Comics: A Nerd's Lifeforce

Growing up a middle-class chubby white kid from Fresno there were two things I was into; video games and comics. I wasn't all that good at video games though, my brother would always beat the living crap out of me at Mario Cart and schooled me on Super Mario Bros. 3.

Oh yes!

But comics were something I loved more than video games. Growing up I was into all the classic fan boy titles like Spider-Man, X-Men, Superman, Batman and many many others. For me it wasn't just the awesome powers and the fighting. I was enjoyed the hidden moral behind the story, the underlying message of good versus evil and why it wasn't always easy to do the right thing. I think that's why I enjoyed Spider-Man best of all. Peter Parker understood that he had a responsibility to use his powers for good even at the expense of his own happiness. Sometimes it would prove more than he could handle but he always came back to the good ol' red and blues.

As I grew older I began to look at more mature stories that mirrored in many ways classical literature. I was introduced to a fantastic author by the name of Neil Gaiman and his popular title The Sandman. The story of Morpheus, lord of dreams and one of the Endless. Stories that were both entertaining for the context of their story as well at their amazing visuals. Hellblazer's John Constantine who to this day is the only comic book character who actually ages in the series.

Prelude to Awesomeness

Comics are more than a bunch of pictures with corny dialog. They are a doorway to a fantasy world that goes beyond where the written word can take you and where images dare to go. They spark the imagination like no other form of medium, inspiring people to be creative and think outside the box. That is to say, unless you're a certain intern I knew who's idea of an "original" bad guy is the joker in a different costume.

So as this year's Comic-Con goes on try to remember; It's not about all of the comic book movies that are coming out, but the inspiration behind those comic book movies. And if you happen to be one of the lucky one's going, get me a Stan Lee autograph please.