Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: Comics, entertainment, fcbd, free comic book day, jakita wagner, planetary

N00bs, Purists And Free Comic Book Day

Published Mon, 16 Nov 2015 08:00:30 -0600

On Sunday, the Facebook page for Free Comic Book Day posted the following,

HOW'S YOUR COMIC BOOK GAME?

Let's separate the purists from the n00bs and see how hardcore some of you so-called "comic fans" are.

Name the character below. Those who guess correctly get absolute bragging rights and our respect. Those who guess incorrectly (or remain silent) must hang their head in shame.

Ready…set….go!

The response was swift.

Tim Twelves"Hardcore" "Purists" "Bragging Rights"? WTF is this? The tiniest dick swinging contest?

If you want to bring in new readers on FCBD, this is just about the sh-ttiest way of doing it. Whoever came up with this can just screw off back to Eltingville, because I hear there's a club there missing an idiot.

Dennis L Barger Jr"Hey all you comic fans, here's a tough one, but if you head into your local comic shop they will tell you all about this amazing character. Meanwhile who out here knows this and will tell everyone how great the series she comes from is" or something like that, I'm not a paid marketing genius like the idiot that wrote this, I'm just a comic retailer who inadvertently pays these jackasses to insult my future customers.

Aaron HaalandThis is totally off message for FCBD. The post goes against the primary goal of the organization, winning new people to comics in a welcoming way. I think Joe Fields would agree with you.

Shawn RichisonI've read comic books (super-hero genre included) for 35 years, but I couldn't tell you who this is. You're a bunch of idiots, phrasing this post like you have.

Amanda J O'MaraIt's disappointing to see this "n00b" vs real fan mentality coming from an organization that distributes comics to kids to encourage a new generation of comic book readers. I don't mind a challenge, but the tone of this post is negative and a stereotype of "comic book fans." Really stupid joke.

Merritt NennemanSo…you're going to shame people who don't read *every* comic book printed? Thought comic fans were more inclusive than that.

Michael Vincent CannettiThe point of freecomicbookday is to promote new readers. I've been reading comics for 25 years and I read books from # ##imagecomics #vertigocomics and I don't know who that is. I don't read every book that comes out.

Rich WagenerUnfollowing Free Comic Book Day now. I've read comics since 1971. Never wanted to read Planetary. – Sincerely a comics curmudgeon who has had enough of this type of thing.

Orion TippensBeen reading comics for over 30 years, but never read Planetary. Sorry I didn't earn your "respect"

Nick LaneyWay to p-ss everyone off Free Comic Book Day.

Bob MorrisIf you really disapprove of a comic book, you don't buy it. If you're tired of Free Comic Book Day being disrespectful to those that make their job possible, unlike or block them. I am.

There was also a lot of discussion about Jakita Wagner, which may have been the original intent of the piece.

From my point of view though, this struck me as a silly, tongue-in-cheek post made many months before FCBD actually happens in a mock Sheldon Cooper-type fashion. It was not meant to be taken seriously, let alone the labelling people in such a fashion, it was even mocking of those labels. No one may want to be seen as a n00b but who really wants to be seen as a purist either?

I have some issues regarding FCBD about certain elements. The 20 cent price point, the size-issues with 2000AD, the lack of international representation on the FCBD committee, for example. And FCBD does change, year after year, and does respond to criticism.

But if it comes down to a post like this, it looks to me more like people just looking for a fight.