Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.info
Subject: CIF (comics informational file) format
Date: 28 Dec 93 04:15:37 GMT

File name: CIF (comics informational file) format:
Version:   3.00
Compiled by Jon L. vstad and Chris M. Cavers

****
New Stuff: Jon is working on a database system that will allow users
to use CIFs as the basis for a comic book database.



Here is the new more user friendly CIF proposal.

Jon and I have been toying with the idea of collecting all of the 
information posted to rec.arts.comics.misc and storing them in a 
hypertext database.  Below is the format that we came up with.
Comments on the individual fields follow the field. 

We also wanted to allow for any user to create CIF files and upload them.


Title: Adventures of Foobar 
Volume: 1  
Issue: 267
Publisher: Foo Comics
Cover Date: May 1994
Cover Price: $4.95
Pages: 32

(cover info only put in if it is known)
Cover Pencils: Jack Kirby
Cover Inker: John Severin
Cover Notes:  (optional) give info if this cover is a swipe of another cover or
	if the cover has some special 'enhancement'
	It could also contain things like who is on the cover.

Stories: 1  (number of stories)

Story 1: Return of the ObJokes  (Story title)
Story notes: The ObJoke Saga part 3
Pages:  22  (actual story pages)

Writer: Lob Riefeld
Plot: Bob Newhouse
Scripter: Fom Tefalco
Penciller: Fad McTorlane
Inker: Ghost Inker
Colors: MacPaint
Letterer: Letraset
Editor: Fam DeTolco

The credits for the story would be free format a long as they are of the form
'what the person did:the person's name'. E.g. Plot, Pencils and Script :Paul X

Appearances: Foo-bar Man, Fooboy, ObMen,Kibo (character that appear in the book
		This field is free format as a book like Secret Wars II has
		appearances by many characters.  I was thinking more along the 
		lines of the major characters that appear in the book.

Synopsis: Blablablablablabalbalbalb (some 10-20 lines depending on
		compexityof the story)  This would not be a review
		but a summary of what happens in the book

Significant events: Death of Fooboy, Foo-bar Man gets new costume
	(must standardize these things (death of , new costume, etc)

Links: Continues in Fooboy #12  (a free format reference field that
	lets you indicate if this book ties into some other book or
	is part of a crossover)  (this could also be used to tell 
	the reader if the book says (see issue %%% of title %%% for 
	more info)


Review: whatever type of review you want.

Contributed by: [F--om--n] at [fooland.foo.edu]