The ComicBase Livestream thread!

[Fred Slota]

I'm not sure if this was covered in an earlier video, I haven't watched the whole back catalog, but I think a good topic I would like to see a couple of examples of what a reviewer of submissions sees when reviewing submissions and how they process them.  A couple of examples would be helpful - a wholly new issue, an edited Title description, an edited Notes, a newly-supplied Cover Artist, etc.  What kinds of things are easily recognized, what kinds of things are best warned about ahead of time (and how to bring them up, and to whom).

[Steven L. Dasinger]

If this can actually be shown, it sounds like a good idea. The topic was mentioned at least once but not in great detail.  In general:

If a change to an existing Publisher/Title/Issue # (which uniquely identifies an item) is sent and not part of the unique items), the process can compare the submission with the Master Database and display the differences (with changes high-lighted in some fashion, I believe).

If a change is a new submission, there would be nothing to compare.

This is important because if a change is made to anything that is needed to uniquely identify an entry (Publisher/Title/Issue #), it will look like a new submission since it can't be found in the Master Database. These types of changes would need to be brought to HC's attention through an email to Support, on Slack (if you can) or here in the forums.

[Fred Slota]

Screen captures of the process showing the highlighted comparisons of some submissions would do, it wouldn't have to be a live processing.

[Fred Slota]

Thought for a brief segment on the next ComicBase TV...

 

Dissection of a UPC code.  Current practices, past practices, compare and contrast how different publishers handle them...

[Mark J. Castaneda]

Don't expect to have a livestream this week (3/16/2022)

[Richard R. Scott]

I hope that Pete will mention the updated barcode sheet for the new scanners.

 

[Mark J. Castaneda]

No livestream this week (5/18/2022) - Pete's out of town

[Gregory Hecht]

Just a heads up for folks that haven't listened to Wednesday's Livestream (6/15) yet that there may or may not be a show next week (6/22) as @Peter R. Bickford is might not be available.  

 

[Mark J. Castaneda]

No livestream this week (6/22/2022). Pete expects next week to have one.

[Gregory Hecht]

Hi folks --

Pete needs some time to catch up on CB stuff, so he is pushing today's Livestream (7/6/2022) to next week.  

[Mark J. Castaneda]

No Livestream scheduled for this week (8/3/2022).

[Timothy S. Kilbreath]

There was a little discussion in the chat bar last week about storage for comic books.  I would like to see Pete address that topic, say what he uses, and maybe what some of the other ComicBase people use.

Thanks!

[Edison R. Brito]

4 hours ago, Timothy S. Kilbreath said:

There was a little discussion in the chat bar last week about storage for comic books.  I would like to see Pete address that topic, say what he uses, and maybe what some of the other ComicBase people use.

Thanks!

Agreed. Storage options would be a good topic. If I recall correctly, Pete mentioned filing cabinets for storing comics. If you use Facebook, there is a group I follow that deals specifically with comic collectors who use filing cabinets to store their collections. The Facebook page/group goes by the name of "Comic File Cabinets" https://www.facebook.com/groups/555329177952584/

[Mark J. Castaneda]

no livestream likely this week (9/7/2022).

[T Brock]

Question:  A few weeks back CGC announced on their website that they would start recognizing and identifying newsstand and multi-pack editions of comics on their labels.  Do you think this effectively ends the debate (for all practical purposes) on if these editions of comic books should be treated as different/variants related to the direct edition versions?  If so, how will CB change to address this new reality for the collecting community?

CGC Now Recognizes Newsstand Editions and Multi-Packs on CGC Label | CGC (cgccomics.com)

Thanks!

Thomas B.

[Gregory Hecht]

So in yesterday's Livestream, @Peter R. Bickford said that we should be posting our drink recipes.  I checked with Pete, and he said the recipes should go in this thread rather than start a new one.  

My Gingerbread Old Fashioned recipe:

    • 1 part Bittermilk #7 (Bittermilk website; Amazon link for Bittermilk #7)
    • 4 parts bourbon whiskey or rye whiskey (with higher proof whiskeys, I will often 2 parts whiskey and 2 parts ginger ale)
    •  stir and add ice
    •  optional:  garnish with an orange wedge and/or maraschino cherry

You can also make a "Shirley Temple" version for people and/or occasions where alcohol not preferred:

    •  add a generous drop of maraschino syrup to an old fashioned glass
    •  1 part Bittermilk #7
    •  4 parts ginger ale
    •  stir and add ice

   

Stay tuned for Pete's Sugar Cookie Martini recipe!  If he doesn't post it in a couple of days, I will start pestering him on Slack.  

I hope that everybody has a great set of holidays (no matter which ones you observe)!  

[Peter R. Bickford]

Sugar Cookie Martini

(adapted from Wholefully)

Tastes like a sugar cookie with a slight hint of almond/apricot from the Amaretto. Delicious, but loaded with calories, so save these for a special occasion!

 

Ingredients:

- Vanilla frosting and sprinkles for rimming the glass... OR...  Regular sugar (or green/red colored sugar if you're feeling festive). 

Pro tip: Double all the following to serve two drinks out of the same shaker (After all, who wants to drink alone?)

- 1.5 oz Vanilla vodka

- 1.5 oz Irish cream

- 2 oz. whole milk (1/4 cup)

- 3/4 oz Amaretto

- 1 tsp. powdered sugar (can be omitted to drop a few calories if you like)

- Ice

 

Steps

1. EITHER:

    - Rim the glass with frosting/red/green sprinkles. Yes, this seems insane, but the drink really needs this hit of sweetness. So if you choose to not do frosting, at least...

   - Wet the edge of the glass with water, then briefly dip it into a plate with sugar on it to rim the glass. Use red/green colored sugar if available for a more festive look. 

2. In a cocktail shaker loaded with ice, add the vanilla vodka, Irish cream, milk, amaretto, powdered sugar, and ice. Close the lid and shake vigorously for at least 15 seconds

3. Pour into the sugar or frosting-rimmed glass and enjoy!

 

 

[Larry Robertson]

I think ole Pete was a little buzzed by about the half way point of this live stream!

[Fred Slota]

Repoke suggestion for a Livestream conversation (assuming it didn't already happen, I missed few).

 

Would like to see what new and modified information submissions look like from their side of the screen.  

[Edison R. Brito]

Suggestiuon: A "ComicBase TV: Video Guides and Tips" YouTube video (or future livestream episode), shwoing each step involved in merging separate databases together. Especially how to go back to the original databases in case we do not like the outcome of the merger and would prefer to go back to how it was in the beginning.

Thanks,

Edison (erb1211)

[Larry Robertson]

I don't know if Pete is aware but StreamYard has a nifty built in feature to draw a name from the chat at random based on them putting in a word....like PETERPARKER if the question was Spider-Man's identity. That way he would never again have to figure out who was first with the correct answer. He would say "you have 10 seconds (or whatever) to tyep the correct answer" (and tell the chat to use no spaces)..then when he hits DRAW it randomly selects a chatter with that answer. It even has a cool animation for the draw. And no I do not work for StreamYard I've just been in a LOT of YT LiveStreams running StreamYard

[Lance Fittro]

As I'm watching the latest livestream with information about how to add digital media and urls to ComicBase, and considering how Pete keeps threatening to compile show notes and topics for the LiveStream thread, it occurs to me that within ComicBase itself may be a good place to maintain both links to individual shows (already conveniently sequentially numbered) as well as notes regarding the content of each episode.

Please don't take this as me volunteering to go back through 120 episodes of content to catalog subjects covered and timestamps, but creating a title with 120 entries and dragging the YouTube links for each episode over to it wouldn't take too long to accomplish. My only question is whether it would be more appropriate for the ComicBase Livestream title to be filed under Comic Books or Magazines as a media type? (I'm thinking magazines, for the periodic distribution and absence of sequential comic panels...?)

[Fred Slota]

Topic re-re-request, too late for tonight's show...

 

I would like to see what the process of new data submission looks like from their point of view, with examples/screencaps/video...

• What info does or doesn't get sent?
• What does a CB editor see when looking at a wholly new entry?  What steps do they do when processing a new entry before committing it into the master database?
• What does a CB editor see when looking at an updated submission?  Do they only see the old/new field side-by-side, is the specific change highlighted?
• Updates are probably continually processed, but do they process submissions as single events, or do the look at things in batches?  I know I tend to submit similar updates in a batch... do they look at batch submissions to speed up common corrections?  I'd imagine for newly entered issues, they get multiple submissions with the same type of info, do they process some updates all for the same issue at once?

 

Would also be interested to see the steps taken at the weekly level when preparing the weekly update.

 

[Andrew d’Entremont]

I just wanted to follow-up on something that was covered during the last Livestream.

Fred mentioned that he'd like to see auto downloading of new covers when entering by barcode and Pete told us that as long as "Automatically download larger pictures when viewing items" was checked under preferences that it should work. Well, I made sure to update my preferences and I just finished entering a batch of new comics and I can tell you that it still does not seem to work.

I scanned in Batman #133 and despite interacting with the entry several different ways from the "Add by Barcode" window,  the cover image wouldn't display. I just got the (outdated) DC logo as the cover image thumbnail.

However, as soon as I closed the Add by Barcode window and all the items I had just scanned were displayed, the cover image for Batman 133 showed up.

 

[Steven L. Dasinger]

Pete is both correct and incorrect.  Here is what CB does:

Setup:
A) Ensure that in Preferences, you have 'Automatically download larger covers' checked.
B) Pick an issue with a cover (that CB also has).
C) Open the Picture folder and (temporarily) move the cover to some other location. (NOTE: Leave the folder open so you can see the contents)
D) Either copy the UPC or have the issue available to Scan.

Process:
Start 'Add By Barcode'.
Either Paste in Barcode or Scan in the issue.

Result:
The Issue is added to the list without a cover.
However, if you look in the Pictures folder, you will see that CB DID download the cover (just didn't refresh the Add By Barcode display).
NOTE: If you Paste/Scan the issue a second time, you will see the second entry DOES have a cover (but the first one still does not display it).

So Pete was correct, in that it DOES download the cover.
However, he was incorrect in that it is NOT displayed in Add By Barcode.

Cleanup:
Remove the entries in Add By Barcode so nothing you don't want won't get added you your database.
Ensure the cover CB downloaded is at least as good as the one you Moved out of the picture folder. If it is, you can delete it. If it is not, you can move that cover back into CB.

PS: If you had scanned the issue in one time (when it is not displayed in Add By Barcode), if you had 'Display Items After Saving' checked, when you click save, the result display WILL show the newly downloaded cover.