INDUCKS
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2008-07-06T17:37:41Z
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{{Infobox Website
| name = INDUCKS<br>World-wide database about Disney comics
| logo = [[Image:Inducks.png|200px]]
| url = http://inducks.org/
| commercial = no
| type = comics database
| language = [[Danish language|Danish]], [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[English language|English]], [[Finnish language|Finnish]], [[French language|French]], [[German language|German]], [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]], [[Polish language|Polish]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[Russian language|Russian]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]] and [[Swedish language|Swedish]].
| registration = optional
| owner = collective
| author = Harry Fluks
| launch date = 1994
| slogan =
}}
'''INDUCKS''' or '''Inducks''' is a freely available database aiming to index all [[Disney comics]] ever printed in the world. It is an international project<ref>As of January 2008, 26 contributors have provided more than 1,000 indexes, see the full list [http://coa.inducks.org/legend-inx.php/ here].</ref> which provides indexes of around 80,000<ref>As of January 1, 2008, see the [http://coa.inducks.org/tmp/stats.html statistics at Inducks].</ref> Disney comics publications worldwide. It is distributed with its own [[licence]].<ref>H. Fluks, F. Stajano, [http://bolderbast.inducks.org/xxlicence.html Inducks Licence Version 4B] (a kind of permissive, "[[copyleft]]" "free" licence).</ref>
==Origin==
Efforts to catalog Disney comic stories on a large scale date back to the late 1970s and early 1980s. Among the most important works are an index of Disney comics published in [[Denmark]],<ref>M. Olsen, ''Det Store Index'', Carl Barks & Co. 13-15, 17-18, 1979-1983. {{da icon}}</ref> a list of stories produced in [[Italy]],<ref>F. Fossati, ''Disney made in Italy'', IF 1 (2<sup>a</sup> serie), 1982 {{it icon}}.</ref> a list of American daily strips and sunday pages,<ref>A. Becattini, L. Boschi, ''La produzione sindacata (1930–1980)'', Al Fumetto Club, 1984 {{it icon}}.</ref> an index of American [[Dell Comics|Dell]] Disney comics<ref>A. Becattini, ''Disney Index, Comic Books - Vol. 1 & 2'', Al Fumetto Club, 1990 (vol. 2 undated).</ref> and a [[Carl Barks]] index.<ref>M. Barrier, ''Carl Barks and the art of the comic-book'', M. Lilien, 1982, ISBN 0960765204 (published earlier in a shorter form in the fanzine ''Funnyworld'' in the 1970s).</ref> All these lists include artists and writer credits that were previously unknown.
In August 1992, Per Starbäck (from [[Sweden]]) created the '''Disney Comics Mailing List'''.<ref>Commonly referred to as the [http://nafsk.se/pipermail/dcml/ DCML].</ref> Members soon contributed lists of Disney comics and gave references for printed indexes. In May 1994, expanding on information exchanged on the mailing list, Harry Fluks (from the [[Netherlands]]) created a database to organize comic indexes, and called it the '''Disney Comics Database'''.<ref name="interviews">Interviews of H. Fluks in the fanzines [http://coa.inducks.org/issue.php?c=fi/ALP+++5#p38 Ankkalinnan Pamaus 2000-02] {{fi icon}} ([http://bolderbast.inducks.org/xxinterv.html online English version]), in [http://coa.inducks.org/story.php?c=Qdk%2fDDFR++5I DDF(R)appet 5], 2004 {{da icon}} and [http://disneycomics.dk/p12/inducks-history on a fan website], 2005.</ref>
In 1999, a German member suggested the name '''Inducks''' as a cross between "[[index]]" and "[[duck]]" (for [[Donald Duck]]). It was playfully written '''I.N.D.U.C.K.S.''' to resemble acronyms seen in [[Junior Woodchucks]] comics.<ref>''The word Inducks is a combination of Index and Ducks. Brix Lichtenberg came up with this name as a replacement for the (more boring) name Disney comics Database. He intended it to be an abbreviation (I.N.D.U.C.K.S.) like the ranks in the Junior Woodchuck stories, but we haven't figured out yet what it is supposed to mean...'' in [http://bolderbast.inducks.org/xxinterv.html Ankkalinnan Pamaus 2000-02].</ref> While the administrators claim "I.N.D.U.C.K.S." is [[backronym|supposed to stand for something]], no meaning has been selected to date, though several suggestions have been offered by the administrators themselves, including "Internet Database for [[Walt Disney|Uncle Walt]]'s Comics and Stories", "International Network for Disney Universal Comic Knowledge and Sources", and even "Inducks: The Name for the Disney Universe Comics Knowledge System".<ref>From [http://inducks.org/bolderbast/xv1.html the Bolderbast], an Inducks website.</ref>
Over the years, a web search interface was introduced, later replaced by a second search engine, '''COA''',<ref>A precise time-frame is as follow (from messages in the [http://nafsk.se/pipermail/dcml/ ''Disney comics mailing list'']): Disney comics indexes were exchanged as early as 1992 (e.g. Sep. 11); the first mention of the ''Disney comics database'' (DcD) is from Apr. 18, 1994; its first public release is in May 25, 1994; the first mention of a web search program is from Mar. 22, 1995; the first mention of ''Inducks'' is from Feb. 9, 1999; the first mention of the ''COA'' search engine is from Apr. 9, 2001.</ref> in 2001.
==Data details==
The INDUCKS database lists [[:Category:Disney Comics titles|publications]], [[Disney comics|stories]], [[:Category:Disney comics characters|characters]] and creators which are cross-referenced. Each story is given a unique "storycode"<ref>Details at [http://bolderbast.inducks.org/xproduct.html Inducks].</ref> so that reprints (often from all over the world) may be found for any story. A large number of Disney comics publications are indexed for the following countries: [[Australia]], [[Brazil]], [[Denmark]], [[Italy]], [[Finland]], [[France]], [[Germany]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Norway]], [[Poland]], [[Spain]], [[Sweden]] and [[USA]]. Among countries with a significant Disney comics tradition, indexes for [[Greece]], [[Mexico]], [[United Kingdom]] and (ex-)[[Yugoslavia]] are still very incomplete.<ref>As of January 2008 - figures from [http://coa.inducks.org/legend-country.php Inducks].</ref>
INDUCKS integrates previous studies and research works, with permission of the authors,<ref>M. Barlotti, [http://marcobar.outducks.org/DisneyIndex/AFscan.html ''Da Fossati al'Inducks: il progetto I.N.D.U.C.K.S.''], Notiziario della Anonima Fumetti, 1999 {{it}}; a complete list is given [http://bolderbast.inducks.org/xindind.html at Inducks].</ref> as well as its own research. Thanks to contacts with creators,<ref>The Brazilian "branch" of Inducks lists about [http://inducks.blogspot.com/ 30 authors] who provide information {{pt icon}}; see also the [http://www.borderfiction.it/home/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=515 biographical notice] of comic writer Leonardo Gori {{it}} or the [http://www.cartoonresearch.com/gerstein/ "book work"] of archivist and editor [[David Gerstein]].</ref> it provides credits to anonymous (or wrongly-credited) stories. In particular, most [[Disney comics]] weren't given credits until the 1980s or 1990s. It also contains information about unpublished Disney comics stories.<ref>As of January 2008, about 2,000 shelved stories are [http://coa.inducks.org/comp2.php?rowsperpage=0&columnsperpage=0&znar=on&znau=on&znbe=on&znbr=on&zneg=on&znee=on&znfi=on&znfr=on&znde=on&zngr=on&zngy=on&znis=on&znin=on&znid=on&znie=on&znit=on&znlv=on&znlt=on&znmk=on&znmx=on&znnl=on&znno=on&znpe=on&znro=on&znru=on&znsi=on&znes=on&znse=on&znth=on&znus=on&znuk=on&znyu=on&part=&ser=&xref=&mref=&xrefd=&repabb=&repabbc=ar&imgmode=1&vdesc2=on&vdesc=en&vus=on&sort1=auto listed].</ref>
Nowadays the main interface to INDUCKS is a [[search engine]], browser and website abbreviated COA, which is daily updated based on Inducks data, and is available in thirteen languages. While COA uses Inducks data, it is not part of Inducks itself, but it enables users to navigate and search data which in its raw form consists of very user-unfriendly text files.<ref>Technical details [http://bolderbast.inducks.org/xh8.html at Inducks].</ref> It has a few other features not part of Inducks, like a collection management system and an error tracker tool.<ref>Interview with the creator of COA, [http://coa.inducks.org/story.php?c=Qdk%2fDDFR+10E DDF(R)appet 10], 2007 {{da icon}}.</ref>
==Use as a source and in publications==
Although parts of the database have been published in book form<ref>A. Becattini, L. Gori, F. Stajano, H. Fluks, ''Don Rosa e il Rinascimento Disneyano'', Comic Art, 1997 {{it}}; P. Castagno, ''Luciano Bottaro - Un "gioviale" omaggio'' and ''Rodolfo Cimino - Dalla Tana del Bestio all'Angolo dei Salici'' two books published by ''Papersera'' for the Reggio Emilia comic-book fair, 2007 {{it}}.</ref> and in specialized journals,<ref>P. Starbäck, G. Nässén, ''Carl Barks index (4th edition)'', NAFS(k)uriren 5 {{sv}}; T. Lapoussière, F. Willot, ''Carl Barks: Bibliographie'', Backup 8, 2001 {{fr}}; M. Angot, F. Willot, ''Les belles histoires Walt Disney'', Le collectionneur de bandes dessinées 81, 91, 1996, 2000 {{fr}}.</ref> Inducks is most often used as a source by comic book historians in articles devoted to [[Disney comics]].<ref>To name a few: F. Willot, ''Giovan Battista Carpi'', Le collectionneur de bandes dessinées 89, 1999 {{fr}}; F. Stajano, ''Disney-serier i Italien'', NAFS(k)uriren 30-32, 1999-2000 {{sv}} ([http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/240399.html revised English version]); F. De Salvia, [http://www.storiaefuturo.com/pdf/71.pdf ''La via Italiana a Topolino''], Rivista di storia e storiografia 5, 2004 {{it}}; T. Lapoussière, ''[[Phil DeLara]], bibliographie en France et aux États-Unis'', Backup 12, 2002 {{fr}}; F. Castanet, ''[http://www.pimpf.org/pimpfmag/pm13-bonus.pdf Romano Scarpa]'', Pimpf 13, 2006 {{fr}}.</ref>
INDUCKS is also used by Disney editors around the world.<ref>See e.g. Mickey Mouse And Friends 287; Roope-setä 2006-02 {{fi icon}}; I Maestri Disney 20 {{it icon}}.</ref> It is mentioned as a source by scholars<ref>A. D'Arcangelo, F. Zanettin, [http://www.akademiai.com/content/gk340u608ww22244/ ''Dylan Dog Goes to the USA''], Across Languages and Cultures 5, 2004.</ref> and is referenced in books about comics in general.<ref>J.-P. Gabilliet, ''Des comics et des hommes: Histoire culturelle des comic books aux Etats-Unis'', 2005, ISBN 2842743091 {{fr}}; H. Matla, ''Stripcatalogus'' (9<sup>th</sup> ed.), 1998 {{nl}}.</ref> It has once been criticized for being a catalog of data rather than true (semantic) indexing work.<ref>S. Brügger, L. Peyraud, M. Schmid, [http://www.hesge.ch/heg/vous_etes/doc/travaux_diplome_id/td02_BD.pdf ''Les images ne sont pas des mots''], study presented to the ''Haute École de Gestion de Genève'', 2002 {{fr icon}}.</ref>
INDUCKS sometimes gave talks and held meetings in comic-book fairs in [[Italy]], such as in [[Lucca]] in 1997 with [[Don Rosa]] and [[Marco Rota]]<ref>[http://dd50.inducks.org/fotos/j1997/p97-03.html Photos] of the events at INDUCKS.</ref> and in [[Reggio Emilia]] in 2007<ref>[http://www.afnews.info/deposito/2007/05/reggiomaggio2007.pdf News report] from the fair administration, 2007 {{it}}.</ref> and 2008. In 2004, it won an Internet award from ''afNews'', an association of Professional cartoonists in Italy.<ref>[http://www.fumetti.org/aiia/2004/aiia.htm Link] at fumetti.org {{it}}.</ref>
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
*[http://inducks.org/ Inducks].
*[http://bolderbast.inducks.org/ Bolderbast], site with general information on Inducks.
*[http://coa.inducks.org/ COA], the Inducks browser.
[[Category:Comics-related websites]]
[[Category:Disney]]
[[Category:Online comic databases]]
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