What does your spouce, girlfriend/boyfriend, partner or whatever think of your comic collecting...

[Buddy]

I ask this because my current partner thinks my comic collecting is a complete waste of time and even though she is an artist herself (with exhibitions worldwide) she fails to see any artistic merit in comics AT ALL.

Every time my sub issue falls through the door I get grief along the lines of 'not more comics' and 'when are you going to get rid of those things' and 'are they worth anything?' etc.... etc.... etc....

I have tried (and failed) to explaine that comics are a form of entertainment and escapeism (sp?) and are aimed at a broad audience of various age groups and backgrounds, like films, books and TV etc... and in these entertainment forms there are good and bad examples.

The usual reply is the usual 'kids stuff' argument.

I could suggest to her perhaps actually reading a comic might at least give her a grounding for her arguments, I could suggest reading Love & Rockets, Neat Stuff, Hate, Watchmen, V For Vendetta, Ronin, Hellboy, The League Of Extraordinery Gentelmen or any other number of books that have entertained me over the years, but I fear things would once again degenerate into the 'kids stuff' argument and would be a waste of her time.

And as for my website (ximoc.co.uk) all she bangs on about is 'are you making any money yet?'

She then goes off the watch Eastenders/Corry/Emerdale/Hollyoaks or whatever piece of shit she actually consideres dramaictly superiour enough for the high intelect.

IT MAKES ME MAD!!!!

So, anyone else out there with similar experiences, or perhaps your partner encourages your hobby.

Link: http://www.ximoc.co.uk" target="_blank">ximoc

[judgejampot]

This, I'm afraid, is the attitude we have to put up with in this country. On the continent, comics are seen as a legitimate art from.

My girlfriend tolerates my babbling about comics in a slightly patronising way, much as she tolerates my babbling about football. She did go and see Spiderman and Daredevil with me though, so maybe there's hope. I'm planning to hit her with Halo Jones (not literally, I hasten to add), as I figure if there's one strip which could convert a girl, that'd be it. Maybe you should try the same. Alternatively, maybe something very adult and non-sci-fi such as History of Violence or Road to Perdition would open her eyes. I must say, I'm disappointed to hear such a blinkered view coming from an artist though.

[Buddy]

I think Love & Rockets would be a good 'It's time in our relationship to tell her about the comic thing' introduction for a girl/woman.

Also V For Vendetta is just about as unchildish as a comic can get and is an example to everyone.

[Smiley]

Dr Miriam replies... have you considered a divorce?

Seriously, that sounds more like artistic snobbery than the usual "Cuh, men are big kids who can't put toys away. Isn't that right, hens?" drivel that glossy supermarket rags peddle.

I imagine I'm fairly lucky having never encountered that. My better half used to read Tammy and Jinty and all that as a kid, and will happily read the prog if Sl?ine is in it. Though we're likely to argue over whether The Horned God is any good*.

*It isn't BTW :P

[Slippery PD]

My wife has read the prog on a number of occassions, tried to get involved with a few of the hobbies/sports Im involved in.  But she doesnt have the "dedication" to them I do (shes not as obsessed).  Shell pick up a prog or one of my graphic novels read it, but only if she hasnt anything left to read of her own.  She then looks at me in that slightly patronising way and makes some comment like
"you could write stuff like this?!?!?!"
Erm no..........

Yer Slippo

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

Mrs X finds comic reading endearing in an ever so slightly patronising kind of way. She knows I like comics and is willing to put up with them for this reason (aww), but has no desire to read them nor inclination to understand why I do. On the other hand, she also watches Eastenders and Coronation Street and Casualty and Holby City and Mersey Beat and TV Movie disaster films (always on Sky) and I don't see the appeal of these. On the plus side, I just faff about on the internet and/or play my PC or X-Box while she watches this drivel. So I guess it's different strokes for different folks. BUT:

1) Comics are infinitely better than any soap, apart from Corrie episodes which feature actual serial killing rather than pointless teasing which are on a par with, say, an episode of Death Planet.

2) I keep telling Mrs X that my 2000ads will be worth money, but only about ten years after it stops being printed. I suggest anyone having spouse problems use this line in times of dire need, as while the idea of a pile fousty old comics might not have any attraction but the thought that they might be worth something should stay the hasty hand that might otherwise throw them in the bin when you aren't looking. This is the voice of traumatised experience.

[Oddboy]

All this sounds pretty familiar...

I did get Oddgirl to read Halo Jones (which she did in one sitting (well almost, we had to board a plane 1/2 way through Book II) I only forced her to read Book I, so she must have been impressed enough to read the others.
But the slightly patronising opinions still flow whenever I turn up clutching a new comic (or an old one that I've just got from the internet).

It wouldn't bother me at all, except she likes Asterix books.  WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE??? If anything they're more kiddie stuff... And does anyone remember them Beano Comic Library books? I got a load of them back when my Mom was clearing out my old room & Oddgirl's more then happy to read them!
O well.

I think she likes kids comics because it's that cool to like The Magic Roundabout & DangerMouse but its too geeky to read comics that are meant for adults.

[ukdane]

Uncle. I feel your pain. My whole comic collecting life I've had the same from (first) parents and now Mrs. Dane.

Pete: On the continent, comics are seen as a legitimate art from.


I can assure you that unless you're talking about Donald Duck this is NOT the case in Denmark :-)

Mrs Dane doesn't mind me reading them. But she does mind me spending money on them (Hey, you would too if you saw my monthly bill!). She's way more into bashing me for the amount of time I spend in here. She likes to read Calvin & Hobbes... Not matter how many times I tell her, she can't see the difference between cartoon strip, and a comic.

I'm gonna try Oddboy's approach to Oddgirl again soon- a copy of The Complete Halo Jones (minus the holiday/honeymoon!)
 

[JamieB]

My girlfriend's generally pretty cool about it, cos I make money and buy her stuff.

Uncle U - try a "cultural exchange" with Auntie Umpty, like you watch Bridget Jones' Diary (or something perhaps less tortuous) and she reads a GN of your choice... I got my better half to read Ghost World that way and she's grudingly agreed that there may be something to this comics lark after all...

J-Bo-1

[ukdane]

Mrs Dane made me turn off the Ghost World film half way through... maybe there's no hope after all :-(

[JamieB]

Evidently she wants something completely different to GW ? she how she gets along with PREDATOR ;)

J-Bo-1

[Queen Firey-Bou]

I am very disapointed in all these ladyees. My last man, kept banging on about how great 2K was as a kid, but failed to ever pick up the copies i stuffed under his nose, more prefering the "mmm i love it when you read your comics dear, those little giggles are so endearing", frek off creep. He kept showing me hippy druggy crapo comics, going ooo you;ll love this, er no 2K does not = fat freddie or whatever.

I think if g'fs spouses winge incesantly, just nip it in the bud;
This is me , this is what i do, don't try to change it.
or... winge incesantly & explain in long long dull manner just how crap their fave soaps are.
basically love is the whole package, if they don't like the comics, they should sodd off.

Bou' the uncompromiser.

p.s. I didn't like the football & the alchohol & the general prattness ...did i moan? nope , gave him a yellow card, next time said goodbyeeee.

[Oddboy]

Oddgirl really likes Ghost World (movie) (she even used part of it as an introduction for a training session at for her cinema staff - the scene when Enid's putting off customers)
and has read bits of the comic but I could tell she'd rather be watching the movie version.

(The DVDs great btw - it includes a film of author Daniel Clowes showing the sites of the town Ghost World was based on.)

[W. R. Logan]

The way I got my missus to see that comics werent just for kids was to trawl through Previews until i found a title that seemed to fit in with what she liked in other mediums, like the books she read, tv watched etc.

The first thing I got her was The Tale of One Bad Rat by Brian Talbot. I didnt get her many titles and havent bought one for ages but she doesnt use the comics are for kids argument anymore.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.http://www.bryan-talbot.com/Images/BadRatBook1.thumbnail.gif">

[JamieB]

To be quite honest, anyone retaining the "comics are just for kids" argument having read THE TALE OF ONE BAD RAT would probably be better employed propping up a motorway.

J-Bo-1