Girls With Comics

GAME TIME! CLICK THIS LINK. MAKE A LIST OF WHY IT MIGHT MAKE ME ANGRY;

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I’ve said this once, I will say this until the day I die; Comic books are not the fucking enemy. In fact, since you’re clearly an idiot ALLOW ME TO BREAK DOWN THE WORDS FOR YOU.

Comic- Does this really matter because the next word is what matters.

Book- BOOK. AS IN, A BOOK YOU READ.

I simply *do not fucking fathom* why people point fingers at comic books for being the root of all that is evil. By the time I was in 3rd grade I was on a 10th grade reading level. Do you know why!? Because I spent the majority of my early reading life reading Archie comics in my spare time. So to you, Dan Parent, Dan DeCarlo, Rex W. Lindsay and Stan Goldberg, I salute you.

Nancy, you are also spitting in the face of actual literary works in the comic book format. Maus, an actual account of a Holocaust survivor (or rather, the author’s father) is a graphic novel (or comic book if you want to be simple). Persepolis, an actual account of a girl’s life in Iran. Watchmen is thought of as one of the greatest literary works of all time by countless people (and Time magazine). Comic books are a vital part of a classroom if a teacher uses them. Archie Comics has a school program, promoting kids to read.

Do you know the real problem with teachers in Maryland? You pay them shit, for one. As the daughter of a teacher, I can tell you from first hand experience how unfairly majority of the Baltimore City teachers are treated. You hire incompetent humans to go take care of our nations future, but you are seriously pointing the finger at a comic book? DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY BALTIMORE CITY SCHOOLS HAVE TO MAKE THE TEACHERS BUY THEIR OWN CHAULK!? No one cares about funding the schools, not even you Nancy King. How dare you dupe the voters in believing that you do. Do you know what would really happen if you cut teachers? I don’t, but reading anything is not a bad thing, in fact it’s the opposite of bad.

Chances are, you have no idea. Chances are you have not stepped foot in any Maryland school since you finished. You’ve probably never opened a comic book. Frankly that is ignorant and simple of you and your campaign to do. Hey, let’s go attack something worthwhile, like the lack of funding schools get, or deadbeat parents, or drugs. Doesn’t anyone attack drugs anymore?

-Lauren

Right now, Showcase 22 (the first Silver Age Green Lantern, aka the hotness known as Hal Jordan) is on everyone’s comic want list. You see, every time a studio announces a comic book movie is coming out, 9 times out of 10 the comic itself goes up in value. Right now (without the help of the movie), Green Lantern IS a hot comic, with the Blackest Night series and what have you.

Traditionally prices on key comics from a comic movie’s history will go up in value. Before Watchmen came out, Watchmen comics were selling for $300-500 on auction sites. After the movie came out prices cooled down to $130-150, which is much more realistic and affordable. On the flip side, Iron Man comics went up in value, and actually stayed there even after the movie came out. If you’re wondering about Batman, well frankly Detective 27 and Batman 1 comics will always be top dollar comics, since they are Golden Age books and are therefore more rare than Silver Age and newer.

Right now prices are nuts for Showcase 22, no matter what the grade. I saw a CGC 3.0 at a con, going for $1,000. That’s insane. When prices are reaching what the fuck levels, chances are good the book will drop in value after the movie comes out. My advice to you, the general reader, is to wait it out. Showcase 22 is NOT a rare book. It is a key book for sure, but it’s no Action 1. Prices should lower or stay about the same after the movie comes out (honestly, there’s potential for this movie to suck balls). Don’t be like all of those Watchmen kids who bought the set for $300 only to sell it months later for $150. It happens, don’t let it happen to you!

-Lauren

*I realize Watchmen and Showcase 22 are on different playing fields, but at the end of the day the average Joe is going to look at you and I and go “Why the fuck are you paying hundreds of dollars for a comic.”

Let me first say, I’m a 24-year-old woman in a hobby that is mostly made up of older men. I’ve been told all kinds of rude, sexist, and downright stupid things at various conventions. I’ve had dealers laugh in my face, I’ve been told I can’t afford certain books, and yet at the same time I’ve met dealers who are more than eager to talk to me, and I’ve even made a friend or two.

Yet still, I see dealers act like know-it-all to all kinds of people. Lots of customers walk away from sales because they might feel ashamed, frustrated, or just plain angry. Lots of younger fans get discouraged and plain old drop out. Whatever you do, don’t let some dick of a dealer make you leave this hobby. While many people want to pretend that there is no crying in comics, there is. No hobby is 100% peaceful.

If you do happen to come across a bad dealer, do not let them break you. Majority of these dealers do this for a living. Most of them know that if they treat customers like shit, they will not make money. If they don’t make money, they can’t afford food, clothing, rent, hookers or cocaine (ok, maybe not the hookers and cocaine part. But wouldn’t that be funny?)

In fact, do what the members at the gym I work at do. CALL THEM OUT ON IT. I work at a gym where the membership fee is roughly $100/month. That’s $1,200 a year per member. That does not include personal training, Pilates, guest passes, ect. If an employee is coming off as rude to a member, that member will have no issues calling said employee out. They also have no issues complaining very vocally to the director of the club. 9 times out of 10 the employee will get in trouble, and maybe even get fired. However that doesn’t work in the comic business, so the only way to really do anything about it is to call them out, and don’t buy from them.

Many customers forget that they are the back bone to this hobby. Without you buying these books, dealers would not be in business. But even that gets twisted, and a customer will still buy from a dick dealer because they have a certain book you want. Should you buy it even then? No. I firmly believe no book is truly rare. A unicorn is rare. I was told an Archie #2 was the hardest book to find in the Archie collection (bullshit) and I own two of them.

 The bottom line is, people will always need money, so if you hold out long enough that elusive book you want will go up for sale. Customers, do not give up. There are lots of great dealers online and at conventions who are super-duper. Metropolis, Harley Yee, Peperpeddler and Dale Roberts are a few of the dealers I really like and do buy from (well, I buy a lot from Metropolis).

-Lauren

In the upcoming months Marvel Comics will have a new trend in various comics: Vampires! That’s right kids, now everyone and their mother has joined this band wagon of sparkly or not-so-sparkly vampire fandom, and Marvel will be releasing vampire variant covers (as well as story lines) of all your favorite characters! Such as, Namor! That’s right, not only does he kick more ass then that pansy Aquaman, but he’s a vampire as well. But one must wonder…How the fuck does that even work. Does he feed off of fish? Aquaman? I would pay money to see that.

Archie has also jumped on board, with their own Twilight parody. IDW is releasing the True Blood comic, and I predict in about a year DC will catch up and also have vampire story lines. Hopefully by then this trend will die down (harhar) and we can continue on with more believable things, such as men who can jump tall buildings in a single bound.

-Lauren

If you read this blog, chances are good that you like comics (chances are also good that I forced you to read this). Chances are also good that you might like girls! Seeing as how this blog is by girls who like comics (SURPRISE) here’s a nifty, handy list on how to get that girl of your dreams…who hopefuly likes nerd things. If she’s into Taylor Swift and Abercrombie* I can’t help you.

If she likes comics, don’t put down her favorite’s if they aren’t what you like.  For example, I really like Archie. Sometimes when people find that out, they just laugh and go “Oh ok well you like comics that were made for girls!” Don’t do that. I can’t think of a better way for you to not get laid (and ignored) by laughing at a girls interest’s.

If she’s just starting out in the hobby, don’t be a know it all. Showing off your mad l33t comic book knowledge makes you look like a tool. If you were showing off your mad l33t rocket science know how, I would totally understand. But you’re not. Lend her some of the comics you like, who knows, she might just dig them! And if she asks you a question, then you can show off your knowledge. If she didn’t, you really will look like a jerk. And you won’t get laid.

If she cosplays, don’t call her an attention whore behind her back. She will find out. Believe me, there are more guys out there willing to make you look like a tool just to get on her good side. Also, don’t be a creep and follow her around the con. Go up to her, tell her you like her costume, and go from there! Most cosplayers won’t bite, and most are not crazy.  However if you do catch a crazy cosplayer, run. Just run.

If she likes comics you haven’t read, give them a shot! Even if it is something girly like Sailor Moon. It shows that you’re putting an effort into the things she likes. That goes a long way with us ladies.

While nothing is fool-proof, hopefully these few pointers will help you find a potential gal pal that you can call your own!

-Lauren

*If she’s over the age of 18 and still wearing Abercrombie, you don’t want anything to do with her.