Template:WikiNews
Now on Facebook
We are pleased to announce that the City of Comic Creators now has a presence on Facebook.
All comic creators past and present are welcome to join our CCC Group on Facebook and get the latest information, so even after the City of Heroes forums are closed, we will still be able to keep in touch with the various projects.
Click HERE to access the City of Comic Creators Facebook Group.
Meanwhile work progresses on our post-COH plans. This Wiki service will continue to provide information and archives, but we will have a new main site that will go beyond City of Heroes. Stay tuned for further details.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 03:19, 3 October 2012 (UTC) )
Recent News
BattlerockX 23:14, 18 September 2012 (UTC)
"We are heroes. This is what we do."
Just to update what is going on with the pending "sunset" of the City of Heroes MMO on November 30th.
The decision has been made by many of the comic creators that, no matter what happens with the MMO, we will be continuing with our comic projects in one way or another. Obviously this will mean some changes to our organization, since our current Wiki is specifically-themed for the City of Heroes.
Keep checking here for updates on this situation when they are available.
In the meantime, there is an effort underway to save the MMO itself from being sunset. The folks at the Paragon Wiki have set up a page to help get the word out. News of the closing has spread far and wide. An online petition asking NC Soft to change their mind has come up with over 18,000 signatures, and that news has reached mainstream news sources such as CNN.
If you wish to help get the word out, then visit the special Titan Network page on what you can do to make sure we do not go into digital oblivion willingly.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 23:14, 18 September 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 19:42, 12 September 2012 (UTC)
"We are heroes. This is what we do."
Just to update what is going on with the pending "sunset" of the City of Heroes MMO on November 30th.
The decision has been made by many of the comic creators that, no matter what happens with the MMO, we will be continuing with our comic projects in one way or another. Obviously this will mean some changes to our organization, since our current Wiki is specifically-themed for the City of Heroes.
Keep checking here for updates on this situation when they are available.
In the meantime, there is an effort underway to save the MMO itself from being sunset. The folks at the Paragon Wiki have set up a page to help get the word out. News of the closing has spread far and wide. An online petition asking NC Soft to change their mind has come up with over 17,000 signatures, and that news is starting to reach mainstream news sources such as CNN.
If you wish to help get the word out, then visit the special Titan Network page on what you can do to make sure we do not go into digital oblivion willingly.
Also... this week marks two sad anniversaries.
The most obvious one is the anniversary of the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks. But just as important within the City of Heroes is the one-year anniversary of the destruction of Galaxy City.
On September 13, 2011, Shivan meteors rained down on Paragon City, destroying a good portion of the Galaxy City zone. Thousands were killed or lost. Even more were injured or left homeless. The events of that day had a devastating effect on many heroes, including former members of the Guardians of the Dawn supergroup.
For more on the events surrounding that day, visit our special "Devastation of Galaxy City" entry.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 19:42, 12 September 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 23:36, 4 September 2012 (UTC)
The End?
For those that do not know, NC Soft, the parent company of Paragon Studios, has decided to terminate the City of Heroes MMO. The MMO is set to be shut down on November 30th.
The end of the MMO, though, does not necessarily mean the end of the City of Comic Creators. There are discussions about the future of the group and the website that will go beyond the MMO itself.
Keep checking in here for updates when they are available.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 23:36, 4 September 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 12:09, 28 August 2012 (UTC)
Updates
Issue 1:
We are still experiencing problems with the email confirmation process. We think we have narrowed down the problem to something in our configuration, so now we just have to work on fixing that.
To those new members that have been trying to get confirmation, you do not need to create new accounts to test to see if the problem has been fixed. Once you log in you can click on "My Preferences" and request a new confirmation. If the problem remains you will get another error message. Current members, please try to refrain from changing your email address until we can get this matter resolved.
Please keep checking here for updates on this situation.
Issue 2:
There have been some minor changes made to the "Missing in Action" comic entries. Because cohcomics is no longer active, squatter sites have taken over that domain, including some that could pose a threat to your computer, so all old links to the MIA issues had to be removed.
On a related note, the first three issues of the "UD Chronicles" have been recovered and restored as part of the Archive Project. They are now available for you to read and enjoy. Because there are other issues still Missing, the series has both the "Archive Project" and "Missing in Action" status attached to it.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 12:09, 28 August 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 20:55, 14 August 2012 (UTC)
Minor Glitch
Just wanted to let users know that we are currently experiencing some problems with our email confirmation system.
New users can still sign up for access, but they will not have the ability to create or edit entries until we have the confirmation process fixed. Current users that have already been confirmed will still be able to create and edit entries. However if they try to change their email address or try to re-confirm their status, they will get the same error message as the new users.
The confirmation system was set up to prevent spammers from hijacking our resources, so please be patient with us while we get this matter resolved. We will update you as to the status of this problem.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 20:55, 14 August 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 14:32, 7 August 2012 (UTC)
Greetings and Salutations!
First, we would like to extend greetings to our newest CCC member, Ra.
If the name sounds familiar, it should, because Ra was the author of "The Forever Men" series, and hopefully he will be able to expand more on the series, which has been saved as part of the Archive Project.
Recently he has been busy working on his current series, Dawn Enterprises, which is a 3D-graphic series that you can find at his website, and hopefully we will have more about the series here in in the Wiki.
Second, if you check the Featured Article, you'd know that the latest C.C.C. Compendium issue is now online. This issue features stories from Rona LIVE, The New Allied Fighters, and the first of a 2-part exclusive Tales from Paragon City.
And finally, we have the first three issues of the UD Chronicles that have been recovered and will soon be added to the Archive Project so they can be available for readers to enjoy.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 14:32, 7 August 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 13:31, 1 August 2012 (UTC)
"And who, disguised as (INSERT NAME HERE)..."
Here's a tip for comic creators...
One of the good questions to ask yourself when developing your characters is not just WHO they are, but who are they NORMALLY?
For instance, your hero (presuming it's male) doesn't fly around 24-7 beating on gangs, does he? What does your hero do when he's not "saving the day"?
Having more than one costume slot in-game (either through the Tailor challenges or bought through the Halloween Event) gives you the perfect opportunity to come up with your character's "civilian guise".
A few suggestions when developing that "Mild-Mannered" side:
- Think for a minute about what your character would normally do if they weren't saving the day or ruining it. Is he or she a student? Librarian? Insurance salesperson? Construction worker? Shoe Salesman? Once you have that idea, then you can come up with an appropriate outfit.
- Think plain clothes. Jackets, suit-coats, skirts (for women), slacks, sneakers, work boots, strappy heels (for women), cargo pants, tee shirts, and baggy shirts are all available for you to develop that "plain" look.
- You can come up with a "custom" tee shirt for your character by using chest emblems. If you are wearing a jacket, be sure to set the chest emblem to "under" so it will appear on the chest under the jacket and not as a lapel image.
- While it's okay to have wildly-different skin tones for your character's "heroic" or "villainous" guise, you may want to think something a little more "plain" for your "off-duty" look.
- Glasses are not required! Sure they may make you look intelligent, but don't feel you need to have glasses for your "civilian" guise, especially if your character normally wears a mask. But if you feel that your character needs to be a little "edgy", then look into sunglasses.
- Save your character's outfits!
- Come up with more than one civilian outfit. It's one thing to wear the same "hero" or "villain" outfit day-in-and-day-out, but how many people put on the same jeans and shirt every single day? It sort of gets ripe after a while. Plus, maybe you want to have a more "formal" attire for certain events, like for a wedding or even for a funeral.
- Finally, check your auras and power customizations for your "civilian" attire. If you don't want people to "know" your character is really a hero or villain, then you should keep auras off and powerset tinting as minimal as possible.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 13:31, 1 August 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 02:32, 18 July 2012 (UTC)
Keeping The Costumes Simple
Here's a tip for comic creators...
The City of Heroes MMO has probably one of the best character/costume creation options in the whole MMO genre. There are literally thousands of possibilities can be created even from the costume pieces only available for the free players. Think of all of the jackets and shirts and capes and belts and textures to choose from! And there are plenty of people willing to show off these incredibly complicated costumes with all of the ornate designs that they can put on them.
But sometimes with all of the complex details at your fingertips, it's entirely possible to make your character too complicated.
Think for a minute about some of the early comic books of the 1930's and 40's. Think how relatively simple their costumes were. A lot of the superhero costumes of the time were patterned after circus outfits or theater costumes. Granted, they had to be simple for the ink-and-paper artists of the day, but that simplicity also had the advantage of standing out for the readers.
Sometimes keeping the costume simple works. Let the readers get drawn into what the character can do and not just how they look in a flashy and ornate outfit.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 02:32, 18 July 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 11:19, 4 July 2012 (UTC)
Overpower!
Here's a tip for comic creators...
When using in-game activity for your comic material, it's always better to be in a zone where you're "overpowered" than in one where you are out of your league.
Thanks to changes made in the City of Heroes MMO in recent years, now you have access to many of the places that used to be restricted by your character's level. In other words, you can have a low-level hero travel to the Rikti War Zone or to Founders Falls or even to the revamped Dark Astoria.
But that doesn't necessarily mean that you can just set down anywhere and work on comic material.
For instance, you could find the perfect place for your character's scene in Croatoa when suddenly you're attacked by the Cabal. You're defeated before you even realize what happened to you. You go to the hospital, and you try to get back to that part of the city when you're attacked by yet another opponent and sent right back the hospital. It can get very frustrating trying over and over and over again just to get some material in a place where you're simply not powerful enough to be there.
On the other hand, if you're there with a high-powered character, not only will you be able to easily withstand any attacks made on you, but for the most part those non-player combatants will ignore you unless you do something to provoke them.
Unless you have to use material from places such as the tutorial, where everyone is at level one, it's always best to give your character some experience and have them level up a bit before using it for comic book material. You don't have to be "more powerful than a locomotive", but it certainly helps to be more powerful than that area's NPCs.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 11:19, 4 July 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 23:21, 26 June 2012 (UTC)
Soak In The Summer Event!
A recent announcement by the City of Heroes developers has the first-ever Summer Event kicking off two weeks earlier than expected.
For game-players, this means an earlier opportunity to enjoy brand-new content for a limited period of time. A great way to team-up, make new friends, get new badges, and enjoy something different from the usual array of contacts and missions.
But for comic creators, this is also a limited opportunity to get new characters and settings for your costumes. Much like the Winter Event, the Summer Event gives you access to areas that you cannot normally find either in-game or in Mission Architect. Looking for that special setting for your comic? This is the time and the place for it.
Take full advantage of this event and get as much material from it as you can. Replay the missions over and over again if possible. Get screen images from multiple angles. Be creative! Be curious! Have fun!
But whatever you do, don't delay, because once the event is done, you'll have to wait a whole year before you can do it again.
Remember, when it comes to getting material for your comics, it's always better to have too much material than to not have enough.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 23:21, 26 June 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 13:48, 20 June 2012 (UTC)
Anti-Heroes and Anti-Villains
Here's a helpful tip for comic creators...
Sometimes heroes and villains are not as noble or nefarious as they traditionally should be. Sometimes, when developing your characters, you need to break the traditional mold to make your characters stand out.
For instance, instead of your protagonist being a traditional good-guy or good-girl, he or she could be an anti-hero. Someone whose motives are far from pure. It could be a corrupt cop, an alcoholic detective, the proverbial "hooker with a heart of gold", or the scoundrel privateer. They're not going to get statues made in their honor or get the front-page headlines one would be proud of, but they would get the job done.
Here in the City of Comic Creators, the some examples of anti-heroes are seen in "Cerulean Bolt", "Death Head Hero", and "Master-Minding My Own Business".
Likewise, your antagonist doesn't have to be evil incarnate or "bad to the bone". Sometimes the best villains are anti-villains.
Much like an anti-hero, an anti-villain is someone who isn't purely "evil". Often there's a reason for them to do what they do, and they rationalize their actions as fulfilling some higher goal. It could be a warrior seeking a "worthy adversary", the overly-passionate patriot driven to extremes, a "professional assassin", or someone that is a villain because they are "declared" so.
The best, and probably most surreal, example of an anti-villain is the vending machine in "Battle Bovine". The character Simon Barrister in "Guardians of the Dawn Spotlight" is a good example of the "professional" anti-villain. In the City of Heroes MMO itself, the character of Ghost Widow ends up being more of an anti-villain when you explore her past.
And much like the Alignment System in the MMO, a character can go from "hero" to "anti-hero" to "anti-villain" to "villain" and back again.
While anti-heroes and anti-villains can make your characters seem more "human", one needs to be careful in making their heroes too much of a "scoundrel" or their villains to be too "sympathetic", as it can also result in turning off your potential readers. Remember that a morality tale between "good" and "evil" can be lost when your story no longer sees a line between the two.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 13:48, 20 June 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 04:36, 13 June 2012 (UTC)
Modest Updates
We've made a few modest changes to the Wiki website.
You may have noticed the addition to The Cape Radio to our sidebar. We hope you'll enjoy the Cape Radio's wide variety of music and in-game themed content.
We've also increased the maximum file size for uploaded programs. Higher-quality comics, such as the once that utilize 3D graphics, require more space than originally anticipated. Because of this, we've increased the maximum file size to 30MB. Hopefully this will encourage more comic creators to come aboard and archive their comics here for others to enjoy.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 04:36, 13 June 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 18:29, 5 June 2012 (UTC)
Upcoming Events
There's been a lot going on both in the City of Heroes MMO and here with the City of Comic Creators.
"Where Shadows Lie" - With the release of "Issue 23", there are plenty of new areas to travel and explore, including the new "Night Ward" zone. There are new trials, the conclusion to the whole "Praetorian" storyline, and "free" characters can now join supergroups. Plenty of new content for comic creators to use.
CCC JAM - Unfortunately some real-world issues got in the way of releasing the latest Compendium issue, but hopefully we will have the issue ready to go shortly. Stay tuned here for updates.
"The Summer Blockbuster Event" - With the new "Summer Event" coming up in July, this will give comic creators still more original content to work with. As with other seasonal events, the best suggestion is to take full advantage of this new content when possible, because once it's over with, you'll have to wait a year before it comes back around.
Archive Project - Work continues on the effort to recover, restore, and preserve fan-made comics for posterity. "The Omniscient Sentinel" will be added soon, along with a re-edited version of "Battle Bovine" #12 thanks to an all-new cover made for the issue.
Keep checking here for more news when it becomes available.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 18:29, 5 June 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 04:54, 23 May 2012 (UTC)
Greetings Cape Radio Listeners!
We want to wish a warm City of Heroes greeting to all listeners of The Cape Radio. They have recently started airing commercials for the City of Comic Creators, and in return you will be seeing ads for The Cape Radio in our publications.
For those who do not know, The Cape Radio considers itself the finest radio station based on activity in the Virtue Server. But in truth, it is probably the best radio station serving the whole City of Heroes MMO. And that's no exaggeration, because The Cape Radio operates 24/7/365, providing a wide range of music as well as in-game-themed material, from store ads to supergroup promotions, and even hosting live special events.
Comic fans should also remember that The Cape Radio was promoted in its early years by Mike Shaw, the author of "The Wisecracker" series.
We here in the City of Comic Creators are proud to be working with the folks at The Cape Radio for our mutual gain, and we welcome all Cape listeners to check out the dozens of different comics that have been created over the years as a way to further supplement their City of Heroes Freedom experience.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 04:54, 23 May 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 13:52, 16 May 2012 (UTC)
Judging A Comic By Its Cover
Here's a helpful tip for comic creators...
The old saying is that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.
Unfortunately, when it comes to comic books, people do precisely that. Many a great comic story has been ignored simply because the potential reader wasn't brought in by the cover. Likewise, people could be brought in by a shocking cover only to find a story that wouldn't even be worth the paper it was printed on.
Working on the cover should be just as important as the comic story itself. That's why mainstream publishers will often ask other artists to dedicate their time on designing the cover while the series team is busy working on the issue itself. Sometimes they'll even bring in a big-name artist like Alex Ross to design an elaborate cover for an otherwise mundane issue.
Traditionally, your cover would serve as the sum representation of the issue. If there's a scene that stands out above anything else in the issue, then that is what should be on the cover.
Sometimes, though, you have come up with an image that is not in the issue itself. An image that is done primarily to draw the reader in. It could be for shock value or it could be for curiosity. Either way, the key to doing a cover like that is it has to involve something with the characters themselves.
Never forget that the cover is the comic book's best form of advertising. If it doesn't get the attention of the reader, then no other form of advertising will.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 13:52, 16 May 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 02:03, 9 May 2012 (UTC)
8 Years Of Heroes, Villains, And Everything In-Between
We here at the City of Comic Creators wish to congratulate the developers of the City of Heroes MMO on eight years of exceptional performance, setting the stage for us to create stories, both for ourselves and for others.
Indeed, we would not be here if not for the developers at Cryptic Studios and Paragon Studios and their willingness to work with the players and encourage such creativity.
Of course, the forces behind the City of Heroes can't let such an event go by without something to remember it by. A certain old adversary has taken the opportunity to launch his long-awaited dreams of conquest. And with the loss of certain key members of the Freedom Phalanx, it's up to Paragon City's heroes to step up and save the day!
Who knows? Maybe the invasion will even spark a new issue that we could all enjoy!
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 02:03, 9 May 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 15:36, 1 May 2012 (UTC)
Comic Milestones
Let's talk comic book milestones.
Much like marriages, comic book series have significant milestones that are often celebrated. While mainstream publishers have major titles that have issue numbers in the hundreds, it should be noted that most comic series barely make it to the first comic milestone, which is issue #25.
In both monthly incarnations of the official "City of Heroes" comic series, their series would end long before reaching that first milestone. The Blue King Studios incarnation ended at issue #12, and Top Cow's version ended right at issue #20.
This seemingly high bar for reaching the first milestone is especially apparent when it comes to fan-made comics, as many comic creators will lose interest after a handful of issues. The time, energy, and effort needed to sustain these series beyond those first few issues is simply not there.
But there are those that do survive to that first milestone, and often they will make that milestone count.
For instance, in the "Guardians of the Dawn Spotlight" series, Issue #25 not only was connected back to the very first issue, but it marked a significant change in the life of Galatea Powers as it served as the conclusion to the three-part "Galatea Dawning" storyline. Not only did it wrap up the storyline, but the series creator also included a special behind-the-scenes look at the changes that were made to the character. Likewise, "GGRRR" recently celebrated their 25th Issue with a pivotal and emotional story that affected the whole team in their own ways.
The first four milestones for a comic series are Issues #25, 50, 75, and 100. After issue #100, the next milestones are often measured in fifty-issue increments.
Considering that it takes slightly more than two years for a monthly series to just make it to each of the first four milestones, you can really appreciate the dedication that is put into a series that lasts for that long. It also serves to reflect the support the publisher has not only for the series, but also for the creative team that keep interest in the series going to that milestone... and beyond.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 15:36, 1 May 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 19:26, 24 April 2012 (UTC)
Know your CoH History!
With the presence of people with extra-normal abilities - be they from magic, mutation, science, technology, aliens, or just plain human excellence - you cannot help but imagine that it would have an effect on society. This is clearly seen in Paragon City, where there are plenty of hero-themed businesses and restaurants.
But such a presence would also have an affect on history.
For instance, how do you think the Cold War would have turned out if there were superhuman beings involved? Would they stop things from escalating? Or would they only make things worse?
Find out what happened in one such instance by checking out the "Finland Crisis", a pivotal moment for superheroes and for international relations established as canon by the developers of the City of Heroes MMO.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 19:26, 24 April 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 15:27, 11 April 2012 (UTC)
Meet the FBSA
You've heard of the FBI. You've heard of the DEA, CIA, NSA, ICE, FEMA, SWAT, ATF, and even NCIS.
But what about the FBSA? If you are a hero in Paragon City, then it is probably the most important government acronym that you should remember.
The FBSA is short for the Federal Bureau for Super-powered Affairs and it is the federal agency that not only monitors superhero activity, but it also is the organization that gives registered heroes their official authority to act.
The FBSA works in cooperation with the Paragon City government, and is divided between several specialty divisions based on the origin categories of one's abilities. Originally your first missions in Paragon City came from these divisions, but the recent turmoil in Galaxy City have changed everything. Still, these contacts and thier divisions are still around in the city and still are helping out when possible.
Find out who is a member of the FBSA and its various divisions by visiting their official entry.
And to update from last week's news, we are in the process of finishing up Issue #6 of the City of Comic Creators Compendium and should have that out shortly. Stay tuned!!!
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 15:27, 11 April 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 15:05, 3 April 2012 (UTC)
More Comics Saved!
We're pleased to announce that several new entries have been added to the Archive Project, including two series originally listed as "Missing In Action". These series are:
- The Expendables (No, not connected to the major motion picture starring every great action hero that ever lived.)
- Super Gobbles Adventures (Originally MIA)
- The Ultimate Victorious Y.Freeza (Originally MIA)
Keep checking in as we add more comics of old for you to enjoy!
In other news, I am happy to report that work is progressing on Issue #6 of the City of Comic Creators Compendium. We've hit a few speed bumps along the way, but we should have the new "Jam" issue soon. Stay tuned for more details!!!
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 15:05, 3 April 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 23:12, 27 March 2012 (UTC)
More Recovery Ahead!
Things have been busy here in the Wiki.
First up, our entry on Restaurants was good, but it needed to be expanded a bit. After all, Paragon City is not the only place where you can get something to eat. The Rogue Isles have a few "good" places to sit down and enjoy... something. And Praetoria may be a meritocracy, but that doesn't mean that they don't have a few eateries. So we now have entries for all three locations. (Don't bother asking about First Ward. You are not supposed to think about First Ward.)
Plus we have several new entries to the Archive Project, including a new entry for all of the specials created by ChaseArcanum, the one-shot entry for Ascendant's "Quiver", and the two entries by Comic Contest winner 8baller. We also have several other series that will soon be added to the Archive Project, including a few that were never listed as Missing In Action.
Slowly but surely, those comics from days gone by are being found and they're being recovered and archived for you to enjoy.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 23:12, 27 March 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 23:39, 20 March 2012 (UTC)
Tell It To The Judge!
New to the Wiki...
Did you get caught running faster than the posted speed limit? Did you park your flying carpet in a "No Parking Zone"? Have a few "parking tickets" that you need cleared up?
You know where the police department is in Paragon City. They're telling you to take it to the courthouse. You know where the jail is as well, but you hope it doesn't get that far.
So where is the courthouse in Paragon City?
Well worry no more, because our ever-curious Comic Creators have finally set up where you have to go to deal with those annoying tickets, not to mention where you would testify about those bad guys you helped to bring down.
Check out our new entry for the Judicial Center.
Wait, you want to know about the justice system in the Rogue Isles? You're kidding, right? That's what the Arbiters are for. And at least they're a bit better than the Praetorian system!
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 23:39, 20 March 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 18:06, 13 March 2012 (UTC)
A Little Housekeeping
We've been a little busy here at the Comic Index trying to make our resources easier to access for both the new and experienced comic creators.
For instance, we've gone through the Comic Ads and moved the outdated ones to a new section of the Wiki. This will ensure that comic creators will have access to the most recent ads for use in their issues.
We've also created a special section for additional comic material, such as the logos for Paragon Studios and City of Heroes. These are logos that you can include in your comics to show that it is a fan-made derivation of the MMO.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 18:06, 13 March 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 13:53, 6 March 2012 (UTC)
Taking Care of Business
So... know any good eats in Paragon City?
Well thankfully we here in the City of Comic Creators have been a little busy putting together a list of places for you to get a burger or a cup of coffee. Because living in the "City of Heroes" is more than just fighting bad guys and getting "inf"... you sometimes have to LIVE in the city as well.
(In case you're wondering, that is a helpful little hint for comic creators.)
We have a list of restaurants for you to check out that you can find both in-game as well as places that only exist in the comics.
We've also created a new category for general businesses in the COH Multiverse, because not every shop is a part of a huge multinational corporation determined to take over the world. (Well, not yet anyway...) Feel free to check out the new entries, and if you know of any other businesses or restaurants in Paragon City, Praetoria, or the Rogue Isles, either let us know or add them in.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 13:53, 6 March 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 17:06, 28 February 2012 (UTC)
In-Story Advertising
Here's a helpful tip for comic creators...
Are you looking to stick on the back page of your comic and you're tired of using the same ads promoting the MMO?
How about creating one of your own?
Maybe there's a favorite store or restaurant that your character likes to visit. By using a quick screenshot of the front of the business, you can create a quick ad promoting the business. It doesn't have to be splashy. In fact if you look at your local coupon circulars or newspaper ads promoting businesses in your area, you'll find that they're very simple. Just come up with a quick description of the business, include the screenshot image, and put it all in front of a simple one-color background.
Presto! Instant in-story advertisement!
For more ads, including some in-story ads already available for use, check out the Comic Advertisements section easily found on the Main Page under Comic Help.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 17:06, 28 February 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 12:25, 21 February 2012 (UTC)
Welcome Major!
We would like to take this time to welcome a new comic creator and a new member to the City of Comic Creators.
Major Deej is the author of "The New Allied Fighters" series. A retired Navy veteran (thank you for your service), the Major took his childhood love of comics, superheroes, and Saturday Morning cartoons and turned it into City of Heroes gameplay, Mission Architect stories, and, now, into his own comic book.
Keep checking here at COH Comic Index for more on "The New Allied Fighters".
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 12:25, 21 February 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 04:14, 15 February 2012 (UTC)
Archive Project Update
For those who haven't checked in lately, the Archive Project has just recovered Issues 15-29 of "The Forever Men" series. That's fifteen more comics added to dozens of comic issues that have been recovered and archived here for posterity.
Unfortunately, the first fourteen issues of the series are still considered missing, so the series itself will be the first to be listed as both part of the "Archive Project" and still "Missing In Action".
There has also been an update on "Battle Bovine" series, which was previously recovered. Issues 11 and 12 were considered "unfinished", which was why both "cover" images were blank. This gave the creator time to whip up a new cover for Issue #11, which he did as an homage to a certain "Giant Sized" comic series, which was appropriate given the main villain of the story. Issue #11 has since been re-formatted with the new cover and has been updated.
As you can see, the Archive Project is an ongoing process, with lost comics being found, and archived issues being updated.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 04:14, 15 February 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 20:00, 10 January 2012 (UTC)
Statesman - 1896-2012
We here at the City of Comic Creators are in mourning over the loss of Paragon City's legendary iconic hero, Statesman, who was reported dead on January 17th.
Statesman was the first superhero, starting off the new "Golden Age of Heroism". It was his spirit and what he called his "inner will" that not only gave hope to a city originally devastated by the Great Depression of the 1930's, but also served as the inspiration for other heroes. We deeply extend our condolences to his surviving granddaughter, Ms. Liberty.
And in the spirit of equal time, here now is the Rogue Isles response...
| We're GLAD that Statesman is dead! He was an old man that coasted on whatever laurels were wrongly handed to him! Did he rebuild a nation shattered by corruption and cronyism? NO! Lord Recluse did! Statesman would just stand there just like all of those stupid giant statues that litter Paragon City and pretend that he's doing something just by being there! And the stupid, fawning, pathetic morons of Paragon City would idolize him for it! Whoever did it just did this world a huge favor. The only thing that we're upset about is that we weren't the ones to put the final bullet into his stupid shovel-mask! We'd like to find this killer, give him a beer, and then take him out for depriving us of our victory. |
And now in the spirit of more-equal time, here is the Praetorian response...
| Emperor Cole is a wonderful man in any incarnation and in any universe. We are saddened on the news that any version of our dear leader has passed, even if such incarnation was a clearly inferior version compared to the sun that is Emperor Cole. We invite those in Paragon City that are yearning for leadership in this mournful absence to turn to our beloved Emperor Cole for solace. Our Seers would welcome such people with the same loving arms that Emperor Cole gave us. |
Keep checking back here for more about the death of Statesman and how Paragon City will continue without him.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 20:00, 10 January 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 20:00, 10 January 2012 (UTC)
Welcome to 2012!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
We're starting off the new year with an update on some of our previously-missing comics. A total of seventeen comics series have been recovered through the Archive Project. That's fifty-seven issues that have so far been collected and archived here for future readers to appreciate.
Bear in mind that some of these series go back to the first few years of the City of Heroes MMO, some even before capes became an option! And while the quality may be less-than-optimal in some of those salvaged issues, they should still reflect the creativity and resourcefulness that existed at the time.
Don't think for a moment that this is all for the Archive Project either. The process of recovering the rest of the missing comics will take a while, so please be patient and keep checking with the Archive Project page for updates.
Plus, that's not all on our plate for this year. We're still working on the next JAM issue, which depends a lot on the participants. There's also a brand new "How To" series about how to create a comic that should help anyone interested in becoming a comic creator.
And with the launch of City of Heroes Freedom as a "Freemium" service this past September, several of our former comic creators have come back with a vengeance, ensuring that we have a new wave of comics for readers to enjoy along with the return of some old series. That's good news for us here at the CCC and great news for you, the readers.
And there may very well be one more surprise yet to come. Keep checking here for details.
In all, 2012 could very well be a great year not only for the City of Heroes MMO, but also for supporters of fan-based comics!
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 20:00, 10 January 2012 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 23:47, 21 December 2011 (UTC)
The Archive Project: Saving the Fallen
Previously we talked about the comic issues that disappeared. With the fall of websites such as Hypercomics and cohcomics, the efforts of many fan-made comic creators were lost in broken links and 404 error messages.
Thankfully we are pleased to report that we are in the process of actually recovering many of the comics that were initially declared "Missing in Action".
Thanks to Taskforce UK, the source material for many of the comics have been recovered and are in the process of being converted into PDF documents so they can be archived for future readers to appreciate. Some of these comics go back to the early years of City of Heroes, some even before capes were an option, never mind auras.
And now, once again, you can enjoy them.
More information about this will soon be found at the Archive Project page.
Holiday Greetings
With the holidays upon us, the creator of "The Guardian Powers" and "Tales from Paragon City" has come up with a special greetings.
And on behalf of the rest of the City of Comic Creators, we wish you happy holidays!
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 23:47, 21 December 2011 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 14:58, 22 November 2011 (UTC)
Remembering the Fallen
When fan-made comics were just starting, there were some very popular resources for creators to publish their works.
Unfortunately, the two most common resources, Hypercomics and COHComics, have since gone under. And with them, the hard work and effort of those creative fans.
That is why we have come up with the Archive Project, to offer a way for those works to be retrieved, restored, and made available for others to view as the previously were.
Many of the comics previously listed here are now under the category of Missing in Action. Some were short one-shot specials, but others were whole series that are now inaccessible.
Attempts are being made to locate some of the missing entries and restore them. We have recently found the various issues made by The Spectacular Sparky and are trying to restore all of them.
In the meantime, if you're the author of one of these other comics now "MIA", or if you know another place where we can find these lost works, please get in touch with us and we will do our best to restore and archive them for future fans to appreciate in the way they used to be.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 14:58, 22 November 2011 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 06:15, 24 October 2011 (UTC)
Pardon the digital sawdust
We've been busy here at the Comic Index, especially with the release of City of Heroes Freedom bringing in new players and returning creators.
One of the major changes involves our login procedures. We've been trying to keep the Spam-bots to a minimum while at the same time allowing honest members to be able to make contributions to our database system when possible. We think we've been able to find a happy medium with help from our good friends at the Paragon Wiki. We specifically want to thank TonyV for his assistance in getting the CAPTCHA feature added.
We're also going to be making some more changes in the weeks to come as we try to get more exposure and more interest in fan-made comics.
Some of the recent additions:
- The Publisher Category has been expanded and tweaked to include a wider listing of publishing companies, including legitimate publishers, spoof publishers, and even those professional publishing companies (i.e. Dark Horse Comics) that have contributed to the world of City of Heroes comics.
- We have created new category for locations to provide background information of various locations for comic creators. For instance, the significance of Talos Island for one certain comic series. Rather than to serve as a place for in-game tips, though, these entries will help provide key information for comic creators to use in developing their own stories, and for comic readers to further expand on the information provided in the comics. These entries are not just limited to in-game locations either, but also provide background information on other worlds mentioned in those same comics.
- We've added a new link in the Navigation Menu to comics that we've backed up. This is part of our ongoing Archive Project where we try to preserve these City of Heroes-related comics for future readers instead of having them disappear in a sea of dead links.
This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what we have in store for you, so please keep checking in.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 06:15, 24 October 2011 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 15:42, 9 October 2011 (UTC)
Using Discussion Tab For Updates
Here's a helpful tip for comic creators.
Ever publish an issue and realize that you made a mistake about it?
Maybe a speech balloon was pointed to the wrong character. Maybe you put the caption "Lord Recluse" under a picture of Ghost Widow. Maybe your story was riddled with spelling errors. It happens even to the best of us.
So you go in, make some changes, and then re-publish your comic. Someone comes back and says "Why do you want me to re-read this? What did you do differently?" Or maybe they want to know why an earlier version of the comic was deleted.
For those that use the CCC Wiki site to archive their works (and we are encouraging creators to do just that), the best way to keep track of the changes made to the issue is to list them in the DISCUSSION tabs.
Here's how you do it...
After you re-upload your file, click on the DISCUSSION tab. Then list the updates made between the previous versions and the one you just uploaded. Be sure to include the time and date of your entry, preferably by using the four tilde marks (~~~~), which automatically insert the username and the time/date stamp.
Then, even if you have deleted all of the previous versions of the comic file, you still have all of the notes about what has been changed so people can see how this has been improved.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 15:42, 9 October 2011 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 14:37, 21 September 2011 (UTC)
BEWARE OF CHANGES!
Here's another tip for comic creators.
With the release of "Issue 21: Convergence", the world that we know changes.
Gone is the Outbreak tutorial. Gone is the Galaxy City that you remember. Gone is the Atlas Park and Mercy Island that you have known for years. Longtime NPC contacts are shuffled around or eliminated.
What does this mean as a comic creator? These changes can have an effect on the kinds of stories you do. Want to show the Back Alley Brawler? You won't see him standing watch in front of the Freedom Corps building anymore. Have a scene in front of City Hall? It's not the same City Hall you remember. That could put a crimp in any ideas you may have of using stock images to help explain your story.
Now's a good time to go over the changes made to Paragon City and the Rogue Isles, get a games-eye view of them, and maybe getting some new stock image screenshots to keep for future reference. Find out what happened to the contacts you once knew. Doing this now could avoid confusion for you later.
It also helps to keep track of the changes made to both the Primal and Praetorian Universes by checking with not only the City of Heroes website but also with the Paragon Wiki resource. Links to those sites can always be found on the left-hand toolbox.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 14:37, 21 September 2011 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 12:08, 1 July 2011 (UTC)
The Archive Project
One of the projects that we here at the City of Comic Creators have been trying to do is archive as many of the City of Heroes fan-made comics as possible for posterity and for better appreciation.
Over the years, there have been many that have dabbled with creating their own comics, often for their own entertainment, and have shared the fruits of their creations with their friends and forum readers. And then they often fade away into Internet obscurity.
We feel that such creations deserve to be preserved. Therefore we are working with the original authors of these fan-made comics to save them here at the Wiki.
The most recent comic restored is the one-shot special by Naughty Nadya. With the author's permission, this comic's various pages were collected and formatted into a PDF file and is now available for you to read.
If you know about other similar fan-made comics, please let us know.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 12:08, 1 July 2011 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 14:16, 17 June 2011 (UTC)
COH Comics update
Due to technical and personal issues, the COH Comics website has gone off-line. All of the comics hosted there are still available through the archive website, and we are also working to get them hosted here. We apologize for any confusion that may result in the transition.
To visit the COH Comics archive, please click here.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 14:16, 17 June 2011 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 15:48, 3 May 2011 (UTC)
Recent Updates
Following some recent private questions about creating entries in the Wiki, the "How To" pages have been edited and new entries added, including how to create a new entry and how to take screenshots. Hopefully this will help those who are unfamilair with using the MediaWiki system to include their own contributions.
If you have any suggestions, please feel free to include them in the link below.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 15:48, 3 May 2011 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 14:56, 14 April 2011 (UTC)
WHAT IS... ISSUE #0?
Here's another helpful tip for comic creators...
Traditionally, comic books start out with Issue #1, which introduces the readers to your world and your characters.
But then a trend started in the 1990's is the release of a special issue, which they would dub Issue #0. This could be done for any number of reasons.
Teaser - Issue #0 could be used to get the interest of the reader prior to some monumental miniseries, introducing the reader to characters or concepts that would play an essential role in that miniseries.
Prequel - Is there a story that hasn't been told but referenced in the series? Some tragedy that happened? A friendship formed or soured? Issue #0 can be used to explain what happened. A great example of this is Guardians of the Dawn Spotlight Issue #0, which set the stage for the first three issues of the series, and then played a part in the "Time and Changes" storyline.
Origin Issue - Issue #1 doesn't necessarily provide the origin story of the central character. Or sometimes a character has been around for so long that his or her origin has been re-done so many times that it can confuse the passive reader. Issue #0 can then be used to re-tell that character's origin.
Promotional Issue - Otherwise called an "Ashcan copy", an Issue #0 is sometimes used by artists to promote their creation to publishers or distributors.
So could an Issue #0 be good for your series? That depends on the story you have so far and whether it would be used to promote or to clarify.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 14:56, 14 April 2011 (UTC))
BattlerockX 11:02, 7 April 2011 (UTC)
Spreading the word of the City of Comic Creators
Did you know the City of Comic Creators has a special forum announcement thread?
As a part of the City of Heroes community, the CCC has a special forum thread for announcements about the latest comic releases, not just for our Compendium, but also for the various member artists.
Special thanks always goes to the City of Heroes forum administrators for their assistance in helping to promote the work of the artists, which in turn promotes City of Heroes.
Click here to view the City of Comic Creators Announcement thread.
Registered users in the City of Heroes forums can also subscribe to the thread so they will get the latest announcements when they are posted. To subscribe to the forum thread, simply go to to the Thread Tools menu on the page and select "Subscribe to the Thread".
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 11:02, 7 April 2011 (UTC))
BattlerockX 18:41, 15 March 2011 (UTC)
Here now the latest in the world of Comic Creators...
- Greetings and welcome to new member Golden Girl. She's new to the world of comic creation, but not to Paragon City. She just published her first comic "City of Heroes: New Kid on the Block", and hopefully we'll be seeing more from her soon.
- A new category has been created for "Terminology", which will allow you to define phrases, slang, concepts, conditions, or technology. While we still should refer to the Paragon Wiki for in-game terminology, there are some that are unique to the various comic series.
- A new "Work In Progress" category and template box for entries has been created for pages that still need developing. Entries receiving the template will be automatically included in the "WIP" category.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 18:41, 15 March 2011 (UTC))
BattlerockX 16:46, 13 February 2011 (UTC)
Just some more housekeeping...
- We like to welcome Johnny Raven to the ranks of the City of Comic Creators. He has a series called the "Justice Corps Adventures" and hopefully he'll be making his presence known here in the Wiki. Feel free to check out his series here.
- A new category has been created for desktop wallpapers, which you can find by going to the Comic Advertisements section. There should hopefully be more wallpaper files soon to help promote the CCC.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 16:46, 13 February 2011 (UTC))
BattlerockX 13:39, 6 February 2011 (UTC)
Just some general housekeeping...
- We like to welcome Henri to the ranks of the City of Comic Creators. We came across Henri through a new fan-based newsletter and hopefully he'll be making his presence known here in the Wiki. Feel free to check out his deviantART profile here.
- Work is progressing on C.C.C.Compendium #6. Two stories have been submitted and a third is hopefully on the way.
- New promotional ads have been added for creators to use in their publications. More should hopefully be added soon, including some desktop-friendly images.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 13:39, 6 February 2011 (UTC))
BattlerockX 15:22, 16 December 2010 (UTC)
Be Mindful Of Your Surroundings
Here's another tip for comic creators...
When coming up with material for your comic, be mindful of not only the clock, but the calendar as well.
Different events go on in the City of Heroes paraverse that have an effect on the environment. Rikti incursions, Zombie Apocalypse, and Deadly Apocalypse are all short-term events that have plenty of warning. But it is a little different when you're working on a project that requires your characters to operate in the daytime and you're in the middle of the Halloween Event with 24-hour darkness lasting weeks or even a whole month. (Thankfully Architect Entertainment helps with this particular problem.)
Likewise, there are some settings that would be great for your story that just aren't possible for most of the year. For instance, the Ski Chalet and the accompanying frozen mission landscapes are only available during one time of the year.
So bear the following events and activities in mind during the year, and remember that their duration can last anywhere from two weeks to a whole month.
- Spring Fling/Valentine Event - February-March
Special contacts in Pocket D.
- Halloween Event - October-November
24-hour Darkness (darker than normal nighttime), Zombie Apocalypse, Deadly Apocalypse, Trick-or-Treat and monster-themed opponents ("Witches", "Werewolves", zombies, "Vampires", "ghosts") in cities. Limited-time rocks and "costumes".
- Winter Event - December-January
Ski Chalet appears next to Pocket D (access through red-side upper landing), Winter Croatoa and Ice Cave, Winter Horde snow creatures, random holiday-wrapped presents in cities. Limited-time snowballs.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any other tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 15:22, 16 December 2010 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 15:11, 2 December 2010 (UTC)
What's Your Storyline?
"Obey"
Are these new comic books? No, those are actual storylines within already-established comic series.
A "storyline" is the plot of a story, but it doesn't have to be limited to just one comic issue or even two or three. A storyline can actually run the span multiple issues within a series, or even across multiple series. This is especially true with the stories done by KK-Comics crossing over through several series.
We have created in a new category for the CoH Wiki called "Comic Storylines". This will allow you to highlight the key elements of a storyline within your series, as well as point out events that lead into the storyline and how the storyline affected other events in the series. What events served as a precursor to your storyline? What sort of consequences happened because of your storyline? You don't have to give away every secret or every twist to a storyline. In fact you can link back to the issue and invite the reader to see more about it. The purpose of the storyline entry is to summarize up key events within the storyline.
One key suggestion to make is that when you create an entry for your storyline that you include an abbreviation for your comic title. For instance, "Smoke and Mirrors" is the storyline title for both the "City of Heroes" series and for "GGRRR". So when you do a search for "Smoke and Mirrors" you can see one for "Smoke and Mirrors (CoH)" and one for "Smoke and Mirrors (GGRRR)" and that will let you know that you are dealing with two separate comic series.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any other tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 15:11, 2 December 2010 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 15:46, 12 November 2010 (UTC)
Non-Spoiler Help
Here's a helpful tip for Wiki entries...
Nobody likes giving away the ending to a story, especially when you're not AT the end of the story.
Unfortunately one of the problems is that you create a character entry, you want to put some info out there, but you also don't want to give away the twists in the story that you haven't published yet.
Sometimes that means putting a blank entry or a really simple one with a sentence or two and then fill in the blanks later...
OR you can submit a "redacted" entry.
With a huge imposing international governing body such as the Vanguard and the eternal threat of a Rikti incursion, you can easily put in an entry with just enough information to let people know the character is out there, and then say that the rest of the information (the part covered in the storyline) has been "Restricted by Vanguard". Then after the storyline has been published and played out, you can go back to the entry and fill in the blanks.
Plus, blaming it all on Vanguard allows you to not feel pressured to update your character's entry in the Wiki. After all, we all know that government agencies at all levels drag their heels on disclosing even the time of day.
| THIS JUST IN: The Bureau of Needless Things has finally declassified its report on the Ford Theater shooting and has concluded that John Wilkes Booth was responsible for the death of President Abraham Lincoln[1]. |
As you can see, they're not exactly in a rush to keep people updated.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any other tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 15:46, 12 November 2010 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 14:24, 4 November 2010 (UTC)
Game-time versus Demo-time
Here's a helpful tip for comic creators...
There are many ways that you can create the material for your comic. Unless you're drawing the whole thing by hand (or the computer equivalent), you'll probably be using screen captures. And why not? After all, you've spent all of that time creating the character that you're playing with... why not show it off?
Getting screen captures are really easy if you know where the folder is on your computer. All you have to do is hit the "Print Screen" key on your keyboard and what you see is what becomes saved as a JPG image.
But here you have two possibilities as to how you can get those images.
First is just regular game-time snapshots. Much like a photographer doing a photo-shoot, you get your subjects lined up, doing what you want that person to do and then click-click-click away. The downside is that you have to be careful about other characters, other events, and the passage of time. Waiting around for the sun to rise can take a while, plus a Rikti Invasion or some other holiday-related event could put a damper on your activities. Thankfully the Mission Architect can help with some of these elements.
The second way is demo recording. Demo recording allows you to "record" game time to a file that you can replay later. There are plenty of resources that will allow you to tweak the recording to change characters, perspectives, or actions. You can even control the time of day and location of the point-of-view. Then you can run the program and save the images. (This is also how a lot of video creators come up with their fan-made masterpieces.) The plus side is you have full control over all of the action. The downside is this is very complicated and requires a lot of time and effort to put together the scenes.
But no matter which way you eventually use, be sure to check with our Comic Help and How To sections to get more helpful tips or even to provide some tips of your own.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any other tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 14:24, 4 November 2010 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 13:16, 11 August 2010 (UTC)
New Groups!
One of the newer features to the website is an expanded look at Groups.
Here you'll be able to see hero groups, villain groups, and just general storyline groups that may or may not be good or evil. We've also expanded the categories to include entries for the media, government, and the police.
Creators, please feel free to add your own supergroups or story-based groups to these categories where appropriate.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any other tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 13:16, 11 August 2010 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 16:41, 10 September 2010 (UTC)
Going Rogue Is HERE!
In honor of the recent release of the new City of Heroes: Going Rogue expansion, brand new fan-made full page ads have been created so you can help hype up the next level of super-powered MMO action.
City of Heroes:Going Rogue goes where no superhero MMO has gone before... namely to the gold zone between Good and Evil. In this strange alternate universe from the City of Heroes/City of Villains world, the heroes have become the conquerors, and the greatest hero of them all serves as emperor. Where you stand in this new world depends entirely on the choices you make. Who will you stand behind? The conquering heroes? Or the resistance?
For comic creators, you can now help promote this new expansion with special "Going Rogue" full-page ads. These are fan-made creations based on material already provided by NCSoft/Paragon Studios and designed to fully-fit a normal page. This includes all-new ads featuring Neuron, the Syndicate, Clockwork, the Praetorian Police, and the Resistance.
Click here to see the new Going Rogue full-page ads.
And don't forget that we have other comic ads that you can include in your comic creations. Some come from NCSoft, others are original creations by other comic creators, but they're all here for you to use.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any other tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 16:41, 10 September 2010 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 13:16, 11 August 2010 (UTC)
PREPARE FOR GOING ROGUE!
In case you haven't heard, the next big expansion for City of Heroes finally comes out this month.
City of Heroes:Going Rogue will go where no superhero MMO has gone before... namely to the grey zone (although they make it yellow for some reason) between Good and Evil. It will introduce people to a whole new alternate universe where the good guys are really the bad guys and the bad guys are... well they're really not there. There are a lot of things that will be added to the whole "City of Heroes" experience that will change your view on gameplay, even if you don't get the expansion program itself.
For comic creators, you can now help promote this new expansion with special "Going Rogue" full-page ads. These are fan-made creations based on material already provided by NCSoft/Paragon Studios and designed to fully-fit a normal page.
Click here to see the new Going Rogue full-page ads.
And don't forget that we have other comic ads that you can include in your comic creations. Some come from NCSoft, others are original creations by other comic creators, but they're all here for you to use.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any other tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 13:16, 11 August 2010 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 04:35, 8 July 2010 (UTC)
We are in the process of updating some of the earlier comic entries. You may have already noticed some changes already.
Most of the updates will involve fixing links or organizing the various issues a little more uniformly.
On occasion some new entries will be made for the main heroes featured in the series based on the information listed in their respective issues. Should the original authors of these series wish to further expand on their characters, they are more than welcome to register and sign in to contribute.
Remember: your contributions help improve this online resource.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any other tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 04:35, 8 July 2010 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 19:52, 28 June 2010 (UTC)
Here's a helpful tip for comic creators:
Who's the guy in City Hall talking about day jobs? What's the name of the female Merrit Vendor at Fort Darwin?
Do you have a name for those people in your comic? What is it?
Consistency is important when it comes to telling a good comic story. If you named the day jobs representative Bob in one issue, you don't want to call him Garry in the next issue.
This is where a resourse such as this one (or Paragon Wiki) come in. A little bit of research usually helps clear up some of the confusion. Plus, if that information isn't availible, and you decide to make it up yourself for your own comic, you can then add that detail here in at our resource.
So then, when the next comic creator comes along to look it up, they'll know that the day jobs representative's name is "Bob".
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Any other tips you would like to share? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 19:52, 28 June 2010 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 17:15, 20 June 2010 (UTC)
Here's a helpful tip for comic creators:
Time is a tricky subject for the City of Heroes.
Unless you are crafting your stories in real-time, always remember when certain key events occured.
For instance, if your story takes place before April of 2009, then you should be careful to not include any references to Architect Entertainment. The same applies for the Vanguard, which kept a low profile until the Second Rikti Invasion of July 2007. It's a little hard to say that your story takes place in 2000 if the characters are seen standing next to a War Wall that did not exist until 2002.
The best way to make sure that your story meshes with the City of Heroes/City of Villains universe is to use this resource and the resources at Paragon Wiki. A little bit of research always helps to make the story blend in better with the rest of the City of Heroes/City of Villains.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 17:15, 20 June 2010 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 17:14, 4 June 2010 (UTC)
One of the latest contributions is a new category for PNN personalities. This includes current media personalities such as Rona Cosell, Garry Becker, Sally Carson-Ramirez, and for previous personalities such as Monica Monroe and her cameraman Zeke.
Since PNN is featured in the City of Heroes videos as well as the various comic series, registered users are encouraged to add any additional PNN media personalities they may have used into the directory as well.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 17:14, 4 June 2010 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 12:52, 24 May 2010 (UTC)
Just wanted to extend thanks to TechSpider/Kintetic Kitten and Night Hornet for their continued contributions to our WikiMedia resource.
We've also included some additional links to our pages for the City of Heroes MMO itself, the City of Heroes forum, the Server Status page, and a link to Paragon Wiki, which is a great resource for actual in-game information.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Let us know!
(Submitted by BattlerockX 12:52, 24 May 2010 (UTC) )
BattlerockX 02:08, 10 May 2010 (UTC)
In case you haven't been keeping up with the official announcements in the City of Heroes forums, the City of Comic Creators now has their own official announcement thread. Where once announcements of various issues have been spotty at best, we now have a "stickied" place where all new CCC creations can get greater exposure and generate even more interest in fan-based comics.
To quote from the official release:
"City of Comics is a player organization and is not affiliated with NCsoft or Paragon Studios. Postings on behalf of player organizations are handled by the Community team, anyone wishing to request a post should contact a member of the Community team for more information."
Visit the official announcement thread here.
Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Questions? Let us know!
BattlerockX 02:08, 10 May 2010 (UTC)
BattlerockX 20:10, 1 May 2010 (UTC)
There have been several changes to the website in the past week, including...
- The addition of In-Game Characters, CoH Comic Series, and the City of Comic Creators Compendium to the main page.
- Expanded background entries for in-game characters, groups, and events.
- New open-ended categories for Arachnos and Midnight Squad. Now if you have a VEAT character (Soldier/Widow) in a story, you can include them in the Arachnos category along with Lord Recluse and the other in-game characters.
Also there is a new promotional video for the website, with more on the way. Please feel free to spread the word. The audio comes from the 20-second commerical that was recorded for one of the newer MMO-themed radio stations, but I am in the process of trying to get some more commercials made and to be promoted on another (24/7) online radio station. Stay tuned for updates.
Feedback? Let us know
BattlerockX 20:10, 1 May 2010 (UTC)
Sin Stalker 05:48, 4 April 2010 (UTC)
Website updates have been applied to the same page. It now redirects you directly to the comic index (wiki). Shortly there should now be a button for the C.C.C. link on the left.
Feedback?
Sin Stalker 03:31, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
The Upload feature is now fully unlocked so everyone should now be able to upload pdf files of sizes up to 20mb. This was one of the main steps needed to be implemented towards the goal of filling the resource void left from hypercomics.
The Protect feature is a function Mods and Admins can tap to prevent others from changing pages and files. If there is a page that should be protected or a protected page that shouldn't be protected, please contact an mod/admin.
There is also a new page started by User:BattlerockX to upload your comics ads. Check it out in the Comic Help section.
The final step before fully releasing this site and getting the featured article and series of the week section updated regularly, is to have more Series pages that are polished off or complete.
Sin Stalker 03:31, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
The Upload feature is now fully unlocked so everyone should now be able to upload pdf files of sizes up to 20mb. This was one of the main steps needed to be implemented towards the goal of filling the resource void left from hypercomics.
The Protect feature is a function Mods and Admins can tap to prevent others from changing pages and files. If there is a page that should be protected or a protected page that shouldn't be protected, please contact an mod/admin.
There is also a new page started by [User:Battlerock X] to upload your comics ads. Check it out in the Comic Help section.
The final step before fully releasing this site and getting the featured article and series of the week section updated regularly, is to have more Series pages that are polished off or complete.
Unset Date
Updates have been made to the Main Pages options. You can now use the Spammer and Deletion page categories for Admins and Mods to assists you with as well as streamlined and organized the categories. If there is a category we could be using but are not currently, please message an admin or mod so it can be decided upon.
Also, keep in mind there is a difference between an author's page and searching comics BY author. If you have a comic, please put a category of the author on that bottom WITHOUT the "User" part. Then after saving, click on the name (it should be red if this is done for the first time) and create this page with whatever information you wish but place the category at the bottom "By Author" so that that comic can be seen when searching by author. This is done because the User page does not work like the category pages and will not list the same way. Not all people use their user pages and not all use it in a way that gives easy access to their comics. You may use both if you wish but there is a difference between a user's author page and a category by author that we use to list all comics by authors.
Thank you.
-Sin Stalker
