Facebook has been asking me really prying questions lately. “Molly, what’s your New Year’s resolution for 2013?” it asked me, suddenly sentient. I tried to answer it, but it was still prompting me, taunting me with those words. STOP IT FACEBOOK, I SAID I WANT TO GET INTO SHAPE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. New Year’s Resolution.
New Year’s Resolution.
Resolution.
Furiously, I scribbled down a list. I felt like I was going crazy. Suddenly, I found myself here. I’m just trying to help you guys. I’m just trying to get Facebook off of your back. Oh god this may be my last article, I think it’s coming for me.
Be Nice to Cosplayers
This year, instead of debating whether or not she’s “geeky” enough to be cosplaying, instead of lamenting over how we are taking up all of your convention space, instead of rolling your eyes at that “fat Superman”, here’s an idea: Be nice to cosplayers. And to expound on that… let’s just be nicer to everyone else in general! That’s all I want in this world: just be decent human beings to each other, please? We don’t want to be the bullies we were once tormented by. So in 2013 let’s resolve for less debates, less judgement, and more niceness! Tell a cosplayer they look awesome, snap a pic with a smile, and stop being a dick.
Dress like the Doctor as often as possible
It doesn’t matter what gender you identify with, we all have to agree on one thing: bow ties are cool. And if there’s anyone you should be taking fashion advice from, it’s the dapper Doctor. So channel your inner timelord and leave the house with a bow tie, or suspenders, or even a fez instead of your usual uniform of jeans and t-shirt. Or more realistically… dress nicely. Shower. Work out and get healthy (more about this topic). Break the “comic book guy” stereotype one nicely tailored shirt at a time.
Lend a Good Comic to a new reader… and don’t expect to get it back
Look at your shelves. Find your most dog eared comic, the one you love with all of your heart… and then let it go. Because if you love something, set it free. Pay it forward to a new reader, someone who is just now showing an interest in comics or someone who has NEVER shown an interest in comics. The love you have for that book will transcend the pages, and hopefully you’ll bring a new reader into our folds, and someday THEY can pay the same book forward. Besides, trades are like… 10 bucks on Amazon.
Tweet at a comic creator about how great they are, not about how what they wrote/drew most recently nerdraged you
I think this goes a little hand in hand with “be nice to each other!”, but seriously: If you pick up an issue one Wednesday and OMG YOU ARE SO MAD WTF DO THEY THINK THEY ARE DOING WITH THIS SACRED CHARACTER, take a deep breath and step away from Social Media. Come to iFanboy and rant about it with everybody else. And once you calm down, think of something nice to say to a comic book creator – even if it’s not the one you’re mad at. Too often my feed is full of mean, snarky, passive aggressive comments at creators, and I’m sure that this is tiring and emotionally draining. Go out of your way to be nice to someone, and maybe the next issue won’t be quite so bad.
Get yourself into superhero shape (or at least make it so you feel comfortable in spandex)
As the gym overflows with “resolutioners” for the next two weeks, you may roll your eyes at this cliche goal. But you shouldn’t, because (allow me to sound like a parent for a minute): fitness is important! And as lovely people who would much usually much rather read a comic book than toss a pigskin around with the boys, we need to especially watch to make sure that all of that pizza doesn’t catch up with us. So this year I’m hitting the gym again and I’ve found that my primary inspiration is that I’ve decided to look like Wonder Woman. Unrealistic as it may be, it’s a goal I can at least push towards, AND it gives me an excuse to read comics on my iPhone while I’m on the elliptical. Best of both worlds?
I especially suggest purchasing a spandex Spider-Man suit and showing the internet your workout progress whilst wearing it. Awesomeness may ensue.
Are you happy now, Facebook? Are you happyyyyy– *static*
Molly McIsaac is currently unknown, probably sucked up into some sort of bizarre Skynet like apparatus. You can follow her if she ever comes back to the land of the internet via twitter or her geeky lifestyle and fashion blog, the Geeky Peacock.
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I thought the point of this article was resolutions for yourself? Anyway I don’t give a hoot about cosplayers, the topic has led almost nowhere productive debate-wise that I can “see”. I would love to dress like the Doctor more, even wearing a tweed jacket and bow-tie everyday would fill me with… With… I think it looks cool alright! I don’t use twitter, like Lewis Black said:”Who are you to think what you have to say is THAT important?! Ooh, New Shoes!”. I’m already planning to lead some comics (MW’s Daredevil, Indestructible Hulk, Nowhere Men) to my friend who almost exclusively reads manga. And I’ve made plans to work out much more this year, I’ve signed up for a physical fitness class at school. Rather than idolize an unrealistic idea, I’m gonna try to look like Edward Norton in “***** ****”.
I lurve all of these!!!
I like this list so I think I’m going to make these my resolutions for 2013. I’ve actually already knocked off the lending a comic to a new reader and I’ve already started to work out and eat better following a solid month of no exercise and eating way too much junk food….the others shouldn’t be too hard for me
Cosplayers r00l!
Even when the one dressed as Wonder Woman can’t tell you when Diana’s mom was a member of the Justice Society.
Why would she need to?
Exactly! That’s my job 🙂
My New Years resolution IS to be kinder to cosplayers. Help me out guys by please being mindful when you have massive swords in confined spaces.
Also I endeavour to be kinder to reviewers of cosplay too.
More often than not – my experience in giving a beloved comic to “someone who has never shown an interest”, is that they will politely say that they enjoyed it and never read another comic again. Or they won’t read it at all.
I have grown to believe that it makes no sense to share something (comics, literature, music, films, games, etc.) with someone who shows no interest in that thing.
I’ve had mixed success lending comics to my friends. One who was into “The Simpsons” I started buying Simpsons comics for his birthday, then I asked him to read Green Lantern/Green Arrow which he didn’t care for. He told me he really enjoyed “Civil War” and has told me a couple of times he wants to tag along to a comic con. Another friend of mine who is super into manga I lent the Flash, TMNT, Deadpool, and Dial H. His favorite was TMNT (annoying because he’s obsessed with Ninjas as is), but he has expressed interest in buying Dial H when he gets the money and he did buy “Ghost Rider Danny Ketch Classic” which I recommended to him. My best success was getting my old roommate to read Hellboy, which I swore up and down was fantastic that he got curious. He’s since read everything up to “Storm and the Fury”. Bottom line, people react differently and have different tastes.
Yes. When I was at the University my four flatmates got interested and borrowed my comics all the time and it was great to share.
In my post I was referring in particular to people who don’t show any interest in comics altogether. My experience comes from years of presents to relatives, friends and colleagues.
Well based on both our stories, it seems like the most successful person(s) to lend comics to are college roommates. Anyone else may be hit or miss.
I will be nice to cosplayers when they are nice to me!
Okay, I’ve never been to a comic con, and cosplayers are part of the reason – they scare me.
But I chatted with the guy who was dressed up as Deadpool at the FCBD store I went to last year – so I guess I am already nice to them.
Sounds to me a little like a good resolution would be for cosplayers to develop a thicker skin – if you are going to parade around in a costume looking for attention, you have to realize that not 100 percent of it will be positive.
I’m a little confused as to why you would be scared of cosplayers, something to do with the heated debates on this site maybe? In any case, there were a few heated debates on this site about cosplay and the “tough it up” response does not go over well. I talked to a few cosplayers at my LCS and they were pretty cool people, plus the conversation never drifted into a political debate so that was nice.
I have never had any negative run ins with cosplayers. I dig their enthusiasm.
Now I just have to track down a Spiderman outfit!