Grand Comic-Book Database Initiates Online Indexing

The Grand Comic-Book Database (GCD), the most comprehensive Internet source for detailed information about the content of comic books old and new (www.comics.org) announced today that it has gone online with its web-based indexing.

Official Press Release

From: The Grand Comic-Book Database

Re: GCD online indexing starts

Priority: [Urgent

Contact: Ray Bottorff Jr, CArchivist@aol.com, or (313) 982-1831

GRAND COMIC-BOOK DATABASE INITIATES ONLINE INDEXING

NOVEMBER 13, 2002 -- The Grand Comic-Book Database (GCD), the most comprehensive Internet source for detailed information about the content of comic books old and new (www.comics.org) announced today that it has gone online with its web-based indexing.

Long having been a goal of the organization, efforts to create a web-based interface to index comic books for the database was finally completed by Jon Lovstad, the GCD's webmaster.

"After months of testing by a selected group, we've opened up the online indexing system to all our current indexers," said Lovstad. "It has been in the works for a long time and it's great to finally be there. However, we're not resting -- we're working on upgrading the system for greater speed and more features. The transition to a new system is in the works and we'll see the fruits of that in early November."

"This is a very exciting time for us," said Lionel English, Chairman of the GCD's Board of Directors. "Online indexing opens up the project to a whole new set of indexers. With these new options, it's now easier to index one or two books at a time, rather than making the commitment to a large batch of issues. Also, having an actual interface is much friendlier for many indexers, which has led to a lot of activity from people who were intimidated by trying to put together plain text indexes."

Previously, indexers would e-mail their work or physically mail a floppy disk to the GCD data coordinators. Using the GCD's guidelines for submission, an indexer could use computer programs like FileMaker Pro, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, or even something as simple as Notepad to create an index. Indexers who are still comfortable using such programs can continue to do so. However, with direct online indexing, comic book fans can now index their favorite comic book using the convenience of a web-based interface.

"Now that we have on-line indexing, we are able to automate quite a few tasks and add additional functionality," reported GCD Board Member Will Allred. "These additions, coupled with the easy-to-use web interface, should allow comics fans from all over the world to continue to make the Grand Comic-Book Database project a truly global repository of information."

Among the improvements are: expansion beyond the 255 character limit previous index formats required, a matrix to more easily add cover scans, and the inclusion of job codes to better assist researchers to identify individual comic book story creation dates. A tutorial (http://www.comics.org/docs/tutorial/index.html) on the new online indexing format is available.

Over 40,000 comic book covers have been uploaded to the database via the new interface in less than a year. That total is more than the number of comic book covers compiled by Ernest & Mary Gerber in their 1989 opus, "The Photo-Journal Guide to Comic Books".

"The automated scan upload system has been a runaway success," Lovstad continued. "Our contributors are adding new covers to the site at a rate of 100 or more each day. Not only are new covers being uploaded, we're constantly upgrading earlier scans and thumbnail-only covers as well. We hope to pass 50,000 covers before our first anniversary for this section!"

The GCD, an all-volunteer organization, was founded in 1994. The GCD's free online database of comic book information and credits is one of the largest and most diverse in the world. It currently has data from 1,849 publishers and imprints, nearly 10,000 comic book series, 41,350+ comic book cover scans (35,600+ in hi-resolution), 71,900+ indexed issues out of 116,963 registered, and 358,300+ features, detailing more than one million creator credits.

In addition, the GCD hosts several free e-mail-based international discussion forums and chat lists where comic book fans, historians, indexers, and scholars can ask questions and share their knowledge of comic book history. The GCD also hosts some dedicated fan-sites on comic book topics.

The GCD project currently includes list participants and members from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Participation in the GCD is free and is open to anyone interested in comic books and their history.

For full information on the GCD, including how to join or how to contribute your indexing talents and comics knowledge, visit "http://www.comics.org/".

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For further press information contact:

Ray Bottorff Jr, CArchivist@aol.com or (313) 982-1831.