Rant: I thought gatekeeping was just a meme until a guy at the Portland comic shop told me I wasn't a 'real fan' because I started with the MCU.

That snobby comment actually pushed me to read the original Infinity Gauntlet comic, and now I'm three boxes deep into my own collection, so what's a good local shop that's actually welcoming?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenix_singh251mo ago

Try Excalibur Comics, they've always been cool about new readers.

the_emma1mo ago

Yeah, Excalibur is great for that. When I was new, the guy at the counter just asked what movies I liked and pulled a few books off the shelf... no pressure. Ended up reading the whole run of one he suggested.

emma_garcia1mo ago

Glad you turned that bad moment into something good... that's how it should work. Avoid that shop on 12th, the owner there has that same energy and it's just not worth it. My spot is Cloud 9 over on Belmont, they have a whole section for new readers and the staff just wants to talk comics, not quiz you. Got my start there after a similar thing happened to me.