Closet Case Comic Collector

[Colt-migration]

Be proud of who you are and what you find enjoyable!

 

I grew up with a coach for a dad, so needless to say athletics were the expected norm of my activities for his son. The problem was I loved comics! I was a standout athlete in football, baseball, and wrestling, but my true passion was girls and comics. To my friends, girl were an exceptible and encouraged norm, but comics were for the geeks. So I always hid the fact from friends that I loved comics.

 

Out of high school I attended college and got into a fraternity, the whole while hiding my passion for comics. Four years later I'm commissioned an Infantry Officer, charged with the welfare of my rifle platoon...many of which were rabid comic fans. I would often hear them engaging in conversations after missions about Wolverine, The Punisher, and the Avengers (my favorite). The whole time being a fly on the wall, just listening. I could have trumped them any time in there knowledge or who would beat who, but I chose silence.

 

Fast forward 5 years and my son is born. Now I have an excuse as to why I'm collecting comics...they're for my son! Only partially true! Yes I do enjoying the bonding and shared experience of collecting with my son, but now I can say those are my sons and not own up to the fact I'm a comics book geek.

 

When I obtained the rank of Major it must have been the breaking point or my mid life crisis, but I finally came out of the closet about this love of collecting and it feels great! What surprised me was the number of my peers that share the same passion and were me 20 years ago...too afraid to man up about this incredible love of collecting and reading comics.

 

BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): be proud of who are and what you love to do! If you're friends don't except it...find some new ones like I have over the past few years and now on this forum. Thanks for listening to my rants and I'll step off my soap box now.

 

See more journals by COLT COMICS

[thehumantorch]

Nice post Colt. Couldn't agree more, don't hide who you are, even if you're a comic collector.

[Cimm]

Nice post Colt. Couldn't agree more, don't hide who you are, especially if you're a comic collector.

 

Fixed that...

[Colt-migration]

Thanks Torch

 

[ThoseBackPages]

Great post. thank you for taking the time to share it with us

[surfer99]

It's funny, last year I used a picture of Avengers #110 as my icon for the instant messages I send at work. I get Q's (messages) or questions from co-workers every so often now and it sparks a good conversation. I really think comic collecting has become much more accepted since there has been so much success with these characters at the box office in recent years. Dude...The Avengers is the highest grossing movie of all time! How cool is that? Well, at least until Avengers 2 comes out!

[Kevin.J]

Most of my friends do not know I collect comics.

[RyukyuPito]

Sir, thank you for contributing. Journal entries like this, keep me on point and motivated to share similar, collective experiences with my own son. Throughout multiple deployments and temporary military seperations from my familly, I have reflected on my early-years of comic book collecting (late-70s through the mid-80s) and aim to share this joy and similar, positive experiences. Increasingly important now, as he is currently being raised abroad and inudated solely (thanks to my Japanese wife) with manga and anime, early in his childhood development; I find myself emphasizing the importance in expanding his horizons with an introduction to the DC and Marvel mythologies. A career military member myself, I feel I owe it to him - I mean, choosing not to would be truly, un-American.

[Colt-migration]

Too funny brother! I concur it would be truly, un-American! Loved reading you're response and would enjoy serving with you...it would give me someone to compare notes with!

 

I hope you're son begins to share his passion for the DC and Marvel Universe with you. I've found it to be an absolute blast taking my son to the comic shops and eBaying with me. He's also head-and-shoulders above his peers in reading...which I attribute to comic reading.

 

Once again, great response and good luck in you're future endeavors!

[Mokiechan]

Hey Colt

Great post! Had a Navy LT in my office yesterday who was very excited about his midnight screening DKR tickets. He is a big comic fan and I am proud to be the Command expert on all things Comic Con. Hence his revelation.

 

Malcolm

[Tnerb]

First off thanks for sharing.

 

I too hid my passion of comic books from my friends in school. I also hid them from the girls I liked or dated. The things is I am older now and I really don't care who knows or who finds out. Comic books helped me learn how to read and gave me a sense of enjoyment during the times when no one else was there. It was nice to be teleported away into a world where I could pretend I could fly. Either way I do talk to my coworkers at work about my comic book collection. They really don't understand but they listen and since my coworkers are mostly woman when I get the look of astonishment on their face that they really don't understand why I like comic books I just look at them and say one word... Shoes.

 

Tnerb