Being a nerd used to be the most uncool thing, so when did it change? Being a nerd and a part of fandom culture has become such a fad in recent years. With comic conventions happening more often, more people going every year and a new found love for geeky things. It seems that being ashamed for waving your nerd flag is a thing of the past.
In the last ten years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe really changed the game for movies and what it means to be a nerd. With movies like “Iron Man” and “The Avengers” becoming so mainstream, it brought the community to the forefront of the entertainment world. According to a box office charting system, the numbers, “Iron Man” made around 3.2 million for its domestic release. It’s no secret that “Iron Man” started it all when it came to the MCU, and it’s no secret that people became intrigued really quickly. Being a fan of Marvel movies quickly became cool, so much so that comic conventions started to get more attention.
Many places, including the official website for Comic-Con International, has it listed that San Diego Comic Convention has around 130,000 people in attendance annually. SDCC is the biggest Comic-Con thus far, with New York Comic Con coming close in numbers. NYCC in the past two years has brought in 18,000 people at the Jacob Javits Center. At a comic convention, you can find anything from apparel, action figures, common lovers of the same things and even huge company sponsorships. Geico, the insurance company, is a sponsor for NYCC. If a big company with zero natural ties to this community is putting its money there then why shouldn’t one trust the growing phenomenon?
Most people born before the 2000’s know that going around and calling yourself a nerd was most definitely an insult and there was no way around it. Nowadays people love to tell you that they’re fans of comic books and the latest superhero movie. Self-proclaimed nerd, Xavier Anglada knows all too well what it was like to be a kid into nerdy things before the 21st century.
When asked if it was easy growing up loving nerdy things, Anglada replied, “Growing up, it made for solitary moments. It took some time to find a niche. We were a very fringe group, it was not a popular thing to like”. Nowadays you look at any group of children and you see them with superhero merchandise and love for this once niche fandom. The shift from a guilty pleasure to wearing it on your sleeve was a gradual one. “The culture to me has become more widely appreciated as the mythology of our time. The ancients have their tales and lessons that they taught. We have taken those, changed them to suit what we like and made our own. We have made the culture more for the masses and all walks therein. We have taken the old lines and either blurred them or erased them altogether”.
With the culture expanding some say that it has become too mainstream. However, can you really change “Spider-Man” into something he isn’t just to please the other demographics you aren’t reaching? When talking about comic conventions specifically, Anglada talked about the world being consumed by the mainstream ideas to capitalize on everything. “Too many things have become a business. Cosplay is a business. Autographing is a business. For some it’s no longer about the love of creation and story but how to make money”. It’s safe to say that anything that makes money will start to show up everywhere.
With other genres like sci-fi and horror being a part of the nerd world, you have an array of tastes and love for works of art. Shows like “Supernatural” have their own conventions for the geeky nerds of that fandom to have a fun place to enjoy themselves. Like Anglada said about his group of peers, “Once I found my friends, they are life long. Like Manny (childhood friend) for example, he sees me and the first thing we talk about is comics, and movies about comics”. It’s also safe to say that conventions like the “Supernatural” ones are pretty popular with hotel ballrooms containing 2-300+ people for one genre according to Creation Entertainment.
Entertainers that are apart of the comic con world like Lizzie Caplan say that “Comic Con is one of the kindest audiences”. This is a common theme you hear from entertainers in this world, the love they receive from such passionate crowds is unprecedented.
Being nerdy can give people the freedom to be themselves. When someone goes to a convention with 18,000 people and they find others who are just like them, it’s easy for anyone to just be themselves in an accepting environment.
Since being a nerd and loving all geeky things is cool now, one can only imagine how the love and popularity will continue to grow. Like in 2020, we will see the “Black Widow” movie. With such high anticipation, it’s sure to say that people will be intrigued no matter whether they’re a nerd fan or not just by the sheer amount of excitement that will be put out into the world.
Comic conventions will continue to grow and movies will continue to get made that will keep bringing people into the world of nerdiness. Keep embracing it, It’s so cool that we live in a time when being a nerdy fan is acceptable and celebrated. It is such a fun and passionate thing to have in common with people. After the Coronavirus is in our rearview mirrors, nerds will return to their conventions and passions.
Keep it up, and keep waving your nerd flag high.
