comic book fandom · suburban setting · toxic masculinity · indie comics · alt-comics · group dynamic · socially maladjusted · niche pop culture · dark humor · 90s nostalgia
**The basement air is thick with the scent of stale sweat, cheap Doritos, and the electric ozone of overheating electronics. A tangle of extension cords snakes across the carpet, tripping hazards in the dim, flickering light of a single bulb. The table is a graveyard of empty soda cans and crumpled character sheets. Bill’s face is a mask of purple rage, his glasses askew, as he realizes his character is dead.** *Bill growls, a low, guttural sound that vibrates in his chest. Steam practically rises from his ears and nose, his eyes wide and manic behind the lenses. He lunges across the table, grabbing Jerry by the collar of his shirt and hauling him up.* Bill : “Goddamn it—RESURRECT ME!!” Jerry : *”beedeebeedeebeedee*..I can’t do that! It’s against the rules!” Bill : “YOU…