Am I Officially Hip Now?

mrpaige · 08-28-2003, 12:41 AM

So way back in the olden days of the early 1990s before we had things like the Internet and peanut butter from a tube, I was taking some journalism classes at Amarillo College (which is conveniently located in Amarillo, Texas). I also worked on the AC school newspaper (The Ranger).

As was the custom at the time, we would exchange newspapers by mail with other universities around the area. One of the newspapers we got was the North Texas Daily from North Texas State University in Denton.

In those newspapers was an original comic strip called "Captain Amazing". It was, in my opinion, hilarious, and I read it religiously.

Captain Amazing was a bumbling superhero who was anything but amazing. It was one of those strips whose characters acknowledged they were cartoon characters. Sort-of Post Modern, I suppose. I recall one series of strips where the comic was bought-out by the Japanese. Anyway, it was a funny strip.

By somewhat of a coincidence, I moved to Fort Worth that next summer, and once Fall rolled around and school started up again at North Texas State, I drove up to the campus to check out the newspaper and read up on Captain Amazing.

But alas, the comic was gone.

Amazingly, I've never forgotten about that comic, and it pops into my head from time to time. One such time was actually earlier tonight.

So, I did one of them Google searches the kids are always talking about, and lo and behold, there was an article about the creator of that comic. His name? Scott Kurtz.

In the intervening years since Captain Amazing graced the pages of the North Texas Daily, Scott has apparently made quite a name for himself with a web comic called PVP. He's been doing this strip since 1998, and in March of this year, Image Comics put out a couple of PVP comic books.

So my question is, am I now one of those hip people who becomes a fan of some artist years before he hits it big and gets to be all pretentious about being a long-time fan who liked his work before it was cool to like his work?

I know this usually happens with musicians and the like, but I think it could apply to a comic book guy, as well.

Sonny · 08-28-2003, 12:56 AM

Nope, sorry, you are still an old fart.

btw - I think it's kinda cool about the comic strip...

Pole · 08-28-2003, 10:16 AM

Don't you think a lot of this would have to do with just how far PVP has permeated the current pop culture.

I've never heard of it......but I'm admittedly lame.

KingCheetah · 08-28-2003, 10:26 AM

If ya have to ask...

:D

MadMax · 08-28-2003, 10:38 AM

yes...it does...but if it becomes mainstream in any way, you have to abdicate all affection for the comic strip and pretend like you never liked it while sipping latte at your local trendy coffee house, which of course can't be a starbucks, so you may have to drive a while, thereby making the coffee house not quite as local as you might like.

mrpaige · 08-28-2003, 11:56 AM

Do they even have trendy coffee houses that aren't Starbucks anymore?

Rocketman95 · 08-28-2003, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mrpaige
Do they even have trendy coffee houses that aren't Starbucks anymore?

[shameless plug]

Check out Rhino's Coffee at Rosemeade Parkway and Midway, in the same shopping center as Shuck 'N Jive and The Reservior. You can surf the web while sipping on coffee vastly superior to Starbucks. Mention the name Blake and you may not get a discount, but possibly a laugh!

[/shameless plug]

Honestly though, the coffee there is much better. It's not really trendy though.

rrj_gamz · 08-28-2003, 12:27 PM

No...your just a stalker...or groupie, whatever you prefer...

AroundTheWorld · 08-28-2003, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rrj_gamz
No...your just a stalker...or groupie, whatever you prefer...

Attention whore

.

yaonotyo · 08-28-2003, 02:12 PM

NO j/k

OmegaSupreme · 08-28-2003, 05:08 PM

no... you are not hip, but you are a comicstrip snob now. it's the same as being a music snob (intentionally listening to bands just because they're unknown), coffee snob (mentioning the fact that you drink a certain coffee because it's uncool to drink foldgers [sp?]), etc...

if you want to be hip, buy a diesel jacket, some pre-faded jeans, shave your head, buy some glasses with unique frames, and come up with a better signature for your posts. :D j/k

but like chiles said, you are an attention whore also.

tigereye · 08-28-2003, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mrpaige
So my question is, am I now one of those hip people who becomes a fan of some artist years before he hits it big and gets to be all pretentious about being a long-time fan who liked his work before it was cool to like his work?

I know this usually happens with musicians and the like, but I think it could apply to a comic book guy, as well.

Paige,

Unless your name happens to be Scott Kurtz, NO! Scott is the one that will be famous for these comics, not you. Scott is the one that will be rolling in dough because of these comics, not you.

To put it as kindly as possible.........you my friend, would be the classic example of a roadie.

As for the comic itself............cool idea, maybe you (......or should I say Scott Kurtz) should have Captain Amazing team up with Howard Stern's "Fartman!" :D

mrpaige · 08-28-2003, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tigereye
Paige,

Unless your name happens to be Scott Kurtz, NO! Scott is the one that will be famous for these comics, not you. Scott is the one that will be rolling in dough because of these comics, not you.

To put it as kindly as possible.........you my friend, would be the classic example of a roadie.

I'm the guy who moves his musical equipment from gig to gig?

And actually, I had never heard of this new comic, I just remember the one from the North Texas Daily and found him that way.

It's not about being my being famous. It's about my being able to say "I was a fan before all you guys, therefore I'm better than you." That sort of thing.

Quote:

As for the comic itself............cool idea, maybe you (......or should I say Scott Kurtz) should have Captain Amazing team up with Howard Stern's "Fartman!"[/IMG] [/B]

He doesn't do the Captain Amazing comic anymore. The new one is computer gaming related... or some such thing like that.

mrpaige · 08-28-2003, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by OmegaSupreme
no... you are not hip, but you are a comicstrip snob now. it's the same as being a music snob (intentionally listening to bands just because they're unknown), coffee snob (mentioning the fact that you drink a certain coffee because it's uncool to drink foldgers [sp?]), etc...

I'll accept that.

Does this also mean I can berate people for reading Dilbert?

BobFinn* · 08-28-2003, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mrpaige

Does this also mean I can berate people for reading Dilbert?

Who is "Dilbert"?

:D

tigereye · 08-28-2003, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mrpaige

It's not about being my being famous. It's about my being able to say "I was a fan before all you guys, therefore I'm better than you." That sort of thing.

Oh I see.......I misunderstood you for being a roadie. Your really just a "Number 1 Fan" of the guy, who is not really famous, just does comics, that's all. They have made movies out of people like this. They eventually became psychotic stalkers, which is not good for your quest to become HIP!

Well if this is the case, your STILL NOT HIP. But thanks for trying!

Quote:

He doesn't do the Captain Amazing comic anymore. The new one is computer gaming related... or some such thing like that. [/B]

I know he doesnt do the comic anymore. I brough up Fartman out of comic relief. Do you see what I was trying to get at?

OmegaSupreme · 08-28-2003, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mrpaige
I'll accept that.

Does this also mean I can berate people for reading Dilbert?

hopefully, you didn't take my response seriously.

never take one of my posts seriously.

yes, you can berate people for reading dilbert. also berate clowns who dress up as sci fi characters while going to movies.

BobFinn* · 08-28-2003, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by OmegaSupreme

yes, you can berate people for reading dilbert. also berate clowns who dress up as sci fi characters while going to movies.

What about the clowns that dress up for "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"?

mrpaige · 08-28-2003, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tigereye
Oh I see.......I misunderstood you for being a roadie. Your really just a "Number 1 Fan" of the guy, who is not really famous, just does comics, that's all.

If I'm going to resort to stalking someone, it's going to be an attractive female-typer person, not some comic guy who did a comic I liked over ten years ago.

I mean, Winona Ryder may have something to worry about, but not this guy.

SmeggySmeg · 08-28-2003, 08:20 PM

maybe not hip, but at least phat or sick