Qualifying and Non Qualifying Publications

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Qualifying Publications for Inclusion in the GCD

The GCD defines three categories of items:

  1. Comics Publications (allowed)
  2. Non-Comics Publications that have some comics content (less than 50% but more than 0%) (allowed)
  3. Non-Comics Publications that have no comics content (generally not allowed).

Comics Publications

The GCD definition for a comics publication is "A publication whose content is at least 50% comics or cartoons, not counting advertisements and the covers, or which is an issue of a run of a periodical whose surrounding issues mostly meet this criteria." There is not a formal definition of "comics or cartoons" at this writing, but the consensus generally is sequential comic art (where the pictures are essential to the story).

Comic illustration books consisting of illustrations of characters from existing comic series, published by the publisher of the source series of these characters in the same format as these series, are to be indexed as comic publications.

Comic-Related Handbooks by the publisher of the source material, consisting of (fictional) biographic text about significant characters with illustrations are to be indexed as comic publications. They may also contain significant items and locations with corresponding (fictional) descriptions. Some handbooks do include sequential comic art. The content in their nature can be considered a primary source and are published by the publisher of the source comics in the same format as the source series.

Comic-Related Handbooks by other publishers DO NOT qualify for inclusion, see that topic below.

Publications that reprint the covers of comic books but do not contain other comic content are allowed to be added to the GCD, as comic publications, under the following conditions:

  1. The covers are reprinted covers from a Comics Publication (i.e. meets the definition above: it is at least 50% comics).
  2. The covers have to cover at least 1/4 of the page they are being printed on.
  3. The publication itself being indexed must be at least 50% reprints of Comics Publications covers and/or other comic material as defined by the GCD.

The following are examples:

  • Superman: Cover to Cover (http://www.comics.org/series/25605/) - qualifies as it reprints covers of books that are comics publications, has images of at least 1/4 page, and is at least 50% covers.
  • Overstreet Price Guide - does not qualify. It meets criteria number 1 (contains comic covers), but not numbers 2 and 3.
  • Christmas with Norman Rockwell - does not qualify. It fails to meet criteria number 1 because it's not a comics publication. It also fails criteria 3 because although the Saturday Evening Post contains some comics, it is less than 50% comics.

Non-Comics Publications with some comics content

Non-Comics Publications that have some comics content (less than 50% but more than 0%) may be added, as long as they are marked with the is_comics flag turned off at the series level. One example of this is Batman & Me, which is a non-comics publication ( indexed). (See NonComic Batman And Me for more details). Items in this category only have the comic stories indexed, and covers are not allowed for most of them. Some books that are considered non-comic publications allow cover scans for any issue that has been indexed with at least 10 percent comics. Also, if the cover has comic material, it may be indexed as a sequence type comic story.

Non-Comics Publications that have no comics content

The Category of Non-Comics Publications that is about comics can be added to the database. This Category refers to publications that have any article about comics stories, strips, and panels, their creators, their publishers, or profiles or histories of comics features, characters, or publications. When adding these series, the Has about comics: flag is turned on.
See About Comics for more information.

Publications that Don't Qualify for Inclusion in the GCD

Frequently, we get questions about why certain types of publications or even specific publications are not included.

Below is a list of some of those publications that keep coming up, and the reasoning why they do not qualify for inclusion.

Categories of Non-Comics Publications

Big Little Books

  • Reasons: Not comics or cartoons; not sequential comic art (instead prose text with illustrations)
  • More information on this item: Big Little Book index
  • Note: Some contain full sequential comic art and do qualify

Coloring Books & Activity Books

  • Reasons: Most are not sequential comic art (instead a panel with a caption underneath)
  • Note: Some do qualify if they are sequential, especially if they contain word balloons

Comic-Related Handbooks published by other than publisher of source material

  • Reasons: Not sequential comic art; typically (fictional) biographic text with illustrations. Not comics or cartoons.And not published by publisher of source material.
  • Some handbooks do include sequential comic art (such as DC's Secret Files and Origins), and would qualify.
  • NOTE: Some of these were added years ago, and still have entries. They have at least for now been grandfathered in, but the information for each should probably be migrated to a page in this wiki pointed to in the Specific Titles section below.

Comic-Related Indexes

  • Reasons: Not sequential comic art; typically the cover, characters, and synopsis of published issues of comics. Not comics or cartoons.
  • NOTE: Some of these were added years ago, and still have entries. They have at least for now been grandfathered in, but the information for each should probably be migrated to a page in this wiki pointed to in the Specific Titles section below.

Comic-Related Posters or Postcards

  • Reasons: Not sequential comic art (instead a single image), even if it reprints a cover. Not comics or cartoons.

Magazines formatted to resemble standard American comic books

  • Reasons: No comics content

Digitally-released Comics

  • Reasons: Even if these are released by comics publishers, they are not in any sort of physical book
  • Example: Superman Beyond
  • Note: book collections or printed issues of digital comics do qualify.

Web Comics

  • Reasons: Not in any sort of physical book
  • More information: Wikipedia article
  • Note: book collections of web comics do qualify.

Specific Titles

Circus of Fun Comics #1

  • Reasons: Not sequential comic art, but rather activity pages
  • More information on this item: Circus of Fun Comics

Dick Tracy Presents the Family Fun Book (Wm C. Popper & Co, 1940 Series)

  • Reasons: Not sequential comic art, but rather activity pages
  • Note: The same title exists by Fawcett, also from 1940. That issue does have comics and is at https://www.comics.org/issue/2190622/ .

Diamond Previews

  • Reasons: Not comics or cartoons; not sequential comic art (instead a catalog)
  • More information on this item: Diamond Previews

Flash Gordon (Harvey, 1950 series) #5

  • Reasons: Not yet confirmed to be published, though prepared
  • More information on this item: Flash Gordon #5

Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #2-4

Superman Scrap Book

  • Reasons: Not sequential comic art (contains blank pages to be used as a scrapbook)
  • More information on this item: Superman Scrap Book

Teen Beat (DC 1967 series) #1

  • Reasons: No comics content, this is a magazine formatted to resemble a standard American comic book
  • NOTE: This series' numbering continues in Teen Beam (DC 1968 series), which is a non-comic publication with less than 50% comics, and IS included in the GCD database.

Treasure Box of Famous Comics


(end of definition)


Policy Votes Affecting This Topic

https://www.comics.org/voting/ballot/386/ - 2020-02-11

https://www.comics.org/voting/ballot/319/ - 2017-12-22

https://www.comics.org/voting/ballot/298/ - 2016-10-15

https://www.comics.org/voting/ballot/206/ - 2014-04-04

https://www.comics.org/voting/ballot/190/ - 2013-09-19

https://www.comics.org/voting/ballot/189/ - 2013-09-05

https://www.comics.org/voting/ballot/151/ - 2012-11-02

https://www.comics.org/voting/ballot/92/ - 2011-08-31

https://www.comics.org/voting/ballot/33/ - 2011-03-27

https://www.comics.org/voting/ballot/23/ - 2011-01-14

Senior Editor Votes - 2008-10-27



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