Showerthought: The guy at the 2018 Phoenix Comic Fest who yelled about 'real fans'

I was in line for a signing at Phoenix Comic Fest back in 2018, just trying to get a book signed for my little cousin. This guy behind me, decked out in head-to-toe vintage gear, starts loudly grilling the kid in front of us about some obscure Silver Age retcon. The kid just looked confused and said he liked the movies. This dude went off on a rant about 'posers' and 'real fans' needing to know the history. It was so cringey and mean. I just remember thinking, who made him the gatekeeper? That whole scene, the kid's face, it just killed the fun vibe for a solid ten minutes. It made me realize how much that kind of attitude can poison a space that's supposed to be about shared joy. Has anyone else had a con experience totally soured by someone trying to prove they're the biggest fan in the room?

3 comments

3 Comments

joel2802mo agoMost Upvoted

That "vintage gear" guy probably bought it all last year.

the_piper2mo ago

Check the serial numbers on his gear.

tessawebb3d ago

Whoa, lets not get too carried away here. I mean, serial numbers on gear? That feels like a lot of effort for something that might not even matter. In my experience, a lot of people just like the look of vintage stuff and dont really care if its 100% authentic or not. Your mileage may vary, but Ive seen dudes with brand new pedals who cant play a note, and guys with cheap knockoffs who can shred. Take this with a grain of salt, but maybe its not that deep.