Hot take: I think the best comic book fans are the ones who don't read comics

Last week, I was at a bar in Cleveland talking to a guy who knew every detail about the MCU movies and shows. He could name every actor and director, but he had never picked up a single comic. Three years ago, I would have said he wasn't a real fan. Now, I'm not so sure. He loves the characters and the world just as much as I do, maybe more. He just came to it a different way. Has anyone else met fans like this who changed their mind about what being a fan means?

4 comments

4 Comments

jordan_henderson132mo ago

You said you would have called him "not a real fan" three years ago. What was it that made you feel that way back then, and what changed for you?

casey8182mo agoTop Commenter

What gatekeeping rule did you follow back then?

bailey.jennifer2mo ago

Why do we even care about that stuff?

jason_stone5916d agoOG Member

Wait wait wait, you're seriously asking why we care about whether someone is a real fan or not? That's like asking why we care about who wins the game or what song gets played on the radio. It's about respect and the culture of the thing we love. If somebody's calling themselves a fan but can't name three songs or has never actually listened to an album all the way through, that's just disrespectful to everyone who's been invested for years. You don't get to claim the title without putting in some kind of effort, that's just how it works.