Welcome to DCM - how old are you poll?

[Yoc]

Hi there!
Welcome to DCM, a home for Public Domain comic scans up to the end of 1959.
Recently a news site used this headline and it got us wondering just how old is the average member here?

"One in Four Comic Readers over the Age of 65, Simba Information Study Reveals"
(You can read the article here:  http://tinyurl.com/26vd229)

So, if you don't mind sharing... how old are you?

-Yoc (age 43)
DCM Admin

[John C]

Heh.  I'm old enough to know better than answer "how old are you" and "what are you doing this weekend."  The latter, invariably, because an uninteresting answer leads to chores.

It occurs to me that this might not be the gap it appears to be.  Heading to the CIA World Factbook, they have a handy-dandy page with an appropriate breakdown per country for us:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2010.html

For the United States, say, if we neglect the under-15 crowd (who we're repeatedly told lack the required literacy skills to be comic fans and would rather play video games anyway), then over sixteen percent (about one in six) of the remaining population are over 65.  Canada's over 18%.  The EU clears 20%.  That's the general population, mind you, as the CIA apparently doesn't bother to keep separate numbers on comic book fans, for some reason.

Factor in that comics are something of a dying medium, with companies' apparent disinterest in bringing in younger or even NEW fans, not to mention their distaste of digital distribution, and 25% doesn't seem surprising at all.

(OK, I might be 36...)

[narfstar]

I'm a 53 year old school teacher. With the popularity of the movies I have seen a rise in interest in comics. I have had more kids look at the comics I have on a comic rack in the back of my room.

[Guardian7]

Well I am about to turn 45... ugh... oh well. Daughter just turned 18... ugh... where did it all go?... and how much time of that did I spend reading comics? LOL

G7/Les

[jfglade]

I just turned 62. I have an brother who is twelve years older than I am, and much of my love of comics came from the fact that his comics were always around until I learned to read and he got married (at age 18, and is still married to the same woman).

[Pipo]

Well, I was afraid to be the oldest.... It's not the case!....

I'm 46 and I'm very proud to have a son (18) who is mad about comics like me!
The problem is that we've no more bookcases at home!
 

[narfstar]

Unfortunately Pipo we can not all do what JVJ did with his book room. I have boxes here and there and everywhere

[bchat]

I like how the "Additional Information" ends-up only being the cost of the report ($1,295.00 for just the download).

I found it interesting that it's phrased "one in four adult comic readers is 65 years of age or older" and not "one of four comic book readers ... ".  Also, using "comic" without the word "book" attached to it kind of opens things up a bit.  Without knowing exactly how they came-up with this "one in four" number (because I'm not seeing any type of explanation anywhere), how do I (or anyone else) really know it's comic book readers and not simply a lot of grandparents buying "Peanuts" or "Garfield" books for their grandkids?  I'm not saying their phrasing is wrong, but it certainly can be misleading.

[Kevin Yong]

I'm 35. Been reading comics since I was a kid -- mostly whatever Marvel books I could find on the newsstand at the time, then I moved on to collecting older Silver Age books, and now I find myself reading mostly Golden Age titles online. (I think my inner child is aging backwards through time or something. ;)

-- Kevin Yong

[darwination]

I recently turned 36 years young. When I was in Jr. High, I collected some Marvel titles but moved away from comics towards novels in high school and college.  Six or seven years ago, I was lured back into comics when I discovered trade paperbacks and graphic novels in my public library.  I do keep up on a handful of new titles (Scalped, DMZ, Powers, Fables) but find myself reading mainly golden age and underground comix just as much if not more than new material.    

As far as comics appeal to the young goes, both my 5 and 7 year old read comics, and I'd hate to slight the industry too much for the state of children's comics because I think good things are happening.  Both my kids love the RAW toon books like Benny and Penny or the Johnny Boo books which are available in the kiddie section of our library and which I think is a great format for getting children interested in comics.  Also, the Boom Kids comics are a ton of fun, and my kids also like to read Harveys, or I like to read them old Dells.  There's more material available right now for kids than there has been in a long time.  As far as Marvel or DC's appeal to children goes, I'll be honest and say I could care less.  They aim their comics towards their target demographic, 30-something fan boys willing to pay 5 dollars an issue and mine a small and blindly loyal audience for all it's worth.

I think comics offer much in terms of exciting children to read and also as a format that helps children learn to sound out effects, understand sequential images, and decipher dialogue. Educators and parents are more open to this than ever, so I'm optimistic about the future of comics and comics for kids no matter what the demographics say or what is on offer from the big 2.

[narfstar]

Good observations darwin. There has been a resurgence in kids titles. Just look at the companies to recently jump on the band wagon. I doubt these are selling well in LCS but the probably doing very well in Borders, B&N etc. The popularity of animated movies has helped the comic industry probably more than the superhero movies.
These movies appeal to young and old alike and so do the comics. BTW it also appears from this poll so far that we have a younger membership than I would have thought. The under 50's seem to be winning and pulling ahead. That is good news for the industry when all us old farts die out 

[loftypilot]

I almost missed this one.  Thanks go to Yoc for pointing the poll out to me.  I’m one of the old guys I guess at 63.  There, that wasn’t so hard.  I’m sure there are older fans than I still around but a lot of them aren’t online.  I have my son to thank for that as he convinced me to buy a computer back in ’96 when I thought I was too old to learn.  He, by the way, nor his older sister ever showed interest in comics.  It must skip a generation is all I can say.  (I'm working on my granddkids now to rectify that situation!) 
Well most of the the paper collection is long gone with a few decent exceptions, for one, to include a somewhat ragged copy of Showcase #4 which I clearly remember pulling off a spinner rack at the corner store back in '56.  And with great thanks to DCM and via other online means it’s thrilling to know that many of the comics I formerly collected are available once more now in electronic form.  It has been my distinct pleasure to have contributed many of these here and elsewhere myself.    
     
--Loftypilot Dan

[Geo (RIP)]

I'm with you on that Dan, (am the same age) and just retired this past August. It seems I have more to do now then when working, (and Jim (JVJ) warned me about it before I did, hee, hee).
Glad to see another old timer aboard and I did the same with my great grand child to get him interested in comics. We may just revive paper comics yet Dan. 

Geo
Mod for DCM
(One of the many hats I wear now days )

[captain bat]

Greetings from Pennsylvania! I'm 51 years old and been a comic book reader since I was 3 years old(that's 1962 for you young people).I'm happy to be here,and look forward to getting to know many of my fellow comic book fans!

[narfstar]

Welcome Rinso, I am an ex PA from the Johnstown area. Do not like PA cold or taxes so now I live in TN