I've always been a fan of comics, and the comics I read the most were Avengers, X-Men, Spider-Man, and The Incredible Hulk.. I read these titles profusely and I still have my collection of them. This was twenty to thirty years ago.

But here's the thing; I read comics when comics weren't cool.

They were so uncool that people, even grown adults would insult and berate me for reading them, and I sometimes got into into fistfights. One guy would even tear them up if he caught me reading them calling them garbage.So I had to read the in secret much of the time.

Even though they had never read a single issue.

I read therm because I loved the stories and I enjoyed the art work. It was because of comics that I developed an interest in drawing and reading other things like history and the like.

But the point is when I read them they were uncool and considered bad for kids to read.

But now, we have a few hit movies and all of a sudden, it's okay to read them.

And to me, that is just kind of surreal. Because I still expect people to insult and berate me for watching these movies and enjoying them.

You see, I don't really understand why they're popular now. Just because a movie was made that made lots of money they're acceptable now?

I just don't get it.

I've been called a freak all of my life and then all of a sudden I'm part of a group of people and I'm not a freak.

At least in one aspect of my life.

I will always enjoy superhero comics and animated films, that part of me will never change.

Don't worry about what other people think, I sure as hell don't! I love comic books and superhero movies, always have. Does that make me some sort of nerd? Maybe, but I love it and own it! For me it help me to escape this sick, sad, and sometimes mundane world we live in. It helps me believe in the good and self sacrifice that a superhero brings to a world that needs it. It makes me want to be a hero and to live by the code they adhere to. Just be yourself and be true to who you are, you'll be happier that way!

BTW.....The Avengers was an epic movie!!!

What crowd were you hanging with!?

I'm in my 50's, and comics have always been cool. And those who do say they're "garbage" will gladly sit down in front of the boob tube, and watch whatever "garbage" is flashed on their screen. Hypocrisy.

I'm sorry your comic generation wasn't exciting but let the new generation make good use of them, instead of trying to understand why its popular, it's your chance to become a role model and share your knowledge for the youth that like comics and movies about superheroes. You are officially the cool guy now.

Actually, you wouldn't want to get the same people who hated you for reading comics being suspicious of you talking to children about them lol.. People never change

I've never cared about what people think of me, as I will always go my own way. I'm just incredibly sick and tired of people berating me because I believe in something different than them or I express myself in a different way. I hagte social rules of etiquette, and always will.

The only thing those rules do is turn people into unthinking and uncaring robots.

I've never read comics, but I do read Manga. Which is similar in format. When people gave me crap over it I would just point out that I am free to read whatever I like and they can go screw themselves. I have confidence in saying this because I am a fast runner.

Opinion: Comics have a lot of clunky dialogue and far too many forced aesops. Also, it can be excruciatingly campy artwork and character archetypes.

That is just my opinion of course. Superman and Co. just do not compare to, say, the plot Zetman or the action of Gantz, the humor of One Piece or the intrigue of Code Geass.

I WOULD like to get my hands on the Old Republic comics. THAT sounds nice.

It's the bandwagon effect pretty much. Hollywood has made comics look cool through CGI and getting in some high end actors/actresses.

I still have some old comics and only read them in private. It sucks you were on the negative receiving end and getting picked on for rendering comics at home.

Times change, popularity items change.....that's life fer ya

I understand where you're coming from, OP, but don't question why things are ok now, just go with it.

A lot of this stuff has to do with where you were raised. When I was a wee lad, it wasn't cool to read comic books. Nor was it cool to watch cartoons. I was made fun of all the time because of my interest in video games. Worst of them all, though, was my belief in UFO's and extra-terrestrials. You almost never wanted to talk about it, because people would start dubbing you crazy and retarded. Yes, I did grow up in a small town. But even though those things weren't cool, I still did them anyway. Hell, almost every single report, for almost any class, was done about the UFO cover-up. Ever since I was in 5th grade.

As I got older, I started noticing the things you are. Everything I enjoyed, and was made fun of for enjoying, is now ok to enjoy. I know more adults now that watch cartoons, than I ever did when I was younger. Hell, I've met people of all ages that play MMO's and such. The thing I find the most amusing, is how it seems it's now ok to tell people you believe in UFO's. I very rarely ever hear anyone say they don't exist, it's now become "Well, the universe is huge, so they got to exist somewhere. Just not here."

Point being, people are more accepting, they're minds are more open, it's the natural evolution of thought. Don't question it, just go with it. To me, this is actually a good thing.

I went through the same experience except my counterculture thing was that dread spoiler of minds, science-fiction novels--and even worse, cheap paperback novels.

The answer to your puzzlement is that That Was Then and This Is Now. The world has changed for the better in that one regard and we are the better for it. Why? Because toying with the unknown, unacceptable if not "impossible" science, and situations allow every further expansion of thoughts of "What if...?".

Much of what is allowed today in your fantasy hero stories, and in my old science-fiction readings are either possible or not outside of forward thinking. We can credit the continued presence of the UFO for much of the acceptance and creation of our modern viewpoints.

Congratulate yourself, you were ahead of the herd--even if most of them are sheeple!

In a similar situation here. Minus the getting beat up part. For years I was the geek kid who would prefer reading comics over trading football cards. The thing that I find funny is more people will see a comic book movie vs reading the actual comic book. They are really missing out. I have yet to see a super hero movie that had a story as good as the comic book version. Avengers was good but still lacking. I'm more of a justice league guy myself.

I would be one happy camper if someone could make a half way decent Aliens vs Predator movie. Something similar to Aliens vs Predator "WAR" comics. Who wouldn't want to see Batman fight a Predator or Superman fight a bunch of Aliens in a big budget hollywood movie?