Research is fun when it involves a comics run

I've got a research project up my sleeve, and to kick it off, I ventured to Victory Comics on Saturday night. I wasn't a comic store virgin* (they have great toys), but I only know enough about comics to know how incredibly confusing it can be to dive right in. Instead, I took an ambassador (see above) to this foreign land.

Can I just tell you how much fun I had? I love passionate people. If you are obsessed with a hobby/job/issue, there's a pretty good chance I'll gravitate toward you. Comics people have passion in spades. They also aren't afraid to welcome you into their club**. I was clearly a poser and felt even worse going in asking about various Avengers spinoffs (research...just you wait!). Minus a bit of good-natured harassment, I spent over an hour monopolizing both the guy who worked there (aka Comic Dude) and Ravena (ambassador).

I went in with plans to pick up two comics for my project and left hoping that I discover a hidden love for comics in the volumes I picked up. As I told Comic Dude, two of my favorite things are art and reading so, theoretically, comics should be right up my alley. Holding up a compendium of The Walking Dead, he declared it a work of art with storytelling to rival some of the finest literature, and in that moment, I thought that maybe, just maybe, he was right.

*Both Austin Books & Comics (in Austin...duh) and Atomic Comics in Baltimore are impressive.
**Glen Weldon was right!