Thursday, December 08, 2005
THE ROLE OF A COMIC BOOK READER.
That's the discussion that's been going on around the comics blogosphere. James Meeley got it started by discussing how fans act as the "face" of comics.
We represent, to them (non-comics readers), the type of people who read comics. When they see displays of personal insults slung at creators and other fans, over something as insignificant as a work of fiction, it lessens us all. It hurts the industry. It makes it look undesirable and a haven for the intellectually and emotionally stunted. And who'd rationally want to be a part of that? Can you blame potential new readers for not wanting to be a part of comics, knowing that's the behavior they'll deal with if they want to talk about the work? Ed Cunard disagrees (last item in the post):
You see, readers don't have to be a part of comics--it's entirely possible to like something without being wholly invested in it. Chris takes more of a middle road:
While I think James is right that fans are, more often than not, the public face of the medium (as opposed to the characters or, as in other creative media, the creators), I doubt that most outside of this culture think of the sniping, snarking message board troller as the archetypical fan. If I had to guess, I'd say that most think of a comic book guy as, well, Comic Book Guy, from The Simpsons, a physically disheveled, socially crippled collector of ephemera. John Jakala sums up another very good argument:
The part that I disagree with is the notion that there's some obligation to adhere to some set of standards on how one can express one's opinions. If Chris (or James) had stated that such behavior is an ideal that everyone should attempt to strive for, I would probably agree, but I don't see how the positing of such an ideal creates an obligation on anyone to uphold it. As I see it, an obligation has two essential features: (1) one takes on an obligation by assuming some role that carries with it certain clearly defined expectations; and (2) if those expectations are not met, there is generally some form of censure that can be leveled against the individual failing to fulfill his duties. Ultimately, if a fan wants to act as a face for the comic book industry, that person can do so. However, that person shouldn't feel obligated to do so. And, certainly, the non-comic book reading public probably won't be deterred from having the opinion that the average comic book reader is someone in the Comic Book Guy mold.
As for myself, I don't particularly see any reason to act as a face for the comic book industry toward people who obviously already have preconceived notions of who a comic book fan is -- I don't feel like fighting an uphill battle. There's certainly enough people out there -- and, perhaps, it's mostly those of a younger age -- who have a more open mind about comics and who don't need to be argued out of an already-existing view of who a comic book fan is. But if I sense people are willing to expand their minds more in terms of who a comic book fan is, I wouldn't hesitate to act as a face for comic books -- I just don't see it as an obligation.
UPDATE: Apparently drew has some thoughts on this as well.
6:36:00 PM
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