The comic book industry has attracted a diverse audience of fans, collectors, and customers over its more than eight decades of existence. The hobby and creative medium have attracted a diverse section of the population as fans, even if many of their own fans are unaware. While these celebrities aren’t all particularly vocal about comics, they’ve mentioned them as sources of entertainment and inspiration.
Comics fandom has a great list of prominent individuals, including actors, politicians, and journalists, who love and champion comics as a medium. Many of these celebrities have entered the industry, typically as writers and sometimes even characters. In an age where the comic book industry itself has experienced some low points, reminding potential customers just how many people love comics can only be a good thing.
10 Rosario Dawson
Rosario Dawson, best known for roles in projects such as Clerks II, Ahsoka, and The Defenders, has firmly established herself as an icon in pop culture. She’s shown herself to be a versatile actress and has defined herself through some well-known franchises linked to comics.
Dawson has even entered the comic book industry herself, having created her own comic series, OCT: Occult Crimes Taskforce, which she created with David Atchison and Tony Shasteen. Dawson herself is a regular at Comic-Con, where she often discusses comics and related projects.
9 Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson may be best known currently for his role as Nick Fury in the MCU, but the actor actually first lent his likeness to the character during Marvel’s Ultimates era. The actor has previously discussed how his long love of comics helped influence his acting career.
Amusingly, Jackson has previously confessed a preference for DC Comics over Marvel, despite being one of the faces of the latter. Jackson even still collects comics, with Golden Apple Comics having served as his local comic shop in the past.
8 Clifford Smith Jr / Method Man
Clifford Smith Jr, better known as Method Man, is a rapper and actor best known for his involvement in the band the Wu-Tang Clan and roles in How High and Garden State. He has also made appearances in Marvel projects, like Luke Cage and Marvels.
Method Man has even credited comics — as have many fans — for both expanding his vocabulary and instilling within him a moral code. The entertainer is also a fan of cosplay and has been known to dress up as heroes like X-Men’s Bishop, whom he wanted to play in live action.
7 Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons, also known as Demon, is a prominent rock star of the band KISS as well as a fan of comics and science fiction. In the early days of the band, Simmons had contributed to various magazines and comics, such as Cosmos and Sci-Fi Showcase.
Simmons, as well as the other members of KISS, have an interesting history with comics. Most notably, they actually poured their own blood into the ink to make a Marvel comic about themselves in the 1970s. Simmons even borrowed from Jack Kirby’s Black Bolt for his stage persona.
6 Darryl McDaniels / Run-DMC
Darryl McDaniels of Run-DMC fame is more than just a comic book fan; he’s also a creator in the industry. The writer of the DMC comic, McDaniels worked with Rigo Morales, Damion Scott, and a variety of artists to tell a story of a vigilante who fights criminals and reckless heroes alike, similar to The Boys.
McDaniels made an appearance on Kevin Smith’s Comic Book Men, where he showcased his comic book as well as his impressive knowledge of superhero history. Much like Smith himself, McDaniels financed his career by selling off his prized comic book collection.
5 Barack Obama
The now-retired 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama, is also a comic book fan, as well as the subject of various comic book projects. The politician-turned-producer and filmmaker Obama grew up as an avid reader and fan, maintaining a collection into his political career.
Barack Obama has a particular affinity for Spider-Man and Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian, both of whom he collects. It’s unclear just how much of his childhood passion the former president maintains, but he’s certainly been a friend to the industry.
4 Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Dwayne Johnson has been a comic book fan for a long time and was actually pushing for a Black Adam movie since well before the DCEU was formed. In fact, he was even associated with a Doc Savage project, though that seems unlikely to be moving forward.
Dwayne Johnson’s affinity for comic book characters likely pushed the actor to attempt to fill the power vacuum left in DC Studios during its transition period. The former wrestler’s love of comics shouldn’t be a major surprise, considering the big overlap between wrestling and comics.
3 James Gunn
Considering the fact he’s now the head of DC Studios, James Gunn’s comic book knowledge and love of the industry is a must-have passion, especially where fans are concerned. The Slither director has made an impressive number of superhero movies and crafted some of the most influential stories in the genre.
Where many superhero movie directors get acquainted with the material for the films, Gunn is an old-school fan. He has made no secret of his desire — and impressive ability — to take obscure comic book characters and turn them into box office hits.
2 Nicolas Cage
One of the most famous comic book mega fans, Nicolas Cage, is such a fan that he borrowed the last name of Luke Cage for his Hollywood screen name. The actor is no stranger to comic book properties in movies, having played Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider, voiced Spider-Man Noir, and has stated a desire to play Spectre.
Famously, Cage once purchased a million-dollar copy of Action Comics #1, the first appearance of Superman — only to later have it stolen. Cage has also written comic books with his son, Weston, and went as far as to name another of his children Kal-El, after the Man of Steel himself.
1 Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith has more than earned his reputation as the biggest comic book fan in Hollywood, thanks to his comic book-writing career as well as owning a comic shop in his hometown of Red Bank, NJ. He has left his mark on characters like Green Arrow, Green Hornet, and Batman.
Kevin Smith has made a point of incorporating comics into his films, most prominently in Chasing Amy, Mallrats, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. In fact, for seven years, Smith had a Pawn Stars-inspired series, Comic Book Men, running on AMC.