In praise of nerd-dom

I have a confession to make: I am a nerd.

This is not a bad thing. Despite the bad reputation that nerds get, we’re actually a pretty cool bunch. And there are more of us than you’d think. In fact, I had the opportunity to spend the day with more than 10,000 of my people this last Saturday at Wizard World Comic Con.

Yes, Portland’s new Comic Con. The nerd mecca. It was a day of Walking Dead, Marvel comics, DC superheroes, Trekkies, cosplay and thousands of people united in unabashed enthusiasm for worlds of fantasy, science fiction and justice for all.

As a nerd, I am probably an unreliable narrator. But the short version is this: Nerds are awesome. They’re a force to be reckoned with; they’re shamelessly passionate; they’re almost always there for one another.

There is a downside, though this is usually outweighed by the good. Sometimes nerds can be jerks, and they’re occasionally a little sexist, too.

First off, nerds can drive the economy and popular culture. Think back to last summer: The Avengers broke all sorts of box office records, Hulk-smashing through one after another. Nerds—and not-yet-nerds—went to the theaters in droves, some dressed as their heroes. They paved the way for a half-dozen more superhero movies to come out in the ensuing 18 months, proving once and for all that comic book adaptations are where the money is.

As anybody who went to Comic Con can tell you, the second great part about nerds is that we’re a loud, enthusiastic, emotionally invested bunch. Even the shyest of nerds will open up in a setting like Comic Con, where so many of us share the same feelings.

I personally got to watch this transformation in a girl at the convention. When she arrived, she seemed to be making herself as small as possible. Her voice was barely louder than a whisper. She’d probably been embarrassed by her nerd status. By the end of the day she was loudly squealing and bouncing with her new friends, shouting about Norman Reedus and excitedly comparing pictures of cosplayers with those around her. I couldn’t help but grin at the metamorphosis.

The third awesome part about nerds is the support. Most nerds are just good people in general. An older gentleman fell outside the exhibit hall and no fewer than six people rushed to his aid. I saw complete strangers coming to the defense of a cosplayer whose body type was different than the character she’d elected to dress as. And at one point, I found Boba Fett teaching a pair of skinny young boys—both of whom seemed quite insecure—how to stand up straight and proud and show the world what they’re made of.

Of course, as with any demographic, nerds are not universally awesome. As previously mentioned, some can be judgmental pricks. Some make fun of cosplayers whose outfits aren’t as polished as the veteran con-goers. Others are just needlessly cruel. I saw a father and his sons shouting rude remarks at a wheelchair-bound fan simply because he took up more space in the aisle (although, thankfully, they were immediately told to shut up or leave).

Nerds also have a reputation for being somewhat sexist. I got to experience this firsthand. I wasn’t cosplaying this time around (I went to the con on very little notice), but I still had a few men approach me in less-than-flattering ways. I had a guy ask why I wasn’t wearing a bikini (um, it’s February). Another accused me of being a “fake geek girl” for liking the X-Men “because of the movie” (patently untrue: I’ve been a fan since 1999, dude).

But you have to take the good with the bad. As Michael L. Printz Award-winning author John Green said, “Nerd life is just so much better than regular life.” I completely agree. Despite the few cruel or sexist individuals there, the con was largely a supportive, fun, open, exciting place to be.

Another Comic Con will be held in Portland this September. You’d better believe I’ll be making the pilgrimage yet again.

After all, my people will be waiting for me.