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Difference between revisions of "Wikisimpsons:Style Guide Characters"

Wikisimpsons - The Simpsons Wiki
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{| style="width: 100%; border: 3px solid #{{DarkColorSwitch}}; background-color: #{{LightColorSwitch}}; -moz-border-radius: 2em;"
 
|-
 
|-
| style="width: 100px;" | <font size="5px">'''Style Guide: Characters'''</font> [[File:Project Characters logo.png|250px|right]]
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| style="width: 100px;" | <font size="5px">'''Style Guide: Characters'''</font> [[File:Style Guide Characters logo.png|250px|right]]
 
|-
 
|-
| colspan="2" style="background-color: #F2FF00; border: 3px solid #FFE500; -moz-border-radius: 2em; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;" |
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{| style="float: right;"
 
{| style="float: right;"
 
| __TOC__
 
| __TOC__
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Naming should follow our [[Wikisimpsons:Naming|naming]] policy. This states that full names should be used wherever possible. If not, the following conventions should be used:  
 
Naming should follow our [[Wikisimpsons:Naming|naming]] policy. This states that full names should be used wherever possible. If not, the following conventions should be used:  
 
*Titles in names, e.g. [[Dr. Zweig]].
 
*Titles in names, e.g. [[Dr. Zweig]].
*For one time characters, brackets should contain the episode name, e.g. [[Inga (The Good, the Sad and the Drugly)]] and [[Inga (Coming to Homerica)]].  
+
*For one time characters, brackets should contain the episode name, e.g. [[Inga (The Good, the Sad, and the Drugly)]] and [[Inga (Coming to Homerica)]].  
*For recurring characters, brackets should contain a distinguishing feature, e.g. [[Erin (soldier)]].
+
*For recurring characters, brackets should contain a distinguishing feature, e.g. [[Phil (reporter)]].
 
*If we have a guest star or crew member page "''(character)''" should be put at the end, e.g. [[Leonard Nimoy (character)]].
 
*If we have a guest star or crew member page "''(character)''" should be put at the end, e.g. [[Leonard Nimoy (character)]].
 
*If all else fails, a conjectural title should be used.
 
*If all else fails, a conjectural title should be used.
Articles with brackets should use <code><nowiki>{{title}}</nowiki></code> to remove the bracketed content from the page title, unless it is "(character)", in which case the <code><nowiki>{{chnav}}</nowiki></code> should be used. For guest stars this is used as <code><nowiki>{{chnav||name}}</nowiki></code>. For other crew, the second field should detail the person's job, most likely crew member.
+
Articles with brackets should use <code><nowiki>{{title}}</nowiki></code> to remove the bracketed content from the page title, unless it is "(character)", in which case the <code><nowiki>{{chnav}}</nowiki></code> should be used. For guest stars this is used as <code><nowiki>{{chnav||name}}</nowiki></code>. For other crew, the first should detail the person's job, most likely crew member. If the first parameter is changes, then <code>|ngs=yes</code> should be added.
  
 
Articles with conjectural titles should have <code><nowiki>{{Conjecture}}</nowiki></code> at the top of the article.
 
Articles with conjectural titles should have <code><nowiki>{{Conjecture}}</nowiki></code> at the top of the article.
  
 
=== Character infobox ===
 
=== Character infobox ===
<pre>{{Character
+
<pre>
|name= Name
+
{{Character
|image= Image
+
|name =  
|gender= {{Male}} or {{Female}}
+
|identity =
|hair= Hair color
+
|image =  
|age= Must be sourced
+
|gender =  
|status = Alive/Deceased/Fictional/Non-canon/Possibly deceased/Unknown
+
|alias =
|job= Job
+
|hair =  
|relatives= '''Parents''': Link
+
|age =  
|appearance= "[[Episode]]"/''[[Other]]''
+
|status =  
|voiced by= Voice actor
+
|job =  
}}</pre>
+
|relatives =  
 
+
|appearance =
 
+
|mentioned =
At the start of each character article should be the character infobox with a picture of the character, their gender, hair, age, status, job, relatives, the episode/media they first appeared in, and their voice actor(s) (see right). Status will remain on Unknown unless you add an alternative.
+
|voiced by =  
 +
}}
 +
</pre>
  
Note that the infobox only can take one gender. If two are needed, use <code><nowiki>{{Char2}}</nowiki></code> instead, which has a "gender2" field.
+
==== Explanation ====
 +
*'''Name:''' The name of the character. This is usually the article name.
 +
*'''Identity:''' If the character article is for a superhero or another alter-ego, the identity is their real identity.
 +
*'''Image:''' Image of the character.
 +
*'''Gender:''' Gender of the character. If the article is for a character group with more than two genders, use <code>|gender2 =</code>
 +
*'''Alias:''' Nicknames and other names the character has gone by.
 +
*'''Hair:''' The character's hair color.
 +
*'''Age:''' The age of the character. This needs to be referenced with the media the age was mentioned. No guesses or estimates are allowed. See [[Wikisimpsons:Ages|ages]] for more information.
 +
*'''Status:''' The last known status of the character. See [[Wikisimpsons:Character statuses|character statuses]] for more information.
 +
*'''Job:''' The character's job or jobs.
 +
*'''Relatives:''' The known relatives of a character. If a character has many relatives, only use the immediate relatives.
 +
*'''Appearance:''' The first appearance of a character.
 +
*'''Mentioned:''' The first time a character is mentioned, only if they haven't appeared before then.
 +
*'''Voiced by:''' The voice actor for the character.
  
 
=== Maintenance templates ===
 
=== Maintenance templates ===
Line 48: Line 63:
  
 
=== The article itself ===
 
=== The article itself ===
The article should be written in-universe view, without mentioning episode names in the text. Episodes should be referenced with the <code><nowiki><ref>"[[Episode Name]]"</ref></nowiki></code> (quotation marks), while comics and other media should be referenced with <code><nowiki><ref>''[[Comic Name]]''</ref></nowiki></code> (Italics). Any articles with references should have
+
The article should be written in-universe view, without mentioning episode names in the text. Episodes should be referenced with the <code><nowiki><ref>"[[Episode Name]]"</ref></nowiki></code> (quotation marks), while comics and other media should be referenced with <code><nowiki><ref>''[[Comic Name]]''</ref></nowiki></code> (italics). Any articles with references should have
 
<pre>
 
<pre>
 
== References ==
 
== References ==
<references/>
+
{{Reflist}}
 
</pre>
 
</pre>
 
at the bottom of the article.
 
at the bottom of the article.
Episode names are only allowed in the infobox, trivia, appearances, and references. If you come across an article about a character that is not written in-universe view, then you cn help by fixing it, or by adding <code><nowiki>{{In-universe}}</nowiki></code>.
 
  
Note that one time characters do not need references.
+
Episode names are only allowed in the infobox, trivia, Behind the Laughter appearances, and references. If you come across an article about a character that is not written in-universe view, then you can help by fixing it, or by adding <code><nowiki>{{In-universe}}</nowiki></code>.
 +
 
 +
Note that one-time characters do not need references.
  
 
==== Non-canon ====
 
==== Non-canon ====
Line 62: Line 78:
  
 
=== Appearances ===
 
=== Appearances ===
For a very minor character a list is used, though for a recurring character, the following scroll box is used. Every appearance should be mentioned.
+
For a very minor character a list is used, though for a recurring character, the following scroll box is used. Every appearance should be mentioned. For [[anthology episodes]] add which part the character appears in.
 
<pre>{{scroll|
 
<pre>{{scroll|
* {{ul|Good Night}}
+
*{{ul|Good Night}}
* {{ep|Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire}}
+
*{{ep|Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire}}
* {{THOH|Treehouse of Horror}}
+
*{{THOH|Treehouse of Horror}}
* {{mov}}
+
*{{mov}}
* {{ep|Holidays of Future Passed}}
+
*{{ep|Holidays of Future Passed}}
* {{bon|The Amazing Colossal Homer}}
+
*{{spec|FOX's 25th Anniversary Special}}
* {{game|The Simpsons: Hit and Run}}
+
*{{ad|Hard Times}}
* {{bk|The Simpsons Uncensored Family Album}}
+
*{{bon|The Amazing Colossal Homer}}
* {{ad|Hard Times}}
+
*{{game|The Simpsons: Hit & Run}}
* {{spec|FOX's 25th Anniversary Special}}
+
*{{bk|The Simpsons Uncensored Family Album}}
 
}}</pre>
 
}}</pre>
  
Line 79: Line 95:
  
 
{{scroll|
 
{{scroll|
* {{ul|Good Night}}
+
*{{ul|Good Night}}
* {{ep|Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire}}
+
*{{ep|Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire}}
* {{THOH|Treehouse of Horror}}
+
*{{THOH|Treehouse of Horror}}
* {{mov}}
+
*{{mov}}
* {{ep|Holidays of Future Passed}}
+
*{{ep|Holidays of Future Passed}}
* {{bon|The Amazing Colossal Homer}}
+
*{{spec|FOX's 25th Anniversary Special}}
* {{game|The Simpsons: Hit and Run}}
+
*{{ad|Hard Times}}
* {{bk|The Simpsons Uncensored Family Album}}
+
*{{bon|The Amazing Colossal Homer}}
* {{ad|Hard Times}}
+
*{{game|The Simpsons: Hit & Run}}
* {{spec|FOX's 25th Anniversary Special}}
+
*{{bk|The Simpsons Uncensored Family Album}}
 
}}
 
}}
 +
 +
Appearances should be listed in the order of release date of media, and in the order of:
 +
#Shorts
 +
#Episodes
 +
#Specials
 +
#Adverts
 +
#Comics
 +
#Games
 +
#Books
 +
#Merchandise
  
 
=== Navigational templates ===
 
=== Navigational templates ===
Line 98: Line 124:
  
 
Besides the automatic categories, the following should be considered:
 
Besides the automatic categories, the following should be considered:
*Appearance type: Only one of the following should be added to every page: [[:Category:Recurring characters]], [[:Category:One time characters]] and [[:Category:Mentioned characters]].
+
*Appearance type: Only one of the following should be added to every page: [[:Category:Recurring characters]], [[:Category:One-time characters]] and [[:Category:Mentioned characters]].
*Statuses: Also consider the following: [[:Category:Bongo comic book characters]], [[:Category:Crossover characters]], [[:Category:Fictional characters]], [[:Category:Future characters]], [[:Category:LGBT characters]], [[:Category:Non-canon characters]], [[:Category:Non-speaking characters]], [[:Category:Possibly deceased characters]] and [[:Category:Real world characters]]. For [[:Category:Deceased characters]], add <code><nowiki>{{Deceased characters}}</nowiki></code> instead.
+
*Statuses: Also consider the following: [[:Category:Bongo comic book characters]], [[:Category:Crossover characters]], [[:Category:Fictional characters]], [[:Category:Future characters]], [[:Category:LGBT characters]], [[:Category:Non-canon characters]], [[:Category:Non-speaking characters]], [[:Category:Possibly deceased characters]] and [[:Category:Real-world characters]]. For [[:Category:Deceased characters]], add <code><nowiki>{{Deceased characters}}</nowiki></code> instead.
 
*Season introduction. For recurring characters only, add ''Category:Characters introduced in season <number>''. For the Ullman shorts, add [[:Category:Characters introduced in the Tracey Ullman shorts]], and for ''[[The Simpsons Movie]]'' add [[:Category:Characters introduced in The Simpsons Movie]].
 
*Season introduction. For recurring characters only, add ''Category:Characters introduced in season <number>''. For the Ullman shorts, add [[:Category:Characters introduced in the Tracey Ullman shorts]], and for ''[[The Simpsons Movie]]'' add [[:Category:Characters introduced in The Simpsons Movie]].
 
*Voice actor - ''Category:Characters voiced by <Voice actor>'' should be added for characters who are voiced by a regular voice cast member, whereas [[:Category:Characters voiced by guest stars]] should be used to articles for characters who are voiced by guest stars.
 
*Voice actor - ''Category:Characters voiced by <Voice actor>'' should be added for characters who are voiced by a regular voice cast member, whereas [[:Category:Characters voiced by guest stars]] should be used to articles for characters who are voiced by guest stars.
 
*Age groups: [[:Category:Babies]], [[:Category:Children]], [[:Category:Teenagers]], [[:Category:Adults]] and [[:Category:Seniors]].
 
*Age groups: [[:Category:Babies]], [[:Category:Children]], [[:Category:Teenagers]], [[:Category:Adults]] and [[:Category:Seniors]].
 
*Profession: A wide range of categories, most of which need adding by hand. For a list, see [[:Category:Characters by profession]]
 
*Profession: A wide range of categories, most of which need adding by hand. For a list, see [[:Category:Characters by profession]]
*Family: Many families have navboxes. If not, and the character has a family category, such as [[:Category:Calabresi family]], add it in.
+
*Family: Many families have navboxes. If not, and the character has a family category, such as [[:Category:Bouvier family]], add it in.
  
 
There are also other minor categories you may consider. Every relevant category can be found within [[:Category:Characters]].
 
There are also other minor categories you may consider. Every relevant category can be found within [[:Category:Characters]].
Line 111: Line 137:
 
*If the article is lacking information, then add <code><nowiki>{{Character stub}}</nowiki></code> to the end of the article.  
 
*If the article is lacking information, then add <code><nowiki>{{Character stub}}</nowiki></code> to the end of the article.  
 
*Every character's talk page should have <code><nowiki>{{Talkheader}}</nowiki></code> followed by <code><nowiki>{{Article Style Guide Characters}}</nowiki></code>.
 
*Every character's talk page should have <code><nowiki>{{Talkheader}}</nowiki></code> followed by <code><nowiki>{{Article Style Guide Characters}}</nowiki></code>.
 +
 +
== Layout ==
 +
The basic layout of a character article should follow this format, with unneeded sections left out:
 +
 +
#{{t|Title}} templates, Featured article templates, and the maintenance templates.
 +
#Infobox
 +
#Article opening
 +
#History/Biography sections
 +
#Non-canon sections
 +
#Trivia
 +
#Behind the Laughter
 +
#Appearances
 +
#References
 +
#See also
 +
#External links
 +
#Navboxes, including {{t|Simpsons characters}}
 +
#Categories
 +
 +
See [[Wikisimpsons:Style Guide Characters/Example|the example]] for what a page should look like.
  
 
{{Style Guides}}
 
{{Style Guides}}
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Characters}}
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Characters}}
 +
 +
[[Category:Style Guide Characters| ]]

Latest revision as of 10:52, April 30, 2024

Style Guide: Characters
Style Guide Characters logo.png

The following is a style guide on how to create a high quality character page, and is part of our Manual of Style.

Aims[edit]

This style guide aims to help you write articles on all one-time, mentioned and recurring characters from The Simpsons, provided they fall within our notability policy.

Structure of an article[edit]

Naming[edit]

Naming should follow our naming policy. This states that full names should be used wherever possible. If not, the following conventions should be used:

Articles with brackets should use {{title}} to remove the bracketed content from the page title, unless it is "(character)", in which case the {{chnav}} should be used. For guest stars this is used as {{chnav||name}}. For other crew, the first should detail the person's job, most likely crew member. If the first parameter is changes, then |ngs=yes should be added.

Articles with conjectural titles should have {{Conjecture}} at the top of the article.

Character infobox[edit]

{{Character
|name = 
|identity = 
|image = 
|gender = 
|alias = 
|hair = 
|age = 
|status = 
|job = 
|relatives = 
|appearance =  
|mentioned = 
|voiced by = 
}}

Explanation[edit]

  • Name: The name of the character. This is usually the article name.
  • Identity: If the character article is for a superhero or another alter-ego, the identity is their real identity.
  • Image: Image of the character.
  • Gender: Gender of the character. If the article is for a character group with more than two genders, use |gender2 =
  • Alias: Nicknames and other names the character has gone by.
  • Hair: The character's hair color.
  • Age: The age of the character. This needs to be referenced with the media the age was mentioned. No guesses or estimates are allowed. See ages for more information.
  • Status: The last known status of the character. See character statuses for more information.
  • Job: The character's job or jobs.
  • Relatives: The known relatives of a character. If a character has many relatives, only use the immediate relatives.
  • Appearance: The first appearance of a character.
  • Mentioned: The first time a character is mentioned, only if they haven't appeared before then.
  • Voiced by: The voice actor for the character.

Maintenance templates[edit]

If the page lacks certain things, then respective templates should be added to the top of the article, or if it pertains to only one section, then at the top of that. The most commonly used are {{No voice}}, {{In-universe}}, {{Incomplete}}, {{Cleanup}}, {{Image needed}} and {{Engrish}}.

The article itself[edit]

The article should be written in-universe view, without mentioning episode names in the text. Episodes should be referenced with the <ref>"[[Episode Name]]"</ref> (quotation marks), while comics and other media should be referenced with <ref>''[[Comic Name]]''</ref> (italics). Any articles with references should have

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

at the bottom of the article.

Episode names are only allowed in the infobox, trivia, Behind the Laughter appearances, and references. If you come across an article about a character that is not written in-universe view, then you can help by fixing it, or by adding {{In-universe}}.

Note that one-time characters do not need references.

Non-canon[edit]

Non-canon information should follow the above conventions, but be split from canon information. For most characters, this will be through a non-canon section, which should feature {{noncanon}} or {{noncanoncomic}} at the start. If, however, the whole article pertains this information, then this template should place at the start of the article.

Appearances[edit]

For a very minor character a list is used, though for a recurring character, the following scroll box is used. Every appearance should be mentioned. For anthology episodes add which part the character appears in.

{{scroll|
*{{ul|Good Night}}
*{{ep|Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire}}
*{{THOH|Treehouse of Horror}}
*{{mov}}
*{{ep|Holidays of Future Passed}}
*{{spec|FOX's 25th Anniversary Special}}
*{{ad|Hard Times}}
*{{bon|The Amazing Colossal Homer}}
*{{game|The Simpsons: Hit & Run}}
*{{bk|The Simpsons Uncensored Family Album}}
}}

will produce

Appearances should be listed in the order of release date of media, and in the order of:

  1. Shorts
  2. Episodes
  3. Specials
  4. Adverts
  5. Comics
  6. Games
  7. Books
  8. Merchandise

Navigational templates[edit]

Every character page should end with {{Simpsons characters}}. In addition, various other templates are available to be used for different character groups, and any relevant ones should be added to a character's page. For a list, see Wikisimpsons:Navboxes

Categories[edit]

Every character should be in Category:Characters, which is automatically added by the infobox. Gender is also automatically added, as are many other categories, which are added with the relevant navbox, for example Category:Simpson family is added when {{Simpsons family}} is on the page.

Besides the automatic categories, the following should be considered:

There are also other minor categories you may consider. Every relevant category can be found within Category:Characters.

Other[edit]

  • If the article is lacking information, then add {{Character stub}} to the end of the article.
  • Every character's talk page should have {{Talkheader}} followed by {{Article Style Guide Characters}}.

Layout[edit]

The basic layout of a character article should follow this format, with unneeded sections left out:

  1. {{Title}} templates, Featured article templates, and the maintenance templates.
  2. Infobox
  3. Article opening
  4. History/Biography sections
  5. Non-canon sections
  6. Trivia
  7. Behind the Laughter
  8. Appearances
  9. References
  10. See also
  11. External links
  12. Navboxes, including {{Simpsons characters}}
  13. Categories

See the example for what a page should look like.