I like being the invisible woman in a comic book store. I can usually manage not to cause much tension or anxiety, but I still remember one person who made me somewhat uncomfortable because he felt so awkward around me. How interesting, I would love to shop at a woman’s store and see if there are any perceptible differences. I love hearing random stories store owners have to tell, this alone is enough for me to hang around at comic book stores, or check out CBM because I basically drew a blank from the preview I watched awhile back, it was late I wasn’t into it and mego. I look forward to it because I have some idea but really no idea what to expect. Yeah hard times aren’t easy from any perspective. I really hope he stays on the right track, for their sake and the sake of another Jay and Silent Bob movie, etc. Thanks for sharing your experiences and putting it all into further perspective.

Tristaturtle~ Yes, I’ve also had the experience of walking into a comic shop as a female and being stared at with a, “what is that?” confused look. But I also grew up- in a small city (at the time, it’s mid-size now)- shopping in a store that was owned by a woman. So maybe I am a little biased. But in regards to what I’ve actually seen about the show and their attitudes towards women- I don’t think it’d help if there was one on the show, she’d probably kill Walt. He appears to just be a rude pig. Going only on observations from the clips I’ve seen, though. Anyways… CBM is set in the Secret Stash, so that should at least be interesting. And I was moved by the support Smith shows Mewes- been there myself for people and it is a difficult place to be. So the fact that it was palpable says a lot.

Dee2~ thx lady!

Stewart M~ mwah!

So is Comic Book Men taking place in the Secret Stash? I haven’t really checked it out much, but I will and should recognize it unless Walt’s done some serious remodelling. It was pretty perfect before, they just needed more women’s apparel. Granted, I was there solely for Askewniverse merchandise. Yeah, my second shirt was a William Black… it’s pretty much my “I don’t give a fuck” go to. Nobody ever gets close enough to read the other one.

I’ve been to comic book stores across the country and I have to admit that every time I can remember checking out at the register, it has been with a man. This is not to say that I have not seen women in a comic book shop – but highly out-ratioed and rarely solo, and bear in mind that my days in a comic book shop peaked ten years ago, and I was behind the counter. Unless you’re in a metropolis, your comic book shopping can be extremely limited by region or even more simply by merchandise and other tastes. I think this is partially why so many more women increasingly show up for comic conventions (along with the popularity of movies and TV shows, of course.) Personally a decade of being a mildly attractive female mostly in the company of males in the majority of my comic book and pop culture experiences has taken its toll – but then again I’ve never truly experienced this cultural phenomenon for myself. I feel a bit like George Lucas not really experiencing Star Wars for goodness sakes, something I intend to rectify somewhat when TPM comes out this week. I understand why Kevin Smith or others might hold back from including women in their show – first it’s not realistic if they have had similar observations as I have and if they’ve never hired a woman (probably one has never applied), and second who wants to watch a chick zone out on the arcade/Galactic Battlegrounds, reorganize the shop twenty times… or really know if there are those crying in the bathroom moments? Easier to remain a mystery, some things are.

Personally I’m also more of a Marvel girl, but I wonder what Kevin Smith thinks of ‘Before Watchmen.’ Like many Watchmen fans I am cautiously optimistic for this. Haha, is he just saying that so he’ll never have to finish Daredevil/Bullseye: The Target?

It’s a little sad for the filmmaking industry and moviegoers to hear of George Lucas and Kevin Smith retiring around the same time. When Clerks II came out I wondered about this – it definitely wasn’t what I had anticipated and I enjoyed it, but the change was a bit more than from black and white to full living color. I am sure another Jay and Silent Bob movie will bring back nostalgia, so I don’t know yet whether or not to root for an end to the New Jersey Trilogy or take a hike.