The Outhouse - The Greatest Comic Book Forum

by **Victorian Squid** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 2:47 pm

Jude Terror wrote:
I'd say you're incorrect. In actuality, kids got into comics because they had them in places like grocery stores or pharmacies, places they'd go with their parents that were boring, where comics stand out as the most exciting thing in the place. Comic shops aren't exactly kid-friendly, especially today.

And I'd say you're incorrect, every comic shop I go to actually is kid-friendly.

Now you are both arguing for the digital age AND a return to how it was when you were a kid. :lol:

Oh, Jude..

by **S.F. Jude Terror** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 2:50 pm

Victorious Squid wrote:
And I'd say you're incorrect, every comic shop I go to actually is kid-friendly.

Now you are both arguing for the digital age AND a return to how it was when you were a kid. Oh, Jude..

Well sure, I've seen Gummo, all a comic shop in Ohio needs to be kid-friendly is a couple of dead cats and a retarded hooker.

by **Victorian Squid** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 2:52 pm

Jude Terror wrote:
Well sure, I've seen Gummo, all a comic shop in Ohio needs to be kid-friendly is a couple of dead cats and a retarded hooker.

No that's actually the indoor flea market I'm off too though. :-D

And she's very highly-functioning, if you know what I mean!

by **S.F. Jude Terror** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 2:53 pm

Victorious Squid wrote:
No that's actually the indoor flea market I'm off too though.

And she's very highly-functioning, if you know what I mean!

by **rdrsfn82** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 3:07 pm

DonnaMoore wrote:
Fine and good but they aren't the characters the kids recognize -- aren't on the t-shirts and bookbags.

When I was a kid my favorite comics included the Midnight Sons, especially the Blade, Ghost Rider (Danny), Johnny Blaze, Hannibal King, Frank Drake, and Dr Strange. None of them were on book bags, and I care they were still my favorites. Iron Man has been my 3rd favorite hero since I was like 7 or 8 and he wasn't exactly all over the cartoons and movies until the last few years.

Kids like what they like, and if you expose them to lesser known characters, they might just like lesser known characters even though they can't get toys and bags with them. My daughter loves Booster Gold, Blue Beetle (Jaime), Marvel's Hercules, and a bunch of other characters that her friends at school have probably never heard of. The reason for that is comics like Marvel Adventures (there's a great Hercules story in one of the Iron Man/Spider-Man/Hulk books), and shows like JLU and Batman: The Brave and the Bold that have exposed her to lesser known characters.

It's not about knowing the characters before they read the books, it's about reading the books and getting to know the characters and then picking what you like based on that. I'd bet most people, kids or adults, that read something like Bone have no knowledge of those characters before picking up volume 1.

by **rdrsfn82** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 3:11 pm

Jude Terror wrote:
I'd say you're incorrect. In actuality, kids got into comics because they had them in places like grocery stores or pharmacies, places they'd go with their parents that were boring, where comics stand out as the most exciting thing in the place. Comic shops aren't exactly kid-friendly, especially today.

I wouldn't say that's the only reason, but it was a big factor for kids in our generation and the ones before. It sucks that comics aren't in those places anymore and hopefully someday they get them back there.

by **sdsichero** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 3:43 pm

Jude Terror wrote:I'll read Owly to them via tweet.

That'll be a hoot

by **sdsichero** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 3:47 pm

rdrsfn82 wrote:
When I was a kid my favorite comics included the Midnight Sons, especially the Blade, Ghost Rider (Danny), Johnny Blaze, Hannibal King, Frank Drake, and Dr Strange. None of them were on book bags, and I care they were still my favorites. Iron Man has been my 3rd favorite hero since I was like 7 or 8 and he wasn't exactly all over the cartoons and movies until the last few years.

Kids like what they like, and if you expose them to lesser known characters, they might just like lesser known characters even though they can't get toys and bags with them. My daughter loves Booster Gold, Blue Beetle (Jaime), Marvel's Hercules, and a bunch of other characters that her friends at school have probably never heard of. The reason for that is comics like Marvel Adventures (there's a great Hercules story in one of the Iron Man/Spider-Man/Hulk books), and shows like JLU and Batman: The Brave and the Bold that have exposed her to lesser known characters.

It's not about knowing the characters before they read the books, it's about reading the books and getting to know the characters and then picking what you like based on that. I'd bet most people, kids or adults, that read something like Bone have no knowledge of those characters before picking up volume 1.

Maybe kids in general are different nowadays.

Always loved Spidey, but seeing him in other media was more of a treat than an expectation. It could be just me, but I've mostly liked the lesser known guys. Maybe it's because they were less developed and I could think of my own adventures or fill in the blanks... but I was exposed to them via the bigger titles (eg. Justice League, Avengers, Spidey, FF). Also, I think Marvel Team=Up and Two-In one helped. Plus those encyclopedia type books (and Steranko's History of Comics).

I do see kids looking at the DK ultimate guide things, so maybe there is hope for that route too...

by **BlueStreak** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 3:47 pm

There are quality all-ages books that were/are out there. Bone and Thor: The Mighty Avenger (RIP) spring to mind. But they're rare in the marketplace today.

by **BlueStreak** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 3:49 pm

Oh, and awesome job Donna. Glad to have you aboard. :-D

by **Punchy** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 5:10 pm

BlueStreak wrote:There are quality all-ages books that were/are out there. Bone and Thor: The Mighty Avenger (RIP) spring to mind. But they're rare in the marketplace today.

But Bone is actually quite dark isn't it? It has death and violence and lots of scary imagery. It isn't childish at all. It's very much the exception.

by **False Prophet** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 5:18 pm

Punchy wrote:
But Bone is actually quite dark isn't it? It has death and violence and lots of scary imagery. It isn't childish at all. It's very much the exception.

All the really good all-ages stuff has darkness. It's just never so overt and over-the-top to limit the audience. For some reason people assume all-ages means pussified.

by **BlueStreak** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 5:24 pm

False Prophet wrote:
All the really good all-ages stuff has darkness. It's just never so overt and over-the-top to limit the audience. For some reason people assume all-ages means pussified.

Bingo. Children can handle a lot. Look at Snow White or Bambi or any other Disney movie. They don't shy away from serious topics, they just balance it out with humor and don't go over the top by ripping people on half on panel.

by **Punchy** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 5:28 pm

False Prophet wrote:
All the really good all-ages stuff has darkness. It's just never so overt and over-the-top to limit the audience. For some reason people assume all-ages means pussified.

Because most of it is? As I said, Bone is the exception.

Most regular Marvel and DC Universe superhero comics I would say are appropriate for kids, as they have some darkness in them, but to most, they are objectionable. That is wrong.

I read Watchmen when I was 12, and it never did me any harm, let your kids read Punisher MAX and Identity Crisis!