Below are a list of CCL approved terms to be used when making Change Requests or additions to the database. This list will be added to as needed, but not until the Approvers and CCL have had time to discuss the new additions. Suggestions are welcome.

COMICS-MAGAZINES-TRADES-HARD COVERS TERMINOLOGY

Terms used by publishers to describe their variants (such as Auxiliary) would be used as Auxiliary Cover, however words like Exclusive, Limited and Variant should be avoided except in the case of Price Variants. Publisher designations of A, B, C are not used because CCL establishes it's own lettering as books are entered in the database.

Standard Cover used to differentiate between the regular comic and the Variants. Should only be used on books with Variants

20 Cent Price Cover used for cover price variants

Whitman Cover used for Whitman logo variants

UK Price Cover used for items priced in Pence or other British prices

Orange Logo (2nd Printing) used for later printings whose only change is the color of the logo.

Alex Ross 1:10 Cover used for incentive variants

Frank Quitely "Right Side" Cover used for covers that form a larger picture when combined

Wraparound Cover used for covers that continue around to the back cover

Gatefold Cover used for covers that fold out to form a larger picture

Cardstock Cover used for covers that are printed on a thicker cardboard type paper

Die-cut Cover used for covers that have designed cut-outs

Sketch Cover used to describe covers drawn in rough pencils as opposed to finished inks

Photo Cover used for covers that have a photograph as all or part of the cover

Acetate Overlay used for covers with a secondary plastic cover designed to change or hide parts of the original cover

Hologram Cover used for covers with a hologram attached to the cover

Newsstand Edition/Price Variant used for newsstand books that are priced differently than the direct market copy

Dynamic Forces Edition (Signed by Alex Ross) 1/1000 used for limited variants published by recognized companies

Mini Comic used for comics sized at half a normal comic or smaller, usually about the size of a dollar bill

Oversized Treasury used for newspaper sized comics

Digest Sized used for smaller thicker comics

Embossed Cover used for a comic with a pattern or shape pressed into the cover

Foil Cover used for covers with a thin metallic foil stamped on them. A descriptive term (Chromium, Prism, Gold etc) may be added in front of the word Foil

Lenticular Cover used for covers that have a rigid plastic attached with an image that appears to move when held at different angles

3-D Cover used for covers that when viewed with special glasses appear to be in 3-D

Dust Jacket used for books with a removable outer cover

Virgin Cover used for covers with no Logo, writing or price on the cover

Flipbook used for books with an alternate cover on the back

Prestige Format a comic with a higher grade paper stock, square bound and using glue instead of staples.

Black and White Cover a cover with no color that is fully inked, unlike a sketch cover that has not been inked.

Black and White Edition a comic that is released in black and white in addition to a color version

Polybagged a sealed factory bagged comic. If the book comes with a promotional item in the bag it should be mentioned. For example: Polybagged with Trading Card

Unbagged a comic that originally came Polybagged but has since been removed from the bag

2007 Wizard World Texas Cover used to describe a variant given away at a comic convention

Special note on abbreviations: Abbreviations should only be used if there's not enough room to spell out the entire word. For example use Dynamic Forces before using DF. Use with before using w/. The same holds true for vs, &, or etc. If you need to abbreviate due to limited space you may do so, but it should only be done if there's no other option.


ACTION FIGURE TERMINOLOGY

Clark Kent (Mailaway) used for incentive figures available only through the mail

Wolverine and Doop (2-Pack) used for action figures packed more than one per pack

9 Piece Build-a-Figure used for figures that are built by assembling pieces from different packages


For Variants of the same figure:

Spider-Man (Black Costume)

Spider-Man (Red Costume)


For Non-Us Packaging

Sandman (Canada)

Sandman (UK)


For Action Figures of a character that has had multiple people wear the mantle:

Robin (Dick Grayson)

Robin (Tim Drake)


TRADING CARD TERMINOLOGY


[Color/Description] Foil - Any card with a foil. Typical colors include Gold, Silver, Bronze and Rainbow for when it is multiple colored. Etched, Mirrored, Refractor, or Chromium are examples of descriptions.

Hologram - Any card with a holographic image as a main item, not as a authenticity mark on the reverse of the card (i.e. Upper Deck cards, where the UD logo is a hologram)

Lenticular - Cards with a lenticular lens and when viewed at different angles, create a "motion" effect.

(Animation) Cel - Plastic cards that provide a see-thru portion (all or some) of the card. Some may be reproductions of Animation cels from animated cartoons or movies.

Die-Cut – Card has either holes cut in it or is cut in a shape other than a standard card.

Case Topper/Case Loader – Card is included with the purchase of a case of cards. Topper is preferred and Loader should be used if the item reflects that, either printed on item, or by checklist/advert produced by manufacturer.

Box Topper/Box Loader – Card is included with the purchase of a box of cards. Topper is preferred and Loader should be used if the item reflects that, either printed on item, or by checklist/advert produced by manufacturer.

Parallel - May have description of color or type in front of the term Parallel. Cards are exact images of the standard set/subset, but have an addition to them. They may have a foil stamp on them, be numbered, or be a different color foil. Examples are: First Day of Issue Parallel, Blue Foil Parallel, Refractor Chromium Foil Parallel.

Also, when you get the chance, I requested a ruling on something really close to this in the "Need Rulings or Clarifications? Ask Here" thread, if you could look at my post, bring what you think is right over here, and start the conversation on it.

Highlights of the Discussion, So Far...

How about this one?
Black and White Cover
Not to be confused with a Sketch cover. Sketch covers are uninked (or occasionally partially inked). Black and White covers are fully inked with no color.

I'll add it, thanks. Quick off topic question: The X-Men noir covers are B & W but with one small bit of color (Rogues eye, Gambit's diamond etc). Are they considered Black & White covers?

Pretty much, yeah they are considered Black and White Covers. There's been a few books like this over the years but overall they're Black and White Covers the same was the 2nd Printings of some recent Batman Issues are Called Red Covers when they're not totally Red. Matt Wagner did go so far as to label his series Grendel: Black, White and Red where it was Black and White except for the roses and blood and such but for all intents and purposes we should call them Black and White Cover as that's what the publishers, distributors and shops call them.

That's what I thought. Thanks.

How about calling those that are just black and white inked ones Black and White Cover. The ones with other colors (just a touch here and there)added in like the red blood and red rose,why not call those Inked Cover. I mean thats what their commonly called anyway by artist.

I have also seen the Black and White cover with a single color referred to as SPOT COLOR cover. A little discussion of this can be found at:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2101514_embellish-a-minicomic.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art

Tim Sale/Frank Miller frequently use this technique not only on covers, but interiors as well.

Don't know that you need to add this as terminology or not though, maybe considered unnecessary detail. That having been said, though, sometimes the cover variations may both be black and white with only one of them having color. I believe the recent Spider-Man Noir covers are an example, with only one of them having some color(?). Fortunately, they also have different artists, so can be differentiated in the database. For those 'hunters' who like more description for visual identification, a 'spot color' reference may be valuable.

How's that for swinging back and forth!

We don't need to get that detailed. Black and White Cover is fine and contains a literal description of what's being Described anyways. I mean we could go on forever coming up with names for things and the Terminology List is long enough as it is. We've got the most common Terms listed on it so we'll be fine.

Yeah - the only reason I proposed it was because I had just corrected a cover that was noted as "Sketch Cover" when it was really just uncolored. "Sketch" was being overused for anything without color.

Yes, I noticed that the Hulk #9 1:3000 variant is listed as a sketch cover when in fact it's a Black & White.

Just know that sometimes the companies say Sketch Cover (and even print it on and in the book) when the Cover is technically a Black and White Cover. Again, those messes that are called Dynamite Entertainment and IDW Publishing need to learn a thing or three about comics.

So what they don't know how to make comics??

Oh no, they know how to make comics, even good ones, but they don't know established terminology, or proper dating, or the proper way to word an indicia. Of course it's their product and they can do whatever they want but if they followed the industry standards they would get better placement in comic advertising and promotional companies. There are companies that have their databases set a certain way to accept certain information. If the information isn't there you don't get promoted or get pushed to the bottom of the search.

Thought of two others: Director's Cut and Special Edition (there are many comics with variants simply called "Special Edition")

I wouldn't worry so much about those two as they're kind of obvious since they're usually printed on the Cover.

You think the fact that they're obvious has made a difference in the past...

Yeah, you're right!

Why are there all of a sudden "Color Cover" descriptions popping up instead of "Standard Cover"? See Locke & Key: Head Games