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 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 is available to all over the internet at the [http:\\www.comics.org GCD home page].
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.
This is not a commercial endeavor, and will not become one. Indexing the sum total of all comic books is a huge project. Without heroic effort, it can't be done by one person or even a small number of people. Our operating principles are designed to allow a large number of people to collaborate in a simple and easy way to achieve our ultimate goal. Many hands make light work, and many hands will be required for this.
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. See The GCD Charter for exact information about the makeup of the board.
You can e-mail the GCD Contact Email to get in touch with board members.
If you are on any of the GCD discussion lists Email Lists FAQ, 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 the three ways to qualify as a member of the GCD. To find out whether you have qualified for membership, contact the [GCD Contact Email].
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 browse the website or request the 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 is currently one direct benefit for GCD members - eligibility to vote in Board elections. 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: [email protected] <---- still correct? Should this be a whole FAQ on its own with who to contact for various reasons???
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: [email protected]
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. The data can be used as long as the GCD (and the original indexer if known) is credited as the source.
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? How do I start an international 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/
To start an international chapter for another country, contact the GCD Board
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.
The following info was brought over from the page that was labelled Charter, but it wasn't the Charter
Coordinators:
Membership Coordinator
- currently Ken Lemons Public contact point Recruits more contributors Answers questions
Data Coordinator
- currently Ken Lemons and L. Jámal Walton Collects data Keeps and maintains central datafiles and controls revisions Puts together different pieces from different sources Monitors inputs and outputs Decides on format for results Random checks on accuracy Final say on data or format standards
Reserve Coordinator
- currently Matthias Hofmann Accepts reservations Distributes reservation lists
The Board:
Mike Nielsen - Board Chairman Lou Mazzella - Secretary Ray Bottorff Jr Matthias Hofmann Jim Ludwig Mike Catron Per Sandell Tony Rose - Treasurer Will Allred
Guidelines for our operation:
Anyone who contributes complete, usable data for 100 issues or more is eligible to be considered an official member of the Grand Comic-Book Database. This membership will entitle you to voting rights in all future GCD elections and possible future benefits.
Contributors cannot copy existing, published indexes without the permission of the copyright holder. Copyright laws and good manners prohibit such. If you have obtained permission, you must notate in the index the source of the material. Comic book covers from other sources (web sites or compilation CD's) are not allowed to be used unless you have obtained their permisssion. All efforts should be made to scan your own covers.
People should be reasonable in their reservation requests. We don't want a rushed or careless project, nor do we want to tie up a commitment to someone who will not deliver in a reasonable period of time. Our general rule of thumb is to look for a 25 issue commitment over a two-month time period. This is particularly true of new members who are indexing in our format for the first time. All reservations will be held for only 6 months. If you are unable to complete your reservation, and you need more time, you will need to reservate again the issues again.
Hope you find our project interesting and exciting. We do, and we hope you will join us in creating the Grand Comic-Book Database! Just contact Ken Lemons if you would like to join or if you have any questions. He can be reached by e-mail at: [email protected].
From April 20, 2007 Email...
That we officially adopt the last 14 days of the month of October (12:00:00am GMT, October 18th to 11:59:59pm GMT October 31st) as the official period that people may announce their candidacy for the Board.
For 14 days from 12:00:00am GMT, November 1 to 11:59:59pm GMT, November 14 candidates will be able to campaign if they choose to.
Voting for Board postions will be held over 7 days from 12:00:00am GMT, November 15 to 11:59:59pm GMT, November 21.
Ray is the Senior Editor. This should be noted somewhere... as should the Senior Editors group.
The Board exists to help set and revise GCD policy, to make sure that all of the administrative roles are adequately staffed, and to identify problem areas and set up action committees to resolve them. Another way of looking at this is, they don't handle the day-to-day operations of the GCD, but they make sure that there are resources in place to handle them, and make sure that the project addresses areas of change when needed.