Comicpedia

[Al]

This thread has come about after discussions on this thread http://www.comicsuk.co.uk/Forum/viewtop ... 523#p13523, where a few questions were being raised about a British Comics Database.


Watch this space people (or Comics UK at least) for my version of practically everything that's been mentioned here (plus a bit more).

It will be called Comicpedia (can't think where I got that name from ) and it will be available for the whole planet to read but only trusted contributors to update the database. Which is everyone on these Forums.

As has already been mentioned, it is a vast undertaking, and is certainly the biggest thing I've ever attempted, but the wheels are well and truly in motion. I've written a 40-page project plan on what is to be included, and have tested a plethora of code, just to make sure it can be done.

It will be a relational database; it will contain about as much information about comics, story papers, specials, annuals, characters, stories, artists, writers, publishers etc. as anyone would wish to know.

Of course, it will most definitely require volunteers to enter all this information, but I don't think that will be much of a problem with the people on this forum, and people who visit it on a regular basis. And people who know people who know people.

It is being built around work and social commitments, but it is most definitely being built. I have already created, changed and then changed again the database table structures while writing the project plan, in order to get it just right.

The whole website will be built using PHP and MySQL, which is what this Forum runs under, and will be my first attempt at using these two mediums. But I love them both and just can't wait to finish the project.

I want to get the whole Comics UK version 2 in place before this Christmas, and if things continue the way they are at the moment, it'll be a lot sooner then that.

So, now the cat is out of the bag, I will keep you all abreast of how it's going.

If you have any ideas or items you would like to see included in Comicpedia, either add them to this thread (maybe I should start a new one - I'll wait for responses), PM me or Email me. Don't worry if you think I've already thought of it, there's bound to be something I haven't thought of, and the sooner it's in place, the less work I have to do later to incorporate it into what I've built.

I hope this has whetted a few appetites out there Maybe I should start a new thread entitled, "Exciting News Inside!".

Al

[colcool007]

Might be an idea to have a formatted piece ready so that people who are a bit thick on web design (like me) could enter the data and Hey Presto! we have an article on Shiwa Sands. Fields could include:

Character:
Known Associates:
Enemies:
Period:
Special characteristics:
Artist: (if known)
Writer: (if known)
Appearance dates:
Comic:
Story Arcs:

[felneymike]

Sounds great!
Will there be limits to the scope? because i prefer turn of the century/inter war story papers, and have a 'decent' collection of those i could fill in... but would anybody else want to see them? I suppose the "artist" section could be used for the illustrator (if applicable) and a note given that it is a text story and not a strip (one very early UJ from 1894 did contain one comic strip, strangely)

[Captain Storm]

Can't really argue with Al Looks like the BCD Yahoo Group will be the shortest lived project I've ever been involved in! Ah well,at least Al will take the headache out of the whole equation.As I mentioned before,it was only meant to serve as an extention of the site here.I was gonna bring a few contacts onboard who have vast repositories of info on comics to help.Alas they wish to remain unknown and do not want to join our merry band here...good guys really.I for one will help in what ever way I can,
regards,
The Cap!


p.s.Some threads are messy on Yahoo Groups because of bad editing.I for one have found the tables at least to be invaluable in maintaining my Adam Eterno archive.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/adameternoforever/

[colcool007]

Sounds great!
Will there be limits to the scope? because i prefer turn of the century/inter war story papers, and have a 'decent' collection of those i could fill in... but would anybody else want to see them? I suppose the "artist" section could be used for the illustrator (if applicable) and a note given that it is a text story and not a strip (one very early UJ from 1894 did contain one comic strip, strangely)

And why not? I don't think that we should limit the scope by saying we are only interested in comics since say 1950 as we need to know where we have come from to understand why we are here now.

I only have one comic that is pre-1960, but I have a good haul of annuals that are 40's and 50's.

[Al]

The scope is every British comic and story paper from about the time that Ally Sloper released his Half Holiday comic back in 1884. Of course, if people have access to even earlier stuff (like Judy, where he started) or some of those Penny Dreadfuls that I would love to read, fantastic.

Story Papers: Yes, yes and thrice yes. There are a few fabulous websites already dedicated to these fine publications like Steve Holland's at http://www.philsp.com/homeville/BJSP/0start.htm and the phenomenal Sexton Blake website at http://www.sextonblake.co.uk/index.html. But I feel there is still a gap that can be filled here, plus it will offer 'completion', for the want of a better word, of children's literature in this format.

No foreign comics: I do not want the Database to include European comics or US Marvel and DC publications. No disrespect to these fine publications, but the latter two have already got a massive database dedicated to them (http://www.comics.org/). However, British comics that contain their strips are fine (i.e. Terrific and Fantastic) because I know they contained 'other' stuff as well.

I would rather not include Marvel UK's Spiderman and Hulk comics-et-al unless they constantly contained other strips other than their superhero stuff. I do not actually own any of these, so I'm not too sure of their contents.

No magazine content, i.e. Shoot, Goal, unless it contained a lot of comic strips and fictional stories. Boys' World, Look & Learn and Ranger are perfectly acceptable.

Independent comics: My initial thought was not to include them, because many were just one-hit wonders. But I know I will definitely include all those one-hit wonders from the late 1940's. So, I see no reason why not to include the modern versions. As we all know, the standard of these indy-comics in recent years has improved dramatically, so it would be a shame not to include them. After all, this will be a British database.

I'm sure many other questions like this will crop up over the coming weeks/months. I may have opened up a can of worms here, but I just want to get this project up and running. As long as the mainstream British comics and story papers are looked after, I'll be happy.

The one thing that I have learnt while working on this Comicpedia, is that you cannot 'pigeon-hole' everything, so there will be exceptions to the rules.

Al

[dennis the menace]

i think a comic encyclopedia was already made look if you search an artist like leo baxendale in this thinng he will come up: http://lambiek.net/

[Captain Storm]

Hi Dennis,that site is already well known to the majority of members here.But many experts would not rely fully on it's sources.That's not to say it is not handy,just not authoritative enough,i.e.facts are not fully checked and often data is taken from other sites without verifying facts.I can't fault your enthusiasm though.Cheers.

The Cap!

Now I'm off on me holliers.See you next week

[dennis the menace]

thanks for telling me but on that site they have got something called Comicpedia

[felneymike]

There's also a COMIXPEDIA dedicated to webcomics (which i also happen to have several entries on, i can never concentrate on one thing long enough!). But lets worry about getting it working first!

[dennis the menace]

ok was just worried about all this copyright lately i dont want the eagle ban

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

AL......if it is possible, please re-instate my 'lost' 'I SPY' posts,[if at all possible] and I will happily continue where I left off, including images scanned-in.

[Al]

'tis done. Here is the link to the 44 posts.

http://www.comicsuk.co.uk/Forum/viewtop ... 138&t=1923

Al

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

WELL DONE, AL.....much appreciated, old chappie-me-lad!

[Peter Gray]

Its not opening the I Spy lost post......the link also doesn't work

great you found it.just need to open it