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Randall J. Paske

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Posts posted by Randall J. Paske

    Clean up for 06/05/2025 content update

    in Content and Corrections

    Posted

    Another new comic title was added for Fantastic Four 1234.

    The series already exists in the database as Fantastic Four: 1 2 3 4.

    The new title was apparently added because the collected version is being republished. There are already Bk entries under the existing title, and I am not sure how the new version will fit in--whether it's technically considered a new printing or a new edition, whether it's hardcover or paperback. But it doesn't make sense as a new title.

    Clean up for 05/29/2025 content update

    in Content and Corrections

    Posted

    Also in Books:

    * The Art of Carla Cohen was added as a new title when Art of Carla Cohen, The already exists.
    * The Avenger: Roaring Heart Of The Crucible was added as a new title when Avenger, The: Roaring Heart of the Crucible already exists.
    * The Avenger: The Sun King was added as a new title when Avenger, The: The Sun King already exists.

    The three new duplicates are alphabetized by "The," as well, rather than by "Art" or "Avenger."

    And, under Comic Books:

    * American Honda Presents Supergirl was added as a new title, when the issue listed is already in the database as Supergirl (2nd Series) #DOT 1.  It is not easy to find there, which is why I previously submitted American Honda Presents Supergirl as an item title for Supergirl (2nd Series) #DOT 1 and #DOT 2. My submission was apparently either rejected or overwritten. That another person has now added American Honda Presents Supergirl as an actual title proves my point, though--if these giveaway issues are to remain in the database as Supergirl (2nd Series) #DOT 1 and #DOT 2, as they have probably been designated for many years, then an item title of American Honda Presents Supergirl would help people find them and prevent further duplicate submissions.

    * Mercy Sparz: Sweet 16: Issue 0-1 was added as a new title. The construction of this title is very weird and doesn't look right, but I don't know anything about it. It's probably supposed to be Mercy Sparx, though, not Sparz. The database has quite a few other Mercy Sparx titles.

    * PS Artbooks Softee: Police Comics would probably be better listed as Police Comics (PS Artbooks). PS Artbooks reprints are listed several different ways in the database, though. It doesn't help that they are solicited using titles that aren't apparent from the actual books, and the books typically don't have new indicia to help settle debates. But I don't think of "PS Artbooks Softee" as part of the title, because many of their books are offered in multiple formats, "Softee" being only one of them. It's just their term for "softcover" or "paperback." Look at the title Cave Girl (PS Artbooks), for example: there's a "softee" (#1), a hardcover (#1/HC), and a slipcase edition (#1/DLX). Should they decide to publish hardcover or slipcase versions of the Police Comics series, it wouldn't make sense to put them under the PS Artbooks Softee title, even though they would essentially be the same books. Listing as Police Comics (PS Artbooks) sidesteps this problem.

     

    Second Print of non-existent Regular variants, probably should be /A-2

    in Content and Corrections

    Posted

    One problem is that many times (more often than not?), second and subsequent printings of an issue have new covers that don't correspond to any of the first-printing variants.

    The first example from your list, Angel (Boom!) #1-2, has no corresponding cover art among the #1 first-printing variants. By that token, it's not really a second printing of any specific variant. Changing it to #1/A-2 would eliminate one problem--that #1-2 has no "regular" #1 to correspond to--but it would introduce another problem by implying that it's a new printing of #1/A, which it isn't.

    There's precedent for different printings having different covers, of course--plenty of numbered "regular" issues (#1) have different covers for later printings (#1-2, etc.). So it should be OK to have #1/A and #1/A-2 with different covers, per your suggestion. The Item Description field could help with this, too. But I do think the insertion of the variant letter introduces some ambiguity because of how ComicBase item numbers are constructed.

    As I see it, ComicBase lists variants and printings in its item numbers backwards. The ComicBase hierarchy goes Issue Number /Variant─Printing, implying that specific variants might go through multiple printings. In reality, the typical hierarchy is Issue Number─Printing/Variant. If ComicBase item numbers went 1-2/A, 1-2/B, etc., instead of 1/A-2, 1/B-2, etc., then they would line up more nicely in the grid, and we'd no longer have the implication that specific variants go through multiple printings.

    That is, now we have this as the default order in the grids:

    #1
    #1-2
    #1-3
    #1/A
    #1/A-2
    #1/A-3
    #1/B
    #1/B-2

    But this would make more sense to me:

    #1
    #1/A
    #1/B
    #1-2
    #1-2/A
    #1-2/B
    #1-3
    #1-3/A

    It would be less of a jumble, the variants from each printing would be kept together, and it wouldn't imply that a specific variant is being reprinted.

    But I don't know if this is changeable, and of course I may only be making sense to myself. I do that sometimes.

     

    Clean-up for 5/01/2025 Content Update

    in Content and Corrections

    Posted

    New Yorker Book of Teacher Cartoons, The was added to the Books category, but it sounds like it would contain comics (even if they are mostly single-panel cartoons).

    Art of PONCHO Sampler, The was added to the Comic Books category, but it sounds like it contains illustrations and artwork rather than comics. Also, Poncho should not be in all caps.

    Art of Rudy Nebres, The was also added to the Comic Books category, but it sounds like an art book with illustrations rather than comics.

    Grimm Fairy Tales: 20th Anniversary Cover Gallery might not really have comics in it if it's just a cover gallery, but it was added to the Comic Books category.

    Harley Quinn: Wild a Heart: DD Compact Comics Edition should be Harley Quinn: Wild at Heart: DC Compact Comics Edition.
     

    • Like 1

    Clean up for 02/20/2025 content update

    in Content and Corrections

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Gregory Hecht said:

    Since the contents of the Clyde Fans book changes significantly starting in 2019 but then remains consistent, I am wondering if it would be better for the 2019, 2021, and 2025 publications to be listed under a title Clyde Fans (2nd series).  

    If you go this route, then...
    •  the 2019 book becomes Clyde Fans (2nd series) Bk 1/HC
    •  the 2021 book becomes Clyde Fans (2nd series) Bk 1
    •  the 2025 book becomes Clyde Fans (2nd series) Bk 1/HC-2

    This avoids using the A and B variations to designate hardcover vs. trade paperback editions.  IMO this is would way of cataloging these collections would be a little bit "cleaner" than lumping all of them into a single title.  

    (and, just to be clear, I'm good with the first three bullets in Randall's list)


    I wrestled with what to do there, within the limits of the available ComicBase variations and types. I didn't think of what you suggested, which sounds fine to me. I did think about having separate title entries for Clyde Fans, Clyde Fans Part 1, and Clyde Fans Book 1, but that seemed messier than what I ultimately submitted.

    Clean up for 02/20/2025 content update

    in Content and Corrections

    Posted

    6 hours ago, Mark J. Castaneda said:

    Yeah, we see what you mean that they aren't obviously intended to be listed together. Might be smart just to spin them into a separate title(s). Are you able to figure that out and submit new data for those Randall?

    OK, I just submitted updates for Clyde Fans. The publication history is even more tangled than I realized, so I had to make some changes and additions.

    • I changed Palookaville CS 1 (actually titled Clyde Fans, Part 1) to Clyde Fans 1.
    • Palookaville CS 2, it turns out, was never published (there is no book titled Clyde Fans, Part 2). 
    • I changed Palookaville Bk 2/HC (actually titled Clyde Fans, Book 1) to Clyde Fans Bk 1/HC. There was at least one further printing of this edition, and possibly more. I added Clyde Fans Bk 1/HC-2 for the second printing, but more may need to be added if found in the future. (History repeated itself, and there is no book titled Clyde Fans, Book 2.)
    • In 2019, the complete story (more than what was in Book 1, which was itself more than what was in Part 1) was printed in one hardcover volume simply titled Clyde Fans. I didn't find this in ComicBase. I added it as Clyde Fans Bk 1/A.
    • In 2021, the 2019 hardcover was given a paperback edition. I didn't find this in ComicBase. I added it as Clyde Fans Bk 1/B.
    • The solicited 2025 edition is, as far as I can tell, a new printing of the 2021 paperback. I changed it from Clyde Fans 1 to Clyde Fans Bk 1/B-2. It does not seem that the hardcover is getting a new printing.

    If these changes are accepted, then Palookaville CS 1 and Bk 2/HC need to be removed to prevent duplication. CS 2 needs to be removed no matter what, having never actually been published.

    • Like 1

    Clean up for 02/20/2025 content update

    in Content and Corrections

    Posted

    The 2/20 update also adds a new edition of Clyde Fans by Seth under that title. Previous editions of Clyde Fans are listed, correctly or incorrectly, under Palookaville as Bk 2/HC, CS 1, and CS 2, because the material was originally serialized in issues of that title.

    For consistency, either those earlier versions of Clyde Fans should be moved to the new title, or the new edition should go under Palookaville with the others. For now, I've submitted item titles for the books listed under Palookaville, because they aren't really labeled as Palookaville and it's not obvious that they would be listed there.

    • Like 1

    Clean up for 01/17/2025 content update

    in Content and Corrections

    Posted

    Some more clean-up for the 1/17/2025 content update:

    • The newly-added title Beetle Bailey: Strategic Withdrawl has a spelling error and should instead be listed as Beetle Bailey: Strategic Withdrawal.
    • The new title Big Nate Attack of the Cheez Funk Breath! needs a colon after "Nate" to make it Big Nate: Attack of the Cheez Funk Breath!.
    • The new title Foothold: Rigsby W.I. should not have periods in the postal abbreviation for Wisconsin. Also, this is apparently going to be the first of a series of Rigsby WI graphic novels, with Foothold only being the title of Volume 1 (see the cover image). So the series title should be Rigsby WI.
    • Going by the cover image, the new title Magnificent McCoys should be Magnificent McCoys, The.
    • The new title Monster High Bull's Eye needs a colon after "High" to make it Monster High: Bull's Eye.
    • The newly-added title Spitball A CCAD Comics Anthology needs a colon after "Spitball" to make it Spitball: A CCAD Comics Anthology.
    • The title Thun’Da, King of the Congo (Magazine Enterprises) was added, but this series already exists in the database under its parent title A-1 Comics, so this newly-added title is a duplication. See A-1 Comics #47, 56, 73, 78, 83, and 86. This is confusing, but I believe cases like this are why the Item Title field was added.
    • The new title What Would Blueys Mum Do is missing the apostrophe in Bluey's, and it is a picture storybook rather than a comic book, so it belongs in the Books category.

     

    • Like 1

    Clean up for 01/17/2025 content update

    in Content and Corrections

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Gregory Hecht said:

    Newly added Comic title New York Comic Con:  What is this?  Is this a convention program, a comic, or a promotional pamphlet of some sort?  

    I added that one. New York Comic Con is the unfortunately generic title in the indicia for an ashcan-sized comic from Virgin Comics that includes the first several pages of their then-new series Dock Walloper and Dan Dare. This info is in the Notes field of the entry I submitted.

    • Like 1

    Clean-up for 1/09/2025 content update

    in Content and Corrections

    Posted

    I usually wait to hop on to one of @Gregory Hecht's posts, but he hasn't done one for the 1/09/2025 content update yet, so I guess I'll start:

    • The book title The Marvel Art of David Finch was added. This should follow the usual format of Marvel Art of David Finch, The.
    • The comic book title All in Saga was added. When "in" is used as a preposition in a title, it should not be capitalized. But here, I believe "in" is being used as an adverb, and as such it should be capitalized in a title. So it should be All In Saga.
    • The title Avengers: Assemble TPB was added to the Comic Books category. Should this book be instead listed under one of the existing Avengers: Assemble series?
    • The title DC X Sonic the Hedgehog was added. I confess that I find the relatively recent convention of using "X" instead of "&" or "/" a bit annoying, but I wonder if it's meant to be "X" (uppercase) or "x" (lowercase) or "×" (multiplication symbol). I don't know if there's even a way to tell.
    • In the new title Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe III, the word "the" should not be capitalized.
    • The title Drumming Up an Appetite With Vinnie Paul was added to the Comic Books category, but it appears to be a cookbook, not a comic book.
    • In the new title Free For All, the word "for" should not be capitalized.
    • In the new title Heroes Of Echo Company, the word "of" should not be capitalized.
    • The new title Presents (Jim Henson’s…) should be Presents (Jim Henson…)--no possessive.
    • The title Romero’s Axa Classics was added. I only see this elsewhere as Axa Classics. But if Romero's is part of the title, then the ComicBase convention would be Axa Classics (Romero's…) .
    • The new title Smurfs, The: Who’s Is That Smurf? should be Smurfs, The: Who Is That Smurf? .
    • The magazine title Hero Special Edition Vol 3 was added. From what I can tell, this should instead be listed as Hero Illustrated (Volume 3). I'm basing this on the model of Hero Illustrated (Volume 2) and its existing entry.


     

    • Like 1

    Captain America: Sam Wilson (2nd Series)

    in Content and Corrections

    Posted

    14 hours ago, Adam Sternberg said:

    Side note:  The cover artist on 1/B is listed as "Mr. Garcin".  Is that correct, or should it be "M.R. Garcin"?

    "Mr. Garcin" is the pseudonym of Pascal Garcin. Opinions may differ on whether the database should have him as Pascal Garcin (my preference) or "Mr. Garcin," but "M.R. Garcin" would definitely be wrong.

    • Like 1

    Clean up for 12/20/2024 content update

    in Content and Corrections

    Posted

    12 hours ago, Steven L. Dasinger said:

    On eBay, there are two different versions (both with Publisher Red Hen Press).

    One published in 2016 with ISBN OF 9781597097413.
    Cover has Oldguy standing with his back to the view and one foot on a park bench.
    Cover has Vol. 1, $4.99 (it MAY be saddle-stitched (staple) but I can't find a copy that has a definitive picture).
    Does NOT have 'The Complete Collection' on the cover and is 28 pages.

    One published 2019 with ISBN OF 9781888996425.
    Cover has Oldguy walking toward the viewer.
    Description has it as a TPB with 88 pages.
    (This is the one on the Publisher website and the Google/Amazon previews)

    The publisher website has it as 'Oldguy: Superhero — The Complete Collection'.
    Google Books preview of 28 pages. it has Old Guy: Superhero, The Complete Collection'.
    Amazon Read Sample has just 'Oldguy: Superhero' on a single (title) page but 'Old Guy: Superhero, The Complete Collection' on what passes for an indica in a book.

    The cover seems to have a space between 'Old' and 'Guy' as does the pseudo indicia but the publisher, title page, the text in the Acknowledgement and all the chapter titles has 'Oldguy' with no space.
    Normally when a Title has one text over the other, there is an implied colon (or sometimes a comma). Since the Cover has the Text over Text and the inside uses a colon in all other places, there should probably be a colon in the title.
    The 'The Complete Collection' should probably be added (with either the long-hyphen or comma) as that is used by the Publisher and pseudo-indicia.

    This is all based on what I can find on-line from the Publisher and other sites. At a guess...

    Either two Titles:
    Title 1) 'Oldguy: Superhero' (possible 'floppy' comic format 'Staple') with 28 pages.
    Title 2) 'Oldguy: Superhero — The Complete Collection' (TPB) 88 pages.
    (with or without 'space' between 'Old' and 'Guy')
    (two Titles since the TPB (probably contains the 'comic' and additional information (an extra 60 pages).

    One Title with two Issues:
    'Oldguy: Superhero'
    Issue 'Staple' ( ? ) for the 28 page issue.
    Issue TPB for the 88 page issue

    PS The one in CB appears to be the earlier edition ('floppy comic' style with 28 pages, and Man with foot on bench on cover. And I would go with 'Staple' as Binding as it is accurate (if it is saddle-stitched) and less confusing.

    If anyone has physical copies to verify or correct any of the above, I would defer to them.

    As stated earlier, I have a physical copy of the earlier "comic."

    Its title in the indicia is just as I entered it in ComicBase: Oldguy. Superhero

    I could not find an image that exactly matched the cover of my copy. The one I submitted is very close, but it includes a colon where the real thing has none. I will provide a correct image in a couple of weeks after I scan the cover of my copy.

    Changing the binding type to "Staple" is fine. It makes me think of a single staple up in the corner, though, instead of the "floppy comic" format. Maybe a new binding type with a more accurate description is needed for items like this.

    I do not have the later 2019 publication.

    It would certainly help if the publisher were consistent.
     

    Clean up for 12/20/2024 content update

    in Content and Corrections

    Posted

    10 hours ago, Gregory Hecht said:

    This week's update added the Book title Oldguy. Superhero.  Based on the cover scan, it looks like this should really be titled Oldguy: Superhero .
    •  Also, the item under this title is designated as "Single Issue Magazine".  If this is a single issue magazine, why isn't it indexed under the Magazine media category? 

    I added that one. I found the cover image on the Internet, but on the actual publication there is no punctuation on the cover. The image may have been a preliminary cover; I submitted it as a placeholder until I can make a scan of my own copy, because I couldn't find an image that matched mine exactly. The title I entered is how it's shown in the indicia, weird as it is. I'd prefer the colon, but that's not what they ended up using.

    As to whether it is a book or magazine, it's one of those items that looks like a floppy comic but doesn't contain any comics. There's only one issue, so it's not a periodical. It also doesn't have articles of the kind that most magazines consist of. It has poems with accompanying text. To me, the contents and the one-time publication suggested it should be listed in the Books category. (Poetry magazines didn't cross my mind at the time.) Then I had to select a binding type, and "single issue magazine" seemed to be the closest available option to describe the binding. Why there is a "single-issue magazine" binding type in the Books category, I cannot say. But it is there, and it was the best descriptor I saw, so I used it.

    I'm not sure how to classify these odd cases sometimes. It's fine with me if the binding type is changed or if it's moved to the Magazines category, even though that doesn't seem right to me. But please trust me on the title. I'd take a picture of the indicia for proof, but I'm hundreds of miles away from my copy right now. And I'm a couple of weeks away from submitting a true cover scan.

    Clean up for 12/12/2024 content update

    in Content and Corrections

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Gregory Hecht said:

    There seem to be a number of titles in the database where the "Walt Disney's" portion of the title is not relegated to parentheses (click over to this page, then scroll down about halfway to see some examples).  So many of those titles have been in the database for so long that I assume there is reluctance to make the correction, but it appears that situation may have created an opening for new titles to "continue the tradition" since there are also a bunch that are relatively recent.    

    While we're on the topic, it appears that there are two comic book titles that are missing the apostrophe in "Walt Disney's..."  Those titles should probably be corrected.  

    Yes, I've noticed some of those "Walt Disney's" titles before. But there are more than I realized. I assumed, without looking too closely, that those titles were grandfathered in with those titles. I would personally have a hard time with Walt Disney's Comics and Stories rendered as Comics and Stories (Walt Disney's...).  I'm so used to the full title that it would seem very wrong if it followed the usual ComicBase standard, consistent or not. But I would think they'd want new titles to follow the standard.

    Clean up for 12/12/2024 content update

    in Content and Corrections

    Posted

    The new title Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse and the Amazing Lost Ocean doesn't adhere to the usual standard that would make it Mickey Mouse and the Amazing Lost Ocean (Walt Disney's...), either.

    There are also some titles that contain capitalized articles (Conan The Barbarian: The Original Comics Omnibus is one of them), but nobody seems to care about that.

    WHY do you keep erasing my item description info!!!

    in Tech Support

    Posted

    As another user, I don't know anything about your submissions, of course. But I would note that sometimes a content update will erase information I've submitted, only for it to show up in the next content update. This happens when I am submitting close to the cut-off for the new content update, or when there is a backlog of submitted info that the editors are trying to work through. You're probably already aware of this occasional lag, but I thought it might be worth a mention.

    I agree that the Notes field can be irksome when it gets cluttered with junk. Often there are multiple versions of the same comment with some minor change or correction applied; sometimes there is info that is flat-out wrong that is difficult to get removed. My idea of pertinent information to put in that field sometimes differs wildly from the ideas of other users. My understanding is that this field clutter is part of the reason the Item Description field was added, so info could be controlled by the editorial team and not get all gunked up. I'm not sure what the answer is for the Notes field (though perhaps the program could add others' notes after our own notes instead of before  them); I just do my best to ignore the clutter.

    Clean up for 10/23/2024 content update

    in Content and Corrections

    Posted

    33 minutes ago, Mark J. Castaneda said:

    the titling we have is based off the indicia where there's no slash mark

    Fair enough--I know you defer to the indicia these days. But there are around 35 other titles using "Hack/Slash" in their names, "Hack/Slash" is the official name of the property, and "Hack/Slash" is what's on the cover of this new series. So I would regard the lack of a forward slash in the indicia to be an oversight on the part of the publishers. Indicia are not always correct.

     

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