A Metadata Standard for the Comics Industry
The COMET Standard
ComicsPRO Working Group Releases White Paper on New Metadata Standard
Multi-Stakeholder Committee Addresses Challenges In Fractured Publisher Data Landscape.
The COMET Standard
Comprehensive White Paper
Hundreds of hours have gone into creating a comprehensive white paper on the state of metadata in the comics industry in 2024, addressing the challenges and opportunities, and outlining a way forward for the industry.
Data Dictionary
A dictionary which lists all 108 fields along with all possible value for any picklists within the format. This dictionary demonstrates all of the fields that comprise the COMET Standard.
Implementation Guide
The implementation guide describes all 100+ data elements in full glorious text, with detailed explanations of each field, and examples where possible.
The COMET Code
The COMET Code is a pledge by industry professionals to support and adopt the COMET Standard. See how you can join the COMET Code Authority.
The COMET Validator
COMING SOON – a quick way to validate your data to ensure that it abides by COMET standards. Intended for smaller publishers, this will be an easy way to check against the standard, and ensure your products get maximum exposure.
Backed by ComicsPRO
ComicsPRO stands as the sole trade organization dedicated to direct-market comic book retailers, aiming to foster advocacy, education, and opportunity similar to trade bodies in other sectors. ComicsPRO recognizes the crucial role metadata plays in the comics industry and looks to improve metadata on an ongoing basis.
The COMET Standard White Paper
Created in consultation with comics retailers, distributors, publishers, vendors, software developers, and others – the COMET Standard was built during a series of meetings involving a cross disciplined group. This standard is a living document, and will continue to evolve.
The COMET Implementation Guide and Data Dictionary
The Implementation Guide gives guidance around exactly what is in each field and how it should behave. The Data Dictionary illustrates all 108 fields within the COMET standard, and gives examples of the options available within the picklists.
The COMET Code
The COMET Code is a pledge by retailers, publishers, distributors and software vendors to adopt and support the COMET code.
“The goal of this standard is to change data from something we fight with just to do the most basic parts of store management into something that can be used to improve sales, smooth store operations, and make everyone in the chain more money.”
Katie Pryde – Books with Pictures
“Bad metadata costs me personally tens of thousands of dollars each year, multiplied across an industry of 2500 retailers, and among all of the publishers and distributors, it is conservative to say this issue is costing millions of dollars annually.”
Brian Garside – Manage Comics
“Better data will allow me as a retailer to order with more confidence, and as a software developer will allow me to make tools that my software customers can use to sell more product to customers who want product but aren’t aware of it.”
Django Bohren – Comic Shop Assistant / The Comics Place
The COMET White Paper
The COMET white paper was produced by the ComicsPro Metadata Working Group during 2023 and released formally on February 23rd 2024 to address growing data concerns in the comics industry. The Comet Standard aims to create a standardized approach to comics metadata by implementing atomic data principles and adopting the BISAC categorization system in order to achieve consistency, improve data accuracy, and streamline processes for retailers, distributors, and publishers.