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Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Bad fan, good fan
Coming up to Comic-Con where I once again witness people with great enthusiasm for...stuff.
Here I am a real life comics professional. I like to think I'm good as a creative type (See my upcoming story in Zombie Tales #5 to decide for yourself!) but as fan I'm fairly sub-par.
I realize why it is, too. I'm not a cynical, jaded type. I may not like things like Star Wars or Buffy but I don't sneer at anyone who does. I'm just too lazy to really be a huge fan of something.
Here's the maximum amount of effort I'll put into something I like: I'll pay money for it and view/read my latest purchase. I enjoy paying $2.99 each month for Captain America or renting the latest Futurama DVD. But write fan fiction? Get up in a costume? Follow voice actor Billy West's every movement? Fuck that noise, I've got a job and propensity for naps.
Maybe something will come along that will force me to be a drooling fanboy but I don't consider such a possibility likely. I hate the feeling of knowing that all of the information of some piece of ephemera has been squeezed out. Bloody Hell, I felt like I had already seen a chunk of The Dark Knight before I stepped into the theatre and that's just because I visit Newsarama, Comic Book Resources and io9 everyday. It's my own damn fault but I know I would have enjoyed the film more without seeing leaked pictures and early reviews.
An important part of appreciating a cultural artifact is knowing when to leave it alone. I have a rule that I will only watch Citizen Kane twice a year at most. Even a film as great as that one will wear out for me. I am a fan of Orson Welles but I don't want to feel that sense of "ownership" that comes with obsessing every last frame of his films.
God bless the ones who put in the effort to become a part of whatever their pop cultural love. For me boundaries and restraint have to be respected. The last thing I want to be is Lenny with the rabbits, squashing them to death because of my affection for them. Especially if those rabbits are dressed as Stormtroopers.
Permanent Link: 1:23 PM |
3 comments
Comments:
It could be argued that getting paid for one's obsession is what differentiates an amateur from a professional. (We won't get into judging the output... that's best left to the general populace.)
So, what are YOU passionate about, Mr. Brill? What, if you didn't get it for free, would you buy?
# posted by Torsten Adair : 9:10 AM
I suppose I'm passionate about friends and family, which I hope doesn't sound corny. Interactions with people I love are life affirming for me in a way in which nothing in pop culture is.
# posted by Ian : 4:46 PM
I buy interactions with people, too!
# posted by Tom : 10:25 AM
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