Published first
An entry must trace to a published comic or documented physical edition. Fan art, commissions, production concepts, and unrealized mockups can inform Lineage Notes, but do not enter the cover catalog.
Methodology
How a cover enters
the lineage.
The archive is designed to show artistic influence without inflating it. These rules keep distinct drawings, production variants, uncertain leads, and cultural references in the right places.
A visual relationship must be legible
The connection should rely on composition—not merely a shared character, title, or theme. Pose, staging, framing, trade-dress theater, and spatial relationships form the evidence.
One drawing, one primary record
Trade dress, virgin, foil, metal, sketch, color, foreign, and store editions using the same core drawing remain related editions under one artwork record.
Credit with precision
We record the credited cover artist and distinguish pencils, inks, colors, or design roles when reliable sources make those roles clear. Unconfirmed credits are labeled, not guessed.
Sources should be traceable
Publisher pages, creator posts, distributor records, established databases, retailer listings, auction archives, and photographs of physical copies form the research trail.
Corrections remain open
Collectors, creators, publishers, and rights holders can submit additions, attribution corrections, edition notes, or removal requests. Changes are reviewed before publication.
Research workflow
Lead → evidence → record → review.
- DiscoverA possible homage is found through a collector, creator, marketplace, database, or visual search.
- VerifyPublication, edition, image, date, and credit are checked against reliable sources.
- CompareThe drawing is tested against the original composition and against existing records for duplication.
- PublishThe primary artwork is added with related editions, searchable metadata, image attribution, and source links.
Have evidence?