I Was A Teenage Nerd: "M" Is For The Many Comics You Bought Me

It would have been nice to do this for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, but I didn’t come up with the idea in time, so instead I’ll do it here, roughly in between the two days.

No matter what we’re nerdy about, all nerds have one thing in common: We all had parents. And, if we were lucky, we had parents open-minded enough to indulge our nerdish tendencies. I was lucky. So, here now are a short list of some of the many nerdy things I’m glad my parents did for me.

Thanks Dad, for taking me to the community theatre showing of The Hobbit when I was nine.

Thanks Mom, for not blinking an eye when I told you I wanted those big fat Lord of the Rings paperbacks instead of my usual Hardy Boys.

Thanks Dad, for helping me design and build a Pinewood Derby car that looked like Garfield.

Thanks Mom, for helping me make a Confessor costume for Halloween.

Thanks Dad, for the Tulsa-drive conversations about life on other planets.

Thanks Mom and Dad, for emptying out my box at the comic store while I was away at writing camp.

Thanks Mom for driving me to see Star Trek: Generations and Star Trek: First Contact on opening night.

Thanks Dad for taking me to see Super Mario Bros. The Movie. Also, I’m sorry I made you take me to see Super Mario Bros. The Movie.

Thanks Mom, for giving me that old stack of Argosys you found in Grandpa’s attic.

Thanks Dad, for turning me on to Dave Barry.

Thanks Mom, for buying me my first two comics when I was in the hospital with a broken arm.

Thanks Dad, for the weekly supermarket comics arrangement.

Thanks Mom, for typing up the college application essay I wrote about Preacher without saying a word.

Thanks Dad, for helping me find colleges with creative writing programs.

Thanks Mom and Dad, for taking me to WizardWorld Chicago 1998, San Diego Comic-Con 2001, and especially Defcons 1-3.

Thanks Mom, for buying me Kraven’s Last Hunt as a reward for winning the spelling bee.

Thanks Dad, for pretending to be interested in the Green Lantern Corps.

Thanks Mom and Dad, for dressing up in very silly costumes to attend Thespian Banquet.

Thanks Mom, for the last four Terry Pratchett hardcovers.

Thanks Dad, for The Complete Far Side.

Thanks Mom, for indulging me.

Thanks Dad, for supporting me.

Thanks Mom and Dad, for allowing your son to be a nerd.

If you’ve got similarly enabling parents, take a moment out of your day to thank them. They’ll be glad for it. They may even buy you some comics.