Although comic books were initially geared towards young teens, a high percentage of modern day patrons are part of an older demographic. Thus while it may seem strange to see the male characters of the television comedy The Big Bang Theory make their weekly trip to the local comic book store, it is a ritual reenacted in cities across the country by the Sheldon Coopers and Leonard Hofstadters of the real world.
Comic books have likewise evolved from adolescent stories into mature narratives on par with the best literary novels. The superheroes of DC Comics and Marvel are often compared with the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece, and their stories considered modern-day myths. Many graphic novels, meanwhile, have received critical acclaim, starting with the Pulitzer Prize-winning Maus by Art Spiegelman and continuing with Alan Moore’s The Watchman and Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman.
Just like with other entertainment mediums, however, comic book sales dropped during the early years of the twenty-first century. In his 2012 book Comic-Con and the Business of Pop Culture, business futurist Rob Salkowitz connected that decline to changes made decades earlier to the industry’s distribution model, and much of his analysis – both the positive and the negative – corresponds with the comic book culture depicted on The Big Bang Theory.
“Starting in the 1980s, most comic publishers discontinued newsstand sales, where unsold issues could be returned for a refund, in favor of a ‘direct market’ system that shipped comic books exclusively to specialized comic book stores on a nonreturnable basis,” Salkowitz explains. “But it turns out there is a problem with distributing your product exclusively through independently owned retail stores run by and for your products’ biggest fans. Despite the efforts of some active and visionary retailers, the odor of overgrown adolescent males hangs heavy over many comic book shops, creating a forbidding environment for women, kids, and casual fans who might have an interest in the material but don’t want to put up with the clannishness and know-it-all-ism of the old-school comic book culture.”
The comic book store that the main characters of The Big Bang Theory routinely visit is similar to the ones described by Rob Salkowitz. In the season two episode “The Hofstadter Isotope,” for instance, next-door-neighbor Penny decides to join Sheldon Cooper, Leonard Hofstadter, Howard Wolowitz, and Raj Koothrappali in their weekly trip to the local establishment. Her initial reaction is that it’s “a cute little store,” but she quickly becomes nervous when the exclusively male clientele begins to stare at her.
“Don’t worry,” Leonard reassures her. “They’re more scared of you than you are of them.”
When the store manager, Stuart, comes over to see if she needs any assistance, Penny tells Leonard afterwards that he seems like a nice guy. “You mean for someone who works in a comic book store?” Leonard asks. He then explains that comic books do not automatically equate with “weird,” and that Stuart is an artist who attended the Rhode Island School of Design.
“What about that guy over there in the superhero T-shirt tucked into his sweatpants?” Penny next inquires. “Yeah, that’s Captain Sweatpants,” Leonard replies. “He doesn’t really help the point I’m trying to make.”
Earlier in the episode, Sheldon Cooper also “doesn’t help” when he exhibits the “know-it-all” attitude that Rob Salkowitz likewise considers detrimental to the industry. Instead of simply tagging along to the comic book store, Penny initially asks the gang if they could pick up “a few comics” for her nephew’s birthday.
“I think you mean comic books,” Sheldon immediately corrects. “Comics are feeble attempts at humor featuring talking babies and anthropomorphized pets found traditionally in the optimistically-named funny pages.”
Penny adds to Sheldon’s irritation when she rephrases her question but offers no suggestions as to what her nephew might enjoy. “Maybe at the same time we can pick out a new suit for him without knowing his size,” Sheldon sarcastically responds. “Or pick out his career for him without knowing his aptitude, or pick out a new breakfast cereal without knowing his fiber requirements or his feelings about little marshmallows.”
To put an end to the conversation, Penny suggests Spider-Man, causing Sheldon to ask, “Amazing Spider-Man? Ultimate Spider-Man? Spectacular Spider-Man? The Marvelous Adventures of Spider-Man? Spider-Man 2099?” The response is more than mere wisecrack, however, as it reflects another problem within the comic book industry that Rob Salkowitz believes must be overcome if the medium is ever going to achieve mass appeal.
“Even as the culture moved toward a broader acceptance of comics as art and literature, the ‘mainstream’ industry dug deeper into the genre of superheroes, telling longer and more convoluted stories that depended on readers knowing years or decades of the characters’ histories,” he explains in Comic-Con and the Business of Pop Culture. “Why? Because this was what the regular customers at the comics shops wanted to read, so it was what the retailers ordered – often to the exclusion of more adventurous independent titles that could appeal to a wider audience. Fans of the X-Men movies or the highly accessible X-Men: Evolution animated series who dared venture into a comic shop were faced with more than a dozen ongoing X-Men series and hundreds of graphic novels and collected editions. Most of them made the reasonable calculation that it was not worth the time or the money to join the boys’ club.”
Despite the negative attributes of the independent brick-and-mortar store depicted in The Big Bang Theory, the fictitious Comic Center of Pasadena has its positives as well. It organizes signing events with such comic book legends like Stan Lee, for instance, hosts gaming tournaments for the Mystic Warlords of Ka’a, and even sponsors a costume contest as part of its annual New Year’s Eve party.
Such innovation corresponds with Rob Salkowitz’s own views on the future of the comic book industry. “It’s clear that comics would benefit from a reinvention of the retail environment,” he writes. “Stores are the social center of the hobby, and the best ones understand that they are not just selling comics – they are selling the experience of buying comics.”
Like most entertainment mediums in the twenty-first century, the comic book industry is at a crossroads as it struggles to shake off old stereotypes, appeal to a new generation of fans, expand its gender outreach, and integrate digital technology into its distribution system. While The Big Bang Theory does not necessarily incorporate all of those topics into its narratives, it still represents a fairly accurate reflection of comic book culture nonetheless – something even next door neighbor Penny can attest.
Anthony Letizia