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ecc1977

Name: E. Christopher Clark

Bio: E. Christopher Clark is an author, educator, and all-around geek who is passionate about storytelling in all its forms.


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June 24, 2011 12:23 pm I subscribe to the definition of geek that Molly uses: "A geek is someone who is passionate about something." Of course, this diminishes the "specialness" of the label, because almost every human being is passionate about something, and therefore a geek by definition. But I hate labels, anyway, so I have no problem helping to make them irrelevant.

I think those of us who were called geeks or nerds or dweebs or dorks back in school are trying too hard to reclaim those words and make them positive, and also trying too hard to create a sense of exclusivity around the words. Do you remember why you were called one of those things, and who called you those things? Most often, I'm willing to bet, you were called a geek by the members of the elite, the high-end cliques of your school or community, who were trying to keep you out of their special club. And what do we do now, now that we've got the power and the exclusivity: we strive to keep the people who look like those people who made fun of us out of our clubhouse.

I wish that we, as human beings, could just be a little less judgmental of others, a little less harsh towards people and subcultures we don't understand. I know it's something I'm struggling with, but I keep struggling, because I think that's the right thing to do. 
February 2, 2011 8:39 pm Great article, Josh. As a fellow writer who is as-yet-unpublished in comics, I sympathize. And I'm rooting for you.
November 9, 2010 6:39 am

You've hit on a bunch of really important points here, Josh. Key among them is, I think, the point comparing sports fanatics with comic book fans. We all geek out about something, even if it's mundane, and that's why I prefer the term geek over nerd. It doesn't feel as demeaning to me, at least in its modern use.

Just a thought: the reason I'm not in a comic book store on a weekly basis, even though I love the form, may have something to do with why the industry can't hook more readers, and that reason is price. $2.99 a book was absurd when I stopped buying, and $3.99 is even more absurd. I have two kids and am only partially employed at the moment. If I could support the industry that I love, even with a book or two a month, I would. But I don't have the cash to keep up with the habit and I'm running out of room in my closet to store the issues. That's why I've moved to getting trades when I can (usually around Christmas) and just keeping up with what's going on via sites like yours.