One of the things I (and many other readers) struggle with as a consumer of pop culture is “How” and “Where” to begin a new interest. Be it comics, tv shows, music, or any other piece of media, it can be somewhat daunting, especially if the content has years of build-up.
The biggest piece of advice I can offer to someone wanting to start a new hobby is to DO IT. Don’t try and figure out every little bit of minutia before you let yourself enjoy it. Take this great bit of advice I have heard about starting comics, specifically. “Start wherever you want.”
Find something that interests you, be it a book, a game, show, whatever it is, and just start. If you find a reference to a past event or variation that seems interesting to you, look it up online. The internet is a wonderful resource for background knowledge and to find additional materials. If you discover a setting, character, or even genre you like, then you will be able to find plenty of material to help you explore further.
To drive this point home, let me tell a few stories. The first tale I want to chat about is an experience that many people on the internet shared in the last few months. I found the “Think Mark” meme from the show “Invincible” on Amazon Prime Video. I had never heard of the comic the show is based on, or even the series for that matter, but the meme quickly caught my attention. I looked up a short summary online which only added to my interest, so I started watching the show despite knowing where it was going. I loved it so much I binged the entire first season in a couple of days, and now I can’t wait for season 2 and beyond.
The next story I want to share with you is how I got into the magnificent world of Dungeons & Dragons. I had a friend who posted on their social media, asking who was interested in a game of DnD. I had heard of DnD before but never played, due to lack of free time and (wrongful) preconceptions of what the game is. This invite was a good excuse to hang out with friends, so I skimmed the rules online, made a character, and a few years later I am now writing for ttrgp website, so I’ll let you figure out what I thought of the game. (Hint: I LOVED it!)
What I hope you take away from this is: Don’t let yourself be held back from new hobbies or interests by the depth of content. If you find something that piques your interest, dive right in!
