The same fan who demands purity in comics is the one who later cries because sales are falling and stores are closing. They don't see that their attitude of rejection towards newcomers is the real villain of the story. Cases like that of a young UCM fan, met with disdain at a specialized bookstore, show how toxic gatekeeping hinders the medium's growth. The script needs to change: welcome people in, don't slam the door in their faces.
The Algorithm of Contempt: How Exclusion Stifles the Market 📉
From an audience development standpoint, gatekeeping functions as a negative feedback loop. Every new reader who leaves due to poor treatment reduces the potential customer base. Stores depend on turnover and customer loyalty, not on an exclusive club of comic scholars. If retention metrics were applied, owners would see that a friendly greeting and a basic recommendation generate more revenue than a Marvel canon exam. The industry needs data, not dogma.
The Comic Book Entrance Exam: Got Your Geek Card? 🎭
Because yes, it seems that to buy a Spider-Man comic now, you need to pass a civil service exam. The clerk looks you up and down and says: Do you know who drew issue 238 of Amazing? No? Then get out. And then they wonder why people prefer to watch the movie at home. If instead of an interrogation they offered you a coffee and a suggestion, you might even become a regular customer. But no, better to keep the temple empty but pure.