Rocksolid Light

Welcome to novaBBS (click a section below)

mail  files  register  newsreader  groups  login

Message-ID:  

It is easier to resist at the beginning than at the end. -- Leonardo da Vinci


arts / rec.arts.comics.creative / rec.arts.comics.creative Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ]

SubjectAuthor
o rec.arts.comics.creative Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ]Russ Allbery

1
rec.arts.comics.creative Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ]

<racc-faq-1646121662$21476@hope.eyrie.org>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/arts/article-flat.php?id=1378&group=rec.arts.comics.creative#1378

 copy link   Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.creative
Path: i2pn2.org!i2pn.org!usenet.goja.nl.eu.org!nntp.terraraq.uk!nntp-feed.chiark.greenend.org.uk!ewrotcd!news.eyrie.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: eag...@eyrie.org (Russ Allbery)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.creative
Subject: rec.arts.comics.creative Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ]
Supersedes: <racc-faq-1643702463$15018@hope.eyrie.org>
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2022 08:01:02 -0000 (UTC)
Organization: The Eyrie
Approved: eagle@eyrie.org
Expires: 5 Apr 2022 08:01:02 -0000
Message-ID: <racc-faq-1646121662$21476@hope.eyrie.org>
Injection-Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2022 08:01:02 -0000 (UTC)
Injection-Info: hope.eyrie.org;
logging-data="21478"; mail-complaints-to="news@eyrie.org"
 by: Russ Allbery - Tue, 1 Mar 2022 08:01 UTC

Last-modified: 2018-07-16
Posted-by: postfaq 1.17 (Perl 5.28.1)
Archive-name: comics/creative/faq
URL: https://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/faqs/racc.html
Posting-frequency: monthly

==========================================================================
rec.arts.comics.creative Frequently Asked Questions
Maintained by Russ Allbery <eagle@eyrie.org>
Original by Jeff McCoskey
==========================================================================

If you're reading this on Usenet, this FAQ is formatted as a minimal
digest. If your newsreader has digest handling capabilities you can use
them to navigate between sections. In rn variants, you can use Ctrl-G to
skip to the next section; in Gnus, press Ctrl-D to break each section into
a separate article. For other newsreaders, see the documentation.

The latest version of this FAQ is available on the web at:

<https://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/faqs/racc.html>

Please send any comments, suggestions, or updates to eagle@eyrie.org.

------------------------------

Subject: Contents

1. Welcome to rec.arts.comics.creative!
1.1. What is RACC for?
1.2. What isn't RACC for?
1.3. What is the RACC official charter?
1.4. Where are the stories about Wolverine(tm)?
1.5. Where are the old stories?
1.6. How can I read RACC via e-mail?

2. Writing for RACC (How do I get involved?)
2.1. Cool! Okay, how do I post?
2.2. Format! I'm nothing without format!
2.3. How 'bout them imprints? What's up with that?
2.4. How do I archive my stories for posterity?
2.5. What do copyright laws I pay taxes for do for me?

3. Netiquette for RACC

4. Glossary

5. List of current imprints

6. People to ask for help

------------------------------

Subject: 1. Welcome to rec.arts.comics.creative!

Welcome to rec.arts.comics.creative, the newsgroup which could have been
named rec.prose.shared-universe but wasn't, the newsgroup which has, to
date, produced well over 30MB of entirely free original fiction (and
that's compressed!), the newsgroup which has nearly nothing to do with
your favorite comic books at all!

You're about to go insane. Don't worry, it's fun.

rec.arts.comics.creative (henceforth RACC) is a moderated newsgroup for
comics-related original fiction and discussion of same, originally created
unmoderated by Martin Phipps and a cast of thousands (well, dozens at
least) and later converted to moderated to keep out the spam. Don't
worry, even though it's a moderated group, it's still friendly, chatty,
and not at all formal, and we go out of our way to keep it that way.

The first group of this sort on the Internet was the Superguy mailing
list, which is still in operation to this day (you'll see posts from it on
this group from time to time). Later, the Legion of Net.Heroes (LNH)
sprung out of a free-form thread on rec.arts.comics and spawned another
newsgroup (alt.comics.lnh). They were quickly followed by a wide variety
of other comics-based shared universes, including the Patrol, the
Net.Trenchcoat.Brigade, and Omega. All of these organizations, in
parallel, gathered together authors in shared universes and strongly
influenced the nature of RACC.

First and foremost, RACC is a site for people to post comics-related
fiction. Stories about long-underwear vigilantes, anthropomorphic
animals, SF, westerns, even Kleen Teens if anyone is so moved. As long as
it relates to comics it's okay. So whether you're a reader, a writer, or
that fabled creature the critic, or even all three -- welcome to RACC:
it's all the story, none of the art! (yet)

------------------------------

Subject: 1.1. What is RACC for?

For the official charter, see section 1.3. Here's the long, readable
version.

One term that you'll see a lot is "shared universe." This is a shared
story background, co-created by multiple authors and used as the
"universe" in which multiple different stories are set. This is a
trademark characteristic of most comic books (seen in its clearest form in
the ubiquitous crossover, a story written by multiple authors at once and
involving multiple characters who all have their own stories), as well as
appearing in some other published fiction (such as Wild Cards, or Larry
Niven's Man-Kzin Wars). Most (but not all) of the stories posted here
take place in one of the established shared universes (there's a list
later on in this FAQ), to the point where this style of writing is nearly
characteristic of the group.

Another term you'll see is "comics-related." Nearly all of the authors
writing here drew their original (if not primary) inspiration from comic
books. As a result, nearly all of the stories are on-going (published a
chapter at a time), divided up into "issues" and given numbers, and
organized into "imprints." Many people also describe covers or design
ASCII graphic logos.

There is no restriction on types of fiction. (That'd kinda take the
creative out of RACC, wouldn't it?) You'll see stories run the gamut from
slapstick comedy to grim'n'gritty Real Life Supers (TM). As long as it's
about comics, set your pen free. (You'll see a lot of superhero fiction,
but that just means that those of us who like reading other things as well
are anxiously awaiting your non-superhero stories.)

RACC is also for discussion of stories, both specific ones and in general.
The critic and reader is one of the most sought-after types of people
around here; if you give us feedback on our stories, good or bad, we'll
love you forever.

Finally, if you want to announce your free web strip here, we welcome
those posts too. If you're trying to sell it, though, please try
rec.arts.comics.marketplace or rec.arts.comics.strips instead. (And
rec.arts.comics.strips may be a better group in general, as RACC readers
are mostly interested in text fiction.)

------------------------------

Subject: 1.2. What isn't RACC for?

A lot of things. We're not for wars of attrition, Third World starvation,
45 mph speed limits, and brussel sprout toothpaste. Closer to home, RACC
is not for any of the following:

* Discussion of existing, "professional" books (except as they relate
to our fiction)

* Marketplace-type I-wanna-buy/I-wanna-sell postings

* Flames and personality conflicts. Critiques, yes. Flames, no.

* Fiction about established, trademarked characters and universes,
unless you created them or have written permission.

* Erotica, no matter how much spandex you put in. There are other
groups for that.

------------------------------

Subject: 1.3. What is the RACC official charter?

This newsgroup welcomes any form of comics-related original fiction and
discussion of the same, including but not limited to stories in the many
established shared universes. Discussion of on-line fiction as a whole is
also welcome provided that it is related to the stories on the newsgroup.
If they choose to write in an existing shared universe, writers are
strongly encouranged to follow the existing continuity and rules of that
universe. "Comics-related" will be interpreted very broadly, as has been
traditional on the newsgroup.

Each posting to rec.arts.comics.creative should include a keyword on the
subject line either designating which shared universe the posting refers
to or marking the general subject of the post (ADMIN, META, MISC, etc.).
If a submitted post does not have a keyword, the moderator will add an
appropriate keyword, but posters are encouraged to add keywords themselves
to save moderation work.

Large binaries, such as artwork, will not be allowed on the newsgroup.
Instead, binaries can be made available in the newsgroup archive (subject
to the discretion of the archivist) and a pointer posted to the newsgroup.
Pointers to Web pages are also welcome, provided the content of the page
is related to the purpose of the group.

Stories using copyrighted or trademarked characters are explicitly not
within the charter of this group and may be rejected unless the author
owns the copyrights and trademarks or has written permission from the
owner. Networking posts (artists seeking writers or writers seeking
artists) are inappropriate in this group and should be sent to appropriate
mailing lists or other groups in the rec.arts.comics.* hierarchy
(rec.arts.comics.misc if there is no other more appropriate group).

------------------------------

Subject: 1.4. Where are the stories about Wolverine(tm)?

This is very important, so I'm going to yell it. RACC IS NOT THE PLACE
FOR FICTION ABOUT ESTABLISHED, TRADEMARKED CHARACTERS. This includes all
Marvel, Image, DC, what-have-you characters. RACC's charter expressly
FORBIDS such fiction.

The reason for this is the ongoing legislative battles about intellectual
property and the Net. rec.* groups are picked up worldwide, and sysadmins
do not want to draw lawsuits because someone wrote a story that violated
trademark laws. Note that fanfic stories may or may not be lawful and/or
prosecutable, WE JUST DON'T KNOW. They're still writing the laws.


Click here to read the complete article
1
server_pubkey.txt

rocksolid light 0.9.7
clearnet tor