Tutorial: Adding the image template to Comic Covers

One of the DC Database's most commonly uploaded image types is the Comic Cover. However, the different types of Comic Cover, and the rules for each type differ in each case. So, this tutorial will help you fill out each different type properly, so that every image you upload categorizes properly.

The first thing to know is that when the image comes from a comic cover, whether it is a textless cover (or "virgin cover") or a variant, is that its license is Comic Cover. The license field for every Image Type listed on this page should be filled out with "Comic Cover".

Cover Art
These are the typical covers for every comic book, with the number, logo, date, and barcode.


 * 1. Name your image file according to the naming conventions. In this case, it would be "SeriesName Vol # #.jpg", e.g. .Batman Vol 2 1.jpg


 * 2. Copy the Image Template's Empty Syntax to your clipboard.


 * 3. Click the "add a photo!" button on the right of most pages, so that the pop-up upload dialogue appears.


 * 4. Select the properly named file, and then click the "More Options" link underneath the filename.


 * 5. Paste the empty syntax from your clipboard into the "caption" box.


 * 6. The License field: this should contain "Comic Cover", as with all image types on this page.


 * 7. The ImageType field: this should contain "Cover Art", referring to the fact that this is the actual cover art from the comic, as published.


 * 8. The Description field: This field requires the use of the Fair Use template. First, type  {{F| , and then input the title, volume, and issue number, and close the brackets like so: {{f|Batman Vol 2 10}}.
 * The Fair Use template adds a blurb indicating that the content of the image (in this case, the cover of the issue) is being used under a fair use license, which covers our butts, legally.


 * 9. Skip ahead to the PreviousCover & NextCover fields. You can optionally add the previous and next issue's cover links to the infobox, in order to ease navigation. The proper format for those fields is "Filename.jpg". The template will automatically convert it to a link, once you publish, and it will look like this: {{fn|Batman Vol 2 9.jpg}}.


 * 10. The Source field: Fill in the Series, Volume, and Issue number. This sources the image to the issue it comes from.
 * Leave the Permission and Issue fields blank. This is important for Cover Art images, because the issue field is meant to categorize the image to the Issue/Images category - which we don't want.


 * 11. Leave the Universe field blank, and fill the Subject1 field with the word "None".
 * We do not credit character appearances to covers, because then Character/Images categories fill up with cover images, which is ugly. However, if you leave the field blank, it fills up Image Subject Needed, and we don't like that either. So, for covers, put "None", and everything will work out fine.


 * 12. Credits: Fill out the CoverArtist1 field with the issue's cover artist. If there is a second, third, fourth, etc cover artist (these are typically inkers and colourists), you can add a new line with CoverArtist2, CoverArtist3, and so on. Do not fill out any of the other fields.


 * 13. Press the Upload button. You will automatically be redirected from the upload dialog box to the "New photos on this wiki" page. Just to be sure, you should click on your image, and jump through the (somewhat annoying) slide-show link to see if you filled out everything properly.

Here is an example of a properly filled out image template: {{Fn|Action Comics Vol 2 12.jpg}}.