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Archive-name: comics/creative/faq
URL: https://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/faqs/racc.html
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==========================================================================
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
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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.

On 1/1/24 02:01, Russ Allbery wrote:
> Subject: 5. List of Current Tags
>
> When choosing a tag to put at the beginning of your post, this list should
> be a canonical reference. If you see a need for a new tag, send mail to
> the FAQ maintainer so that it can be added.
>
> First, the general tags:
>
> ADMIN Administrative matters affecting everyone on RACC.
>
> FAQ FAQs of note for the entire RAC* hierarchy. These will tend
> to be crossposted here.
>
> META Discussion about the newsgroup itself. This includes
> or CHAT everything from general discussion of on-line fiction and RACC
> in particular to recommendations on how long posts should be.
>
> PRECOG Announcements of upcoming series, planned stories, and the
> or PROMO like.
>
> WWW Announcement of a web page related to RACC or a free strip.
>
> Now, all of the writing imprints. Note that new ones of these pop up all
> the time. Entries marked with (*) are in danger of being retired due to
> lack of activity. If you have any changes, please mail eagle@eyrie.org.
>
> 8FOLD A closed universe that encompasses serious superheroes, comedy,
> memoir, and just about anything else: high-quality fiction of
> any stripe is welcome.
>
> ACRAPHOBE Mature stories that may or may not fit into other universes'
> or ACRA continuity. Using this flag in conjunction with another is
> not unheard of. (For example, Scav's _501 Blues_ is
> LNH/ACRAPHOBE.) Think a meta-Vertigo.
>
> ASH Academy of Super-Heroes. Dave Van Domelen's RPG-based future-
> history stories. See <https://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/ASH>.
>
> ELSEWHIRLS LNH stories that do not fit into LNH continuity. Think DC's
> or EW Elseworlds.
>
> HCC The High Concept Challenge, a continuous series of writing
> contests. Each round, the winner, chosen by reader vote, gets
> to pick the next round's concept.
>
> LNH Legion of Net.Heroes, "The Friendliest Shared Universe
> Going!(TM)" A mostly parody universe, though it does have its
> serious side.
>
> LNH20 On the LNH's 20th anniversary, a group of writers took it upon
> themselves to create a new world, based in everything they
> loved about the LNH, in the best spirit of comic book reboots!
> LNH20 is just as friendly as the original, but easier to get
> into! Hop right in, the adventure's fine!
>
> LNHY An Imprint involving an alternate LNH universe called
> Looniverse Y. The big difference between this and the Classic
> LNH is that writers are allowed to have only one character of
> theirs in this Looniverse's LNH.
>
> RACCCafe A continuity-free outpust where RACC characters can unwind
> after a hard day of being mangled by their writers. Anything
> can happen, as long as it's funny, and there are no
> consequences!
>
> SG Superguy. From Space Moose to the Bomb. Comedy superhero
> writing with a far different background than LNH. Note that
> only a small slice of Superguy stuff appears here; to see the
> rest, go to <https://lists.eyrie.org/mailman/listinfo/superguy>.
>
> STARFALL Lightly serious and seriously light superheroics, and better
> because of it. ;)
>
> NTB Net.Trenchcoat.Brigade. A bunch of Vertigo-like characters
> that own stock in London Fog. Not tremendously active, but
> they do have a considerable history. Implied Acraphobe.
>
> OMEGA A serious psi-based shared super-world and once upon a time
> RACC's third largest universe, now inactive. Created by the
> legendary Matt Rossi.
>
> OSD The Order of Saint Doomas. Items relating to RACC's anti-spam
> cult. (See Section 3 above.) No posts have been seen from
> this imprint in quite some time, but that doesn't mean they're
> gone....
>
> SW10 SW stands for Superhuman World. 10 is an annual tag. The
> comic has proceeded to 2011, but the tag has frozen at 2010
> because that's when the series really interacted with RACC.
> Scott Eiler has written the story of this universe since
> before 1991, but 1991 is when the modern heroes of this series
> start. His sources include adolescent male power fantasy,
> superhero role-playing, comic-book satire, and dreams. See
> <http://www.eilertech.com/stories/>.
>
> MISC Stories not in the above categories or in their own universes
> (authors are encouraged to make up their own headers as well).
> To limit the number of imprints, and to keep this FAQ to
> reasonable lengths, let's adopt this convention: One-shot
> stories or series should use the MISC flag. Series that set
> up shared universes should create their own, new imprint.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Subject: 6. People to Ask for Help
>
> The major header contacts are listed below, who will be glad to answer
> email question. Also keep your eyes peeled for FAQs specific to
> particular imprints. The FAQs are also often in the archive in a
> directory named "FAQs" under the imprint directory.
>
> Imprint Contact Email
> ------------ -------------------- ---------------------------------
> 8FOLD Jamie Rosen jamie.rosen@sunlife.com
> 8FOLD Tom Russell joltcity@gmail.com
> + ASH Dave Van Domelen dvandom@eyrie.org
> + LNH Andrew Perron pwerdna@gmail.com
> LNH20 Andrew Perron pwerdna@gmail.com
> + LNHY Arthur Spitzer arspitzer@earthlink.net
> + NTB Arthur Spitzer arspitzer@earthlink.net
> + RACChallenge Sean MacDonald mcdonald@vorteb.math.uab.edu
> + StarFall Ted Brock phantom_belcher@yahoo.com
> + Superguy Eric Burns eaburns@annotations.com
> SW10 Scott Eiler seiler@eilertech.com
>
> The Archive Russ Allbery eagle@eyrie.org
> Moderation RACC Moderation Team racc-request@eyrie.org
>
> + indicates separate FAQs are available for these imprints.
>
> If you need to contact the moderator directly, the contact information is:
>
> Russ Allbery <eagle@eyrie.org>
>
> If none of the above people help, or your questions are too general or
> specific, just email anyone you see posting here that seems to know what
> they're doing. (WARNING: This is rarely the case.)

Random question is the list of tags comprehensive?
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net> writes:

> Random question is the list of tags comprehensive?

No, very much not. It's essentially only things that people have mailed
me FAQ entries for.

--
Russ Allbery (eagle@eyrie.org) <https://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>

On 2024-01-01 00:01, Russ Allbery wrote:
> Subject: 5. List of Current Tags
>
> When choosing a tag to put at the beginning of your post, this list should
> be a canonical reference. If you see a need for a new tag, send mail to
> the FAQ maintainer so that it can be added.
>
....
> Now, all of the writing imprints. Note that new ones of these pop up all
> the time. Entries marked with (*) are in danger of being retired due to
> lack of activity. If you have any changes, please maileagle@eyrie.org.
>
....

> SW10 SW stands for Superhuman World. 10 is an annual tag. The
> comic has proceeded to 2011, but the tag has frozen at 2010
> because that's when the series really interacted with RACC.
> Scott Eiler has written the story of this universe since
> before 1991, but 1991 is when the modern heroes of this series
> start. His sources include adolescent male power fantasy,
> superhero role-playing, comic-book satire, and dreams. See
> <http://www.eilertech.com/stories/>.

"SLIME" has indeed earned a place on this list. Writer of "SLIME" is
always invited to provide a description.

I, being writer of "SW10", am always invited to provide a FAQ. Silly
writer of SW10 has thus far thought, providing a top-level web page plus
a Wiki is good enough. www.eilertech.com/stories/wiki/ ... But silly
writer might have to do better.

--
-- (signed) Scott Eiler 8{D> ------ http://www.eilertech.com/ -------

"Your Royal Highness, instead of devoting yourself exclusively
to Minerva, should, instead, rather offer sacrifice at the altars
of Bacchus, Orpheus, Venus, and Morpheus."

- Advice to Prince Duarte of Portugal. From "The golden age of
Prince Henry the Navigator", by Joaquim Pedro Oliveira Martins.
Coming soon to Project Gutenberg.

On 1/1/24 17:28, Scott Eiler wrote:
> On 2024-01-01 00:01, Russ Allbery wrote:
>> Subject: 5. List of Current Tags
>>
>> When choosing a tag to put at the beginning of your post, this list should
>> be a canonical reference. If you see a need for a new tag, send mail to
>> the FAQ maintainer so that it can be added.
>>
> ...
>> Now, all of the writing imprints. Note that new ones of these pop up all
>> the time. Entries marked with (*) are in danger of being retired due to
>> lack of activity. If you have any changes, please maileagle@eyrie.org.
>>
> ...
>
>> SW10 SW stands for Superhuman World. 10 is an annual tag. The
>> comic has proceeded to 2011, but the tag has frozen at 2010
>> because that's when the series really interacted with RACC.
>> Scott Eiler has written the story of this universe since
>> before 1991, but 1991 is when the modern heroes of this series
>> start. His sources include adolescent male power fantasy,
>> superhero role-playing, comic-book satire, and dreams. See
>> <http://www.eilertech.com/stories/>.
>
> "SLIME" has indeed earned a place on this list. Writer of "SLIME" is
> always invited to provide a description.

Thanks!!
I'm a bit unsure about writing a description before it's confirmed tho..
I don't want to be too confident and all.

> I, being writer of "SW10", am always invited to provide a FAQ. Silly
> writer of SW10 has thus far thought, providing a top-level web page plus
> a Wiki is good enough. www.eilertech.com/stories/wiki/ ... But silly
> writer might have to do better.
>

--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net> writes:

> Thanks!!
> I'm a bit unsure about writing a description before it's confirmed tho.. I
> don't want to be too confident and all.

Please do!

And in general anyone who wants their tag listed in the FAQ, please go
ahead and post or send me a description and I'll be happy to add it. (And
fix the bit that implies that this is a comprehensive list.)

--
Russ Allbery (eagle@eyrie.org) <https://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>

On 1/1/24 19:02, Russ Allbery wrote:
> candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net> writes:
>
>> Thanks!!
>> I'm a bit unsure about writing a description before it's confirmed tho.. I
>> don't want to be too confident and all.
>
> Please do!
>
> And in general anyone who wants their tag listed in the FAQ, please go
> ahead and post or send me a description and I'll be happy to add it. (And
> fix the bit that implies that this is a comprehensive list.)

Alright..

SLIME: A simple slice-of-life story focused on a group of slimes and
their friends. Main story told through daily comics.
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net> writes:

> Alright..

> SLIME: A simple slice-of-life story focused on a group of slimes and
> their friends. Main story told through daily comics.

Thanks, updated.

--
Russ Allbery (eagle@eyrie.org) <https://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>