So we were sitting around the Comics Buyer’s Guide offices, and we began to ask ourselves: Why comics?
Then we asked ourselves to answer the question in 140 characters. (Oh, come on. You know where we’re going with this, right?)
Maggie’s first response:
Learned to read, liked what I’d read, kept on reading, now I’m 67.
But that was only 66 characters. Who knew she could Tweet so succinctly?
So, now, as part of an upcoming issue and our kick off to Comics Buyer’s Guide’s 40 years of publishing, we are asking the comics community — including you! — for 140 character responses to the question “Why Comics?” You can post your response below.
The Magazine
An 11 year old me poured over a Marvel Encyclopedia. I studied characters origins, costumes – I wanted to be a hero! #whycomics
I grew up in Montreal, during the early sixties. My older cousin had stacks of the early
Marvel comics( all in English ), I was too young to read at the time, but I remember
studying the covers & interior art( mostly all of course,were done by Jack Kirby). We
eventually moved to the states when I was 5 yrs.old. My new neighbor, who was also
older than me, would sit on his front stoop reading strictly DC books. It was 1966, the
Bat- Craze was just beginning! I was amazed at all these different heroes/characters
and their daring adventures, I only had to walk down to the corner five & dime shop
with my twelve cents, and invite Batman, Daredevil & Jimmy Olsen into my childhood.
My father was a barber and there were always dog-eared comics lying about his
shop. God, how I hated to see these books folded & torn , covers hanging by a
staple. On more than one occasion did I rescue the likes of Brave & the Bold and
the Fantastic Four from dad’s customers. Colan, Romita, Infantino & Adams…come
on people, this was Fine Art to a nine year kid. Here I am Forty years later still
caught up in the magic. Go figure !
Grand opening of 7-11, first Marvel Amazing Spider-Man #162, Punisher/Nightcrawler, signed by Spidey and Captain America, never looked back!
Started reading @ 4, loved comics-heroes, sci-fi, mystery, gadgets, history. Still do.
Clint’s Comics – KCMO—1970′s – dad bought me Shadow #6 and Cpt America #195. King Kirby’ art–nuff said–never looked back—4 decades later, still have those issues and 7300 others. Taught me to read and speak old English (Thorspeak)….
My Dad bought me Roy of the Rovers. My Aunt had Asterix. They were more accessible than books – junior fiction hadn’t been invented. Love comics.
I loved to read them as a kid. In fact, every thing I ever needed to know about life was learned from reading comics. I stopped reading them when I graduated from high school, but picked them up again about a year after graduating from college. This was the early 60′s when all the characters I loved as a kid were being revived. I’m now 71 and still read them. I guess I’m still a kid at heart.
I was born sick spent my 1st 7 1/2 yrs in hospital. I learned to read because of kind nurses and old comics. Comics were escape. I’m 56
I was awed by the characters, costumes, colors, covers & art found on a grocery store comic rack at 12 years old. 22 years later…I’m still awed. Excelsior! & ’nuff said!
I like illustrated stories. That is what comics are!
I like reading illustrated stories. That’s what comics are!
Because the Silver Age had Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Stan Lee & because I’m still reading about the characters they created 50 years ago.
I read comics for my enjoyment of the creativity demonstrated (the story, the art, the color!), especially when involving my favorite characters.
As a baby boomer, I will always remember how awed I was when I saw Amazing Fantasy #I and
other early marvel comics in my town’s only drugstore. Unfortunately, I had no money to buy them. But I did take reading copies of Spiderman #2, 4, 6 from the local barbershop because I didn’t finish reading them. I still have them.
In 1964, my friends were into toy soldiers, baseball, bikes and tv. So was I but I was also reading
comics and I’m still reading comics.
So, why comics?
Through comics, we always feel better that good triumphs over evil, that anything is possible, that we can dream, that we can escape, that we can recall the past with nostagia, that we can learn and that we can enjoy life a little more.
Got me to read. Quick escape from the everyday. Babes! Beautiful art. A not-so guilty pleasure. What not to like.
OHOTMU (Vol. 1) #4 made me believe, Marvel Graphic Novel #1 made me a believer, Uncanny X-Men #181 made me a true believer. Excelsior!
Action, drama, heroes and heroines fueled my imagination. My first was Thor #381 and every time I see it I’m happy I am a comic collector.
The worlds of wonder in comics have often helped me find answers to questions I have about our own world, and to ask new ones.
I was 7, laid up in bed. Enthralled by 2 page spread, JLA 22 heroes & villains. Learned to draw, learned to read, Appreciate for 47 years more.
“Why comics?” Why NOT comics? I like ‘em. ‘Nuff said.
I saw Firestorm #3 was hooked and never looked back
I’ve had many hardships to endure in my life. Female superheroes helped get me through a bad childhood. I still escape in comics today.
I started reading comics when my grandfather bought me some superman comics. I had the chicken pox and had to sit around with nothing to do. I read those comics and enjoyed the art of curt swan and murphy anderson so much I had to have more. when ever my grandfather took me to the drug store I made sure he had an extra 60 cents so I could get 3 books. I had so much fun from so little, I was always excited to see curts art that I think I was the first to call him the superman artist. It was the most innocent time of my life it seemed so pure and gentle. I still have those books and some very good memories of my grandfather.
I grew up reading comics that my older brothers owned. They grew out of the hobby but I never have. I’m 46.
I saw a spinner rack of brightly colored drawings. It called to me and upon reading my first issue of Superman, I was hooked. How wonderous!
Blank paper, marking tools and imagination, to show the world itself and the possibilities. All shared for everyones pleasure.
Growing up, Action Comics 434 was the first thing I could read by myself without my parents or involving school. Haven’t looked back since.
My first (remembered) comics: Sterenko’s Nick Fury–Agent of SHIELD, Jonah Hex, Strange Tales 176; first comics bought in college: GL/GA 76-78; first comic bought as an (ahem) adult: Strange Tales 176… when two things happened: It was really, really good (ah, Gene Colan), and– it was continued.
To find ST 177, I found Fat Jack’s (yay!) in Philadelphia, where I also found DD 44 and up, Howard the Duck #1, Warlock 1, Kamandi 5 or 6, and Capt. Mar-vel….Manthing… that was in mid-1970s; have bought comics ever since.
At the time, had dipped a toe into movie-making, scripting; too crazy a business for me. But know how y’plan movies?–story-boards: panel by panel pictures with dialogue, sound FX, narration… ahhh–ah-hah: comics.
Well written, well drawn comics are as legitimate as literature as well-written prose, as well-written, well-filmed cinema, as well-written, well-directed theatre. I like well-written, I like well-drawn/well-directed/well-filmed entertainment; I like comics. I started when I was about 26, in Philadelphia; I’m 60 now, back nor’east.
Originally, low cost, fun stories. Now? Pure stubbornness.
Living vicariously through characters who live in a world where their actions of doing the right thing is glorified, appreciated, and admired. That, and great artists too.
Long winters long ago
Cold winds blowing
Severe bronchitis
Me housebound, couch bound, bed bound
Colorful heroes and heroines
Taking flight
Made my imagination soar
it’s visual AND tactile, allowing enjoyment at MY pace … when I was a kid is s Calif, comics were everywhere …
Throughout written history, literature has been an important part of our lives. Every generations views and stories are expressed differently. Comic books are no less valid in their content and history, than the great classics of the past, and instills us with views, compassion, thrills and tragedy that we carry with us, well into adulthood. Hopefully they will be respected and looked at as classics, because in every sense of the word, regardless of who drew them, wrote them, and published them, they are.
Still no more visually arresting medium with more interesting characters.
We were both 13. Her name was Sharon. She liked comics. I liked her. So there you go. I still love one. But not the other.
A lot of time waiting in Barber Shops. Beautiful women, honorable men, perplexed teenagers and funny animals.
I call Shenanigans! Too many people are not following the rules–for shame!
Bret gets the award for creativity hands down.
Anyway, here’s my 140 characters:
Since 4: Batman TV show, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Captain America, Avengers, FF. Bright colors, great art, strong characters, huge imagination.
(That’s 140 IF you count the spaces…not sure how Twitter does it.)
Thanks,
Mike
Thanks, Mike. Yes, Twitter counts the spaces and so did we. You’ll see many of these responses as well as more from our columnists and comics professionals in CBG #1672, shipping in just a couple of weeks.
This was a fun exercise, but challenging. It took me time to come up with my own for the issue as well.
Superheroes! Science Fiction! Funny Animals! War! Westerns! Romance! Literature! And everything else! All in Color (and B&W) for —4 Bucks??!!