Can we talk about how we used to gatekeep comic shops?

I remember back in the 90s, the shop I went to in Portland felt like a clubhouse where you had to prove you knew enough to belong. I'd see new folks get quizzed on obscure X-Men runs and feel that pressure myself. Now, after seeing how welcoming my local shop has become with free first issues for kids, I just hand a new reader a copy of 'Ms. Marvel' and say 'start here'. What was your local shop's vibe like when you first started going?

2 comments

2 Comments

kellyj231d ago

My shop's vibe was a pop quiz I was always failing. The owner once asked me to name all five original New Mutants and my brain just blue-screened. It's a miracle I stuck with comics at all.

stellag211d ago

Man, remember when some shops acted like a secret club? My buddy tried to get into comics in like 2005 and asked about Batman at this one place. The guy behind the counter just sighed and said "Which Batman?" then started grilling him on post-Crisis continuity. My friend just put the book down and walked out, totally turned off. He didn't try again for years, which is such a shame. That kind of vibe just killed the fun before it even started.