Fuck You, Elitist Comic Book “Fans”
Author: Stephen Gerding
January 4th, 2008
It’s a sad truism of the online comic book world - a truism of any fan based community, actually - that at some point a clique of elitist fuckheads will develop their own terminology for things in order to make them sound “less geeky.” “Singles” instead of “issues,” or the more dismissive term “floppies” for the same thing is one annoying example that’s insisting on sticking around long past it’s cleverness has passed, as is the overused and abused “widescreen comics” description for any comic that features two page spreads and over the top violence at the expense of actual storytelling and character development.
(Sidenote - I just googled “Warren Ellisisms” and had google suggest that I might actually be looking for “Warren Elvisisms.”)
However, the one that’s really become more than just stupid and has entered the realm of “whoever insists on using this term deserves a kick in the groin” has to be “pervert suit.” Seriously, if you’re that annoyed and offended by superhero stories, then for chrissake, just stop reading them and Shut the Fuck Up About It. If you enjoy reading superhero books, then just call them what they are - if you’re genuinely embarrassed about reading them, then get into therapy and discuss your obvious self-image problem and try to take care of that subconscious inferiority complex that’s floating around in the back of your mind.
And if you genuinely feel it’s a clever description for superhero comics, we look forward to wishing you a Happy 21st Birthday at some point in the future. If you’re over legal drinking and find it a clever term, grow up already - your dad would love to turn his basement into an entertainment room this spring.
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6 Responses to “Fuck You, Elitist Comic Book “Fans””






January 4th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Oh come on Steve! I’ve been calling them singles for the longest time and that was before even the term floppies or pamphlets were coined as derogatory terms. I never called them issues or monthlies ever since highschool back in 1994 because for one, some of them aren’t really monthlies (i.e. annuals, quarterlies and the eccentric scheduling of the indies) and because i really dont consider one shots as issues of anything. There’s no elitism involved when I decided to use the term “singles”. Have you heard the term “chapbooks” propagated by a certain poster on various message boards though? :D
First time I’ve heard the term “pervert suit” though.
I’m curious for the motivation that prompted this entry though. I’ve missed you guys, glad to see this site still up and running. I do miss you guys doing interviews like back you did when this place was still 4 color review.
January 4th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Weirdly enough, I think the phrase “pervert suit” has more to do with Hollywood’s take on superheroes- all that tight leather and fake rubber muscles (and occasionally nipples).Frankly, an ACTUAL “guy in tights”(say, Billy Zane as The Phantom) looks downright NORMAL compared to that stuff…
January 4th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Ah, I’m tired of seeing it used by psuedo comic book hipsters. Ellis coined the phrase back in his Delphi forum days and while most people have either ignored it or let it drop from their vocabulary, a few notable exceptions still insist on using it so they can seem as cool as Ellis used to be. Cory Doctorow used it once again today on boingboing and it just set off the nerdrage alarm in the back of my head.
January 5th, 2008 at 8:08 am
Great post!
Well, I’m out to pick up some graphic novels, pictorial fiction, and an illustrated autobiography.
January 5th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Yeah, I’ve never understood “singles” or “floppies” to be derogatory. I just use them when I feel like switching up my vocabulary a little.
January 6th, 2008 at 4:17 am
Damn, Steve… Sounds like you had a run-in with some major douches at your local comic store or convention… I, for one, have never felt the need to be snobby in any context about comics. I stick with “single issue” for my term for these magazines that are my anchors.
At 27, and a lifelong, self-professed comics junkie, I’ve never felt a need for snobbery. It seems that Warren Ellis likes to breed them. It started around the time Transmetropolitan started. Great book, but, man, it bred snobs like rotten meat breeds maggots.
I don’t even like to call them graphic novels… It’s all comic books to me. But, I do call my weekly pilgrimage to Fat Jack’s ComicCrypt in Oaklyn NJ, “feeding the demon” or “getting demon food.” (nice plug, eh?)
The comic book hipster is a suck thing. There’s always a few at the conventions, wearing their distressed print Spider-Man shirt in the Marvel fellatio line while I’m losing my mind that I’m actually having a conversation with Jim Steranko (coolest dude ever, by the way)…