The Creator pages are (finally) up, though the index for Titles is going to take a bit longer. I had hoped that, by getting as much of the groundwork set as possible, it would be a simple matter of copying over the information to pages - not so. There are numerous minor annoyances which desperately require fixes before they can be transferred, delaying the process somewhat. Before you get too excited, a few of the pages aren't showing up even for me, and though it may merely be Blogger taking a while to notice they are there, the machinery could possibly have chewed the pages up. Fingers crossed...
As I have mentioned the existence of the revised Title pages, I may as well delineate the issues preventing immediate publication.
When the original lists of known titles were created, stretching through comics, graphic novels, collections of newspaper strips, small press titles, a handful of underground newspapers with strong connections to comics, and even the odd magazine, there wasn't ever one list. For reasons which seemed entirely sensible at the time, the formats were split into their own categories. Each letter of the alphabet, therefore, has up to a dozen completely different lists of titles, the contents therein needing integrating before they are of any use.
Pre-1900 titles remain a constant source of frustration, with no clear sign of being resolved until I get my hands on them, and pre-1940 collections are likewise problematic. While there was never a full list of sticker albums related to comics, I want to get back to them at some point, as well as adding - for the first time - Barrett candy stick card sets. Yes, I know it is only tangentially linked to comics, but I can't find a proper index anywhere, and the lack of information is bugging me. There's no easily-located list of every edition of every title for Ladybird books either...
Further frustrating matters is the fact that the computer, which is being used to upload all of this, can only stay operational for a short while before it overheats and crashes. It is becoming difficult to keep track of when I have scheduled things for, and any double-posts, missing posts, or other quirks, is only going to annoy everyone. I apologise. Although I am not sure, exactly, how to counter the interruptions without upgrading everything, I'm taking steps to minimise anything which is likely to annoy or exasperate - a good, old-fashioned, pen and paper schedule I can tick off when a post has been scheduled.
Cutting-edge technology at work.
The next week or so will see the blog covering annuals, while I re-jig the scheduled posts to flow better. It is appropriate that they feature so heavily, as they were the first to be indexed - and largely the reason this all exists in the first place. While there are a couple of very useful books covering the subject, they are extremely limited in coverage of content.
Paul Green and Laura Taylor's Green's Guide to Collecting TV, Music & Comic Book Annuals whizzes past editions with gay abandon, ignoring the contents of numerous titles, and focusing on the (largely irrelevant) worth of same. While I appreciate the effort put in, and understand the notion behind such a book, it pains me to see excellent creators being dismissed in a few lines of text. A wonderful cover gallery towards the rear of the book makes up for some of the deficiencies in the main body, though as a means of discovering specific content it is, alas, a title which doesn't offer the necessary information.
The Hamer Comic Annual Guide (in two volumes) by Martin Hamer, a retired auctioneer, once more focuses on valuation, though with a wider breadth of titles. It, likewise, suffers from a brevity of information on the strips and stories, yet - when used in conjunction with the aforementioned Green's Guide - is a fine start to uncovering the history of annuals.
But... The origins of such titles in poetry and magazine collections has rarely been dealt with. Indeed, there are many fascinating stories regarding the evolution of what became the accepted format, with minor historical footnotes almost entirely disregarded in the rush to celebrate "new and shiny." James Joyce had work appear in at least one title bearing the word "annual" prior to its more modern use, and one wonders what other notable names have ties (however slight) to the history of annuals.
Showing posts with label commentary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label commentary. Show all posts
Saturday, December 8, 2018
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
TV Fun: The Apprentice
BBC One
BT Vision: 851
Freeview HD: 101
Freesat HD: 108
Sky HD / YouView: 143
Virgin Media: 108
Series 14
Fremantle Media (Paul Broadbent, Paula Fasht)
(Sypnosis from BBC website)
The Apprentice on the BBC website.
While I'm not anticipating much from a creative point of view, this should prove interesting. How difficult is it to craft an entirely new comic, aimed at a younger age range, without falling back on tried and tested clichés? We will, no doubt, discover the answer soon enough. The inclusion of VR is intriguing, as it has (thus far) been an area which hasn't had more than a passing influence on the direction of comics as a whole - how much more entertaining would comics be for youngsters if, embedded at several unobstructive points throughout the title, there were triggers which would, when a 'phone is aimed at the comic, provide a 3D image.
Better yet, an animated 3D image.
The Beano has already highlighted the technology (back in March), but crucially didn't have a cover-enhancing element. Imagine a curious (yet reluctant) would-be purchaser, 'phone in hand, glancing at the title - if there is a trigger on the cover, then the curious-minded will aim their 'phone at it to see what happens. If the resultant visual is exciting and intriguing enough, they will most likely purchase the comic just for the novelty. I mean... It isn't as if embracing new ideas is going to lower the sales of a title.
 |
| The Apprentice logo. © BBC / Freemantle Media |
BT Vision: 851
Freeview HD: 101
Freesat HD: 108
Sky HD / YouView: 143
Virgin Media: 108
Series 14
Fremantle Media (Paul Broadbent, Paula Fasht)
02. Comics (Mark Halliley (narration); Alan Sugar, Karren Brady, Claude Littner, Claudine Collins, Linda Plant, Mike Soutar; contestants: Camilla Ainsworth, David Alden, Frank Brooks, Tom Bunday, Sarah Byrne, Kayode Damali, Daniel Elahi, Jackie Fast, Alex Finn, Sian Gabbidon, Khadija Kalifa, Jasmine Kundra, Sarah Ann Magson, Rick Monk, Kurran Pooni, Sabrina Stocker)
Lord Sugar summons the candidates to the House of Illustration, the UK's only gallery dedicated to graphic art. On arrival, the teams are greeted by their business superhero as they've never seen him before. Via augmented-reality technology, Lord Sugar reveals that the candidates are to create a brand new comic aimed at eight- to 12-year-olds. They need to invent a new comic name, main character and original story as well as design a dynamic front cover using cutting-edge AR.
With comics printed overnight, they need to pitch to leading industry figures to secure orders. The task balances creative flair with productive pitching, and the team that forgets either could face a graphic showdown in the boardroom.
b: 10 Oct 2018.
(Sypnosis from BBC website)
The Apprentice on the BBC website.
While I'm not anticipating much from a creative point of view, this should prove interesting. How difficult is it to craft an entirely new comic, aimed at a younger age range, without falling back on tried and tested clichés? We will, no doubt, discover the answer soon enough. The inclusion of VR is intriguing, as it has (thus far) been an area which hasn't had more than a passing influence on the direction of comics as a whole - how much more entertaining would comics be for youngsters if, embedded at several unobstructive points throughout the title, there were triggers which would, when a 'phone is aimed at the comic, provide a 3D image.
Better yet, an animated 3D image.
The Beano has already highlighted the technology (back in March), but crucially didn't have a cover-enhancing element. Imagine a curious (yet reluctant) would-be purchaser, 'phone in hand, glancing at the title - if there is a trigger on the cover, then the curious-minded will aim their 'phone at it to see what happens. If the resultant visual is exciting and intriguing enough, they will most likely purchase the comic just for the novelty. I mean... It isn't as if embracing new ideas is going to lower the sales of a title.
Saturday, October 6, 2018
100 Items
One of the things I've been doing while offline is reading. A lot of reading. Aside from tackling the classics, with one eye on picking out titles which had been out of print for far too long, I also delved into the murky world of populist science titles and entry-level history books. In truth, I didn't have much expectation for the majority of the books, but one (unexpectedly, and beautifully) caught me off guard. 
A History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor.1
It got me thinking of the items which tell the history of British comics. It ties in with what I have been saying here, about the history needing preservation, and runs through some of the guide (in an extremely minor way) as a frustration that more isn't being done now.
We have to have a rough idea, before considering placement in a list, so...
• Dudley D. Watkins' drawing board. There is no item which I want to see more than the board upon which so many truly great strips were created. There are artists who are, arguably, more famous, and there are artists with greater range, but few who provided consistent entertainment week after week with such subtlety. The location of the board is currently unknown.
• Tilt & Bogue printing blocks. When it comes to simply >gorgeous presentation, there are few publishers of the era who can claim to have as crisp, well-bound, and downright beautiful, editions as Tilt & Bogue. In comparison, Dalziel's methods seem relatively crude, and even Punch volumes fade into the background when placed alongside the slim, wonderfully balanced books.
• William Hogarth's pens and nibs. It is difficult to think of a British artist whose work has touched more people than Hogarth. Reprinted endlessly, his images have attention-grabbing detail which continually brings him new admirers. To see the items which played a part in the creation of such work is somehow more powerful than the items which usually garner attention - chairs and desks may be important, but the pens were held daily by the great man.
• Frank Hampson's Spaceport model for Dan Dare. His attention to detail, and insistence on craft, would likely be considered wasteful in these days of Photoshop and Wacom tablets, but there is a great deal to admire in Hampson's old-fashioned photo-reference for the Dan Dare strips. There are numerous photos of the models used, but the spaceport is, perhaps, the grandest of them all.
• The Wilfredian League of Gugnuncs badges. The lure of the fan club was never greater than with Pip, Squeak & Wilfred, and the strip's devoted following continues to provide surprising evidence in the pages of contemporary publications. The badges, with Wilfred's ears prominently displayed, are the lasting tribute to a cultural phenomenon. And who doesn't love the characters?
• From Ally Sloper Merchandise. As the first heavily-merchandised comic character there are many items which fall into this category, though the iconic Toby jug, mantelpiece ornaments, wall decorations, and even pipes. Yes, tobacco-related products. A fascinating, and oft overlooked, moment in time which gave rise to everything since. It is likely that a full collection of all the associated memorabilia could support an exhibition on their own.
• From Denis McLaughlin's Western Collection. Used extensively in the creation of his work, though it is difficult to pinpoint one item from the collection - though many of his fans will no doubt have favourite images, his deft handling of translating three-dimensional items into iconic illustrations could only have been accomplished with access to such an impressive range of items.
• From the Police Raids on Savoy Books. There hasn't been a more sustained attack on a publisher by authorities before or since, and while I'm at a loss to pick one definitive item, the moment needs to be noted in any collection of items which tell the story of British comics history. The paperwork authorising the raid, perhaps?
• The Judge Dredd Promotional Costume. Seen throughout the nineties, the costume - which perfectly captured the style of the comic - made numerous appearances at shops and conventions. There are, perhaps, more unique and tactile items which would resonate with fans of the title, but the costume brings back fond memories.
• Arnaldo Putzu Painting. The covers of 1970s issues of Look-In are spectacular when seen en mass, and the title wouldn't have been half as impressive without his artistic talent. It is extremely difficult to pick one of the paintings out in particular, but the Six Million Dollar Man cover is a favourite.
Ten items is a good place to leave this, or we could be at this forevermore. Suggestions for items which speak to the rich history of British comics can be left below...
1. The British Museum maintains a page for the exhibition.
A History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor.1
It got me thinking of the items which tell the history of British comics. It ties in with what I have been saying here, about the history needing preservation, and runs through some of the guide (in an extremely minor way) as a frustration that more isn't being done now.
We have to have a rough idea, before considering placement in a list, so...
• Dudley D. Watkins' drawing board. There is no item which I want to see more than the board upon which so many truly great strips were created. There are artists who are, arguably, more famous, and there are artists with greater range, but few who provided consistent entertainment week after week with such subtlety. The location of the board is currently unknown.
• Tilt & Bogue printing blocks. When it comes to simply >gorgeous presentation, there are few publishers of the era who can claim to have as crisp, well-bound, and downright beautiful, editions as Tilt & Bogue. In comparison, Dalziel's methods seem relatively crude, and even Punch volumes fade into the background when placed alongside the slim, wonderfully balanced books.
• William Hogarth's pens and nibs. It is difficult to think of a British artist whose work has touched more people than Hogarth. Reprinted endlessly, his images have attention-grabbing detail which continually brings him new admirers. To see the items which played a part in the creation of such work is somehow more powerful than the items which usually garner attention - chairs and desks may be important, but the pens were held daily by the great man.
• Frank Hampson's Spaceport model for Dan Dare. His attention to detail, and insistence on craft, would likely be considered wasteful in these days of Photoshop and Wacom tablets, but there is a great deal to admire in Hampson's old-fashioned photo-reference for the Dan Dare strips. There are numerous photos of the models used, but the spaceport is, perhaps, the grandest of them all.
• The Wilfredian League of Gugnuncs badges. The lure of the fan club was never greater than with Pip, Squeak & Wilfred, and the strip's devoted following continues to provide surprising evidence in the pages of contemporary publications. The badges, with Wilfred's ears prominently displayed, are the lasting tribute to a cultural phenomenon. And who doesn't love the characters?
• From Ally Sloper Merchandise. As the first heavily-merchandised comic character there are many items which fall into this category, though the iconic Toby jug, mantelpiece ornaments, wall decorations, and even pipes. Yes, tobacco-related products. A fascinating, and oft overlooked, moment in time which gave rise to everything since. It is likely that a full collection of all the associated memorabilia could support an exhibition on their own.
• From Denis McLaughlin's Western Collection. Used extensively in the creation of his work, though it is difficult to pinpoint one item from the collection - though many of his fans will no doubt have favourite images, his deft handling of translating three-dimensional items into iconic illustrations could only have been accomplished with access to such an impressive range of items.
• From the Police Raids on Savoy Books. There hasn't been a more sustained attack on a publisher by authorities before or since, and while I'm at a loss to pick one definitive item, the moment needs to be noted in any collection of items which tell the story of British comics history. The paperwork authorising the raid, perhaps?
• The Judge Dredd Promotional Costume. Seen throughout the nineties, the costume - which perfectly captured the style of the comic - made numerous appearances at shops and conventions. There are, perhaps, more unique and tactile items which would resonate with fans of the title, but the costume brings back fond memories.
• Arnaldo Putzu Painting. The covers of 1970s issues of Look-In are spectacular when seen en mass, and the title wouldn't have been half as impressive without his artistic talent. It is extremely difficult to pick one of the paintings out in particular, but the Six Million Dollar Man cover is a favourite.
Ten items is a good place to leave this, or we could be at this forevermore. Suggestions for items which speak to the rich history of British comics can be left below...
1. The British Museum maintains a page for the exhibition.
Friday, October 5, 2018
The Future
The database isn't an end unto itself. The collection and dissemination of information only truly works when it is done in conjunction with other strands. The notion of future-proofing everything hit especially hard when the laptop I used to write the majority of the original website died on me, and future-proofing is something which British comics has a poor history of managing.
Passing down the tools which enable creators to confidently approach the medium has largely been left to sporadic workshops and open days since the demise of the London Cartoon Centre, though the loss of a specific, and specalised, location is something that hasn't been addressed to any degree. The Cartoon Museum is doing a fine job of maintaining the tradition of comic creation workshops, but most regional versions get a fraction of the advertising they should.
There ought to be a curated list, with the pertinent details (organiser, price, creators involved, age range accepted, duration of event) updated continually. That's a project which could easily be approached with a software component in mind - a submission form segmented with each piece of information automatically appearing in the correct fields. Getting people to use such a centralised list, however, is another thing entirely.
The collection (and availability of) comics is a greater problem. British libraries - for all the wonderful things they are capable of - simply aren't set up in a way, or with enough size or resources, to allow the reading of long-out-of-print materials without a hefty head-start. Even when material is made available there are titles which simply aren't recorded, or saved, anywhere.
When Denis Gifford died in 2000 there was a hope that his collection would be preserved for the nation - which was, after all, his wish - but it was not to be. The idea of a main, specialist library, which has the kind of reference material which comprised that collection, is one which has lingered in the back of my mind since reports of the auction were made public. One of the impetuses to get back to the work at hand was to build up to an appropriation of the idea: A one-stop building for everything related to comics.
Such a structure would cost serious coin.
This is where my reluctance to do certain things comes into play. I detest the idea of cluttering the website with adverts, and still maintain that advertising, as a primary source of income, shouldn't be relied upon. The total raised from advertising throughout the history of my internet use would struggle to purchase a cup of coffee, and at the moment I am considering removing the advertising on this blog.
Most traditional ways to raise capital require relinquishing a degree of control. Though (hesitant) conversations have taken place, the main priority has been preventing dilution of ideals for capital. It is a very remote possibility, but giving someone a share of what is in the contents - in exchange for financial assistance - might result in undue emphasis being placed upon one publisher's output to the detriment of others.
The notion of a sponsor was considered for about ten minutes, but there are the aforementioned worries to consider.
There are some big ideas in place for the future, but I'm still working out how to get from here to there.
Present goals can be listed thus:
1. The preservation of information in the form of the database (in progress).
2. Links to all pertinent websites, both current and archived (in progress)
2. Centralised dissemination of information about comics and events (pending).
With four or five things which come later. Much later.
Again - there still isn't a permanent location for people to look to.
Just leaving breadcrumbs here...
Thinking small will only ever result in mediocre achievements, and my brain revolts against arbitrary and stultifying limitations. And it isn't just that the end goals give something to move towards, as a path towards these greater goals allows for things to be prepared long, long in advance. If it was merely information about comics that drove the current push, then the next step would be tentative grasping towards an unknown result. Knowing that there are things which haven't been done, and seeking ways to accomplish these challenges, provides a (very rough, though achievable) route which leads somewhere.
There's a term I have used before, mainly on my personal blog: The War Against Mediocrity.
When people aim for average results, they will often achieve average results. So many of the things I see people attempting aren't built (or scaleable) for something beyond the immediate requirements. There has been talk of preserving the history, maintaining all the artifacts which have importance to British comics, but the majority of items which would form the centrepiece of any collection are spread so far and wide. Some incredibly valuable, and irreplaceable, items are missing-presumed-destroyed.
I'm going to aim for exceptional results and see how far I can get.
Passing down the tools which enable creators to confidently approach the medium has largely been left to sporadic workshops and open days since the demise of the London Cartoon Centre, though the loss of a specific, and specalised, location is something that hasn't been addressed to any degree. The Cartoon Museum is doing a fine job of maintaining the tradition of comic creation workshops, but most regional versions get a fraction of the advertising they should.
There ought to be a curated list, with the pertinent details (organiser, price, creators involved, age range accepted, duration of event) updated continually. That's a project which could easily be approached with a software component in mind - a submission form segmented with each piece of information automatically appearing in the correct fields. Getting people to use such a centralised list, however, is another thing entirely.
The collection (and availability of) comics is a greater problem. British libraries - for all the wonderful things they are capable of - simply aren't set up in a way, or with enough size or resources, to allow the reading of long-out-of-print materials without a hefty head-start. Even when material is made available there are titles which simply aren't recorded, or saved, anywhere.
When Denis Gifford died in 2000 there was a hope that his collection would be preserved for the nation - which was, after all, his wish - but it was not to be. The idea of a main, specialist library, which has the kind of reference material which comprised that collection, is one which has lingered in the back of my mind since reports of the auction were made public. One of the impetuses to get back to the work at hand was to build up to an appropriation of the idea: A one-stop building for everything related to comics.
Such a structure would cost serious coin.
This is where my reluctance to do certain things comes into play. I detest the idea of cluttering the website with adverts, and still maintain that advertising, as a primary source of income, shouldn't be relied upon. The total raised from advertising throughout the history of my internet use would struggle to purchase a cup of coffee, and at the moment I am considering removing the advertising on this blog.
Most traditional ways to raise capital require relinquishing a degree of control. Though (hesitant) conversations have taken place, the main priority has been preventing dilution of ideals for capital. It is a very remote possibility, but giving someone a share of what is in the contents - in exchange for financial assistance - might result in undue emphasis being placed upon one publisher's output to the detriment of others.
The notion of a sponsor was considered for about ten minutes, but there are the aforementioned worries to consider.
There are some big ideas in place for the future, but I'm still working out how to get from here to there.
Present goals can be listed thus:
1. The preservation of information in the form of the database (in progress).
2. Links to all pertinent websites, both current and archived (in progress)
2. Centralised dissemination of information about comics and events (pending).
With four or five things which come later. Much later.
Again - there still isn't a permanent location for people to look to.
Just leaving breadcrumbs here...
Thinking small will only ever result in mediocre achievements, and my brain revolts against arbitrary and stultifying limitations. And it isn't just that the end goals give something to move towards, as a path towards these greater goals allows for things to be prepared long, long in advance. If it was merely information about comics that drove the current push, then the next step would be tentative grasping towards an unknown result. Knowing that there are things which haven't been done, and seeking ways to accomplish these challenges, provides a (very rough, though achievable) route which leads somewhere.
There's a term I have used before, mainly on my personal blog: The War Against Mediocrity.
When people aim for average results, they will often achieve average results. So many of the things I see people attempting aren't built (or scaleable) for something beyond the immediate requirements. There has been talk of preserving the history, maintaining all the artifacts which have importance to British comics, but the majority of items which would form the centrepiece of any collection are spread so far and wide. Some incredibly valuable, and irreplaceable, items are missing-presumed-destroyed.
I'm going to aim for exceptional results and see how far I can get.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Formatting
The obvious question: why not upload everything to Blogger (or another free host)?
To answer that:
British Newspaper and Magazine Strips: S
This is one of the simpler pages (and it may have another column before it is done), and changing all of the links (78 strips, 46 titles, and with the possible addition of dates) or removing the links completely would take time away from indexing or editing pages. This isn't, despite appearances, the only thing I'm writing, and taking time away from work which needs to be done isn't possible at the moment.
And before you start with the comments... Yes. I do realise that I am missing quite a number of strips in that list. It will be fixed.
To answer that:
British Newspaper and Magazine Strips: S
This is one of the simpler pages (and it may have another column before it is done), and changing all of the links (78 strips, 46 titles, and with the possible addition of dates) or removing the links completely would take time away from indexing or editing pages. This isn't, despite appearances, the only thing I'm writing, and taking time away from work which needs to be done isn't possible at the moment.
And before you start with the comments... Yes. I do realise that I am missing quite a number of strips in that list. It will be fixed.
Monday, October 1, 2018
Commentary 1
There's something about living with a work for a period of time which changes the work. You begin to see a myriad of possibilities in form and function, and discover limitations which wouldn't otherwise become apparent, and - sometimes, if you are patient and ask the right questions - you find answers which take you off in unexpected directions. The best part about finding extra uses for already existing aspects of a work is the tidiness. The sense of order is inherently appealing.
In comics, noting first appearances are important. I doubt anyone will argue that point, but finding a compelling reason for the existence of a list outside of identifying those crucial first appearances was immensely difficult. It was an index in search of a body of work to accompany, and only by adding more pages would it finally have a purpose beyond itself, which is how the endless character pages1 began accumulating. And they needed more purpose, which is why all the strips, posters, cover appearances, and other sub-pages needed to be added.
Having seen how characters benefit from having all their varied appearances brought together, it seemed reasonable to do the same for living people. All those Eagle pin-ups, Look-In features, and various biographical strips add up. Of course, you need order in the mass of data which this throws up - all VC recipients need to be on one list, actors on another, the royal family all brought together on their own page...2
When it came to footballers I gave a shrug, figuring that someone would come up with a way to order them more creatively than putting them on their own page(s).3
For popular characters, as for celebrities, this meant that at least half a dozen pages were needed to cover all possibilities. That's before the information was added, necessitating yet more pages. At some point in all of that, probably when adding in creators to strip listings, I figured that there needed to be something similar for their work. If photos are going to get so much coverage, then it is only right that the creative forces driving a comic get due recognition.
That was most likely where the madness began.
The endless list of names needed something extra. When I ported over the principle of the character sheets, I found that the birth and death dates gave more reason for the lists of names - it would now be possible to quickly search for everyone born on a given date, or on a specific year. All of the creator sheets, along with military, celebrity, political, and royalty names, thus needed to have their birth dates added. And deaths, obviously, where appropriate.
Newspaper and magazine strips, long overdue proper assessment, have always been a pain to gather information on. When I was putting those pages together (driven by the need to add those to creator pages), it seemed to make sense to index the magazines as well while I had them available. All the features, interviews, reviews and other elements.4
By this time, with so many pages proving to be more than mere lists, the publisher list began looking a little threadbare. Those pages were a necessity, but one which sat uncomfortably among the more complex pages. It took more than a while for the answer to come to me, but when the answer came it made perfect sense: the companies can be considered to have a beginning, so I would need to have their "birth date" and company number. That's something which was really hard to do without the internet, so it is ongoing.
Much of the work was done while offline - from copious notes, photocopies, and what was recovered from the old external hard drive with the original website - retaining access to the internet is a whole other problem which is going to require thought, but I have a couple of months before it becomes a pressing one.
And I haven't even mentioned the addition of adding in biographies, publisher histories, or even novels.
Back in 2012 I downloaded a great deal of public domain books which touched on areas that the database was heading in. Some of the titles turned out to be very useful indeed, while others merely reinforced what was already available. It was apparent, in many of the texts, that nothing had been done to contextualise the information. Prominent Victorians, now barely known (if at all), are mentioned without providing any hint as to their importance, nor why they should be highly regarded. It was something that was crying out for attention.5
At the moment, sorting out the history around books about Punch are proving to be something of an obsession, but peeling back the layers of time in order to make the books come alive again required a completely new approach. There's a lot of work still required for those, yet the fun (for it is so) is digging out the lines which illuminate an individual. It was a possibility, for about a week, that they would make suitable companion pieces - items to be sold in order to fund the site itself.
Oh, optimism. You cruel and tormenting feeling.
As more explanations were added to the books, dates and references essential to making sense of cryptic comments, it became increasingly obvious that the books belonged on the site proper. Forty Years of Spy, alone, now has over 300,000 words. Untangling the incredible web of artists and authors contributed to the size, with numerous mentioned individuals requiring their own pages with links to their works. So that leaves me in a rather awkward predicament of not having anything which is obviously aimed at bringing in money.
At the moment the database is sitting at staggering number of pages of various length6, though at least half of that consists of "I'll get around to this, sooner or later" pages, with only the name of the individual, or the title of a work, at the top of the page. All requiring attention, and all of equal importance.
And then there is the "subject" sections. This particular aspect of the database is all Christopher Cockerell's fault.
There's a wonderful L. Ashwell Wood cutaway7 of a hovercraft in Eagle Vol.10 #36 which caught my attention, and raised a question - how would I go about finding every instance of a hovercraft in British comics? How about helicopters? Or racing? What about animals, and... Well, everything else. A proper listing of every instance of war stories was the kicker, as so many real-life conflicts have slipped between the pages of popular titles. It was important (to me, at any rate) to have a way of seeking further material on a given subject.
Actually, that isn't the complete story...
A while after sketching out rough guidelines for subject listings I found that there were significant gaps, even though I was certain material existed. It was the search for specific material which truly drove that element of the guide. Where were the strips and features about shoe-making throughout history? How could I find instances of seaside piers in stacks of comics, to compare and contrast depictions? Discovering these relatively mundane linking elements was a challenge which demanded answering.
Of course, things never really go as expected. For every date and name which was pried from the dusty pages of history there were a dozen gaps which frustrated me with their cunning elusiveness.
1. Don't get too excited - I only have 32,106 characters listed at present, a fraction of the overall total. When completed, each entry will have a potted biography, a couple of iconic images, a complete list of appearances, a list of collections, adaptations, works about, and anything else that seems important. There are, at present, no non-British characters, so US reprints will have to be properly assessed in future.
2. I don't think this has ever been attempted before, but it makes sense. All those Charlie Chaplin appearances have a place in the history of comics, and it is difficult to argue that they "don't count."
3. There's a rule I have been (loosely) following since (what feels like) forever - no list should be longer than 500 lines of text. Of course, if a title has 505 issues, then it isn't worth creating an additional page for overflow, but to keep page size down, longer lists are broken down into several consecutive pages. This has had the knock-on effect of pushing the page-count up, but it is better to be comprehensive than it is to be concise.
4. No, I don't know how this fits in to the database-proper. I'm going to work it out later. One really interesting aspect of old magazines (especially from the forties and fifties) is the complexity and depth of articles. Much more interesting than any title currently in print, outdated as much of the information actually is. Many film magazines may be lightweight, but the science and technology magazines are fascinating.
5. While work done (by a great many wonderful groups) to keep books available is, indeed, admirable, popular culture has moved on a hundred and fifty years since some of their topical references were penned.
6. I don't want to jinx myself here, and also - because it was easier to do so - there are some things which are 'bundled' in one file. Before the material gets uploaded, and quickly checked one last time, I'm going to split the page contents into the dozens or hundreds of separate files. It is that kind of organisational headache.
7. Yes, cutaways get a page listing all of the images in one place. There are a significant number of non-Eagle cutaways which also require indexing, but one thing at a time...
In comics, noting first appearances are important. I doubt anyone will argue that point, but finding a compelling reason for the existence of a list outside of identifying those crucial first appearances was immensely difficult. It was an index in search of a body of work to accompany, and only by adding more pages would it finally have a purpose beyond itself, which is how the endless character pages1 began accumulating. And they needed more purpose, which is why all the strips, posters, cover appearances, and other sub-pages needed to be added.
Having seen how characters benefit from having all their varied appearances brought together, it seemed reasonable to do the same for living people. All those Eagle pin-ups, Look-In features, and various biographical strips add up. Of course, you need order in the mass of data which this throws up - all VC recipients need to be on one list, actors on another, the royal family all brought together on their own page...2
When it came to footballers I gave a shrug, figuring that someone would come up with a way to order them more creatively than putting them on their own page(s).3
For popular characters, as for celebrities, this meant that at least half a dozen pages were needed to cover all possibilities. That's before the information was added, necessitating yet more pages. At some point in all of that, probably when adding in creators to strip listings, I figured that there needed to be something similar for their work. If photos are going to get so much coverage, then it is only right that the creative forces driving a comic get due recognition.
That was most likely where the madness began.
The endless list of names needed something extra. When I ported over the principle of the character sheets, I found that the birth and death dates gave more reason for the lists of names - it would now be possible to quickly search for everyone born on a given date, or on a specific year. All of the creator sheets, along with military, celebrity, political, and royalty names, thus needed to have their birth dates added. And deaths, obviously, where appropriate.
Newspaper and magazine strips, long overdue proper assessment, have always been a pain to gather information on. When I was putting those pages together (driven by the need to add those to creator pages), it seemed to make sense to index the magazines as well while I had them available. All the features, interviews, reviews and other elements.4
By this time, with so many pages proving to be more than mere lists, the publisher list began looking a little threadbare. Those pages were a necessity, but one which sat uncomfortably among the more complex pages. It took more than a while for the answer to come to me, but when the answer came it made perfect sense: the companies can be considered to have a beginning, so I would need to have their "birth date" and company number. That's something which was really hard to do without the internet, so it is ongoing.
Much of the work was done while offline - from copious notes, photocopies, and what was recovered from the old external hard drive with the original website - retaining access to the internet is a whole other problem which is going to require thought, but I have a couple of months before it becomes a pressing one.
And I haven't even mentioned the addition of adding in biographies, publisher histories, or even novels.
Back in 2012 I downloaded a great deal of public domain books which touched on areas that the database was heading in. Some of the titles turned out to be very useful indeed, while others merely reinforced what was already available. It was apparent, in many of the texts, that nothing had been done to contextualise the information. Prominent Victorians, now barely known (if at all), are mentioned without providing any hint as to their importance, nor why they should be highly regarded. It was something that was crying out for attention.5
At the moment, sorting out the history around books about Punch are proving to be something of an obsession, but peeling back the layers of time in order to make the books come alive again required a completely new approach. There's a lot of work still required for those, yet the fun (for it is so) is digging out the lines which illuminate an individual. It was a possibility, for about a week, that they would make suitable companion pieces - items to be sold in order to fund the site itself.
Oh, optimism. You cruel and tormenting feeling.
As more explanations were added to the books, dates and references essential to making sense of cryptic comments, it became increasingly obvious that the books belonged on the site proper. Forty Years of Spy, alone, now has over 300,000 words. Untangling the incredible web of artists and authors contributed to the size, with numerous mentioned individuals requiring their own pages with links to their works. So that leaves me in a rather awkward predicament of not having anything which is obviously aimed at bringing in money.
At the moment the database is sitting at staggering number of pages of various length6, though at least half of that consists of "I'll get around to this, sooner or later" pages, with only the name of the individual, or the title of a work, at the top of the page. All requiring attention, and all of equal importance.
And then there is the "subject" sections. This particular aspect of the database is all Christopher Cockerell's fault.
There's a wonderful L. Ashwell Wood cutaway7 of a hovercraft in Eagle Vol.10 #36 which caught my attention, and raised a question - how would I go about finding every instance of a hovercraft in British comics? How about helicopters? Or racing? What about animals, and... Well, everything else. A proper listing of every instance of war stories was the kicker, as so many real-life conflicts have slipped between the pages of popular titles. It was important (to me, at any rate) to have a way of seeking further material on a given subject.
Actually, that isn't the complete story...
A while after sketching out rough guidelines for subject listings I found that there were significant gaps, even though I was certain material existed. It was the search for specific material which truly drove that element of the guide. Where were the strips and features about shoe-making throughout history? How could I find instances of seaside piers in stacks of comics, to compare and contrast depictions? Discovering these relatively mundane linking elements was a challenge which demanded answering.
Of course, things never really go as expected. For every date and name which was pried from the dusty pages of history there were a dozen gaps which frustrated me with their cunning elusiveness.
1. Don't get too excited - I only have 32,106 characters listed at present, a fraction of the overall total. When completed, each entry will have a potted biography, a couple of iconic images, a complete list of appearances, a list of collections, adaptations, works about, and anything else that seems important. There are, at present, no non-British characters, so US reprints will have to be properly assessed in future.
2. I don't think this has ever been attempted before, but it makes sense. All those Charlie Chaplin appearances have a place in the history of comics, and it is difficult to argue that they "don't count."
3. There's a rule I have been (loosely) following since (what feels like) forever - no list should be longer than 500 lines of text. Of course, if a title has 505 issues, then it isn't worth creating an additional page for overflow, but to keep page size down, longer lists are broken down into several consecutive pages. This has had the knock-on effect of pushing the page-count up, but it is better to be comprehensive than it is to be concise.
4. No, I don't know how this fits in to the database-proper. I'm going to work it out later. One really interesting aspect of old magazines (especially from the forties and fifties) is the complexity and depth of articles. Much more interesting than any title currently in print, outdated as much of the information actually is. Many film magazines may be lightweight, but the science and technology magazines are fascinating.
5. While work done (by a great many wonderful groups) to keep books available is, indeed, admirable, popular culture has moved on a hundred and fifty years since some of their topical references were penned.
6. I don't want to jinx myself here, and also - because it was easier to do so - there are some things which are 'bundled' in one file. Before the material gets uploaded, and quickly checked one last time, I'm going to split the page contents into the dozens or hundreds of separate files. It is that kind of organisational headache.
7. Yes, cutaways get a page listing all of the images in one place. There are a significant number of non-Eagle cutaways which also require indexing, but one thing at a time...
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