Wednesday, July 20, 2005
maurinsky visits a male sanctuary
Yesterday, on my way to the mall (where I was going simply to escape the heat; I would have gone to Borders but they've seen me so much recently that they are starting to pour my iced tea before I get to the counter), I ventured into a fortress of male solitude: the comic book store.
I wanted to visit the comic book store because I am a big dork - after a lifetime of not wanting to be a member of any sort of clique or weirdly obsessive group*, I have become weirdly obsessive about anything and everything Joss Whedon related. And just last week, the comic book Serenity was released. If you aren't a big dork like me, Serenity is a comic based on the killed-before-its-time TV series Firefly. Although the show was canceled after the bastards at Fox only aired 11 of the episodes (and out of order), it's going to be a big damn movie come September. The comic will span the time between the last episode of Firefly and the movie. I must have this comic, and I must have three copies of each one, since they will be releasing versions with different covers.
So I stepped into the comic book store, which has a sign on the door reminding those who enter that it ain't no reading library, and if you want to find out what happens inside the book, spend the $2 or $3 bucks to do so.
I don't think about myself very often, but when I am out of my element, I become freakishly self-conscious. As I stepped through the door, I was suddenly and painfully *aware* - although I am cool and hip and all that on the inside, my exterior looks suspiciously like an overweight hausfrau who watches One Life to Live and clucks her tongue about the music kids are listening to today. Plus, I have a uterus and breasts, which made me really stand out in the comic book store - I was outnumbered 3 to 1 by XY's. I felt like I was in a zoo exhibit as all three of the youngish men in the store looked at me - not lasciviously, because I'm not what you would call "hot", but as a curiosity - why was Mom in the comic book store? To my great relief, no one offered to help, which would have made me feel even more self-conscious. I looked at the "new this week" section of the store and found the Dark Horse comic section, and there was a big empty space where, alphabetically, I should have found Serenity**.
Then I was forced to approach the counter and ask, which I kind of had to psyche myself into doing (one of the most male things I do is refuse to ask for directions, and I'm the same about asking for help).
Sadly, they sold out the comic about an hour before I got there. Happily, they will be getting more next week.
Maybe I'll just order it online to save myself the frustration.
*Yes, yes, I was a "Durannie", but that was in middle school...and part of high school, and teenagers are allowed to be weirdly obsessive.
**I'm such a dork that I made myself giggle by writing "should have found Serenity". ¶ 7:35 PM
I wanted to visit the comic book store because I am a big dork - after a lifetime of not wanting to be a member of any sort of clique or weirdly obsessive group*, I have become weirdly obsessive about anything and everything Joss Whedon related. And just last week, the comic book Serenity was released. If you aren't a big dork like me, Serenity is a comic based on the killed-before-its-time TV series Firefly. Although the show was canceled after the bastards at Fox only aired 11 of the episodes (and out of order), it's going to be a big damn movie come September. The comic will span the time between the last episode of Firefly and the movie. I must have this comic, and I must have three copies of each one, since they will be releasing versions with different covers.
So I stepped into the comic book store, which has a sign on the door reminding those who enter that it ain't no reading library, and if you want to find out what happens inside the book, spend the $2 or $3 bucks to do so.
I don't think about myself very often, but when I am out of my element, I become freakishly self-conscious. As I stepped through the door, I was suddenly and painfully *aware* - although I am cool and hip and all that on the inside, my exterior looks suspiciously like an overweight hausfrau who watches One Life to Live and clucks her tongue about the music kids are listening to today. Plus, I have a uterus and breasts, which made me really stand out in the comic book store - I was outnumbered 3 to 1 by XY's. I felt like I was in a zoo exhibit as all three of the youngish men in the store looked at me - not lasciviously, because I'm not what you would call "hot", but as a curiosity - why was Mom in the comic book store? To my great relief, no one offered to help, which would have made me feel even more self-conscious. I looked at the "new this week" section of the store and found the Dark Horse comic section, and there was a big empty space where, alphabetically, I should have found Serenity**.
Then I was forced to approach the counter and ask, which I kind of had to psyche myself into doing (one of the most male things I do is refuse to ask for directions, and I'm the same about asking for help).
Sadly, they sold out the comic about an hour before I got there. Happily, they will be getting more next week.
Maybe I'll just order it online to save myself the frustration.
*Yes, yes, I was a "Durannie", but that was in middle school...and part of high school, and teenagers are allowed to be weirdly obsessive.
**I'm such a dork that I made myself giggle by writing "should have found Serenity". ¶ 7:35 PM
