A friend told me my comic book talk was pushing people away

Last month at our local comic shop in Austin, a close friend pulled me aside and said, 'You correct every little detail and it makes new fans feel dumb.' That hit hard. I realized I was so focused on getting the facts right about, say, the exact timeline of the Clone Saga, that I wasn't letting people just enjoy the stories. So I changed my approach. Now, if someone says 'I liked that Spider-Man movie with the green guy,' I just talk about what they liked instead of explaining it's actually Doctor Octopus. Has anyone else had to dial back the 'comic book guy' energy to be more welcoming?

2 comments

2 Comments

rosep8713d ago

Ever notice how the biggest fans can be the worst part of a fandom? I used to be that guy who would jump in if someone mixed up Barry Allen and Wally West. It just made people shut down. Now I try to match their energy. If they're excited about a cool Batman moment, I talk about that moment too, not which issue number it was or how the writer changed later. The facts don't matter as much as sharing the fun. Getting the little things wrong never hurt anyone, but acting like a know-it-all sure does.

kim_martin13d ago

I read a blog post once that called this "gatekeeping by trivia." The writer said focusing on tiny mistakes just builds a wall around the hobby. Your new way of talking about what people liked is the right move. It keeps the conversation open and fun for everyone. I had to learn the same lesson with video game lore a few years back.