Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Comics/Comic strips work group/Archive 1

Goal
Comic strips are, of course, a very visual medium and therefore images are a critical part of a comic strip article. In this regard, I would like to start of list of image characteristics that can be used to: What did I miss?
 * Improve the quality of articles,
 * Standardize the look of our comic strip articles,
 * Set goals, and
 * Provide an objective set of criteria to resolve image-related disputes.

Characteristics of a good image
The characteristics of a good Wikipedia comic strip-related image are:
 * Each image should be representative of the subject of the article (whether strip, character, or author).
 * "Representative" means that the image should convey the flavour of the strip or character, showing the character(s) in their more typical endeavours.
 * Images associated with humour strips should attempt to show that humour.
 * Images associated with action strips or soap-opera strips should show a typical predicament or situation (e.g. "How's Dick Tracy going to get out of this one?" or "Is Luanne's engagement really off?").
 * For action strips or soap-opera strips, it is better to show the characters in a predicament, rather than resolving a predicament (since being in a predicament is the typical state for these strips).


 * In general, images associated with comic strip articles (as opposed to comic strip character or author articles) should show as many characters, and as many core characters, as possible.
 * This is particularly true for large-cast strips, e.g. articles on Gasoline Alley, Bloom County, or Liberty Meadows.
 * This is less critical for limited-cast strips e.g. articles on Prickly City or Baby Blues.


 * Images should be self-contained and intelligible to the casual or uninformed reader.


 * Images excerpted from the strip itself are preferred both to the bookcovers of strip compilations and to character portraits.


 * Images within articles should be of sufficient resolution and large enough to read without having to click-&-move to the image page itself.


 * Each comic strip image should be dated with the original publication date.

Not every image will have all of these characteristics. I would prefer calling this a "statement" rather than a policy. How's that for a start?? BayBoy 05:16, 8 April 2006 (UTC)

Responses

 * You've got to keep within the bounds of Wikipedia policy of using copyrighted images under fair use provision, see WP:FU for starters. Have a look at WikiProject Comics/copyright, we knocked some stuff up there that may be of help. Hiding  talk 18:03, 8 April 2006 (UTC)


 * Thanks for your response. I am definitely familiar with the policies regarding image copyright and fair use.  The statements above assume that the image is legal to use and within Wikipedia image policy.  They are meant to provide guidance beyond official can-you-or-can't-you-use-this-image.  I'll make that explicit in the next iteration.


 * It seems that the WikiProjects provide a lot of guidance on what an article should look like but really say next to nothing about the use of images (beyond the can-you-or-can't-you-use-this). As mentioned, since comic strips are a visual medium, I thought I'd start the ball rolling here.


 * Thanks again for responding. BayBoy 18:44, 8 April 2006 (UTC)

List of comic strips
This is just to advise anyone interested that the strips mentioned in the List of comic strips which do not yet already have pages are all eligible for them. If you have enough information to create a page on any of those which don't already have pages, by all means do so. Badbilltucker 17:51, 1 September 2006 (UTC)
 * Thanks for the word, Big Bad Bill. A lot of them look pretty obscure, but I think I can do one or two.  I'll look into it.   BayBoy 03:38, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

Detailed synopses of storylines
I've started going through Bloom County books, summarizing each storyline of three or more strips, and building an index. See Toons For Our Times and Penguin Dreams and Stranger Things for the idea. I think this could be very helpful for people looking for some particular storyline. Any comments or suggestions about the format? Anybody want to help out? Worrydream 09:06, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Project Directory
Hello. The WikiProject Council is currently in the process of developing a master directory of the existing WikiProjects to replace and update the existing WikiProject Council/Directory. These WikiProjects are of vital importance in helping wikipedia achieve its goal of becoming truly encyclopedic. Please review the following pages:
 * User:Badbilltucker/Culture Directory,
 * User:Badbilltucker/Culture Directory 2,
 * User:Badbilltucker/Philosophy and religion Directory,
 * User:Badbilltucker/Sports Directory,
 * User:Badbilltucker/Geographical Directory,
 * User:Badbilltucker/Geographical Directory/United States, (note: This page will be retitled to more accurately reflect its contents)
 * User:Badbilltucker/History and society directory, and
 * User:Badbilltucker/Science directory

and make any changes to the entries for your project that you see fit. There is also a directory of portals, at User:B2T2/Portal, listing all the existing portals. Feel free to add any of them to the portals or comments section of your entries in the directory. The three columns regarding assessment, peer review, and collaboration are included in the directory for both the use of the projects themselves and for that of others. Having such departments will allow a project to more quickly and easily identify its most important articles and its articles in greatest need of improvement. If you have not already done so, please consider whether your project would benefit from having departments which deal in these matters. It is my hope to have the existing directory replaced by the updated and corrected version of the directory above by November 1. Please feel free to make any changes you see fit to the entries for your project before then. If you should have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you. B2T2 22:19, 23 October 2006 (UTC)
 * Sorry if you tried to update it before, and the corrections were gone. I have now moved the new draft in the old directory pages, so the links should work better. My apologies for any confusion this may have caused you. B2T2 14:05, 24 October 2006 (UTC)

Taskforce
Would it be better to have this as a taskforce of WikiProject Comics, rather than a separate Project? Have a look at WP:MILHIST for how they have their taskforces set up to see what I mean. Hiding Talk 15:30, 20 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Considering that there has been comparatively little activity recently, and the fact that the comics project pretty much has all the required information (resources, templates, etc.), I would certainly agree to it. Badbilltucker 18:01, 20 December 2006 (UTC)

Wikipedia Day Awards
Hello, all. It was initially my hope to try to have this done as part of Esperanza's proposal for an appreciation week to end on Wikipedia Day, January 15. However, several people have once again proposed the entirety of Esperanza for deletion, so that might not work. It was the intention of the Appreciation Week proposal to set aside a given time when the various individuals who have made significant, valuable contributions to the encyclopedia would be recognized and honored. I believe that, with some effort, this could still be done. My proposal is to, with luck, try to organize the various WikiProjects and other entities of wikipedia to take part in a larger celebrartion of its contributors to take place in January, probably beginning January 15, 2007. I have created yet another new subpage for myself (a weakness of mine, I'm afraid) at User talk:Badbilltucker/Appreciation Week where I would greatly appreciate any indications from the members of this project as to whether and how they might be willing and/or able to assist in recognizing the contributions of our editors. Thank you for your attention. Badbilltucker 16:36, 29 December 2006 (UTC)

Wikipedia as a subject in comic strips.
I have created a page at Wikipedia in cartoons for references of Wikipedia as a subject in printed comic strips (as wall as editorial cartoons and gag cartoons). Feel free to add to it. -- Alan Liefting talk 21:52, 21 August 2007 (UTC)

Proposed merger with WikiProject Comics
For the purposes of centralized discussion, please see Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Comics. Thank you. John Carter 15:40, 16 October 2007 (UTC)