want to accomplish is introducing people to the world of comics and encouraging people to not feel intimidated by it. There’s so much out there to read it can be a little overwhelming. Other times people feel excluded because of their gender, because this person cannot be into comics, and that’s not just the case. Comics are for anyone and everyone. The stories they tell aren’t inherently for one group of people or another. They represent a wide variety of voices, and it only continues to grow. That’s why I wanted to put together this blog and future podcast.
I asked Heather to get involved in this project, because after working together for awhile, I saw her passion for comics, and I felt her voice would add a contrasting perspective. Sure we share interests and certain comics we read, but our interpretations of these works can differ enough that even similar circumstances have different results.
Heather:
When I moved to Omaha in the winter of 2016, I spent a lot of time alone, which wasn’t much different from when I hadn’t lived in Omaha. A majority of my day, when not at work, was spent scouring the internet for new things to read. I became obsessed with absorbing as much information from as many different sources as possible. Eventually, I got (back) around to comics.
My relationship with comics has always been a bit strained. When I was younger, I found a Simpsons comic in a gas station somewhere in Iowa and instantly fell in love. I wanted more. I wanted them now. My grandma thought it was cute and that summer I spent my time sitting in her backyard, reading all the comics she had bought me. At the time, I wasn’t into the writing or the overall story, it was the art that drew me in. Later, when I got back home, I was taken to our local comic book store, eager to find more to read. Unsure of what exactly I was looking for, I asked the man behind the counter. I wanted to be pointed in whatever direction he thought was appropriate but his response was so disheartening I can still recall his tone to this day: “If you don’t know what you’re looking for maybe you should try somewhere else.” I was embarrassed and upset and once I left, I didn’t step foot in another comic store for the next 20 years. My experience with comic books from then on was strictly online or at Barnes and Noble, where I would pick up The Walking Dead or Thor trades. Being out of the loop that long, you miss out on A LOT of good stuff. Moving to Omaha, I met Champ, who (re)introduced me to the world of comics. I eventually started working with comics and wanted to read and be around them as much as possible. Champ texted me one day, randomly asking if I would be interested in doing a podcast that dealt with comics. I was instantly transported back to the day so many years ago, remembering how alone I felt.
Of course I would be interested.
The thought of being able to introduce femmes and other folks who may feel uncomfortable trying to become a part of this male-dominated culture is a real factor to why I was so into this idea and why I want to work hard to make this an experience for everyone involved.
*check back for updates and reviews coming soon*