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When I was a teenager, I gave up comics. I know, I know. How could I? It’s sad but true. I was sixteen and I’d just started dating, and I was amazed to find that girls actually liked me, big comic book geek that I was. I felt that I was maturing, that my dating life would have to take precedent over my comic book life. So, I quit comics cold turkey. Just said goodbye. Now, I must also admit that the state of comic books at the time played a part in my departure as well. With the birth of Image, comics changed. They became more about style than substance. It was all hologram variant covers and terrible Rob Liefeld artwork (or worse, Rob Liefeld clone artwork). Image started up as a group of artists who forgot to bring along writers. I didn’t even miss comics at first, as I was busily hooking up with girls and partying for the first time in my life. Then, a few years later, I decided to stop by Fat Jack’s Comicrypt in Oaklyn, NJ, and it only took about five minutes to get me hooked again, and I’ve really never left the comic shop since. I also realized that my love of women and my love of comics didn’t have to be mutually exclusive. I could love both!
That said, let me offer some advice concerning comics and women. Sorry ladies, this column is for the men out there. If you’re a girl in a comic shop, you’ll have no trouble attracting interest from fellow comic fans. You ladies don’t need help. You're clearly awesome already. But some men out there might need a little guidance.
Remember this: Comics are cool. Seriously, comic books are hip these days. With all of the mega-blockbuster comic book movies hitting theaters, we’re all geeks. Everyone wants to see the new Wolverine movie; everyone wants to see the next Batman flick, not just us hardcore comic geeks. There used to be a day when I’d mention to a girl that I managed a comic book store, and the girl would scrunch up her little nose as if I’d stepped in her dog's poop. Now, the reaction is much different. This is what I usually hear these days: “Really, that’s so cool!” So, yes, comics have gone mainstream, for better or worse, but they are no longer looked down upon, and that’s pretty damn cool. We’re not just in our little secret club anymore. You’re a geek, I’m a geek, we’re all just geeks.
Don’t be afraid to share your comic love with the ladies. It’s okay, really, it is. There are so many wonderful options for females who haven’t really read comics before. If you’ve got a girlfriend or potential love interest, show her why comics are wonderful. Show her Summer Blonde by Adrian Tomine, show her Ghost World by Daniel Clowes, Black Hole by Charles Burns, Wet Moon by Ross Campbell, The Alcoholic by Jonathan Ames and Dean Haspiel; Y The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra; Sandman by Neil Gaiman, Blue Monday by Chynna Clugston, and don't forget about Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I would avoid superhero comics when first showing a woman the joys of the medium, unless it’s Watchmen. It’s possible to get almost any girl excited about reading comics if you show her the right stuff.
Now, for those of you out there who are unlucky at love, you might want to hold off on the obscure comic book references until the second date, and don’t tell her about your crush on She-Hulk until after you’ve kissed her for the first time. Ease women gently into comics. Don’t overwhelm them. But you can love comics and women at the same time, and you can share that love. It’s 2009. Anything is possible. You can have comics and the girl, and all three of you can live happily ever after. Seriously, though, don't mention that naked sketch of Starfire you bought off eBay. Some things are better left between you and your collection.
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