Although September 11 was horrible, it didn't threaten the survival of the human race, like nuclear weapons do.
A lot of the main characters in horror movies are outsiders as well, so that outsider syndrome reverberates within horror fans and geeky collectors. It's kind of a rallying call that brings fans and collectors together who are a little socially retarded, maybe.
A country like Belgium, or socialist countries in central Europe spend more money on art education than the United States, which is a really puzzling thought.