I used to think gatekeeping was just part of the hobby

I was at a comic shop in Austin last month and heard a dad ask his kid, maybe 8 years old, 'So which Spider-Man is your favorite?' The kid said he liked the one from the video game, and this older guy next to them just rolled his eyes and muttered 'not a real fan' under his breath. It really hit me how that kind of stuff pushes people away. I mean, we all started somewhere, right? How do you guys handle seeing that kind of attitude at your local shops?

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jennifermurphy7mo ago

That old guy in Austin is the exact reason some shops feel like a clubhouse instead of a store. Gatekeeping like that kills the hobby because it tells new people they aren't welcome. I've seen it happen with music and sports too, not just comics. The kid's answer was perfect, and that's where the next generation of fans comes from. Those grumpy purists forget they were once the new kid who didn't know all the lore.

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wesley_fox927mo ago

Wait, did the story actually happen in Austin? I thought it was a tweet about a shop in Portland. Either way, you're totally right about that attitude being a problem anywhere. It's just funny how these stories get moved around online. The point about scaring off new fans is still dead on.

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noah9146mo ago

Look, sometimes a shop needs to keep a certain vibe to stay in business. If you let it become a daycare for people just killing time, the real customers who keep the lights on stop coming. That "grumpy purist" probably spends more in a month than ten casual fans do in a year.

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