The best part of this adventure.: seanan

The best part of this adventure.

So far, of all the people I have told about my wonderful adventures in the world of publication, the best two reactions have come from my mother, which is sort of to be expected...and Joe, the man who owns my comic book store.

See, when I was a kid, most of the book stores and comic book stores and retail stores with magazine racks didn't trust children anywhere near the precious, precious reading materials. We might touch things. We might breathe on things. We might, heaven forbid, learn something that our tiny brains weren't yet prepared to handle. I didn't think much of this attitude then, and I don't think much of it now. If you can be respectful of books, you should be allowed to have access to them.

Joe was the owner of the only comic book store in the area that not only allowed me access, they encouraged me to take advantage of it. When we visited my Aunt Debbie, who lived a quarter-mile from the store, I would beg quarters off every adult I could find and walk down to the comic book store, where I would dig through the quarter bin looking for treasures. I always found them. I discovered the X-Men that way; Spider-Man; the Teen Titans. I also discovered the Omega Men, the Wanderers, Amethyst Princess of Gemworld, and a lot of others that people who aren't fans of comic books have probably never heard of. I learned a lot about storytelling -- both good and bad -- from that quarter bin, and I learned a lot about generosity with stories from Joe.

Yesterday, I went to the comic book store I've been going to since I was a kid, and went up to Joe, and said, "I sold the books." And he held my hands, and he laughed, and he hugged me, and he understood. And we're probably going to have a party, in my comic book store, when the first one sees print.

I have given stories back to the man who gave stories to me.

That's the best thing in the world.

mabfan

May 16 2008, 17:45:23 UTC 9 years ago

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I have every issue of Amethyst, both series. I loved that comic.

seanan_mcguire

May 19 2008, 15:24:09 UTC 9 years ago

I don't anymore -- like so many teenage sob stories, my mother threw all my comic books away -- but wow, did I adore them.

dr_zrfq

May 16 2008, 17:57:20 UTC 9 years ago

Woohoo!

May 19 2008, 15:24:17 UTC 9 years ago

So pleased. :)

jodimuse

May 16 2008, 18:17:52 UTC 9 years ago

I actually got a bit teary-eyed hearing that description, Seanan. :) Congratulations to you again - and to the man you're giving stories back to. :)

May 19 2008, 15:24:42 UTC 9 years ago

I'm not even sure Joe reads urban fantasy...but then again, I'm also not even a little bit sure that it matters.

apocalypticbob

May 16 2008, 18:26:08 UTC 9 years ago

I have visions of my local literary convention (Conestoga) that is slowly beginning to embrace filk (Cedric from The Bedlam Bards will be with us for the second year in a row this year) to get you to come out as a guest in the next few years...either as a guest author or a guest filker...either way, win for me!

Last year's guest was Laurell K. Hamilton. This year's is Diana Gabaldon...in a few years, maybe Seanan McGuire!

Hey, a girl has to have goals and dreams, right?

May 20 2008, 14:02:42 UTC 9 years ago

On the plus side, if they did that, they could sure save money! ("This is Seanan. She's our author guest. And our filk guest. And our toastmistress. And she'll show you to your table...")

porpentine

May 16 2008, 18:42:43 UTC 9 years ago

Among many other reasons, this is part of why Joe rules.

May 20 2008, 14:02:52 UTC 9 years ago

Oh, totally.

Deleted comment

May 20 2008, 14:03:19 UTC 9 years ago

Nope -- Joe's the one whose comic book store is in deepest, darkest Concord, rather than big, bohemian Berkeley. That was Comic Relief.

mneme

May 16 2008, 19:52:28 UTC 9 years ago

Oh, I remember Amethyst! The, you know, three or so issues I read of it before I think it ended. That was fun.

And yay! Have a cool book party (once the first one is out, that is).

May 20 2008, 14:03:27 UTC 9 years ago

Absolutely!

vixyish

May 16 2008, 21:27:08 UTC 9 years ago

Aw, honey. That's one of the coolest things ever!

May 20 2008, 14:03:39 UTC 9 years ago

I love my comic store guy.

beeker121

May 17 2008, 00:14:29 UTC 9 years ago

Whee - Amethyst and Teen Titans! Those were some of my favorites. I wish I had a great comic store when I was a kid, I had to keep up by rifling through the comics spinner at the Walden Books. I've got one now, but the relationship you've got with Joe is hard to find. And very, very cool.

May 20 2008, 14:04:18 UTC 9 years ago

The relationship I have with my comic book store is the sort that leads to not wanting to move, not because you'd find it inconvenient, but because you can't do that to the comic dude...

I wept when Terra died.