The Grand Comics Database (GCD) is an

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...

-based project to build a

database In computing, a database is an organized collection of data or a type of data store based on the use of a database management system (DBMS), the software that interacts with end users, applications, and the database itself to capture and a ...

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

information through user contributions. The GCD project catalogues information on creator credits, story details, reprints, and other information useful to the comic book reader, comic collector, fan, and scholar. The GCD is a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

nonprofit organization incorporated in

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

History

One of the earliest published catalogues of

comic books A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

appeared in the 1960s, when

Jerry Bails Jerry Gwin Bails (June 26, 1933 – November 23, 2006) was an American popular culturist. Known as the "Father of Comic Book Fandom," he was one of the first to approach the comic book field as a subject worthy of academic study, and was a primar ...

and

Howard Keltner John Howard Keltner (1928 – July 29, 1998) was an American comics a Media (communication), medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of Panel (co ...

put together some projects to catalogue the comic books of the "

Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during wh ...

". These efforts were Bails' ''The Collector's Guide to the First Heroic Age of Comics'', and ''Howard Keltner's Index to Golden Age Comic Books'', and their collaboration on ''The Authoritative Index to DC Comics''. The next big step in organizing data about comic books was Robert Overstreet's ''

Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide ''The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide'' (or ''Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide'') is an annually published comic book price guide widely considered the primary authority on the subject of American comic book grading and pricing in t ...

'', which is still being published. This guide is sometimes referred to as the first best attempt to list factual information beyond the

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

comics. It was likely the first catalogue to get widespread distribution. Today there are several other

comic book price guide Comic book price guides are typically published on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis and provide comprehensive information about the fluctuations in the resale value of comics over a specific duration. These guides play a crucial role for colle ...

s. In 1978, the GCD's immediate predecessor, APA-I ( Amateur Press Alliance for Indexing) was formed by a few fans who were interested in exchanging information on comic books in index form. These people were generally interested in one of two things — either following the plot threads and continuity of the stories, or the creator credits. APA-I is also still running, as a paper-based index. The organization publishes a quarterly magazine. APA-I members have gathered editorial records and conducted interviews with comic book professionals, to add to the information that could be gleaned from the books themselves. In late 1993 and early 1994, three members of APA-I interested in comic books started up an e-mail correspondence. Tim Stroup, Bob Klein, and

Jonathan E. Ingersoll Jonathan Edwards "Jon" Ingersoll Jr. is an American economist. He is the Adrian C. Israel Professor of International Trade and Finance at Yale School of Management. Prior to coming to Yale he was on the faculty at the Graduate School of Busines ...

soon began sharing indexing information in a common format using electronic media for storage and distribution. By March 1994, they had formed a new group to create an electronic version of APA-I related to comic books, giving it the name Grand Comic-Book Database and the goal to 'contain information on every comic book ever published'. The newly formed GCD grew slowly, using the new medium of e-mail to canvass friends and acquaintances from APA-I as well as other contacts in comics

fandom A fandom is a subculture composed of Fan (person), fans characterized by a feeling of camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significan ...

. Early work consisted of indexing information, setting goals, and deciding on file structure. Information was distributed on

floppy disc A floppy disk or floppy diskette (casually referred to as a floppy, a diskette, or a disk) is a type of disk storage composed of a thin and flexible disk of a magnetic storage medium in a square or nearly square plastic enclosure lined with a ...

s and via surface mail. The use of e-mail to knit together the group through constant communication has proved important to this day. There had been several previous attempts to set up similar groups that did not have this advantage. The original file structure has changed, and data distribution and collection methods are now almost exclusively over the Internet. It is one of several

online databases In computing, a database is an organized collection of data or a type of data store based on the use of a database management system (DBMS), the software that interacts with end users, applications, and the database itself to capture and ana ...

of comic book information. In December 2009, a vote was held of the membership and it was decided to change the official name from "The Grand Comic-Book Database" to "The Grand Comics Database".

Organization

The Grand Comics Database is a volunteer organization of hobbyists. It is not a commercial endeavor, and its charter states that it will not become one. The database currently catalogues more types of information than originally intended, and the formats of presentation and data gathering have changed also. All data is available for research and use by the public at no charge. The project is overseen by a board elected by the members. Decisions on changes are to be made by the board as directed by member consensus. The project operates with several public contacts. * The Public Relations Coordinators post updates to

Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

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, and other outlets, and monitor the contact email account. * The Technical Coordinator oversees the technical work on the site and coordinates it with the non-technical aspects of the project. * The Rules Coordinators manage the process by which data entry and formatting rules are established. The bulk of the work is performed by an ever-changing group of editors and contributors through the online indexing system on the web site, or through offline submissions. Casual users of the website also make contributions through an error reporting system. And, because several comic book creators are members, these creators often provide details on their own work or colleagues' work. Several e-mail lists are maintained for communication of a variety of comic book-related information. The database does not include any information on comic book pricing, nor does it conduct any sales or trade services.

Specifications

The Grand Comics Database intends to catalogue key story information, creator information, and other information which is useful to readers, fans, hobbyists, and researchers. This includes creator information such as writers,

penciller A penciller (or penciler) is an artist who works on the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms, with a focus on the initial pencil illustrations. In the American comic book industry, the penciller is the first step ...

inker The inker (sometimes credited as the finisher or embellisher) is one of the two line artists in traditional comic book production. After the penciller creates a drawing with pencil, the inker interprets this drawing by outlining and embellishing ...

colorist In comics, a colorist is responsible for adding color to black-and-white line art. For most of the 20th century this was done using brushes and dyes which were then used as guides to produce the printing plates. Since the late 20th century it is ...

letterer A letterer is a member of a team of comic book creators responsible for drawing the comic book's text. The letterer's use of typefaces, calligraphy, letter size, and layout all contribute to the impact of the comic-book-reading experience. The l ...

s, and editors. It also includes story information such as: title, feature of the story, genre of the story, page count, characters, and a short synopsis. Stories are defined to include any feature in a comic book, which allows the database to include

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a Product (business), product or Service (economics), service. Advertising aims to present a product or service in terms of utility, advantages, and qualities of int ...

, text articles in an issue, letter columns, character profiles, and any other features that are in a comic book. Also included is information on the comic books themselves, such as:

publisher Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...

, publication date, price, page count, a cover image, and reprint information. The GCD project uses a broad definition of comic book; a comic book is 50% or more art and/or pictures which tell a story. The editors try to err on the side of inclusion, so that if there is a question, a book usually can be included. This definition eliminates any

webcomics Webcomics (also known as online comics or Internet comics) are comics published on the internet, such as on a website or a mobile app. While many webcomics are published exclusively online, others are also published in magazines, newspapers, or ...

. However, it includes small print run

fanzines A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleas ...

, promotional giveaway comics, and

minicomic A minicomic is a creator-published comic book, often photocopied and stapled or with a handmade binding. In the United Kingdom and Europe the term small press comic is equivalent with minicomic, reserved for those publications measuring A6 (105& ...

s. Although syndicated

comic strip A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics terminology#Captio ...

s are not indexed, listings include mentions of comic books reprinting newspaper strips. Since 2004, comic book fans can index their favorite comic book using the convenience of a web-based interface. Anyone interested is encouraged to contribute, by using the interface, uploading a cover image scan, or even simply sending an e-mail with new information. The standards request that all indexing be done from an actual copy of the comic book, to ensure that data is verified upon entry. A group of editors then vets each entry before the information is added to the database. The database currently has comic books from many countries representing over a hundred languages, though United States issues in the English language represent the bulk of the data. There are active chapters and indexers in several other countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. , the database includes information on over: * 16,800 publishers * 80,000 creators * 212,300 series * 2,110,000 issues (including 214,200 variants and over 4,100,000 stories) * 1,273,000 cover images

References

Citations

Sources

* Allred, Will. "Credit Where Credit Is Due". ''Quantum Zone - Behind the Scenes''. N.p., 06 Apr. 1999. Web. 14 May 2019. * Cronin, Brian. "Grand Comic Book Database Is Good , CBR". ''Archive.is''. N.p., 12 July 2018. Web. 14 May 2019. * Cronin, Brian. "Grand Comic Book Database Is Good". ''CBR''. CBR, 13 July 2007. Web. 14 May 2019. * "Formatting Documentation". ''Formatting Documentation - GCD''. N.p., 24 Nov. 2018. Web. 14 May 2019. * "The GCD Charter". ''The GCD Charter - GCD''. N.p., 2 Sept. 2017. Web. 14 May 2019. * "How To Contribute FAQ". ''How To Contribute FAQ - GCD''. N.p., 30 Nov. 2016. Web. 14 May 2019. * "International Statistics". ''GCD''. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2019. * Katz, Linda S. "The Image and Role of the Librarian". ''Google Books''. N.p., 27 June 2003. Web. 14 May 2019. * Keltner, Howard. ''The Revised Edition GOLDEN AGE COMIC BOOKS INDEX 1935 - 1955''. Gainesville: GOLDEN AGE COMIC BOOKS INDEX, 1998. PDF. * Lent, John A. "Comic Books and Comic Strips in the United States Through 2005". ''Google Books''. Greenwood Publishing Group, n.d. Web. 14 May 2019. * White, Mark D. "The Virtues of Captain America". ''Google Books''. Wiley, 2014, 13 Jan. 2014. Web. 14 May 2019. * "Who's Who". ''Who's Who - GCD''. N.p., 29 Sept. 2015. Web. 14 May 2019.

External links

*
Documentation Wiki
* Allred, Will (1999).

Retrieved Jan. 28, 2006. * Keltner, Howard
"Golden Age Comic Books Index"
Retrieved May 26, 2011. {{Comics information sources Comic book collecting Online comic databases Websites about comics Hobbyist organizations Comics-related organizations