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I have an interesting thing to say. Three times recently, I have been asked to work on IP with extensive lore and backstory that I needed to brush up on.
When I asked if they had bibles or development documents...I was told the same thing all three times...
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When I asked if they had bibles or development documents...I was told the same thing all three times...
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I was told in each case that no suck official documents exist, and that they ‘just use the fan wikis online.’
Not because they are lazy or for cost-cutting measures, but because the fans ‘keep better track of this stuff, anyway.’
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Not because they are lazy or for cost-cutting measures, but because the fans ‘keep better track of this stuff, anyway.’
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Now, I am not talking about some niche comic book property, I am talking about massively successful film, game and tv properties.
Some of the biggest shows and franchises you follow have zero in-house continuity documents.
They do everything off of fan wikis.
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Some of the biggest shows and franchises you follow have zero in-house continuity documents.
They do everything off of fan wikis.
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I am not exaggerating when I say ‘zero,’ either. I worked on a major game franchise, their entire suggestion of reading material was the address to the fan site.
I don’t know 100% how to feel about this. It seems weird, but is it unethical?
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I don’t know 100% how to feel about this. It seems weird, but is it unethical?
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When I was writing Action Comics, I was given a huge binder full of information and photocopies of key stories. It was huge and very helpful. I don’t know if they do that anymore.
But for tv and games, they really almost completely on the hardcore fan research.
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But for tv and games, they really almost completely on the hardcore fan research.
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On the one hand, it’s kind of neat, kind of symbiotic, where both sides get some benefit. On the other, it seems they should at least acknowledge the work of the fans.
What do you think?
You would be surprised how common this is, by the way.
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What do you think?
You would be surprised how common this is, by the way.
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For some weird reason, people keep misreading this and think I am talking about comics.
I am not, comics source material is far easier to get in comics and out of six hundred comics I’ve written, I have never been sent to a fan page for resources.
I am not, comics source material is far easier to get in comics and out of six hundred comics I’ve written, I have never been sent to a fan page for resources.
Also, people seem to think this means fanfic. It does not.