Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics/organization

This WikiProject, in organising articles regarding the comics artform, uses the term "comics" to refer to the artform, as per Understanding Comics.

Comics
Whilst the word "comics" can be used as a shorthand term to define "comic strips", "comic books" or even a "British comic", McCloud's definition of the term so as to define the artform or language used within such formats to create narratives, a definition which has now become established within comics scholarship and the readership, is the one with we which we shall base our article at comics on, and will be the root level of all articles upon "comics", breaking out areas of greater coverage as per Summary style.

The article at comics should discuss: the etymology of the term, the different definitions and usages; the history of comics; the two forms of comics, the publication formats comics takes; the formal conventions of comics; genres of comics; movements within comics; and the community surrounding comics.

The history of comics
This should be an overview referencing sub-articles based on focussed topics including:


 * Formative stages of comics
 * Early newspaper comics
 * The Golden Age
 * The Silver Age
 * The Modern Age

Two forms
The "comic strip" (also known as the strip cartoon), and the "panel cartoon", are the two forms within comics, the former being composed of sequential images, (sequential cartoons, hence strip cartoon), and the latter being a single image.

Comic strip
Formats which employ the "comic strip" are:
 * Comic book
 * Instructional comics
 * Newspaper comic strip
 * Daily strip
 * Sunday strip
 * Storyboard
 * Webcomic

Panel cartoon
Forms of the "panel cartoon" are:


 * Editorial cartoon
 * Gag cartoon

Publication formats
The comic book format includes the following sub-formats, all of which are forms of comic book but are either regional variations or terms preferred for marketing or artistic purposes. All of these terms are common usage, and have been broken out into sub-articles where appropriate following conventions at Summary style

Sub formats of the comic book

 * Comic album
 * Comic annual
 * Comic magazine
 * Graphic novel
 * Minicomic

Formal conventions of comics
It is hoped that this can be expanded to cover both the comics vocabulary of Eastern comics and the comics vocabulary of Western comics.
 * Comics vocabulary

Genres of comics
It is hoped that we can establish sub-articles on comics within each of these genres:


 * Action/adventure
 * Adaptations
 * Anthropomorphic/funny animal
 * Autobiographical comics
 * Crime
 * Dramatic adventure
 * Historical
 * Horror
 * Humor
 * Journalistic
 * Religious
 * Romance
 * Satiric
 * Science fiction
 * War
 * Western

Comics community

 * Comics awards
 * Eisner Awards
 * Harvey Awards
 * Ignatz Awards
 * Reuben Awards
 * Kirby Awards
 * Prix de la critique
 * Angoulême International Comics Festival Prizes (aka Alph'arts) and the Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême
 * Tezuka Awards
 * Eagle Awards
 * Comics conventions
 * Comics creators
 * Cartoonist
 * Colorist
 * Inker
 * Letterer
 * Penciller
 * Comics criticism
 * Comics movements
 * Underground comics
 * Alternative comics
 * Autobiographical comics
 * Webcomics
 * Panelology

Regional pages
Regional pages would look at the form within a specific country, for example:
 * Comics in the United States

branching into the following sub-articles:
 * American comic book
 * American newspaper strip
 * American webcomic

which would also branch into smaller sub-articles where applicable.

Reference works
The following is an incomplete list of reference works that are believed to be of use:
 * Mike Benton, The Comic Book in America Taylor Publishing 1989
 * Eddie Campbell, alec: how to be an artist Eddie Campbell Comics 2001
 * David Collier, The Aesthetics of Comics
 * Les Daniels Comix, A History of Comic Books in America Bonanza Books 1971
 * Will Eisner Comics and Sequential Art Poorhouse Press 1985
 * Will Eisner Graphic Storytelling Poorhouse Press 1995
 * Mark Estren A History of Underground Comics Straight Arrow Press 1987
 * Ron Goulart Over 50 Years of American Comic Books Publications International 1991
 * Ron Goulart The Funnies: 100 Years of American Comic Strips
 * R. C. Harvey The Art of the Comic Book: an Aesthetic History University of Mississippi 1995
 * R. C. Harvey The Art of the Funnies: an Aesthetic History University of Mississippi 1994
 * Maurice Horn ed. The World Encyclopedia of Comics Avon 1977
 * Gerard Jones & Will Jacobs The Comic Book Heroes Prima 1996
 * David Kunzle A History of the Comic Strip University of California 1973 and 1989
 * Harvey Kurtzman From Aargh to Zap! Prentice Hall 1991
 * Rick Marschall America’s Great Comic Strip Artists Cross River Press 1989
 * Scott McCloud Understanding Comics - the Invisible Art HarperCollins 1994
 * Scott McCloud Reinventing Comics HarperCollins 2000
 * Trina Robbins A Century of Women Cartoonists Kitchen Sink 1992
 * Roger Sabin Comics, Comix and Graphic Novels: a History of Comic Art Phaidon 1996
 * ed. Bill Blackbeard & M. Williams The Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics Smithsonian Institution 1988
 * ed. Bill Blackbeard & Dale Crain The Comic Strip Century two-volume slipcased collection Kitchen Sink 1995
 * ed. Gary Groth & R. Fiore The New Comics Berkley Books 1988
 * The Comics Journal magazine