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Submission and Distribution Formats
Updated January 14, 1999 The current version of this document is always available at http://www.comics.org/format/format.txt or http://www.comics.org/format/format.html Other important GCD information is available at Section 1 - Introduction and General Notes Section 1 - Introduction and General Notes In order to allow data to be submitted and used by as many people as possible, the basic formats used for both submitting and distributing data are plain text (7-bit ASCII plus the Latin-1 extended character set (ISO 8859-1)) tab-delimited files. Other formats (such as spreadsheets and word processor documents) may be accepted for submissions at the discretion of the data coordinator. Please check before sending files. Note that character encodings for the Latin-1 character set are often platform dependent on many older operating systems, so please include a note indicating what platform and application were used when submitting indexes which take advantage of the extended Latin-1 characters in order to ensure proper interpretation. The best way to get familiar with the formats is to take a look at the sample files available to all members. See the Other Resources sections. It's also suggested that you try submitting a small index (under five issues) the first time, so any difficulties can be worked out. Some points to remember:
The GCD formats were developed by Bob Klein, Jonathan Ingersoll and Will Allred, and modified by the various members of the GCD-Tech list. This outline of the formats is currently maintained by Bob Heer (bg549@torfree.net).
Section 2 - The Submission Format The Series Line >>series<< ^T BookName ^T Publisher ^T Imprint/PubNotes ^T A typical line would read: >>series<< ^T Fakebook ^T GCD Comics ^T ^T 1994 ^T 1996 ^T 1 ^T (notice that Imprint/Pubnotes and Tracking are blank fields in this example, but the tabs are left for them so the other fields are in the right place) A brief explanation of each field, where (R) is for required data (if applicable) and (O) is optional. Note that while data is sometimes optional, the format for the data is not. And if a field is left blank please include the empty field (ie, have consecutive tabs) so the other fields match up (note that some software won't do this if you try to save a text file, so check
A longer explanation of each field, with examples: 1. >>series<< 2. BookName Examples: 3. Publisher Examples: 4. Imprint/PubNotes Examples: 5. - 8. Start and End info These fields also refer to the first and last issues chronologically. If a series had a #0 published between #74 and #75 that would not be used as the first issue here. If you aren't sure about the Start or End dates or issues of a series fill in those fields with either "9999" or your best guess and a question mark ("1910?" and "17?") and include what details you know in the Notes field ("Published circa 1910", "Possible that issues past 17 exist but unverified"). 5. SeriesBegan Examples: 6. SeriesEnded Examples: 7. FirstIssue Examples: 8. LastIssue Examples: 9. Tracking
Color (Color, 4 Color, Painted, 2 Color, B&W) Examples: 11. CountryCode Examples: 12. LanguageCode Examples: 13. Notes Examples: 14. Indexer Indexer is the last field in the Series Line. It should be followed by a blank line and then the information for each issue being indexed. If you are indexing additional issues of a book which has already been partially indexed in the GCD (if Superman #1-#100 are already indexed and you're indexing #101-#125, for example) you should include at least the BookName, Publisher, PubNotes/Imprint and SeriesBegan fields exactly as they appear in the existing index (if you think any of them are wrong in the existing index and are correcting them please flag this information clearly in a note so your index isn't treated as an entirely new series) and include your name as Indexer. The other fields may be included as well, and if they disagree with the existing entries in those fields the new information will be added. The Issues Information Issue ^T PubDate ^T Type ^T Genre ^T Feature ^T Title ^T Pencils Since some information is common to the entire book (Issue, Pubdate, Price), those only have to be listed once for each issue, in the first line for that issue. That line is also used to index the cover, and is handled differently in some other ways as well. The following example is for a single issue of a book with two interior stories. The "[first line]" etc. tags are for illustrative purposes, and don't appear in the actual submission. [first line]1 ^T March 1994 ^T Cover ^T Superhero ^T Fakeman ^T (Note first two fields blank for all but the first line of each issue) This would be followed by the information for the next issue indexed (no blank line between issues). Please note that any fields left blank still have the tabs in place so that subsequent fields are in the right place. Notice also that the first two fields are blank for everything but the line for the cover. The following table shows the function of the 18 fields for both cover and feature records, and which information is required if applicable (R) and Optional (O).
More detailed notes and examples for each of the fields: 1. Issue If you feel a made-up number which does not actually appear on the book would be useful it can be included in square brackets. If you are indexing the first or last (or only) issue of a series the entries for those issues should be exactly the same as you entered in FirstIssue and LastIssue in the Series line above. This field is blank for anything other than the cover (first) line of each issue. Examples: 2. PubDate Note that for some books "Winter 1945" is the first issue of the year while for others it's the last issue (so it could be followed by either "Spring 1945" or "Spring 1946") so it should be indexed with both years to avoid ambiguity. Check carefully to determine whether "Winter 1945-1946" or "Winter 1944-1945" is appropriate. The same applies to books dated as "Holiday 1945". Examples: 3. Type
Note not all of these types of items need be indexed. In particular ads, promos and letter pages normally need not be included. These are usually included only if something noteworthy appears (for example, the Captain Tootsie ads by C. C. 4. Genre Examples: 5. Feature Examples: 6. Title Examples:
There are special instructions for separate creator fields. 7. Pencils 8. Inks 9. Script 10. Colorist
13. PageCount 14. Price 15. Characters Examples: 16. Notes Examples (cover line): Examples (other lines): 17. Synopsis 18. Reprint Examples:
Section 3 - The Distribution Format The information for a single series is sent out in two parts. Serieskey ^T BookName ^T Publisher ^T Imprint/PubNotes ^T These are mostly as indexed above. The fields added are SeriesKey - A unique character code to the series IndexStatus - A tracking field for the status of the index and the series. Included - A list of all issues already indexed for the GCD File - The name of the file in which the Issues information is distributed. LastChanged - The date the information for this series was updated This file is sorted by Publisher, then BookName, then SeriesBegan. The remaining information is distributed in separate files, split by publisher and title and listed in the "File" field above. BookName ^T Publisher ^T SeriesBegan ^T Keydate ^T Issue ^T Most again are exactly as submitted. BookName, Publisher, SeriesBegan and SeriesKey are identical to the same fields in the Series file. Other new fields are: Keydate - A 10 digit code in the form ####.##.##, unique to every distinct issue in a series. The first four digits represent the year the issue was published. The next two represent the month (with "13" or "00" being used for books with no month, depending on the circumstances). The last two are usually "10", unless two issues already have the same year and month, in which case they're adjusted to make sure the earlier issue has the lower Keydate. Therefore for a book from July 1972 this will normally be "1972.07.10". This field is required for easy chronological sorting of issues. Sequence - An integer, unique to every line for each issue of each series. The cover line is assigned a Sequence of "0" and each subsequent line is assigned the next number up in the order they were submitted. LastChanged - The date the information for this issue was updated. These files are sorted by Publisher, then BookName, then SeriesBegan, then Keydate, then Sequence.
Section 4 - Other Resources A small sample file of the GCD submission format is available at The ISO codes for Countries are available at This ISO codes for Languages are available at
Section 5 - Answers To Common Questions
General FAQ
List FAQ
Database user FAQ
Indexer FAQ
**General FAQ**
1.1: What is the GCD?
The Grand Comic-Book Database (GCD) is an ongoing international project to
build a detailed comic-book database that will be easy to use and understand,
and (as much as possible) also easy for contributors to add information to it.
This fully searchable and sortable database includes information on creator
credits, story details, and other information useful to the comic-book reader,
fan, collector, and scholar.
If we are able to take this project to its ultimate conclusion, the database
will contain data for every comic book ever published in every country around
the planet. It will be available to all through the World Wide Web (<
http://www.comics.org/sok.html>) and also for download through FTP (see question 1.5
below). For regular updates on the progress of this project, check the GCD
home page (http://www.comics.org).
Note that the GCD is a database for "comic books", rather than a database for
"comics", because it is limited to books and periodicals (of any size or
binding) whose contents are 50% or more comics art. Comics in newspapers, web
pages, or other publications that do not meet the above criteria are not indexed
here, although publications that reprint newspaper strips, web strips or
magazine cartoons and meet the official criteria may be indexed. For more
information, see the "About the GCD" page. (http://www.comics.org/about.html)
1.2: Is the GCD a commercial entity?
No. The GCD is strictly a non-profit, non-commercial, fan-based volunteer
effort.
1.3: When was the GCD started?
The GCD was started in 1994 by Bob Klein and Tim Stroup. Jon Ingersoll, Tim
Tjarks, and Gene Reed joined shortly afterward. The project started as an
offshoot of the Amateur Press Association for Indexing (APA-I) mailing group.
Originally the GCD data was exchanged on computer disks. Soon Jon Løvstad of
Norway joined up and GCD access on the Internet was born.
1.4: What is the GCD "Board" and how can I contact it?
The "Board" refers to the GCD's Board of Directors.
The "Board" is a group with a maximum of nine members who help run the GCD.
There are elections every year in which either four or five of the Board
members are elected to two-year terms by the GCD membership.
You can e-mail the GCD Board directly at:
If you are on any of the GCD discussion lists (in particular the GCD-Project
[formerly GCD-Main] or the GCD-Chat lists), you can ask questions there and a
Board member will usually respond.
1.5: What is a "member" of the GCD? Do I have to become a member to get
access to data from the GCD?
The GCD Charter states that there are three ways to qualify as a member of
the GCD:
(i) Submitting a requisite number of new and/or corrected indexes or cover
scans, as specified in the current operating guidelines.
(Please note that "current operating guidelines" are set by the GCD Board,
and are subject to change. As of the last Board election, the requirement for
membership was a cumulative total of 25 indexes or equivalents, with three
cover scans or error corrections equivalent to one index.)
(ii) Performing an administrative task, such as coordinating reservations,
administering submissions, maintaining web sites, etc.
(iii) Serving in any capacity or performing any task deemed worthy of
membership by a majority vote of the board, including but not limited to providing
regular assistance or background information that further (i) or (ii) above,
creating or maintaining software tools, and serving as an active member of a
temporary sub-committee.
To find out whether you have qualified for membership, contact GCD Board
member and membership coordinator Ken Lemons, who can be reached at:
Membership in the GCD was previously required in order to be able to download
GCD data files for personal use. This requirement has been dropped, and
anyone may now download GCD data files strictly for personal (non-commercial) use.
Membership in the GCD is not a requirement for joining and participating in
the GCD-provided mailing lists - anyone may sign up and participate in the list
discussions.
There are currently two direct "benefits" for GCD members - eligibility to
vote in Board elections and access to the GCD E-Mail Archive. Information on
both will become available in the future as soon as out software allows it.
GCD members also "benefit" from the knowledge that we are contributing to a
free, non-commercial resource that is regularly used by comics fans and
researchers of comics history.
1.6: Whom do I contact for more information about the GCD?
For more information about the GCD, you may contact GCD Board member and
membership coordinator Ken Lemons, who can be reached at:
1.7: Whom do I contact to report problems with the website?
To report problems with the website, you may contact GCD Board member and
web-master Jon Løvstad, who can be reached at:
1.8: I would like to use data and/or cover scans from the GCD. Who owns the
copyright to these items?
A: GCD Data
The GCD is an original compilation and database which by reason of the
selection and arrangement of its contents constitutes an intellectual creation as
defined by Copyright Law, and is protected as such. The data itself is
copyrighted jointly by those who did the original work and the GCD.
B: GCD Cover Scans
All cover images are copyrighted by their respective current copyright
holders. Copyrights are typically held by the publisher on work-for-hire
properties, by the creator(s) on creator-owned properties, or by a third party in the
case of licensed properties. Copyright details can usually be determined from
the indicia of comics.
If you wish to download and use cover scans from the GCD website, please
credit the GCD and the person who posted the scan (if known). Please do not
"leech" bandwidth by linking directly to the cover image files on the GCD website.
1.9: Does my country have a local GCD chapter?
National GCD chapters exist for the following countries:
GCD Deutschland: http://www.garcke.de/GCD/
GCD Italia: http://www.ubcfumetti.com/gcd/
GCD NORGE: http://www.comics.org/norway/
GCD Sweden: http://www.lysator.liu.se/gcd/
**List FAQ**
2.1: What is the purpose of the GCD discussion lists?
The Grand Comic-Book Database provides multiple e-mail discussion lists for
communication among its members so that the community may answer any questions
regarding comic books and carry out the functions of the GCD. Each list
serves different functions, which have been defined in the GCD List Charters.
2.2: What are the differences between the lists?
GCD-Project
The GCD-Project e-mail discussion list (formerly the GCD-Main list) is the
key list provided by the Grand Comic-Book Database for use as an indexing
resource for the project.
Postings considered on-topic for this list include anything directly related
to the indexing of comic books for the database such as questions about
indexing, missing credits, or creator identification. This list is also used for
official GCD business, such as administrative updates, announcements to the
membership, Board elections, etc.
GCD-Chat
The GCD-Chat e-mail discussion list is where those interested in any form of
general comics discussion can meet. On this list all sorts of topics like
comic history, industry, marketplace, fandom, collecting, continuity, characters,
stories, creators, news, and current events get discussed. This list also
allows discussion of any type to take place even if it goes beyond comics.
Sometimes comic conversation on this list may drift into related sister arts
(animation, comic strips, movies, TV, etc.). This is not considered off-topic
but instead a carry-over of conversation. If the thread removes itself
further from its original source, we ask that all efforts be made to change the
header. If a discussion is on a topic not about comics we ask that posters
include an Off-Topic tag (OT) in the header.
GCD-Tech
The GCD-Tech list is a lightly used e-mail discussion list whose primary
function is to help members with any technical troubles they may have encountered
in putting together their indexes. Detailed discussion of the GCD data and
table files, and what can be done to improve them, may also take place here.
Postings considered on-topic for this list include the more technical aspects
of the Project such as database design, hardware and software specifications,
or feature beta testing.
GCD-France, GCD-Germany, GCD-Italy, GCD-Norway and GCD-Sweden
These are specific e-mail discussion lists for the countries named in the
list titles. Each one's primary function is to help list members from these
nations to index for the GCD. General discussions about issues related to comics
in these countries are also allowed. Please make all efforts to e-mail in the
native language of each list.
In addition to the lists above, which are provided directly by the GCD, there
are two other lists that are run independently but are associated with the
GCD:
GCD-Intercom
The GCD-Intercom list
GCD Yahoo Group
The
2.3: How do I subscribe/unsubscribe from the e-mail lists?
There are two different ways to participate in the regular GCD-provided
mailing lists. You may sign up for a regular subscription (each message mailed
separately), or sign up for a digest subscription (each day's messages sent in
one email). (Note that all messages in a digest are changed to plain text - any
HTML formatting will be lost.) Subscribing or unsubscribing can be done
using either a web form or e-mail.
A: Subscribing by Web
The quickest way to subscribe to any of the GCD-provided mailing lists is to
go directly to the GCD home page:
On the lower left of this page there is a drop-down box which you can click.
Choose the mailing list you want, enter your e-mail address in the box below
it, and then click "Join". You will receive an e-mail confirming that you
have joined, describing how you may switch to "digest" mode, and how to
unsubscribe. PLEASE KEEP or PRINT that message for later reference!
B: Subscribing by E-mail
To subscribe to any of the GCD-provided mailing lists, send a message to:
For a regular subscription, put in the BODY of the message "subscribe
LISTNAME" where LISTNAME is the mailing list to which you want to subscribe:
For a digest subscription, put in the BODY of the message "subscribe digest
LISTNAME" where LISTNAME is the mailing list to which you want to subscribe:
LISTNAMES:
cdbl for the GCD-Project [formerly GCD-Main] list
cdbl-chat for the GCD-Chat list
cdbl-tech for the GCD-Tech list
GCD-France for the GCD-France list
GCD-Germany for the GCD-Germany list
GCD-Italy for the GCD-Italy list
GCD-Norway for the GCD-Norway list
GCD-Sweden for the GCD-Sweden list
(Any other text in the body of the message will be ignored.) You will
receive an e-mail confirming that you have joined, describing how you may switch to
"digest" mode, and how to unsubscribe. PLEASE KEEP or PRINT that message for
later reference!
C: Unsubscribing by Web
To unsubscribe from a list, the quickest way is to go to the web page:
At the bottom of the page is the form for unsubscribing. Click on it and go
to the list you wish to remove yourself from. Enter your e-mail address below
it and click the "Submit" button. You will receive an e-mail confirming that
you have unsubscribed from the list.
D: Unsubscribing by E-mail
To unsubscribe from any of the mailing lists, send a message to:
For a regular unsubscription, put "unsubscribe LISTNAME " as the subject,
where LISTNAME is the mailing list from which you want to unsubscribe:
For a digest unsubscription, put "unsubscribe digest LISTNAME " as the
subject, where LISTNAME is the mailing list from which you want to unsubscribe:
LISTNAMES:
cdbl for the GCD-Project [formerly GCD-Main] list
cdbl-chat for the GCD-Chat list
cdbl-tech for the GCD-Tech list
GCD-France for the GCD-France list
GCD-Germany for the GCD-Germany list
GCD-Italy for the GCD-Italy list
GCD-Norway for the GCD-Norway list
GCD-Sweden for the GCD-Sweden list
(Any text in the body of the message will be ignored.)
E: GCD-Intercom List
We also have a general international discussion list for those who like
comics from all over the world. The GCD-Intercom list is run by Matthew Gore and
is separate from our main lists but affiliated with us.
To subscribe or unsubscribe, mail to:
The ENTIRE text in the BODY of the subscribe message should be:
subscribe intercom
The ENTIRE text in the BODY of the unsubscribe message should be:
unsubscribe intercom
Extra text like signatures or HTML formatting will confuse the server and the
subscription will have to be added manually.
To subscribe to the GCD-Intercom digest mode, mail to:
and put in the BODY of the message "subscribe digest GCD-International"
To unsubscribe from the digest mode, mail to:
and put "unsubscribe digest GCD-International" as the subject
Send submissions to:
F: GCD Yahoo Group
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from this list, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Grandcomicsdata/
or send an e-mail to:
grandcomicsdata-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
cc list administrator Mike Catron at mcatron@earthlink.net for approval of
your inclusion on this list.
2.4: What is the proper etiquette for the discussion lists?
Posters are encouraged to focus discussion on the topics outlined in point 2.2
of this FAQ. Please mark those posts that do NOT relate to the list charter
with an off-topic (OT) tag in the subject line, and try not to drag out the
discussion beyond any reasonable length of time. Posters are also expected to
keep the subject line current as a courtesy to others.
All lists are non-moderated, so there is no censorship of any topic of
conversation. However, we ask that the rules of common civility always be used in
discussions. Part of maintaining your civility is not launching personal
attacks against others whose opinion you may not agree with. If you do not care
for a particular conversation, please use the delete button in your e-mail
rather than voicing your displeasure to the group as a whole.
Also note that the regular GCD mailing lists do not allow attachments of any
kind. (See question 2.8 in this FAQ)
2.5: Whom do I contact for problems with the mailing list(s)?
If you are having trouble getting through to one of the lists, e-mail the
listserv administrator at:
or contact the GCD Board for help: gcdboard@lists.comics.org
If you can get through to the lists and have some other problem, feel free to
ask the list itself. We have a number of members who have excellent computer
knowledge and can probably assist you.
2.6: How do I start an international chapter?
Contact the GCD Board of Directors at:
They will be more than willing to offer any help and assistance needed.
However, be forewarned:
If you do wish to start a GCD chapter, you will be considered not only the
liaison between your country and the GCD proper, but you will also be the main
Coordinator of data for your country. It may entail a good bit of work. We
would recommend that you take upon this task only if you truly enjoy indexing
comics and helping others do so as well.
2.7: Do any of the discussion lists keep public archives? Where can I check
them out?
Archives of the discussion lists provided by the GCD exist, and a system is
being set up to allow GCD members access to the archives. Currently this system
is not available
If you do not want one of your messages to be publicly accessible, contact
the GCD Board at (gcdboard@lists.comics.org) and request that the message be
blocked from view. Please clearly identify the message and provide reason(s)
for requesting the block.
2.8: I want to post an image to better explain a question. How can I
accomplish this?
None of the main GCD lists currently allow attachments of any type, except the
grandcomicsdata@yahoogroups.com list which is used as a backup. See point
2.2 of this FAQ.
If you do not want to join the GCD Yahoo Group, you can post images to the
GCD message board at:
You may also put the image on a web page and include a link to the web page
in an e-mail to one of the regular GCD discussion groups.
2.9: What were the "Genre Wars"?
The Genre Wars is a nickname many long time members have for a rather heated
and ugly discussion about the addition of a genre field to the GCD format.
The details of this incident are no longer important, but it remains an example
of how we do NOT want discussions to go in the future on the GCD lists. All
discussions, no matter how heated, should remain civil. At no point should
they degenerate into name-calling and other ugliness.
2.10: Is there a GCD message board?
A GCD message board has been set up at:
People who do not wish to subscribe to the GCD mailing lists may use the
message board as an alternative way to contact or ask questions of the GCD Board
or membership. The message board also allows images to be posted, allowing the
sharing of pictures for art identification. (None of the main GCD-specific
lists currently allow attachments of any type.)
**Database user FAQ**
3.1: Why don't you have this comic book series/name in the database?
There are three reasons why you may not be able to find the series,
character, or creator name you are looking for:
A. You may have spelled the name wrong on the search form. Hit the "back"
button and check the spelling.
B. The series may be indexed under a different name than the one you typed
in the search form. The GCD indexes series by the name in the indicia, which
may differ from the name on the cover or in promotional material. To improve
your chances of finding a specific series, try doing a "keyword" search using
one or more words that should appear in the official name of the series.
C. The series may not be indexed yet. The GCD depends on volunteers to
submit index data. If you have a copy of a comics publication that has not been
indexed yet, and would like to contribute to the database, please see question
4.1 in the Indexer FAQ.
3.2: I cannot find any information on series/issue/creator X in the GCD
database, even if I try the tips in question 3.1 of this FAQ. Can you suggest
other recommended sources of information on this subject?
The GCD-Project [formerly GCD-Main] and GCD-Chat lists contain a large number
of experts on comics history, and are good places to ask for help.
To subscribe to these lists, please check the List FAQ.
3.3: Is there a glossary of terms used in the GCD database and documents?
A glossary of terms used in the GCD database and documents is located here:
http://www.comics.org/docs/glossary.html
3.4: I am finding abbreviations in the character appearances field. What do
they mean?
The current GCD Format Document discourages the use of most abbreviations.
However, some older indexes contain abbreviations designed to reduce the size
of the character appearances field. Use of these abbreviations is no longer
recommended, since the database program presently used by the GCD can tolerate
longer fields.
Some common abbreviations include:
I (Introduction)
Comments may be included in the character appearances field - e.g.:
Spider-Man (origin); Uncle Ben (death)
Other indexers may include similar comments in the Notes field.
3.5: Can I get a copy of the database to use offline?
You can download GCD data files strictly for personal (non-commercial) use by
FTP from:
(FTP site currently offline due to changes in record creation routines.)
3.6: I have found an error in one of the index records. How can I get this
fixed?
The GCD depends on users to report errors in the database so that they can be
fixed by the Error Squad. To make this as simple as possible, every series
and issue record pulled up by the search engine contains a hyperlink to the
Error Squad e-mail address: gcd-errors@lists.comics.org. (The Error Squad is
a group of experienced indexers who receive e-mails sent to the GCD-Errors
mailing list and edit the database to fix the errors reported.)
When reporting errors, please make sure to include the name of the series,
issue number, story sequence number, data field, and details of the correction
needed. If there is more than one series with exactly the same series name as
the series you are making an error report on, please identify the specific
series by the publisher and year the series started publication.
Example:
3.7: Some of the indexes are missing data fields that are present in other
indexes. Why is this happening?
The current GCD format contains data fields that were not present in earlier
versions of the database. Older indexes often lack information in these data
fields, or have the information in the wrong field. If you would like to
contribute to the GCD by filling this information in, see question 4.5 in the
Indexer FAQ.
**Indexer FAQ**
4.1: How do I start indexing?
There are two ways to index comics for the GCD - the online index and
file-submission indexing. The online index uses a web form to let indexers add data
directly into the GCD database. File-submission indexing lets indexers
prepare index files offline using spreadsheet or text editor programs, and submit
these files to the GCD as e-mail attachments.
A: Online Indexing
To get started as an online indexer, follow these steps:
1. Register as an online indexer.
A personal Username and Password may be obtained from the GCD Online Index
Administrator Matthias Hofmann at the following address:
2. Read the Online Indexing Tutorial and the Format Document.
The tutorial for online indexing is located here:
http://www.comics.org/docs/tutorial/index.html
The official Format Document is located here:
http://www.comics.org/format/format.html
Don't worry about the details of field order and tab-separated formatting - these do not matter for online indexing - but this document is the best reference for the information that should be recorded in each database field. If you want to download and/or print a copy of this document for reference, a text version is available at: http://www.comics.org/format/format.txt
3. Find out if the comic is available for indexing.
Search the database using the search form at (http://www.comics.org/sok.html
). If the series you want to index is not listed in the database or if the issues are shown in white when you check the "See index matrix" link, then they should be available for you to make a reservation.
4. Reserve the issues you want to index.
Read the following page to find out how to make reservations properly:
http://www.comics.org/docs/reserved.html
5. Index the comic.
Log in at http://www.comics.org/admin, using the Username and Password you
obtained in Step 1 above. Index the comic, following the directions in the
Tutorial and Format Document. After you submit the index, an editor will check
the data for errors and proper formatting, and then approve the index (usually
within a week). If there is a problem, you will usually be contacted by
e-mail for comment. (Minor errors, such as typos, may be fixed by the editor
without contacting you.)
6. Check your index.
After the index has been approved, use the GCD search form at:
(http://www.comics.org/sok.html)
and check your index to see if any errors got missed. If there are any
errors, see question 4.5 to find out how to get them corrected.
B: File-Submission Indexing
To get started as an indexer, follow these steps:
1. Read the Indexing Tutorial and Format Document.
The tutorial for indexing using spreadsheet or text editor programs is
located here: http://www.quantumzone.org/GCDTutorial
The official Format Document is located here:
http://www.comics.org/format/format.html
If you want to download and/or print a copy of this document for reference, a
text version is available at: http://www.comics.org/format/format.txt
2. Find out if the comic is available for indexing.
Search the database using the search form at (http://www.comics.org/sok.html
).
If the series you want to index is not listed in the database or if the
issues are shown in white when you check the "See index matrix" link, then they
should be available for you to make a reservation.
3. Reserve the issues you want to index.
Send an e-mail to Reservation Coordinator Matthias Hofmann at the following
address:
For more information, see the following page:
http://www.comics.org/docs/reserved.html
4. Index the comic.
Index the comic, following the directions in the Tutorial and Format
Document.
5. Check your index.
After you have completed the index, spell-check and proof-read it for errors.
If you prepared the index using a text editor program, you should also count
the tabs in each line to make sure that the data has been properly formatted
in the right fields.
6. Send the index file as an e-mail attachment to the GCD Data Coordinator
at:
Ken Lemons (email klemons.ee87@gtalumni.org) or L. Jámal Walton (email ljamal@ravelution.net)
The index file will be added to the database during the next regular database
update. (Database updates usually happen every 2-3 months - see question 4.10.)
4.2: What is the reservation system?
The reservation system is used by the coordinators of the GCD to avoid
unnecessary duplication. With the number of people who enjoy indexing their
favorite comics on the rise, sometimes two or more people may request to index the
same title. Reserving a title for indexing avoids unnecessary duplication of
your efforts.
Once a title has been reserved in your name, you have up to 6 months to
complete the indexing of the book before you are asked to re-reserve it or have it
taken off the reserve list so that someone else may index it.
4.3: Is there a glossary of terms used in the GCD Format Document?
A glossary of terms used in the GCD Format Document is located here:
http://www.comics.org/docs/glossary.html
4.4: Does the GCD include covers too? How can I submit them?
For instructions on submitting cover scans, see the following page:
http://www.comics.org/docs/scans.html
4.5: How do I correct errors or add information to a record?
Error corrections or minor additions may be sent as notes to:
Please make sure to include the name of the series, issue number, story
sequence number, data field, and details of the correction or addition needed. If
there is more than one series with exactly the same series name as the series
you are making an error report on, please identify the specific series by the
publisher and year the series started publication.
Example:
For major additions to entire series or runs of issues, please reserve the
issues to be edited by sending an email to the following address:
Edited indexes should currently be sent to the GCD Data Coordinators, Ken
Lemons (email klemons@ntelos.net) or L. Jámal Walton (email ljamal@ravelution.net)
4.6: The series/issue/story I am indexing does not have any creator credits
listed. How should I index this?
Note uncertain credits with a question mark after the name: Jack Kirby ?
Completely uncertain credits are indexed with just a question mark: ?
Fields that are not applicable to the story in question (colorist for black &
white stories, writer or letterer for pinups) should be filled in as: none
4.7: Are there any resources to help me identify creators?
The best resource currently available for this is the GCD-Project [formerly GCD-Main] list. The GCD Yahoo Group and GCD message board http://board.comics.org can also be used to post scanned art samples for artist identification.
See the List FAQ for subscription options.
You may also want to look at the art samples available from Jerry Bails'
Scrapbook of Comic-Book Art site:
http://www.nostromo.no/whoswho/artsamples/
4.8: The credits/signatures on a story I am indexing seem to contain
pseudonyms. Is there any list of creator pseudonyms available?
To find the proper name for a creator, go to Jerry Bails' Who's Who site:
ftp://members.aol.com:/jerrybails/directory/GCDnames.txt
4.9: Is an official list of Genres available?
A list of standard Genres is available here:
http://www.comics.org/docs/genre.html
4.10: The new index/corrections I submitted last week/month/year are not on
the website. What is happening?
Error corrections and uploading of index file submissions to the GCD are
currently made by a small number of volunteer administrators, who maintain the
database and website in their (limited) spare time from work, school, and family
responsibilities. The database is usually updated on a bimonthly to quarterly
schedule, but this may be delayed by other priorities. Updates are usually
announced on the GCD-Project [formerly GCD-Main] list. See the List FAQ for
subscription options. Editing and approval of online indexes is carried out by
a larger number of editors, so online indexes will usually be added to the
database within a week of completion.
4.11: I want to help out but almost everything I have has been indexed or
reserved by someone else.
All indexes may need to be double-checked to make sure that the information
in them is correct and complete. There are also optional fields that many
indexers do not fill in. You can help by adding that missing information when
known.
And even if you cannot aid us in the indexing, we are always looking for more
people to sign up to our discussion and chat lists and help add to our
knowledge base there! You will be surprised sometimes at the things you know!
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