Hot take: The gatekeeping in indie comics is getting out of hand

I was at a local comic shop last Saturday and overheard a guy tell a new reader that they couldn't call themselves a real fan if they only read Saga and didn't know about some obscure 90s miniseries. It really made me rethink how we treat newcomers. On one hand, I get wanting to share deep cuts, but on the other, shouldn't we be happy people are reading at all? Which side do you fall on, and where's the line between sharing passion and pushing people away?

3 comments

3 Comments

emmam891mo ago

Kinda feels like that whole "if you haven't suffered through the bad stuff you don't deserve the good stuff" mentality that pops up everywhere, not just comics. Like people forget we all started somewhere.

blake7921mo ago

There's something to be said for the journey though. Not like suffering is a requirement, but going through the rough patches does give you a different kind of appreciation for the wins. You learn things from the struggle that you just can't get from an easy path. Doesn't mean people who had it easier don't deserve good stuff, but their perspective is just different. It's like learning to ride a bike without training wheels versus with them - both get you there, but one teaches you how to balance when you fall.

aaronsullivan1mo ago

Wait, does that mean you think someone who didn't struggle as much can't really appreciate what they have? I gotta push back on that a little. Appreciation isn't some currency you earn by suffering. I know plenty of people who had it rough and still act like everything is owed to them, just like I know folks who had lucky breaks and are the most grateful people you'll meet. The bike analogy is fine but it assumes everyone who uses training wheels never falls, which isn't true. Sometimes the "easy path" just means you had different battles nobody saw.