Confessions of a Comic Book Geek

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Originally uploaded by macslost.

I won't lie, I'm a comic book geek. I love them. Worked in a store for years through high school. Still read them. I'm not ashamed of this, but I don't advertise it. I don't have a Superman tattoo (though I do have others, but more subtle), I don't wear giant Spider-Man club shirts, or put posters on the wall. (crap, I do have a Sin City poster, but of the MOVIE)

But the beauty of being a GEEK and not a NERD is simple. Social graces. And nerds don't get to have sex. For free at least. But that's not the point.

I rarely talk about my work, which is something I am going to change, because I don't just want to have a site that regurgitates entertainment news, even though it's skewed to my liking.

Anyway. There's this guy in my office who I avoid, because he's the classic Comic Book Nerd. Tight faded black dockers tucked into calf-high Doc Martens (people still wear these?), black fedora and an XL comic book shirts with a hundred comic buttons on his bag. Some superhero, some goth stuff. I don't want that association. But being a nice guy, I felt I should at least try and be polite to him. Once.

So he wears a faded black Superman shirt to work one day and I decided to strike up a simple conversation the next time he was copying some work stuff outside my door (see, I had the safety of being in my office across from it and not be SEEN talking to him.) Here's how it went.

Me: So what do you think of the new Superman trailer?
Him: Huh? I haven't seen it.
(me in my head: um, really? It's posted everywhere, ok.)
Me: It looks pretty damn good. Kevin Spacey is awesome in it.
Him: (pause) Who does he play in it?
(Me, in head: Huh? This movie has been in production for 2 years, how does he not know this?)
Me: (pause) Lex Luthor.
Him: (long pause) I guess I could see how that would work. I'll look it up.
Me: (nothing. ever again.)

Plus he had this creepy squeaky voice that weirded me out right away. Needless to say, I don't talk to HIM anymore. And THAT is the difference between geeks and nerds that I CLING to. I don't want to be THAT guy. EVER. EVER. EVER. If you see me like that, it means I've died inside and you might as well finish the job. Just make sure you light me on fire so all that crap I'm wearing burns up, too.